976 research outputs found

    A classification of the semantic field good and evil in the vocabulary of English

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    The central part of this thesis (chapter 3) consists of a classification of 9071 lexical items comprising the semantic field Good and Evil. This classified semantic field, with minor alterations, will form part of the Historical Thesaurus of English currently being compiled in the English Language Department of Glasgow University. Some significant features of the Good and Evil classification system, devised and explained in this thesis, have also been adopted by the Historical Thesaurus. Chapter 1 places the thesis in a wider academic context. It explains briefly the Historical Thesaurus project, and describes how the classification of Good and Evil contributes to this. It also relates the thesis to linguistics, semantics, and especially to semantic theory, lexicography, and semantic classification. Chapter 2 defines the semantic field Good and Evil and discusses how the field was assembled. It provides details of those areas which were either rejected or extended in order to form the semantic field. It then describes in some detail the classification system devised for Good and Evil. The structure of the classification is explained, the use of the parts of speech as a valuable classificatory device is justified, and the contribution of other classificatory work is acknowledged. The chapter also discusses some particular problems and features of the Old English corpus. It ends with lists of stylistic and other conventions. Chapter 3 contains the Good and Evil classification, and chapter 4 consists of detailed notes on the classification. These notes discuss points relating to dating. Old English material, classificatory devices, closely connected categories, and some problems of dictionary definitions, among other things. Chapter 5 conducts a number of studies based on historical and etymological information drawn from the classification. The relative numbers of accessions and losses in different centuries in the categories are presented and discussed. The range of sources of origin of a limited number of categories arc detailed. The patterns of change, and the extent and rate of influence of different languages in different centuries, are then commented on and compared. Chapter 6 selects one area of vocabulary from Good and Evil - animal names used as names for people - and subjects this area to a detailed examination. The variety of animal names, and the range of people to whom they arc applied, arc discussed, and various statistics and comparisons arc drawn up. Also considered is the time gap between the first literal use of an animal name and the first figurative or metaphorical application of the same term to a person. In the process some interesting and, on occasion, unproven points about animal metaphor are brought to light. The thesis ends with three appendices. The first contains extra Good and Evil material not in the main classification, the second details 19th century obsolescences, and the third gives a numerical distribution of items in each category by part of speec

    China Maritime Report No. 5: China\u27s Dreadnought? The PLA Navy\u27s Type 055 Cruiser and Its Implications for the Future Maritime Security Environment

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    Chinaā€™s naval modernization, a process that has been underway in earnest for three decades, is now hitting its stride. The advent of the Type 055 cruiser firmly places the PLAN among the worldā€™s very top naval services. This study, which draws upon a unique set of Chinese-language writings, offers the first comprehensive look at this new, large surface combatant. It reveals a ship that has a stealthy design, along with a potent and seemingly well-integrated sensor suite. With 112 VLS cells, moreover, Chinaā€™s new cruiser represents a large magazine capacity increase over legacy surface combatants. Its lethality might also be augmented as new, cutting edge weaponry could later be added to the accommodating design. This vessel, therefore, provides very substantial naval capability to escort Chinese carrier groups, protect Beijingā€™s long sea lanes, and take Chinese naval diplomacy to an entirely new and daunting level. Even more significant perhaps, the Type 055 will markedly expand the range and firepower of the PLAN and this could substantially impact myriad potential conflict scenarios, from the Indian Ocean to the Korean Peninsula and many in between. This study of Type 055 development, moreover, does yield evidence that Chinese naval strategists are acutely aware of major dilemmas confronting the U.S. Navy surface fleet.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/1004/thumbnail.jp

    Measuring spirituality in South Africa: Validation of instruments developed in the USA

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    Published ArticleSpirituality is receiving increased attention in the context of the workplace. Research consistently shows that spirituality is signifi cantly correlated with mental health and well-being. Most of the research on spirituality, particularly in the context of the workplace, is conducted with instruments developed in the USA. However, the inter-cultural measurement of constructs remains a concern, because instruments developed in one culture are not necessarily transferable to another culture. In the current study, the transferability of two spiritual measures developed in the USA, namely the Human Spirituality Scale (HSS) and the Organizational Spirituality Values Scale (OSVS) are considered for a sample from South Africa. The results confi rm the construct validity of the HSS and the OSVS, but indicate that the factor structures of the HSS and the OSVS should be analysed and reconfi rmed when used, particularly in a South African sample. The study provides evidence that the HSS and the OSVS cannot be transferred indiscriminately to a South African sample. This insight contributes to the quality of future research studies in South Africa, not only on the important aspect of spirituality, but also when applying instruments developed elsewhere in the world

