Why does armed conflict recur, and what has gender got to do with it?

Most conflicts in the world in this century have been civil wars taking place in poor and fragile states: in 2010 it was reported that every conflict started since 2003 was a recurrence of a previous one.1 With this realisation in mind, the international community now devotes much attention to understanding how interventions in ‘post-conflict’ settings might be designed more effectively to minimise relapse. However, given the persistence of war globally, it is pertinent to ask how much progress has been made

The seismic velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle in Sudan and East Africa

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2015.In this thesis the crustal structure beneath two areas of Africa is investigated. In Sudan, the new constraints on the crustal structure beneath the northern part of the Khartoum basin have been obtained. In East Africa, the size of the Tanzania Craton, and the differences between the Eastern and Western branches of the East African Rift System (EARS) have been determined. In southern Tanzania, the debate on the secular variation between Proterozoic and Archean crust has been investigated. The approach used in this thesis involves different data sets and methods. In first part of the thesis, the crustal structure of the northern part of the Mesozoic Khartoum basin is investigated by using two modelling methods: H-k stacking of receiver functions, and a joint inversion of receiver functions and Rayleigh wave group velocities. H-k stacking indicated that the crust is 33-37 km thick with an average of 35 km, and the crustal Vp/Vs ratio is 1.74-1.81 with an average of 1.78. Similar results were obtained from the joint inversion for Moho depth, as well as an average shear wave velocity of 3.7 km/s for the crust. These results provide the first seismic estimates of Moho depth for a basin in Sudan. When compared to average crustal thickness for unrifted Proterozoic crust in eastern Africa, our results indicate that only a few kilometers of crustal thinning may have occurred beneath the Khartoum basin. This finding is consistent with estimates of effective elastic plate thickness, which indicate little modification of the Proterozoic lithosphere beneath the basin, and suggests that there may be insufficient topography on the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath the Sudanese basins to channel plume material westward from Ethiopia. In the second part of the thesis, the uppermost mantle structure beneath East Africa is investigated by using a standard singular value decomposition algorithm model. Results reveal fast Pn velocities beneath the Mozambique Belt to the east of the craton, the Kibaran Belt west of the craton, and beneath the northern half of the Ubendian Belt to the southwest of the craton. These results indicate that the cold, thick lithosphere of the Tanzania Craton extends beneath the Proterozoic mobile belts and the areal extent of the cratonic lithosphere is much larger than is indicated iv by the mapped boundaries of the craton. The results also show that the Pn velocities beneath the volcanic provinces along the Western Branch are not anomalously slow, which indicates little, if any, perturbation of the uppermost mantle beneath them. This is in contrast to the upper mantle structure at depths ≥ 70 km beneath the volcanic regions, which is clearly perturbed. The fast Pn velocities beneath the Western Branch contrast with the slow Pn velocities (7.5-7.8 km/s) beneath the Eastern Branch in Kenya, indicating that the upper mantle beneath the Eastern Branch has been altered more than beneath the Western Branch. In the third part, the crustal structure beneath two Proterozoic mobile belts, the Usagaran and the Ubendian belts, is investigated by using the Non-Dominated Genetic Algorithm method. In the Usagaran belt, results show an average Moho depth of 35 km for station MAFI and 41 and 42 km for stations MOGR and MIKU, respectively. In the Ubendian Belt, results showed an average Moho depth of 43 km beneath the Ufipa sub-terrane compared to 39 km for Wakole sub-terrane. These results indicate localized thickening in the Ufipa sub-terrane, but not beneath the entire Ubendian Belt. These results indicate that is no clear evidence that Paleoproterozoic crust in East Africa is substantially thicker than Archaean crust

Intrafamilial person-to-person spread of bacillary dysentery due to shigelza dysenteriae in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Objective: To identify the factors that influence transmission of bacillary dysentry (BD) within families during a propagated outbreak of bacillary dysentery. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: Eighteen neighbouring villages in rural Gizan, southwestern Saudi Arabia. Subjects: Two hundred and thirty three cases of BD were identified among seventy nine families. Results: Secondary cases of BD occurred in 57 of 79 families with a primary case of BD. The secondary attack rate per cent (AR%) within families ranged between 7.7% and 80%. Age of primary cases did not correlate with degree of secondary AR% in exposed families (p>0.04; p>0.05); however, within households, the age of the first secondary cases (median = two years) was usually less than the age of the primary case (median = six years). Children under five years of age constituted 43% of secondary cases. The median interval between successive cases within a house ranged from three and seven days. Two hundred and twenty cases (94.4%) gave history of close contact within another case of BD. Cases of BD were exposed to close relatives with BD (79.1%), neighbours (11.4%), and friends (9.5%). Risk factors influencing the spread of BD within families included two rooms or fewer per house (OR = 4.3, 9.5% CI 1.3-14.3), family size of five or more (p = 0.012, two-tailed Fisher's exact test), and presence of more than two persons per room (OR=11.2, 95% CI 3.1-42.4). Conclusion: Person-to-person secondary transmission can amplify the spread of bacillary dysentery within households and neighbouring villages. Crowding was a risk factor that amplified transmission of BD within families.East African Medical Journal, May 1999, 255-25

