Crystal field aspects of the vibrational spectra of some metal complexes of tropolone and nitrogen donor ligands

Previous work on crystal field aspects of the vibrational spectra of metal β-ketoenolates has been extended here to metal tropolonate complexes. The crystal field trends have been used to assist in the assignment of metal sensitive vibrations to the transition metal tropolonate complexes. A study has been made of the effects of spin state and Jahn-Teller distortion on the vibrational spectra of the metal tropolonates. Of particular interest is the octahedral divalent metal tropolonate adducts, where the distortion of the copper complex is small, and the metal 2-thiotroponates where the Jahn-Teller- distortion is absent. The spectra of the lanthanide tropolonates are of interest, as a plot of the metal sensitive vibrations show the 'double-humped' curve indicating that crystal field effects are present in the lanthanide ions. This has not previously been shown. Further, from the vibrational spectra of the various lanthanide tropolonates, various conclusions are made regarding structure. The non-transition metal tropolonates provide a system devoid of crystal field effects and afford the opportunity to investigate the influence of other factors on the vibrational spectra. Of interest is the strong influence of the ionic radius and ionization potential on the metal sensitive vibrations and the remarkably small influence of the mass of the metal ion on these vibrations. Although the vibrational spectra of complexes of ethylenediamine and N- substituted ethylenediamines were studied, difficulty with, assignment of the metal sensitive vibrations and the complicating influence of substituents on the spectra, prevents any observations made, from being conclusive

Gender equality in employment in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region

The primary objective of this dissertation is to explore the ways in which gender discrimination in employment is being combated in the Southern African ~ Development Community (SADC) · region. My original intention was to simply examine what measures were being taken in the SADC to attain gender equality at work, and analyse these in light of the various models of equality and feminist theories relevant to the labour market. However, after my initial research it became clear that this approach was unlikely to yield the expected dividends. This was so for a variety of reasons. First, the varying levels of development in the region preclude the divulgence of any hard and fast rules regarding the position of women in 'the labour market'. Second, the 'labour market' is by no means a homogenous entity in Southern Africa, making generalisations more dangerous than ever. Third, it is difficult to accurately gauge the real impact of measures being taken at the regional level on practices and policies in member states. It appears that, even where policy and legislative changes have been made, there is little or no evidence to show that the position of women in the workplace has actually improved. Most importantly, however, was the nature of equality and feminist theories themselves, which has led to the formation of the overwhelming recurring hypothesis underlying this dissertation, namely that equality is as much about the limits of the law as its potential. It was thus necessary to move away from my initial approach, which was predicated on a rather formal conception of the juridical, rights-based notion of equality, towards a much more contextual approach to the subject matter. This approach is borne of the understanding that equality for women in the Southern African labour market will not be attained in universities or parliaments alone. Rather, it is in the application of principles arising out of equality discourse to a specific context that any model purporting to attain gender equality in the workplace must ultimately stand or fall. Further, although increasing and widespread disillusionment with the 'failed notion of gender equality' has led to calls from some quarters for an end to the juridical, or rights-based, model of equality itself, I have resisted this conclusion for two reasons; namely, the lack of viable alternatives to the substantive model of equality offered by critics; and secondly, the fact that the 'hollow' nature of equality, in the sense that it has no intrinsic meaning in isolation of the context to which it is applied, renders it unsusceptible to attack. A corollary of this reasoning is, of course, that those who would hide behind the rights-based model can be properly called to account and will not be permitted to merely pay lip-service to rights-talk without supporting such propositions with meaningful evidence of clear and tangible impact in key targeted areas of intervention. Following the brief introduction in chapter one, chapter two proceeds to examine some of the relevant theoretical aspects of contemporary equality theory, including many of the issues alluded to above. Ultimately, while mindful of the various criticisms that have been levelled at the juridical notion of equality in recent years, I have argued for a substantive model of equality, insofar as it is capable of taking account of the context in which it is to be applied. It is asserted that, while criticisms have quite correctly exposed the ways in which equality discourse has actually masked entrenched patterns of gender discrimination in the labour market, none have yet successfully attacked the root of substantive equality, which calls for nothing more, or less, than the imperative to 'be equal'. Having decided to rally behind the substantive model of equality, in chapter three I set about exploring, in general terms, the environmental or contextual factors informing our modem-day understanding of gender equality in employment. In light of the conceptual findings in chapter two, this contextual enquiry is exposed as the real heart of the debate, which is dissected and examined accordingly. Starting with the universal picture as set out in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1996, chapter three looks at crucial issues informing and constituting the environment in which any conception of gender equality must take root. In particular, the impact of globalisation on women workers, the gendered aspect of statist theories and the trend towards the 'feminisation' of poverty are explored. It is here that the desirability of regional harmonisation of labour standards becomes evident, as does the need for proactive state intervention aimed at addressing persisting cycles of entrenched gender discrimination and disadvantage. Finally, the role of international institutions such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the opportunities for women's empowerment in the workplace presented by collective bargaining, are highlighted. The focus then turns to the application of these contextual considerations within the SADC region itself. Chapter four explores the nature and extent of gender inequality in the labour markets of Southern Africa and looks at economic factors entrenching the feminisation of poverty throughout the region. In order to understand the range of the types of issues that are likely to be encountered in Southern Africa, country profiles are conducted on Lesotho and South Africa, which offer contrasting examples of almost polar proportions as regards economic development in the region. From the country profiles it is clear that a significant amount of intervention on the part of the state is required in order to combat the patriarchal heritage of customary and colonial law still operative throughout the region. Even where steps have been taken to ensure the eradication of sexist policies and laws, there is little evidence of direct positive impact on the lives of Southern African women. Chapter five critically examines developments underway at the regional level in the SADC, .and the SADC Employment and Labour Sector (ELS) in particular. Among other initiatives, the ELS has recently adopted a Gender Policy which sets out its plans for attaining gender equality in the workplace. Although measures such as the Gender Policy taken at the regional level are undoubtedly necessary and positive developments, much remains to be done by way of follow-up and implementation in member states. This chapter analyses these developments in light of the theoretical and contextual issues raised in foregoing chapters. In particular, from this regional perspective, the need for harmonisation of labour standards pertaining to gender equality, and a holistic approach to address the feminisation of poverty, including appropriate social protection measures, are argued for. Chapter six sets out a brief summary of the central arguments put forward in this dissertation, and provides some suggestions by way of outlook for gender equality in SADC labour markets

