Assessing violent nonstate actorness in global politics: a framework for analysis

Cataloged from PDF version of article.This article begins with the assumption that the most important shift that is taking place in contemporary global politics is the shift in polity power from the predominance of the state to the rising importance of nonstate actors. It goes on to argue that disciplinary understandings of this shift and, in particular, the nature of the actors driving it, remain dispersed. This article aims, therefore, to provide a framework for evaluating the global political potential—or actorness—of one type of nonstate actor, the violent nonstate actor, positing it as that most overtly challenging states’ authority, and therefore with the potential to play a uniquely stimulating role in the shifting of power. Based on three principles of autonomy, representation and influence, the framework provides broad criteria for understanding violent nonstate actors, as well as a means for evaluating violent nonstate actorness and for exploring its potential in global politics

An elastomeric grating coupler

We report on a novel nondestructive and reversible method for coupling free space light to planar optical waveguides. In this method, an elastomeric grating is used to produce an effective refractive index modulation on the surface of the optical waveguide. The external elastomeric grating binds to the surface of the waveguide with van der Waals forces and makes conformal contact without any applied pressure. As a demonstration of the feasibility of the approach, we use it to measure the refractive index of a silicon oxynitride film. This technique is nondestructive, reversible, low cost and can easily be applied to the characterization of optical materials for integrated optics

Civil Military Relations Transformed

Cataloged from PDF version of article

COMponent-based Statistical Computing

Standardisierung und Transparenz sind Grundvoraussetzungen für moderne statistische Datenanalyse. Darüberhinaus sind Interaktivität und Reproduzierbarkeit wünschenswert. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird eine Add-in basierte Lösung vorgestellt, die auf Microsofts COM Technologie beruht und versucht die genannten Ziele zu ermöglichen. Tabellenkalkulationen können dabei ein nützliches Werkzeug sein, wenn sie im Zusammenspiel mit statistischen Spezialpaketen zum Einsatz kommen.Modern statistical analysis requires standardization, transparency, interactivity, and reproducibility. This thesis presents an add-in based solution building on Microsoft’s COM technology which aims to fulfil these requirements. We will argue in favor of open and flexible environments within a distributed, i.e. client/server framework. Our emphasize lies on spreadsheets as suitable frontends for add-in based statistical systems

The reform-security dilemma in democratic transitions: the Turkish experience as model?

Cataloged from PDF version of article.In considering the future of budding Middle Eastern democracies, past experience and scholarship show that a possible outcome for even the most “successful” ones is some form of imperfect democracy. Based within the literature on democratic transitions and hybrid regimes, this article explores possible factors leading to such outcomes. It focuses in particular on reform/ security dilemmas, and the resulting evolution of dual state structures, in which an unelected and often authoritarian state establishment coexists with democratic institutions and practices, for example, in countries like Russia, Iran, or Pakistan. Much of the literature views such duality as an impasse, and thus considers these countries as trapped within this “hybridness” – discouraging news both for currently defined “hybrid regimes” and for countries like Egypt and Tunisia, which are now launching democratization processes. To better understand the nature and evolution of such regimes, this article looks at the case of Turkey, first tracing the rise and consolidation of the Turkish inner state, generally equated with the Turkish armed forces. It then looks at the apparent diminishing and integration of the inner state through pacts and coalitions among both civilian and military elements, and calls into question whether the pessimistic view of permanent illiberalness is inevitable

Diurnal Temperature-Related Dynamics of Glutathione Reductase Activity in Wheat Genotypes Under Drought

The strategically important wheat plant is the most cultivated of cereals. Drought is one of the main factors adversely affecting its productivity and quality of grain. Components of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle play an important role in the antioxidant defence system. The diurnal dynamics of temperature-related glutathione reductase activity (GR), one of the main components of the antioxidant defence system, were studied in durum (Barakatli 95, Garagylchyg 2) and bread (Gobustan, Tale 38) wheat genotypes of contrasting tolerance, when exposed to sustained soil drought. Glutathione reductase is highly sensitive to glutathione. Leaf samples were taken at the end of the wax ripening phase at three-hourly intervals (800, 1100, 1400, 1700), frozen in liquid N2, and kept at -800C. The experiments indicated that GR activity increased in stressed, tolerant, (Barakatli 95, Gobustan) and decreased in stressed sensitive varieties (Garagylchyg 2, Tale 38) compared with watered variants. In the samples taken at 1100, enzyme activity increased in all the genotypes, compared with the control. However, in the Gobustan genotype the activity of the enzyme remained almost constant. At the highest temperatures (1400) GR activity decreased by almost 50% both in durum and bread wheat varieties compared with the control. At 1700 GR activity increased in durum wheat genotypes and remained at a low level in bread wheat genotypes. Thus, durum wheat genotypes have a stronger defence system against unfavourable environmental conditions compared with bread wheat genotypes

Quantifying intelligence cooperation: The United States International Intelligence Behavior (USIIB) dataset

Cataloged from PDF version of article.This report describes the creation of the United States International Intelligence Behavior dataset (USIIB). The USIIB represents the first collection of event data specifically intended for exploring in a quantifiable manner the international intelligence cooperation behaviors of the United States. A total of 293,615 events are recorded in the USIIB, covering the years 2000–09. The report first provides a detailed description of the steps involved in building such a dataset, including the development of search terms, the use of a machine coding program (TABARI – Text Analysis by Augmenting Replacement Instructions) to extract data from wire news releases, and the extension of an existing coding scheme (CAMEO) to include intelligence behaviors. Following a discussion of issues related to the reliability and validity of event datasets in general and the USIIB in particular, the report then includes suggestions and examples for how the data in the current USIIB dataset may be used in order to add to our understandings of patterns and anomalies in international intelligence cooperation behavior. As a specific example, it offers results from an empirical test exploring variation in intelligence cooperation behaviors among democracies and non-democracies, asking specifically whether the United States has been more likely in the early 21st century to cooperate on intelligence matters with democratic states, and finding this not to have been the case. Finally, it aims to provide a guide for others who would like to extend this dataset to explore intelligence cooperation activity of other countries or regions

Charge Retention in Quantized Energy Levels of Nanocrystals

Understanding charging mechanisms and charge retention dynamics of nanocrystal memory devices is important in optimization of device design. Capacitance spectroscopy on PECVD grown germanium nanocrystals embedded in a silicon oxide matrix was performed. Dynamic measurements of discharge dynamics are carried out. Charge decay is modelled by assuming storage of carriers in the ground states of nanocrystals and that the decay is dominated by direct tunnelling. Discharge rates are calculated using the theoretical model for different nanocrystal sizes and densities and are compared with experimental data. Experimental results agree well with the proposed model and suggest that charge is indeed stored in the quantized energy levels of the nanocrystals.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure