Sexuality and nationality: homophobic discourse and the 'national threat' in contemporary Latvia

This paper considers why attitudes towards gays and lesbians in Latvia appear to be more intolerant than in all other EU member states. The paper argues that while the legacy of communist discourses on homosexuality and the impact of post-communist transition have played a role in shaping attitudes towards sexuality and sexual minorities in Central and Eastern Europe, these factors cannot sufficiently explain the divergence among post-communist states and, in particular, do not account for Latvia’s extreme position. While acknowledging that intolerance towards non-heteronormative sexualities cannot be explained by a single factor, the paper argues that homosexuality has become particularly reviled in Latvia because it has been widely discursively constructed as a threat to the continued existence of the nation

Smallholder Cashew Development Opportunities and Linkages to Food Security in Nampula Province, Mozambique: Summary of Findings and Implications for Policy, Research and Extension Efforts

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Directorate of Economics, Republic of Mozambiquefood security, food policy, Mozambique, cashew, Crop Production/Industries, Food Security and Poverty, Q18,

FEM analysis of LTA-7 horizontal tail

A finite element structural analysis of the stabilizer portion of the horizontal tail has been performed using the MSC/NASTRAN package. The critical loading case is identified by subjecting the structure to loading corresponding to several different load cases. From NASTRAN stress output for these cases, the Va maneuvering 5700 kg ., n = 1.0, 0.2412c, elevator up deflection is seen to be critical. Stresses from this case are used to compute the margins in buckling for skin panels and shear webs. It is seen that stresses are within allowable limits but from the buckling point of view, while the skin panels are over-designed, the midspar web is under-designed and must be stiffened. Comparisons with the stress analysis results from the simple bending theory/shear flow analysis carried out by the ASDE/CAU design group show that there is scope for improvement in the design

Attention, Self, and The Sovereignty of Good

Iris Murdoch held that states of mind and character are of the first moral importance, and that attention to one's states of mind and character are a widespread source of moral failure. Maintaining both of these claims can lead to problems in the account of how one could become good. This paper explains the way in which Murdoch negotiated those problems, focusing, in particular on /The Sovereignty of Good/ and /The Nice and The Good/

The Motor Theory of Speech Perception

There is a long‐standing project in psychology the goal of which is to explain our ability to perceive speech. The project is motivated by evidence that seems to indicate that the cognitive processing to which speech sounds are subjected is somehow different from the normal processing employed in hearing. The Motor Theory of speech perception was proposed in the 1960s as an attempt to explain this specialness. The first part of this essay is concerned with the Motor Theory's explanandum. It shows that it is rather hard to give a precise account of what the Motor Theory is a theory of. The second part of the essay identifies problems with the theory's explanans: There are difficulties in finding a plausible account of what the content of the Motor Theory is supposed to be

Gay rights are the new front line in the culture clash between Russia and the West

The Sochi Winter Olympics, which began on 7 February, have focused attention on Russia’s stance toward homosexuality and gay rights. As Richard Mole writes, the issue has been particularly prominent in the country since the passing of the law against ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations’ last year. He argues that the subject has become a key part of Vladimir Putin’s defence of traditional mores, and has been used to define Russian values against the liberal attitudes of the United States and the European Union