The Eleonore Sø and Målebjerg foreland windows, East Greenland Caledonides, and the demise of the ‘stockwerke’ concept

Recognition of the Eleonore Sø and Målebjerg foreland windows during the 1997–1998 regional mapping expeditions to the East Greenland Caledonides provided critical evidence for largescale, westward-directed thrusting in the Kong Oscar Fjord region (72°–75°N), a revelation that dealt a final blow to the ‘stockwerke’ concept of an in situ highly mobile infrastructure characterised by rising fronts of Caledonian migmatisation and metasomatism. This paper reviews earlier investigations in both the Eleonore Sø and Målebjerg areas, and the misinterpretations of rock units that initially obscured recognition of their foreland affinity. The Eleonore Sø and Målebjerg windows can now be placed in context, as part of the lowest structural level of the foreland-propagating thrust pile of the Kong Oscar Fjord region

Policing the pandemic:frontline officers’ perspectives on organisational justice

Much of the literature on the policing of the coronavirus pandemic reflects research that has been extra-organisationally focused, examining the prospective impact of the police approach to applying the public health legislation on relationships with the public and the potential impact on police legitimacy. Less research has been intra-organisationally focused; investigating the potential affect on police officers of policing during an extraordinary public health crisis, which has required them to navigate an ambiguous and constantly fluctuating legislative and policy landscape that has driven significant changes to internal working practices and operational procedures within their organisational environment. Using original empirical data from a small multi-method study within one Division of a United Kingdom police force, we examined the issue from an organisational justice perspective; exploring perceptions of intra-organisational fairness, and how these may have directly impacted upon the responses of frontline officers during the pandemic. We argue that in this period, both organisational processes and their resultant outcomes did not meet normative expectations, as they discriminated against officers with public-facing (frontline) roles. This directly impacted upon the officers’ experience of the ‘organisational climate’. The resulting sense of organisational injustice felt by frontline officers reduced their morale, impacted upon relationships with senior officers, and nurtured feelings that they were not being treated with respect, dignity and trust. We conclude by discussing the potential implications of the study for police organisations and their leaders, outlining opportunities for organisational learning and consider the need for the development of policy that complements notions of organisational justice

A new genus and two new species of Thyasiridae associated with methane seeps off Svalbard, Arctic Ocean

