New technologies of democracy: how the information and communication technologies are shaping new cultures of radical democratic politics.

What characterises contemporary democratic political struggles? According to the post-Marxist theory of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, it is their sheer unknowability, the fact that there can be no certainties, no fixed grounding. Drawing a distinction between the 'certainties' of classical Marxism (i. e. base/superstructure) and the more 'diffuse' nature of modem democratic demands (such as sexual and gender equality, environmentalism and the peace movements), the emergence of a post-Marxist perspective has endeavoured to engage the widening imaginaries of present-day democratic politics. In this thesis the central post-Marxist category of radical democracy, defined literally as the 'multiplication of public spaces of antagonism, is interrogated in relation to new modes and ideas of contemporary political struggle, particularly those associated with the expansion of the ICTs and networks. Arguing for the need to consider politics beyond the somewhat outmoded and uninspiring description of the 'new social movements', this thesis critically investigates the emerging practices of politics and activism enabled by the technologies like the Internet, using the ideas of post-Marxism as a basis for generating new theories of radical democracy. Looking in particular at the practices of Tactical Media and Culture Jamming, together with new methods of interaction and consumption, such as peer-to-peer file sharing and open publishing on the Internet, this study demonstrates how radical democracy contains as yet unthoughtout critical potentials through which to examine the ICTs in relation to these nascent cultures of politics. These emerging political cultures, this thesis suggests, entail the articulation of other ways of conceiving democracy, the political and politics more appropriate to the increasingly networked nature of contemporary society

A flux-ratio anomaly in the CO spectral line emission from gravitationally-lensed quasar MG J0414+0534

We present an analysis of archival observations with the Atacama Large (sub-)Millimetre Array (ALMA) of the gravitationally lensed quasar MG J0414+0534, which show four compact images of the quasar and an Einstein ring from the dust associated with the quasar host galaxy. We confirm that the flux-ratio anomalies observed in the mid-infrared and radio persists into the sub-mm for the continuum images of the quasar. We report the detection of CO (11-10) spectral line emission, which traces a region of compact gas around the quasar nucleus. This line emission also shows evidence of a flux-ratio anomaly between the merging lensed images that is consistent with those observed at other wavelengths, suggesting high-excitation CO can also provide a useful probe of substructures that is unaffected by microlensing or dust extinction. However, we do not detect the candidate dusty dwarf galaxy that was previously reported with this dataset, which we conclude is due to a noise artefact. Thus, the cause of the flux-ratio anomaly between the merging lensed images is still unknown. The composite compact and diffuse emission in this system suggest lensed quasar-starbursts will make excellent targets for detecting dark sub-haloes and testing models for dark matter.Comment: Accepted as MNRAS Lette

Partial-indistinguishability obfuscation using braids

An obfuscator is an algorithm that translates circuits into functionally-equivalent similarly-sized circuits that are hard to understand. Efficient obfuscators would have many applications in cryptography. Until recently, theoretical progress has mainly been limited to no-go results. Recent works have proposed the first efficient obfuscation algorithms for classical logic circuits, based on a notion of indistinguishability against polynomial-time adversaries. In this work, we propose a new notion of obfuscation, which we call partial-indistinguishability. This notion is based on computationally universal groups with efficiently computable normal forms, and appears to be incomparable with existing definitions. We describe universal gate sets for both classical and quantum computation, in which our definition of obfuscation can be met by polynomial-time algorithms. We also discuss some potential applications to testing quantum computers. We stress that the cryptographic security of these obfuscators, especially when composed with translation from other gate sets, remains an open question.Comment: 21 pages,Proceedings of TQC 201

Credit rationing by loan size in commercial loan markets

The authors present a theoretical model in which a profit-maximizing lender may ration credit to businesses by restricting loan size. Such credit rationing occurs despite the absence of differences across borrowers in default risk or loan administration costs. Moreover, the model predicts an interest rate-loan size pattern that matches that observed in U.S. commercial loan markets.Credit ; Bank loans

Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: the importance of morphologic and molecular interactions.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is a lesion characterized by significant heterogeneity, in terms of morphology, immunohistochemical staining, molecular signatures, and clinical expression. For some patients, surgical excision provides adequate treatment, but a subset of patients will experience recurrence of DCIS or progression to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Recent years have seen extensive research aimed at identifying the molecular events that characterize the transition from normal epithelium to DCIS and IDC. Tumor epithelial cells, myoepithelial cells, and stromal cells undergo alterations in gene expression, which are most important in the early stages of breast carcinogenesis. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, together with microRNA alterations, play a major role in these genetic events. In addition, tumor proliferation and invasion is facilitated by the lesional microenvironment, which includes stromal fibroblasts and macrophages that secrete growth factors and angiogenesis-promoting substances. Characterization of DCIS on a molecular level may better account for the heterogeneity of these lesions and how this manifests as differences in patient outcome and response to therapy. Molecular assays originally developed for assessing likelihood of recurrence in IDC are recently being applied to DCIS, with promising results. In the future, the classification of DCIS will likely incorporate molecular findings along with histologic and immunohistochemical features, allowing for personalized prognostic information and therapeutic options for patients with DCIS. This review summarizes current data regarding the molecular characterization of DCIS and discusses the potential clinical relevance

The spiral of applied research: A methodological view on integrated design research

Abstract not available

Credit aggregates from the flow of funds accounts

Credit ; Flow of funds

Changes in yield and composition of barley, wheat and triticale grains harvested during advancing stages of ripening

peer-reviewedThis study involved an evaluation of the changes in grain yield, nutritive value, ensilability and harvesting losses of intensively managed winter cereals harvested during the advancing stages of ripening. Five cereal crops (barley cv. Regina and wheat cv. Madrigal in 2001; barley cv. Regina, wheat cv. Falstaff and triticale cv. Fidelio in 2002) were assessed. Twenty plots per crop were arranged in a randomised complete block design, with five times of harvest (four for barley in 2002) and four replicate blocks per harvest. Dry matter (DM) yields changed relatively little between harvest dates, but fresh yields declined (P < 0.001) over time due to the moisture loss associated with ripening. Time-course changes in indices of nutritive value, such as concentrations of crude protein, starch and ash, and organic matter digestibility, were relatively small and did not follow a consistent pattern. Ensilability indices, such as DM and watersoluble carbohydrate concentrations and buffering capacity, indicated that satisfactory fermentations were likely if such crops were ensiled; buffering capacity, generally declining with advancing maturity. Harvesting losses were not clearly related to growth stage at harvest. It is concluded that winter cereal grain (barley, wheat and triticale) DM yields and quality were relatively constant as ripening progressed from DM concentrations of around 550 to >800 g/kg.One of the authors (P.S.) was in receipt of a Teagasc Walsh Fellowship

A Bioeconomic Analysis of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster Fishery

Several surplus production-based bioeconomic models are applied to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) commercial lobster fishery. The model which best explains the biological dynamics of the fishery is a modification of the Fox model developed by the authors. Economic costs are applied within a number of conceptual frameworks to develop the first integrated bioeconomic model of the fishery. In another development, the opportunity cost of labor based on crew share at the open access equilibrium level of fishing effort is used instead of proxy wage levels. Given the costs incurred, the fishery appears to be self-regulating in terms of long-term fishing effort for maximum sustainable yield.biological production models, fisheries economics, fisheries management, spiny lobster, slipper lobster, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,