Spending to save: Is conflict prevention cost-effective.

YesThe objective of this study is to provide an evidence base concerning the costs and benefits of conflict prevention (CP) activities (defined as those activities undertaken primarily to reduce the risk of conflict), compared with those of engaging after large-scale conflict has begun

Spending to save: Prospective case studies.

This case study considers the relative costs of conflict prevention and post-crisis intervention for Sudan during the period 2004-2018

Spending to save: Retrospective Case Studies.

yesThe key questions to be addressed in this study are: ¿ with the benefit of hindsight, what conflict prevention `packages¿ could the international community have designed in order to minimise the probability of the conflicts that actually took place? ¿ how much would have been saved if these packages had been implemented, given reasonable estimates about their costs, compared with the actual cost of conflict and post-conflict intervention. The first section provides a background to the conflicts. This is followed by an assessment of the levels of resources that the international community has committed to the Western Balkans since 1991. The third part of the study provides two hypothetical scenarios for CP interventions that might have restrained conflict from breaking out. These CP packages are then costed and an assessment of their probability of success is made

Reciprocal Disarmament: A Game Proposal

The events of the late 1980s brought high hopes that arms control could play a major role in reducing both the danger of war and the considerable economic burden which the maintenance of large military forces represents. At the same time, many critics have pointed out that arms control, at least as traditionally conceived, has inherent limitations. For no treaty, however well-drafted, can ever encompass and quantify every significant aspect of the military strength that potential adversaries may have

An Anglican heritage in transition: an examination of the role and function of traditional English Church music in four Anglican parishes on the Witwatersrand.

ABSTRACT This study examines an aspect of Anglican Church heritage (in a state of transition in South Africa) namely, the role and function of traditional English Church Music in a selected number of parishes on the Witwatersrand. Some musicians within the church see this heritage as being under threat, and with the ever-growing support for gospel and traditional African music in a number of former "white" parishes, not to mention the ongoing interest in so-called charismatic or contemporary music, there seems to be a concern that the style of music, as practised for centuries in the liturgy of the Anglican Church, may well be in decay. Thus, the preservation of a heritage such as this, surrounded by so many differing and varied cultural influences perhaps requires a new focus and prominence within the local Anglican Church community. The practice of traditional English Church Music in South Africa, and particularly on the Witwatersrand, now lies in the hands of a small number of musicians and liturgists who strive to maintain this heritage, and who also seek to educate those who might continue their legacy in the future. The historical overview at the beginning of this research report reveals the background upon which the present day situation is being investigated. From the research material that has been acquired and the interviews which have been conducted, certain deductions as to the problem areas have been made and thus possible recommendations suggested. The Parishes that were chosen for the case studies are perhaps not necessarily the most extreme examples on the Witwatersrand of what musicians and clergy are doing in keeping this area of heritage active, yet they have many areas in common, and thus were singled out as case studies for that purpose. Three of the case study parishes had very similar heritage scenarios, largely because they were early foundations on the Anglican Church on the gold fields. The fourth, although younger by approximately fifty years, is similar purely because of the idea of preserving a tradition to later generations. Such work is very challenging in this regard, especially with the various external influences which such a heritage has to contend with, and so that is why a chapter is dedicated to the Royal School of Church Music as a supportive organisation. There is every possibility that the case study parishes would do well even without such external support, but the fact that each of the parishes has maintained membership of the RSCM and contribute much to its survival too, shows that there is an undefined reciprocal agreement between them, in that they are supportive of each other. Some might say therefore, that they see it as a matter of survival though unity being strength. The findings of the case studies and the general research that has taken place with regards to this project indicate a number of contributing factors as to the retention of traditional English Church music in the South African context, albeit that as a heritage in transition, it encompasses a minority of the total population . iii For example, 1. Groups of passionate traditional church musicians in various dioceses. 2. The support of organizations such as the Royal School of Church Music and the Guild of Church Musicians. 3. Supportive Clergy. 4. The establishment of Diocesan Choral Associations, such as the Bishop's Choir of the Diocese of the Highveld. 5. Congregants of different racial and cultural backgrounds who wish to retain the traditional English style of music within the liturgy. Future trends that musicians and liturgists may encounter when it comes to the retention of this heritage will no doubt encompass the politics of heritage and change in South Africa. The influence of further African migration from the northern states, whose peoples might have a different perspective when it comes to the English musical traditions, will also have to be considered. Albeit that organizations such as the Royal School of Church Music are doing their best to keep up to date with cultural changes and influences, the impact of socalled "new age" religions, Celtic spirituality and ancestor worship have yet to have any true influence on the role of traditional Anglican music. The report in conclusion shows that there have been many wrongful allegations made as to the seriousness of the so-called threats to this aspect of Anglican music and liturgy, and that although a heritage very much in the minority of South Africa's greater heritage, it still has a following and is much-loved by many South Africans, drawn from virtually all cultural backgrounds

Nuclear weapons and British defence policy. An examination of nuclear aspects of British foreign and defence policy 1940-1990.