    Workplace spirituality and job satisfaction

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    Published ArticleIn order to obtain an improved understanding of behaviour at work, employees should be studied from physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. Although the physical and psychological dimensions of individuals at work have been studied extensively, the spiritual dimension has been neglected for many years. The objective of the current research was to determine the relationship between workplace spirituality and a positive attitude related to work, that is, job satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 600 white-collar workers, chosen from two organizations in different industries in South Africa. The research results indicate that there is a positive relationship between workplace spirituality and job satisfaction. These fi ndings deepen the understanding of personal spirituality, organizational spirituality, and job satisfaction. They bring new insights into the signifi cant role which spirituality plays in the context of the workplace. To survive in the 21st century, organizations need to be spiritually based. This, in turn, will lead to workers being satisfi ed with their entire work experience

    The Experience of Spirituality in a Multicultural and Diverse Work Environment

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    Published ArticleWorldwide, the study of spirituality is receiving increased attention, but very little is known about spirituality and its manifestation in African organizations. The aim of this research was to explore the experience of spirituality in a multicultural and diverse working environment, in order to enhance understanding of the functioning of spirituality in relation to diversity in the workplace. In particular, the study explores workplace spirituality from an individual and an organizational perspective within diverse organizations operating within a multicultural society. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 600 white collar workers from two organizations in different industries in South Africa. The research findings indicate that there is an inverse relationship between workplace spirituality and individual spirituality. Furthermore, the study confirmed that the experience of both personal and organizational spirituality is impacted by several diversity characteristics within a multicultural environment. In order to improve understanding of the experience of spirituality in multicultural societies and organizations, further empirical research is recommended. Globally, organizations need to realize the importance of embracing spirituality, in order to function effectively in a multicultural environment

    The conceptualisation and application of service-learning in higher education : a case study

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    Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central question that this research study addresses is whether higher education institutions in South Africa are sufficiently meeting the needs of their students, by contextualising and integrating their academic curricula with service delivery in communities. The higher education sector has been criticized for not adequately promoting and developing social responsibility in the context of civic awareness among their students. This study suggests that service-learning could become a vital force in educational change and promote social equity by enabling the advancement of historically disadvantaged communities. Service-learning could thus be the vehicle that links academic learning outcomes, service in communities and civic education. The purpose of this study is to explore the theoretical foundations of servicelearning in order to achieve a deeper understanding of what service-learning entails. The Occupational Therapy Department of the University of Stellenbosch was selected as a case study to critically assess to what extent it has conceptualised, planned, implemented and assessed its service-learning programmes in terms of the key elements, principles and goals of service-learning. The research strategy for this study is a qualitative case study. Qualitative data was obtained through the completion of an open-ended questionnaire by the final year Occupational Therapy students. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the head of the department and different representatives of the community project that was selected for the purpose of this research study. The study concludes that the Occupational Therapy Department did in fact, integrate its academic curriculum outcomes with service delivery in the community. However, the development of civic awareness among students needs to be explicitly linked to the academic learning outcomes and service delivery in communities.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vraagstuk wat hierdie studie probeer aanspreek, is om vas te stel tot watter mate instansies vir hoĆ«r onderrig en opvoeding in Suid Afrika die behoeftes van hul studente aanspreek. Die instansies word gekritiseer dat hulle akademiese kurrikulums nie genoegsaam geĆÆntegreerd is met dienslewering in die gemeenskap nie, en dat hulle ook nie genoegsame sosiale verantwoordelikheid en gemeenskapsbewustheid by hulle studente aanmoedig nie. Hierdie studie stel voor dat diensleer gebruik word as 'n tegniek vir opvoedkundige veranderinge en die bevordering van sosiale gelykheid vir die bemagtiging van histories benadeelde gemeenskappe. Diensleer kan dus gebruik word om akademiese leer uitkomste, dienslewering en burgerlike opvoeding te verbind. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om die teoretiese basis van diensleer te ondersoek om sodoende 'n deeglike begrip te kry van wat diensleer werklik behels. Die Arbeidsterapie Departement van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch is gekies as gevallestudie om vas te stel hoe hulle hul diensleer programme konseptualiseer, beplan, implementeer en assesseer, t.o.v. die kern elemente, beginsels en doelstellings van diensleer. Die navorsingstrategie wat aangewend is om die doel van hierdie navorsing te bereik, is 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie. Kwalitatiewe data is verkry deur die voltooiing van 'n ope vraelys deur die finale jaar Arbeidsterapie studente en deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met die hoof van die Arbeidsterapie Departement en verteenwoordigers van 'n gemeenskapsprojek wat gekies is vir die doel van die studie. Die studie het vasgestel dat die Arbeidsterapie Departement se akademiese kurrikulum uitkomste wel met dienslewering in die gemeenskap geĆÆntegreerd is. In die lig van die navorsingsbevindinge word 'n aanbeveling gemaak dat die ontwikkeling van burgelikebewustheid en sosiale verantwoordelikheid ten opsigte van gemeenskapsbehoeftes, direk verbind moet word aan akademiese leer en diens uitkomste

