Alcohol-related violence and disorder: new critical perspectives

This paper presents critical perspectives into alcohol-related violence and disorder. In doing so, we advance writing by geographers challenging ontological and epistemological orthodoxies which dominate ‘alcohol studies’. By engaging with work focused on playful or ludic urbanism, and literature considering emotions, embodiment and affect, we address an impasse between medical and social sciences approaches in order to better understand and tackle alcohol-related violence and disorder. We conclude with theoretical and policy-relevant insights

Comfort, identity and fashion in the post-socialist city: materialities, assemblages and context

This paper works at the intersection of three bodies of writing: theories relating to fashion, identity and the city; debate relating to urban materialities, assemblages and context; and cultural interventions advancing the study of post-socialism. Drawing on empirical research undertaken in Bratislava, Slovakia, we unpack a blurring of public and private space expressed through clothing. In contrast to elsewhere in the city, in Petržalka, a high-rise housing estate from the socialist period, widely depicted as anonymous and hostile since 1989, residents are renowned for wearing ‘comfortable’ clothes in order to ‘feel at home’ in public space. We describe the relationship between fashion, identity and comfort as an everyday ‘political’ response to state socialism and later the emergence of consumer capitalism. We argue, however, that by considering materialities, assemblages and context that studies of fashion and consumer culture can offer more complex political, economic, social, cultural and spatial analysis. To that end, we show how personal and collective consumption bound up with comfort and city life can be understood with reference to changing temporal and spatial imaginaries and experiences of claiming a material ‘right to the city’

Incremental Bar Admission: Lessons from the Medical Profession

This article examines the use of incremental licensure for physicians and explores how a similar approach might improve the current bar admission process. In so doing, it follows the tradition of borrowing best practices from other professions. It also offers an improvement over the existing bar admission system that may be attractive to the practicing bar. (341

Learning from European Rural Movements:Research to inform a Scottish approach

To inform the development of a rural movement in Scotland, this report explores the key characteristics, roles and methods of engagement employed by established rural movements in other European countries. We studied rural movements in 10 countries (Albania, England, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Sweden). We collected information via a desk-based review of relevant literature, interviews with representatives from each of the movements, and an online seminar to discuss the initial findings (hosted by the EuropeanRural Communities Alliance). We identified six overarching themes with associated learning points for Scotland. The themes relate to the structure of the organisation, collaboration, purpose, activities, relationship with government, and place-based action. The findings demonstrate how rural movements represent an organised approach to providing a network and voice for rural areas, their people and those working to support rural development. An important role for the movements is advocacy to shape local, regional and national policy, while another important role is enabling shared learning and knowledge exchange. The character of each movement reflects and responds to the national context in which it operates, including the system of administration and culture. Three insights can be put forward from this research to inform the Scottish approach. We suggest that these are used as a basis for ongoing discussions between Scottish Government, Scottish Rural Action and others seeking to develop an effective and impactful Scottish rural movement: A Scottish rural movement should bring together diverse actors to inform and influence policy. A Scottish rural movement needs a clear identity and clarity of purpose related to networking and knowledge sharing. A Scottish rural movement should be supported to develop constructive relationships with LEADER LAGs and staff to ensure that the movement represents local issues and needs effectively

Mass accommodation coefficient measurements for HNO3, HCl and N2O5 on water, ice and aqueous sulfuric acid droplet surfaces

Preliminary results are reported of the direct measurement of accommodation coefficients for HNO3, N2O5 and HCl on water drops, aqueous sulfuric acid drops and ice particles. The heterogeneous chemistry of these species together with ClONO2 has been implicated in the ozone depletion observed in the Antarctic stratosphere during the spring in the last eight years. The most plausible chemical mechanism involves the removal of nitrogen oxide species via condensation on ice particles in polar stratospheric clouds resulting in a increase in the active chlorine species responsible for the ozone depletion. The observation of low NO2 and high ClO densities in the Antarctic stratosphere last summer appear to be consistent with such a mechanism

Newspaper Coverage of the 2008 General Election Presidential Campaigns

News coverage of political campaigns is very important to the political campaign process. Some voters pay little attention to debates or other sources of information about the candidates and their policies. The news is one important source of this information. Newspapers can also supplement and reinforce the information possessed by voters who do attend to campaign messages. This study content analyzed news coverage of the 2008 general election presidential campaign (New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today). Horse race coverage was most common topic (45%), followed by themes about character (32%), and policy (23%). The tone of newspaper coverage was more positive (51%) than negative (39%; 9% of themes reported the candidates‘ defenses)

The intersection of longest paths in a graph.

In this thesis we examine the famous conjecture that every three longest paths in a graph intersect, and add to the classes of graphs for which it is known that this conjecture holds. This conjecture arose from a question asked by Gallai in 1966, the question of whether all of the longest paths in a graph intersect (Gallai's question). In 1969, Walther found a graph in which the longest paths do not all intersect, answering Gallai's question. Since then, many other graphs in which the longest paths do not all intersect have been found. However there are also many classes of graphs for which the longest paths all intersect, such as series-parallel graphs and dually chordal graphs. Finding such classes of graphs is an active area of research and in this thesis we add to these classes of graphs. We begin by investigating Gallai's question for a speci c class of graphs. A theta graph is a graph consisting of three paths with a pair of common endpoints and no other common vertices. A generalised theta graph is a graph with at least one block that consists of at least three paths with a pair of common endpoints and no other common vertices. We show that for a subclass of generalised theta graphs, all of the longest paths intersect. Next, we consider the conjecture that every three longest paths of a graph intersect. We prove that, for every graph with n vertices and at most n + 5 edges, every three longest paths intersect. Finally, we use computational methods to investigate whether all longest paths intersect, or every three longest paths intersect, for several classes of graphs. Two graphs are homeomorphic if each can be obtained from the same graph H by a series of subdivisions. We show that, for every simple connected graph G that is homeomorphic to a simple connected graph with at most 7 vertices, all of the longest paths of G intersect. Additionally, we show that, for every simple connected graph G homeomorphic to a simple connected graph with n vertices, n + 6 edges, and minimum vertex degree 3, all of the longest paths of G intersect. We then show that for every graph with n vertices and at most n + 5 edges, every three longest paths intersect, independently verifying this result. We also present results for several additional classes of graphs with conditions on the blocks, maximum degree of the vertices, and other properties of the graph, showing that every three longest paths intersect or every six longest paths intersect for these graphs