Archidamus Revisited: The Case for an Alternate Narrative of the King of Sparta

Of all the figures who took part in the Peloponnesian War, perhaps no single person contributed so much to the outcome of the war as Archidamus II. However, if you scour the ancient primary sources, you will be hard-pressed to find a good, objective biography of this Spartan king. Plutarch mentions him only in passing in his Parallel Lives when writing of Agesilaus II, his son. In Xenophon’s Hellenica, Archidamus receives no mention at all, even though his descendants, one of whom bears the same name, feature prominently. Scholars must rely on Thucydides, therefore, to construct a rendering of Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus. However, this presents a natural problem, for, as classicists have rightly pointed out for decades, Archidamus is not presented in a vacuum and often figures as a mouthpiece for Thucydides. In spite of this, the speeches of Archidamus that are recorded in the Peloponnesian War are significant, and must be intently studied to do him justice and bring out an accurate profile. This paper will seek to discredit the traditional portrait of Archidamus as dragged out of Thucydides by classicists and settle on a fairer, more realistic one, deduced by his appearances in the Peloponnesian War of Thucydides

Improving the Lives of Transgender Older Adults: Recommendations for Policy and Practice

Transgender and gender non-conforming adults face a myriad of challenges as they age. While very limited, the existing research on transgender people paints a picture of many people aging in isolation and without a network of knowledgeable or welcoming providers in the aging, health and social services arenas. Further, transgender elders often experience extreme disparities in access to health care and low rates of health insurance coverage due in large part to systemic discrimination from providers and insurance companies, as well as economic instability resulting from discrimination in employment and housing, among other areas. An overarching challenge for policymakersand practitioners isthe dearth in research examining the challenges facing this population--and the types of policies and programmatic interventions that would improve their lives. While the need for better data and more research on lesbian, gay and bisexual communities has gained support over the last few years, gender identity remains largely absent from the scope of social research and analysis. Moreover, few studies have addressed the specific challenges facing transgender elders. Research focused on transgender people of color is even more limited, despite some studies suggesting that they experience high levels of violence and discrimination

Moses Flavius Vespasianus: Investigating Mosaic Themes in the Bellum Iudaicum of Josephus in the Context of the Emperor Vespasian

According to the autobiographical work that he wrote, Titus Flavius Josephus, born Yosef ben Matityahu, was born in the year 37, the same year Caligula ascended to the imperial throne in Rome. He was born in the Roman province of Judaea to a priestly, aristocratic family and raised in Jerusalem in the privilege and wealth associated with such a family. Following the war between the Romans and the Jews in 66 and his capture by the Romans at the siege of Jotapata, he became a prisoner of the future emperor, Vespasian, later winning his favor by prophesying his rise to power. Working with the Romans for the rest of the war, he eventually moved to Rome and enjoyed the patronage of Vespasian and his imperial successors. From Rome, Josephus penned his history of the war in seven volumes, known as the Bellum Iudaicum, or the War of the Jews (BJ). Through this history, Josephus gives the most valuable insight into a multitude of aspects concerning Jewish thought, culture, history, and religion in the first century. Josephus’ style of writing history affects how we read the Bellum Iudaicum in a number of ways. By extension it reveals a number of things concerning topics such as audience, bias, and intended reception. In this project, I will investigate how Josephus utilizes Moses and how he intended his audience to receive him. Though the topic is treated often, and especially in the past fifty years, there is not yet a wide consensus concerning Josephus’ specific motives in using Mosaic themes, how these uses reflect on those characters he likens him to, and to what extent his audiences would have made the connections. Therefore, my approach in this paper will be to liberally investigate in what ways Josephus might have accomplished these objectives

