Differential rotation and angular momentum

Differential rotation not only occurs in astrophysical plasmas like accretion disks, it is also measured in laboratory plasmas as manifested in the toroidal rotation of tokamak plasmas. A re-examination of the Lagrangian of the system shows that the inclusion of the angular momentum’s radial variation in the derivation of the equations of motion produces a force term that couples the angular velocity gradient with the angular momentum. This force term is a property of the angular velocity field, so that the results are valid wherever differential rotation is present

I think I can, I know I can? Success orientation in adult learner academic self-directedness

A Learning 2.0 milieu requires an active learner mindset, where the learner initiates and directs the learning experience. Consequently, adult learner academic self-directedness is essential for facilitating successful lifelong learning. Learner self-directedness is of specific importance in South African higher education, since only about 12 per cent of qualifying matriculants will continue to higher education, and of those, only about 6 per cent will qualify within 6 years. Adult learner self-directedness broadly consists of contextual (learning environment), cognitive (agency) and behavioural (self-management) elements. Although researchers agree that a fairly well-developed capacity for self-directedness is a requirement for successful ODeL studies, there is a lack of research on adult learner self-directedness in the South African ODeL context. The adult learner self-directedness scale (ALSDS) was developed to investigate adult learners in an ODeL context. The scale produced four factors describing adult learner self-directedness in, of which success orientation seems to be the most noteworthy

'n Hamer, 'n saag en 'n skroewedraaier - oor metodes van ontleding van die griekse teks van die nuwe testament

In this article four methods of analysis of the Greek text of the New Testament are compared. The methods are: South African Discourse Analysis, the method of Syntactic Structural Analysis, the method of the Analysis of Thought Structure and finally the method of Semantic Analysis based on nuclear structures

"Taalkundige" eksegese van romeine 13 :1 - 7

As in most scientific disciplines, theoretical and methodological developments in recent times are constantly changing and greatly influencing New Testament studies. The aim of this article is to illustrate, with the use of modern exegetical methods, a possible approach to the "linguistic" phase of the exegetical process. The approach encompasses seven steps, namely, (1) demarcation of the periscope for investigation, (2) a literal translation, (3) grammatical and syntactical commentary, (4) a text -critical check of important variant readings, (5) discourse analysis, (6) a visual representation of the place of the periscope within its broader textual context and (7) word study. Romans 13 :1-7 (which deals with obedience to the authorities) is used for the illustration of all seven these methodological steps. As conclusion it is stated that although this approach does not solve all the exegetical and hermeneutical problems of the periscope (which, however, it also does not pretend to do) , these seven things will always remain an essential pa r t of the basic exegetical work in a scientific interpretation of New Testament texts

Kom ons stem: Wat het Jesus regtig gesê?

Let us vote: What did Jesus really say? Since 1985 the study of the Jesus tradition has taken interesting new directions in the USA. A Jesus Seminar was initiated by the well-known RW Funk and some other leading American New Testament scholars. The question of what Jesus himself really said and what was attributed to him by tradition during later stages, was tackled anew with the explicit additional aim of ‘popularizing’ the results of this research. Since its inception the Jesus Seminar has grown into an academic institute, Westar Institute, with a whole range of research activities. In addition to this, a new publishing house for biblical and related subjects, Polebridge Press, was launched. In this article all these developments are discussed, with special attention to the Jesus Seminar. Finally, by applying the philosophical concepts of ‘exigence’ and ‘rhetorical situation, the article gives a possible ‘explanation’ for these new stimuli in some circles of American biblical scholarship

'n Verkenning van die moontlikhede van 'n resepsieteoretiese benadering tot die lees van Romeine 7:7—25

An exploration of the possibilities of a reception theoretical approach to the reading of Romans 7:7—25The multiplicity of interpretations of Romans 7:7-25 is well-known in Biblical scholarship. In this article the possibilities of a reception theoretical approach to the different readings of this text is explored. A brief theoretical discussion of this approach is given, focusing on the work of the German literary theorists, Hans Robert Jauss and Wolfgang Iser. When applied to the history of reception of Romans 7:7-25 it seems that Jauss's idea of the reader's 'horizon of expectations' and its influence on the interpretation of a text, is confirmed. It is pointed out how extratextual influences throughout the history had changed the interpretation of this text, starting right back in the fourth century with the controversy between Augustine and Pelagius, leading up to the differences between exegetes and sistematic theologians in our day. Some preliminary remarks on 'the reader' in Romans 7:7—25 as well as the gaps and textual strategies of this text are also made. The conclusion reached is that, although not necessarily revolutionary new, a reading of this text from the perspective of the role of the reader, definitely offers some fruitful possibilities for the understanding of New Testament epistolary literature

Die gereform eerde skrifbeskouing en moderne metodes van verklaring van die nuwe testament

In this article aspects of current exegetical methodology in New Testament studies are evaluated with reference to the reformed doctrine of Holy Scripture. The main aspects of the reformed doctrine of Scripture are discussed. Certain textual-theoretical principles which form the basis of the new methodologies in New Testamant studies are discussed, as well as the most important methodological principle in a textual-theoretical approach and the determining factor of one's concept of the text as such

Numerical simulations of sunspots

The origin, structure and evolution of sunspots are investigated using a numerical model. The compressible MHD equations are solved with physical parameter values that approximate the top layer of the solar convection zone. A three dimensional (3D) numerical code is used to solve the set of equations in cylindrical geometry, with the numerical domain in the form of a wedge. The linear evolution of the 3D solution is studied by perturbing an axisymmetric solution in the azimuthal direction. Steady and oscillating linear modes are obtained

Suicides on Commuter Rail in California: Possible Patterns — A Case Study, Research Report 10-05

Suicides on rail systems constitute a significant social concern. Reports in local media, whether in newspapers, television, or radio, have brought awareness to this very sensitive and personal subject. This is also true for the San Francisco Bay Area. These events also cause severe trauma for the train operators and staff of the system as well as disruption and cost to society. The overall objective of this project was to conduct a pilot study to identify possible patterns in suicides associated with urban commuter rail systems in California. The Caltrain commuter rail system in the San Francisco Bay Area was used as the subject system for the pilot study. The primary intent of the data analysis was to determine whether suicides along the Caltrain tracks exhibited patterns. Pattern detection in this study was conducted primarily on the basis of time and location. Because the data were readily available, the gender factor was also included in the analysis, although this is not a factor that is connected to the rail system. It was concluded that the data did show some patterns for suicides with respect to time and location. Some of the patterns can be explained while the reasons for some are not immediately obvious. However, the patterns in the latter category did not indicate a particularly attractive location or possible source for suicides