Are Muslims the New Catholics? Europe’s Headscarf Laws in Comparative Historical Perspective

In this paper a biologically-inspired model for partly occluded patterns is proposed. The model is based on the hypothesis that in human visual system occluding patterns play a key role in recognition as well as in reconstructing internal representation for a pattern’s occluding parts. The proposed model is realized with a bidirectional hierarchical neural network. In this network top-down cues, generated by direct connections from the lower to higher levels of hierarchy, interact with the bottom-up information, generated from the un-occluded parts, to recognize occluded patterns. Moreover, positional cues of the occluded as well as occluding patterns, that are computed separately but in the same network, modulate the top-down and bottom-up processing to reconstruct the occluded patterns. Simulation results support the presented hypothesis as well as effectiveness of the model in providing a solution to recognition of occluded patterns. The behavior of the model is in accordance to the known human behavior on the occluded patterns

When the unconscious joins the game:a psychoanalytic perspective on modernization and change

Abstract: The article presents a psychoanalytic and cultural perspective on the modernization of the welfare state in a Danish context. The article analyzes the processes of change and development in public welfare organizations through theoretical and empirical perspectives. The first statement argues, that development and change related to modernization cause anxiety, defensiveness, and ambivalence. The second statement shows how an analysis of transference provides significant insight into organizational and human dynamics, thereby refining our understanding of change and modernization. The third statement posits that in the setting of public welfare administration, the typical response to anxiety and defense mechanisms involves rational and instrumental measures rather than the establishment of a reflective, defense-reducing working environment. The fourth statement suggests that developmental work activates previous experiences that can either inhibit or facilitate development and change in a complex alternation. The fifth statement points to the economic, political, and cultural context and its influence on the intensity and extent of defense mechanisms. Key words: life history, modernization, change processes, transference, defense mechanis

Estonia: The Baltic/Nordic Identity

This Master’s thesis is presented on the subject of Estonia: The Baltic/Nordic Identity. My research on Estonia focuses on identifying key points of how a small Baltic nation was able to become the successful hub of technology and innovation after being under Communist rule for many years. Identifying historical, cultural, and scientific trends throughout Estonia are also discussed in this thesis to provide a solid foundation for Estonia’s position in the Baltic Region. The collapse of the Soviet Union was the perfect opportunity for Estonia to establish a modern identity and in my research, I looked at whether or not if the reforms passed by the Estonian government were successful in helping modernize their economy. In the long term, I see the reforms implemented by Estonia as successful in promoting economic growth and encouraging private enterprises to invest their products in the country. By investigating Estonian advancements in the fields of technology and science, I will explain in the thesis how Estonia is the most advanced and sophisticated of the three Baltic countries. The most successful innovation of the tech industry was the development of Skype in Tallinn. Along with Skype, I also look at concepts such as e-democracy and e-government services in the country. I will look at other technological sources to show that Estonia continues to work on expanding their technological sector. Developing a thesis revolving around Estonia enabled me to conduct research on a practical level about the impact the Baltic Region has on Europe. By observing different cultural and historical trends along with the latest advances of technology, I am able to create a positive conception of Estonia’s legacy as both a Nordic country and a Baltic country. A mixture of Western cultures and Eastern cultures is noted in the thesis because of Estonia’s connections with Germany and Russia, giving the nation a distinct identity. The sources of this thesis will be composed of both historical and modern evidence to develop a conceptual narrative about Estonia along with scholarly articles. Each source is diverse and provides structure on how Estonia successfully became a modern hub for industrialization and development. I will incorporate different political and tech sources in my analysis to discover why Estonia became successful in its technological endeavors. The possibilities of researching present day Estonian companies are endless, and learning about the new discoveries they make each day to improve the Estonian quality of life. I confirm in this thesis that Estonia has evolved significantly during the past 30 years and has successfully transformed into a leading edge country on the European continent. Estonia has successfully used their connections with the Scandinavian and other Baltic countries to come up with a unique identity. I also mention the Signing Revolution in this thesis because Estonians were able to use this event to make a successful attempt of reclaiming their independence from the Soviet Union. Upon completion, my hope is that this thesis will be used to continue further research on Estonia’s position in the Scandinavian/Baltic region

Controlling the Bureaucracy of the Antipoverty Program

Rapid progress made in various areas of regenerative medicine in recent years occurred both at the cellular level, with the Nobel prize-winning discovery of reprogramming (generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells) and also at the biomaterial level. The use of four transcription factors, Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 (called commonly "Yamanaka factors") for the conversion of differentiated cells, back to the pluripotent/embryonic stage, has opened virtually endless and ethically acceptable source of stem cells for medical use. Various types of stem cells are becoming increasingly popular as starting components for the development of replacement tissues, or artificial organs. Interestingly, many of the transcription factors, key to the maintenance of stemness phenotype in various cells, are also overexpressed in cancer (stem) cells, and some of them may find the use as prognostic factors. In this review, we describe various methods of iPS creation, followed by overview of factors known to interfere with the efficiency of reprogramming. Next, we discuss similarities between cancer stem cells and various stem cell types. Final paragraphs are dedicated to interaction of biomaterials with tissues, various adverse reactions generated as a result of such interactions, and measures available, that allow for mitigation of such negative effects