    Oxidation state of iron in hydrous phono-tephritic melts

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    The oxidation state of iron in hydrous ultrapotassic (phono-tephritic) melts coexisting with mixed H2O-CO2 fluids was experimentally studied at 1200 and 1250{degree sign}C and pressures from 50 to 500 MPa. The oxygen fugacity (fO2) varied from NNO-2.9 to NNO+2.6 in logfO2, relative to the Ni-NiO oxygen buffer (NNO), as imposed by external redox conditions in experimental vessels and internal variations in water activity from 0.05 to 1 inside the capsules. The iron redox state of the quenched melts was determined by colorimetric wet-chemical analysis. This analytical method was optimized to measure the Fe2+/Ī£Fe ratio of mg-sized samples within Ā±0.03 (2Ļƒ). The accuracy and precision was tested with international reference materials and with standards analyzed by other methods. The Fe2+/Ī£Fe ratio of the experimental glasses covered a range of 0.41 to 0.85. A small negative effect of dissolved water on Fe2+/Ī£Fe at given fO2 was found, consistent with the thermodynamic model of Moretti (2005). No effect of pressure and temperature on the redox state of iron was resolvable in the investigated P-T range. Compared to hydrous ferrobasaltic melts that were studied previously under similar conditions, systematically lower Fe2+/Ī£Fe ratios were found for the phono-tephritic melts, in particular at low oxygen fugacities. This effect is attributed to the much higher K2O contents of the phono-tephrite (7.5 compared to 0.3 wt%), but the difference in Ī£FeO (7.8 wt% in the phono-tephrite and 12.9 wt% in the ferrobasalt) may have an influence as well. Comparison of the experimentally obtained relationship between logfO2 and Fe3+/Fe2+ for the studied hydrous ultrapotassic melts with commonly used empirical and thermodynamic models suggest that these models can be successfully applied to phono-tephritc melts, although such compositions were not implemented in the model calibrations. Furthermore, the new data can be used to improve the models with respect to the effects of compositional variables, such as H2O or K2O, on the redox state of iron in silicate melts

    Signal of single scattering albedo in water leaving polarization

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    The purpose of this article is to examine whether the change in single scattering albedo in the surface layer of the sea will cause significantchanges in the polarization of light emerging from the sea. The results of a polarization resolving Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculationsare presented. Bubble clouds of different bubble concentrations are used to achieve a wide range of single scattering albedo variability. Thevariability of the polarization signal is largest in the direction looking towards the sun which is unfortunate due to sun reflection. Howeverthe variability is also significant at direction perpendicular to solar azimuth angle which should it make possible to use this signal in remotesensing. The polarization degree of water leaving radiation, together with reflectance can be used to determine the backscattering ratio ofthe observed sea water

    The UK Paediatric Ocular Trauma Study 1 (POTS1):development of a global standardized protocol for prospective data collection in pediatric ocular trauma

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    Freda Sii,1,2 Robert J Barry,1 Richard J Blanch,1 Joseph Abbott,3 Caroline J MacEwen,4 Peter Shah1,2,5,6 1Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, 2Birmingham Institute for Glaucoma Research, Institute of Translational Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, 3Department of Ophthalmology, Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, 4Department of Ophthalmology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, 5National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, 6Centre for Health and Social Care Improvement, School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK Background: Ocular trauma is an important cause of visual morbidity in children worldwide. Pediatric ocular trauma accounts for up to one third of all ocular trauma admissions, with significant economic implications for health care providers. It is estimated that 90% of all ocular trauma is preventable. Development of strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of pediatric ocular trauma requires an understanding of the epidemiology of these injuries and their characteristics. This will enable appropriate targeting of resources toward prevention and allow effective service planning. At present, there is no standardized methodology for the collection of global cross-sectional data in pediatric ocular trauma, and the ability to undertake detailed epidemiological and health-economic analyses is limited. Furthermore, it is difficult to draw international comparisons in incidence, etiology, and outcomes of pediatric ocular trauma due to the range of published reporting criteria. This study describes two novel questionnaires for standardized data collection in pediatric ocular trauma, which can be adopted across a range of health care settings internationally.Methods: Two standardized data collection questionnaires have been developed from previously reported templates. The first enables collection of demographic and incident data on serious pediatric ocular trauma requiring hospitalization, and the second enables follow-up outcome data collection. Both the questionnaires are designed to collect primarily categorical data in order to increase ease of completion and facilitate quantitative analysis. These questionnaires enable acquisition of standardized data on the incidence, etiology, and outcomes of pediatric ocular trauma.Discussion: These questionnaires enable collection of standardized data and are designed for global use across all health care settings. Through prospective data collection, epidemiological trends can be determined, allowing health care providers to develop collaborative global preventive strategies. Furthermore, the same questionnaires may be used in future studies to draw comparisons with baseline data, allowing assessment of the efficacy of targeted preventative interventions. Keywords: childhood eye injury, epidemiology, health economic analyses, international standardization, penetrating eye injury, perforating eye injury, preventio
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