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Marine Biology Research on May 16th 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17451000.2016.1272699 Bivalves have been found in unique benthic assemblages associated with active methane seeps and mounds along the western and southern margins of the Svalbard shelf (75–79°N) at 350–380 m depth. Among the samples collected were a number of shells of Thyasiridae that are distinct from any species previously described. Here we describe one new genus Rhacothyas gen. nov. and two new species Thyasira capitanea sp. nov. and Rhacothyas kolgae sp. nov., including their distinguishing characteristics and the environmental setting where they were found. Thyasira capitanea sp. nov. is large compared with many other thyasirids, has an equilateral shell and demarcated zones on the median and anterior areas along with a distinct posterior sulcus. Rhacothyas kolgae sp. nov. is unique among other thyasirid genera and species regarding its characteristic outline, sunken lunule, lack of submarginal sulcus and wrinkled surface. Furthermore, we discuss their present occurrence in the context of the glaciomarine history of the Svalbard margin. We posit that these new species, after the deglaciation of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet, may have originated from other chemosynthetic or reducing environments along the Atlantic shelf margin or the southern Barents Sea shelf by following the net transport of the North Atlantic Current rather than having evolved in situ

The supermassive black hole mass - S\'ersic index relations for bulges and elliptical galaxies

Scaling relations between supermassive black hole mass, M_BH, and host galaxy properties are a powerful instrument for studying their coevolution. A complete picture involving all of the black hole scaling relations, in which each relation is consistent with the others, is necessary to fully understand the black hole-galaxy connection. The relation between M_BH and the central light concentration of the surrounding bulge, quantified by the S\'ersic index n, may be one of the simplest and strongest such relations, requiring only uncalibrated galaxy images. We have conducted a census of literature S\'ersic index measurements for a sample of 54 local galaxies with directly measured M_BH values. We find a clear M_BH - n relation, despite an appreciable level of scatter due to the heterogeneity of the data. Given the current M_BH - L_sph and the L_sph - n relations, we have additionally derived the expected M_BH - n relations, which are marginally consistent at the 2 sigma level with the observed relations. Elliptical galaxies and the bulges of disc galaxies are each expected to follow two distinct bent M_BH - n relations due to the S\'ersic/core-S\'ersic divide. For the same central light concentration, we predict that M_BH in the S\'ersic bulges of disc galaxies are an order magnitude higher than in S\'ersic elliptical galaxies if they follow the same M_BH - L_sph relation.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Nonlinear Fluid Dynamics Description of non-Newtonian Fluids

Nonlinear hydrodynamic equations for visco-elastic media are discussed. We start from the recently derived fully hydrodynamic nonlinear description of permanent elasticity that utilizes the (Eulerian) strain tensor. The reversible quadratic nonlinearities in the strain tensor dynamics are of the 'lower convected' type, unambiguously. Replacing the (often neglected) strain diffusion by a relaxation of the strain as a minimal ingredient, a generalized hydrodynamic description of viscoelasticity is obtained. This can be used to get a nonlinear dynamic equation for the stress tensor (sometimes called constitutive equation) in terms of a power series in the variables. The form of this equation and in particular the form of the nonlinear convective term is not universal but depends on various material parameters. A comparison with existing phenomenological models is given. In particular we discuss how these ad-hoc models fit into the hydrodynamic description and where the various non-Newtonian contributions are coming from.Comment: Acta Rheologic

Recruitment of dendritic cells and macrophages during T cell-mediated synovial inflammation

Adoptive transfer of adjuvant-induced arthritis was used in this study to examine local macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) during T cell-mediated synovial inflammation. We studied the influx of CD11b+CD11c+ putative myeloid DCs and other non-lymphoid CD45+ cells into synovium-rich tissues (SRTs) of the affected hind paws in response to a pulse of autoreactive thoracic duct cells. Cells were prepared from the SRTs using a collagenase perfusion-digestion technique, thus allowing enumeration and phenotypic analysis by flow cytometry. Numbers of CD45+ cells increased during the first 6 days, with increases in CD45+MHC (major histocompatibility complex) II+ monocyte-like cells from as early as day 3 after transfer. In contrast, typical MHC II- monocytes, mainly of the CD4- subset, did not increase until 12 to 14 days after cell transfer, coinciding with the main influx of polymorphonuclear cells. By day 14, CD45+MHC IIhi cells constituted approximately half of all CD45+ cells in SRT. Most of the MHC IIhi cells expressed CD11c and CD11b and represented putative myeloid DCs, whereas only approximately 20% were CD163+ macrophages. Less than 5% of the MHC IIhi cells in inflamed SRT were CD11b-, setting a maximum for any influx of plasmacytoid DCs. Of the putative myeloid DCs, a third expressed CD4 and both the CD4+ and the CD4- subsets expressed the co-stimulatory molecule CD172a. Early accumulation of MHC IIhiCD11c+ monocyte-like cells during the early phase of T cell-mediated inflammation, relative to typical MHC II- blood monocytes, suggests that recruited monocytes differentiate rapidly toward the DC lineage at this stage in the disease process. However, it is possible also that the MHC IIhiCD11c+ cells originate from a specific subset of DC-like circulating mononuclear cells