Bleeding through… compositional processes in the integration of Middle Eastern and Western art music

This thesis consists of a portfolio of 10 compositions accompanied by a written commentary with audio and video recordings of my works. These compositions span a wide variety of instrumentations from large orchestral works to solo instrumental works, of both Western and Eastern traditions, as well as vocal and live art installation pieces. Throughout the commentary I explore the continuum of how Eastern traditional idioms and Western art music play a role in the creation of my musical language. This includes an overview of the history of bi-cultural integration and an exploration of the motivations for integrating musics, both in my own work and that of other composers. I explore particular parameters within my works, focusing on the spectrums between composition and improvisation, the concepts of translation and transcription and collaborative practice with Western classical and musicians of Eastern traditional music. Additionally, I examine how my application of Eastern musical parameters and techniques are filtered through four of my other interests and influences: namely, my development of a gestural and timbral language which stems from an engagement with my approach to pitch and harmony

The Impact of Training on Women's Micro-Enterprise Development

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Academic Adaptation and Achievement: A Comparative Study of Outstanding Students and Students under Academic Probation at the University of Sharjah

This study aimed to identify the level of academic adaptation of University of Sharjah students and the variation in the level of academic adaptation in relation to the level of academic performance, specifically comparing outstanding students and those under probation. The sample of study comprised 49 male and female students under probation and 152 outstanding students who spent at least one academic year, or 30 credit hours, at the University. They responded to the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ), which they received through the University IT Centre. The results indicated that the students are well adapted personally and emotionally and had a high degree of attachment. However, students reported that they were facing difficulties of coping with academic demands and adapting to university life. The results indicated a statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between the two study groups on the personal-emotional adjustment and academic adjustment subscales, in favour of outstanding students. In addition, outstanding students scored higher on the full scale and on some items in the four subscales. However, no differences were observed between the two groups on the social adjustment and attachment subscales

Is there active tectonics at the Nile cataracts in Sudan? An archaeoseismological study

"The Nile is the longest river on earth, accordingly with huge drainage and major floods, regulated by the African monsoon. Significant amount of sediment is carried by the river; its deposition forms alluvial plains along most of its course." (fragm.

Airline brand equity: do advertising and sales promotion matter? An empirical evidence from UAE traveler’s perspective

Purpose: This study aims to examine the roles of advertising (ADV) and sales promotion (SP) in creating airline brand equity (BE) in the UAE, and to test the mediational effect of customer perceived value on the proposed relationships. Additionally, the study examines the outcomes of airline BE (i.e. trust, satisfaction and loyalty). Design/methodology/approach: A structured and self-administered survey was used targeting 234 passengers, from which 197 were valid for the analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the research constructs unidimensionality, validity and composite reliability. Findings: The empirical findings support the direct relationship between ADV and BE. Perceived value fully mediates the effect of SP on BE. In addition, BE positively affects trust, satisfaction and loyalty. Research limitations/implications: Future research could investigate BE and perceived value as multidimensional constructs. Additionally, future research should expand the effect of other variables such as airline type, airline class and other marketing mix elements. Practical implications: The findings from this research highlight the importance of both ADV and sale promotion in enhancing airline BE, and the pivotal role of perceived value. Originality/value: The originality of this research is highlighted in conceptualizing a parsimonious model of the preceding constructs (i.e. ADV, SP, customer perceived quality) and subsequent constructs of BE (i.e. customer trust, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty), which has never been investigated collectively in one model in the literature particularly in the airline’ context of emerging economies such as UAE

The possibility of Applying International Accounting Standards in the Public Sector (IPSAS) in the Iraqi Government Accounting System: Exploratory Research for the Opinions of Accountants at the University of Al-Muthanna

Purpose: This paper aims to use such standards to contribute to strengthening the accounting profession at the global level and provides financial disclosure that is easy to understand, treat and deal with, and hold government officials accountable for its basis.   Theoretical Framework: Rapid developments in the field of information technology and the trend toward global trade relations imposed the use of new tools to address the government accounting system applied in Iraq to improve the quality of financial information. In addition, reducing the manipulation of public money and rationalize the state's economic policies.   Design/Methodology/Approach: To achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire was designed and Distributed to an intentional sample of accountants, whose number reached (60) accountants.   Findings: The findings show the importance of IPSAS standards in presenting financial reports to help accountants obtain them quickly and thus achieve the efficiency and effectiveness of accounting work, correcting and strengthening decisions and ensuring their effectiveness systems.   Research Practical& Social implication: The contribution of our paper relies on investigating the General Accounting System (IPSAS) in the government accounting system in the field through doing a survey of the opinions of specialists at the University of Al-Muthanna as a field for conducting research, as well as an indication of the adequacy of laws, legislation and principles that regulate government accounting to ensure good practice of ( IPSAS ) standards.   Implications/Originality/Value: the possibility of applying international accounting standards in the public sector to its accounting systems