A concentration of centimeter-sized grains in the Oph IRS 48 dust trap

Azimuthally asymmetric dust distributions observed with ALMA in transition disks have been interpreted as dust traps. We present VLA Ka band (34 GHz or 0.9 cm) and ALMA Cycle 2 Band 9 (680 GHz or 0.45 mm) observations at 0.2" resolution of the Oph IRS 48 disk, which suggest that larger particles could be more azimuthally concentrated than smaller dust grains, assuming an axisymmetric temperature field or optically thin 680 GHz emission. Fitting an intensity model to both data demonstrates that the azimuthal extent of the millimeter emission is 2.3 $\pm0.9$ times as wide as the centimeter emission, marginally consistent with the particle trapping mechanism under the above assumptions. The 34 GHz continuum image also reveals evidence for ionized gas emission from the star. Both the morphology and the spectral index variations are consistent with an increase of large particles in the center of the trap, but uncertainties remain due to the continuum optical depth at 680 GHz. Particle trapping has been proposed in planet formation models to allow dust particles to grow beyond millimeter sizes in the outer regions of protoplanetary disks. The new observations in the Oph IRS 48 disk provide support for the dust trapping mechanism for centimeter-sized grains, although additional data is required for definitive confirmation.Comment: Language editing and addition reference ALMA dat

Analysis of copper(II) using the ascorbate/oxygen system – a valuable undergraduate resource

In deionised water, ascorbic acid (AH−), through oxidation by oxygen in the presence of copper(II), was found to degrade with zero-order kinetics. The magnitude of the reaction rate varied directly with the copper(II) concentration. At a higher pH (7.4), the same reaction was found to be pseudo-first order. Once again, the magnitude of the rate increased linearly with copper(II) concentration at a micromolar level. Dissolved oxygen levels, in excess AH− and trace copper(II), displayed similar kinetics under both conditions. Monitoring of either AH− levels or dissolved oxygen concentration was found to be a useful novel undergraduate practical laboratory for trace copper(II) determination. Students can measure the kinetics for standards and their unknown copper solution and quantitate the unknown copper

Beyond GVP: the value of inshore commercial fisheries to fishers and consumers in regional communities on Queensland’s east coast: Final Report

This report examines the potential economic benefits to regional communities from the Queensland inshore fisheries (pot, net and line fisheries). In doing so, the project has developed a series of questionnaires and analysis tools that could be potentially applied in other regions with fairly minimal modification. The report outlines the theory underpinning these methods, as well as their application. The results of the analysis indicate that the inshore fisheries produce substantial local benefits well in excess of their own gross value product (GVP). The study was undertaken by economists and social scientists from CSIRO and JCU, with significant input from research students from QUT also. Background Fisheries in Queensland, and elsewhere, are coming under increased pressure from other potential resource users for access to the resources. These include the fish resource itself (i.e. by recreational fishers), as well as encroachment on the area of the fishery through conservation based closures and onshore activities (e.g. port development) that impact where vessels may operate (and potentially the resource itself). Quantifying the potential impact on fisheries is necessary (but not sufficient) to ensure that resources are used most effectively, and that all costs of alternative resource uses are taken into consideration in decision making. The value of fisheries, and hence the potential impact of alternative uses, goes beyond the landed value of the catch. Fisheries play a key role in many coastal communities, directly generating income for local residents as well as stimulating other sectors through the demand for inputs into fishing as well as through expenditure from the income generated. The supply of fresh fish to the local community also provides other benefits

Monitoring travellers from Ebola-affected countries in New South Wales, Australia: what is the impact on travellers?

Background Amidst an Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic of unprecedented magnitude in west Africa, concerns about the risk of importing EVD led to the introduction of programs for the screening and monitoring of travellers in a number of countries, including Australia. Emerging reports indicate that these programs are feasible to implement, however rigorous evaluations are not yet available. We aimed to evaluate the program of screening and monitoring travellers in New South Wales. Methods We conducted a mixed methods study to evaluate the program of screening and monitoring travellers in New South Wales. We extracted quantitative data from the Notifiable Conditions Information Management System database and obtained qualitative data from two separate surveys of public health staff and arrivals, conducted by phone. Results Between 1 October 2014 and 13 April 2015, public health staff assessed a total of 122 out of 123 travellers. Six people (5%) developed symptoms compatible with EVD and required further assessment. None developed EVD. Aid workers required lower levels of support compared to other travellers. Many travellers experienced stigmatisation. Public health staff were successful in supporting travellers to recognise and manage symptoms. Conclusion We recommend that programs for monitoring travellers should be tailored to the needs of different populations and include specific strategies to remediate stigmatisation.JC was completing a placement as part of the Masters of Philosophy in Applied Epidemiology, Australian National University