This thesis is an attempt to understand the role of nuclear weapons in Britain's defence and foreign policies. It works from the assumption that decisions in relation to nuclear weapons, can only be understood in the context of a broader overview of the British state's policies since the 1940's. In turn Britain's nuclear policies have made a decisive impact on defence policy as a whole and have had an important effect on international developments. It is hoped that this thesis will contribute to a better-understanding of the causes and effects of the nuclear weapons policies adopted by the UK since the 19401s. The thesis will focus on the politics and political economy of nuclear weapons and British defence policy. This central concern has required that a number of other important aspects of the subject have been given only peripheral consideration. The thesis does not attempt to provide a detailed technological history of Britain's nuclear force. Nor is it intended to provide particular new insights on the nuclear decisionmaking process. Rather it seeks to explore the underlying factors which have shaped both the technology and the perceptions of decision-makers. There is no shortage of historical accounts of Britain's nuclear force. The unique contribution which it is hoped that this thesis makes, however, does not lie so much in its subject matter as in the way that this subject matter is approached. In my view that approach is sufficiently different from those of previous works in this area as to be both original and of some interest to other scholars in this field.Rowntrees Memorial Trus

Gaming on the edge: using seams in ubicomp games

Outdoor multi-player games are an increasingly popular application area for ubiquitous computing, supporting experimentation both with new technologies and new user experiences. This paper presents an outdoor ubicomp game that exploits the gaps or seams that exist in complex computer systems. Treasure is designed so that players move in and out of areas of wireless network coverage, taking advantage not only of the connectivity within a wireless ‘hotspot’ but of the lack of connectivity outside it. More broadly, this paper discusses how the notion of seamful design can be a source of design ideas for ubicomp games

Evaluation of encapsulated liver cell spheroids in a fluidised-bed bioartificial liver for treatment of ischaemic acute liver failure in pigs in a translational setting

Liver failure is an increasing problem. Donor-organ shortage results in patients dying before receiving a transplant. Since the liver can regenerate, alternative therapies providing temporary liver-support are sought. A bioartificial-liver would temporarily substitute function in liver failure buying time for liver regeneration/organ-procurement. Our aim: to develop a prototype bioartificial-liver-machine (BAL) comprising a human liver-derived cell-line, cultured to phenotypic competence and deliverable in a clinical setting to sites distant from its preparation. The objective of this study was to determine whether its use would improve functional parameters of liver failure in pigs with acute liver failure, to provide proof-of-principle. HepG2cells encapsulated in alginate-beads, proliferated in a fluidised-bed-bioreactor providing a biomass of 4-6×10 10 cells, were transported from preparation-laboratory to point-of-use operating theatre (6000miles) under perfluorodecalin at ambient temperature. Irreversible ischaemic liver failure was induced in anaesthetised pigs, after portal-systemic-shunt, by hepatic-artery-ligation. Biochemical parameters, intracranial pressure, and functional-clotting were measured in animals connected in an extracorporeal bioartificial-liver circuit. Efficacy was demonstrated comparing outcomes between animals connected to a circuit containing alginate-encapsulated cells (Cell-bead BAL), and those connected to circuit containing alginate capsules without cells (Empty-bead BAL). Cells of the biomass met regulatory standards for sterility and provenance. All animals developed progressive liver-failure after ischaemia induction. Efficacy of BAL was demonstrated since animals connected to a functional biomass (+ cells) had significantly smaller rises in intracranial pressure, lower ammonia levels, more bilirubin conjugation, improved acidosis and clotting restoration compared to animals connected to the circuit without cells. In the +cell group, human proteins accumulated in pigs' plasma. Delivery of biomass using a short-term cold-chain enabled transport and use without loss of function over 3days. Thus, a fluidised-bed bioreactor containing alginate-encapsulated HepG2cell-spheroids improved important parameters of acute liver failure in pigs. The system can readily be up-scaled and transported to point-of-use justifying development at clinical scale

Comparison of CATs, CURB-65 and PMEWS as Triage Tools in Pandemic Influenza Admissions to UK Hospitals: Case Control Analysis Using Retrospective Data

Triage tools have an important role in pandemics to identify those most likely to benefit from higher levels of care. We compared Community Assessment Tools (CATs), the CURB-65 score, and the Pandemic Medical Early Warning Score (PMEWS); to predict higher levels of care (high dependency - Level 2 or intensive care - Level 3) and/or death in patients at or shortly after admission to hospital with A/H1N1 2009 pandemic influenza. This was a case-control analysis using retrospectively collected data from the FLU-CIN cohort (1040 adults, 480 children) with PCR-confirmed A/H1N1 2009 influenza. Area under receiver operator curves (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictive values were calculated. CATs best predicted Level 2/3 admissions in both adults [AUROC (95% CI): CATs 0.77 (0.73, 0.80); CURB-65 0.68 (0.64, 0.72); PMEWS 0.68 (0.64, 0.73), p<0.001] and children [AUROC: CATs 0.74 (0.68, 0.80); CURB-65 0.52 (0.46, 0.59); PMEWS 0.69 (0.62, 0.75), p<0.001]. CURB-65 and CATs were similar in predicting death in adults with both performing better than PMEWS; and CATs best predicted death in children. CATs were the best predictor of Level 2/3 care and/or death for both adults and children. CATs are potentially useful triage tools for predicting need for higher levels of care and/or mortality in patients of all ages

The twilight of the Liberal Social Contract? On the Reception of Rawlsian Political Liberalism

This chapter discusses the Rawlsian project of public reason, or public justification-based 'political' liberalism, and its reception. After a brief philosophical rather than philological reconstruction of the project, the chapter revolves around a distinction between idealist and realist responses to it. Focusing on political liberalism’s critical reception illuminates an overarching question: was Rawls’s revival of a contractualist approach to liberal legitimacy a fruitful move for liberalism and/or the social contract tradition? The last section contains a largely negative answer to that question. Nonetheless the chapter's conclusion shows that the research programme of political liberalism provided and continues to provide illuminating insights into the limitations of liberal contractualism, especially under conditions of persistent and radical diversity. The programme is, however, less receptive to challenges to do with the relative decline of the power of modern states