Engendering minorities in Nepal : The authority of legal discourse and the production of truth

Since the promulgation of the 1990 constitution, conflicts over the rights it enshrines have proliferated in Nepal. Throughout the same period, negotiations between social groups and political institutions have been increasingly phrased in the language of rights, echoing the growing importance of the "rights-based" approach in the international development circuit.1 Although this is a general trend world-wide, what is peculiar to Nepal is that, besides articulating the dialectics of some of the major social conflicts unfolding in the country, the discourse on rights was also at the core of the drafting of the new constitution and one of the main tools of the "New Nepal" building process. In this article, I will underline three features of this discourse and its mobilization in Nepal.Issue title: Authoritative Speech in the Himalayas. Barbara Berardi Tadie is a Ph.D. student in Social Anthropology and Ethnology at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHEES) in Paris, and an associate researcher at the Centre d'Etudes Himalayennes (CEH-CNRS) and Centre d'Etudes de l'Inde et de l'Asie du Sud (CEIAS-CNRS). Her research focuses on human rights, civil society associations, and justice in Nepal. One of her publications ("Discorsi giuridici e tecnologie sociali in Nepal: analisi di un contenzioso strategico," in A. De Lauri (ed.), 2013, Antropologia giuridica, Mondadori Universita) also deals with Public Interest Litigations and gender rights in Nepal. She has also worked for international NGOs in Nepal and Yemen

An electrochemical investigation of platinum group minerals

The Bushveld complex is the largest ore body in the world hosting platinum group elements (PGEs). It is a stratified orebody with three major reefs namely, the Merensky reef, UG2 reef and the Platreef. Platinum and palladium are the most abundant PGEs found in the Bushveld complex. They occur in the form of minerals/mineral phases with elements such as sulphur, tellurium, arsenic and iron. These minerals/mineral phases are associated with base metal sulphides occuring along grain boundaries. Unlike the Merensky and UG2 reef, the Platreef is almost barren of PGE sulphides and the distribution of base metals sulphides and their association with PGMs is erratic. Froth flotation targeted at the recovery of base metal sulphides is implemented in PGM concentrators to concentrate PGMs. Flotation of sulphide minerals is achieved with the use of thiol collectors to create hydrophobicity, and copper sulphate is often used to improve hydrophobicity and therefore recovery. Sodium ethyl xanthate (SEX) and sodium diethyl dithiophosphate (DTP) are commonly used as collectors on PGM concentrators. The erratic mineral variations in the Platreef ore, however, raise the question of the effectiveness of the application of sulphide mineral flotation techniques on this ore. Previous work by Shackleton, (2007) investigated the flotation of PGE tellurides, sulphides and arsenides. The study highlighted that the mechanisms with which these minerals interact with collectors and with copper sulphate was poorly understood. It is as a result of the findings of Shackleton's work that this study aims to elucidate the fundamental interactions of telluride and sulphide PGMs with thiol collectors and with copper sulphate. Subsequently this work also aims to compare the behaviour of these reagents on sulphide PGMs and telluride PGMs

The design of two apparati to measure solid-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria data.

Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.Two new apparati have been developed to measure solid-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria via a synthetic visual method by determination of thermal signatures. One apparatus adopts a technique of using Peltier modules for cooling, and the other is a well-known design that uses a cryogenic fluid in a thermostatted glass cell for cooling of the sample. The Peltier design is for small sample volumes, with a 10 cm3 aluminium equilibrium cell and has a minimum operating temperature of 253.15 K. The glass design is developed to complement the Peltier and has a larger volume of 140 cm3 and a minimum operating temperature of 223.15 K. Both apparati have been semi-automated in order to increase the accuracy and improve the efficiency of data measurements. Therefore the experimenter no longer has to wait for many hours for the determination of equilibrium. This was done by incorporating software, which was specially designed for the apparati using Labview8TM, for controlling the cooling and heating rates. The uncertainty of the temperature measurements was found to be ±0.03 K for the Peltier apparatus and ±0.02 K for the Glass apparatus. Liquid-liquid equilibria data has also been measured on the Peltier apparatus, to demonstrate its versatility. This was done using a digital camera, controlled through the Labview software to identify cloud points. The results have been found to be comparable with literature values. For solid-liquid equilibria new systems of n-alkyl carboxylic acid binary mixtures have also been measured: heptanoic acid + butyric acid and heptanoic acid + hexanoic acid. These systems were measured using both apparati and both systems exhibited eutectic behaviour. All eutectic temperatures were measured on the Glass apparatus. Experimental data for these systems was modelled using the local composition models: Wilson, NRTL and UNIQUAC models. The NRTL model was found to give the best results for both systems with root mean square deviations (RMSD) of 2.16 K and 1.27 K and absolute average deviations (AAD) of 0.61 K and 0.49 K, between temperature measurements of this work and those calculated from the models, for the heptanoic acid + butyric acid and heptanoic acid + hexanoic acid systems, respectively

Stay calm and tweet: a best practice approach to the use of social media in a crisis situation

At some point in its history every organization will face a crisis situation. How an organization responds to a crisis incident decides its survival. As Internet technology flourishes, public relations practitioners are provided with additional tools to manage crisis situations. This study investigates the role that emerging social media components play in the field of crisis management. It presents a best practice approach to using new technology in times of emergency. A qualitative study of Louisiana public relations practitioners analyzes how and why social media is being integrated into crisis communication plans. Social media components are used to quickly communicate succinct messages and promote two-way symmetrical communication in times of crisis. Social media’s role in the theories of issues management and image restoration is explored and incorporated. This study contributes to the literature on crisis communication and social media in regards to the field of public relations. Its findings can be useful to public relations theorists and practitioners in preparing for, handling, and recovering from a crisis. A best practice approach to using social media in a crisis, as concluded from the results, is presented at the end of the study

Financement du cycle d’exploitation des Très Petites Entreprises (TPE) : Une approche culturelle

La gestion du besoin en fond de roulement demeure un enjeu majeur pour assurer la pérennité de la Très Petite Entreprise (TPE). Cet article vise à montrer comment les facteurs culturels influencent le financement du cycle d’exploitation dans la TPE.  Pour conduire cette étude, nous avons adopté une méthodologie quantitative. Les données ont été collectées auprès d’un échantillon de cent quatre-vingt-quinze (195) TPE choisies de manière raisonnée exerçant leurs activités dans quatre grandes villes à savoir Douala, Yaoundé, Bafoussam et Maroua. Deux orientations émergent de l’analyse des données recueillies. Premièrement le caractère dual (conservatisme et conquête) de la vision de l’entrepreneur de la TPE concernant la logique du financement. Deuxièmement le paradoxe sur le comportement financier de certains promoteurs des TPE notamment ceux ayant des activités non rentables mais qui souhaitant réinvestir davantage dans d’autres domaines d’activité et vice-versa. Le réseau culturel constitue donc le cadre de référence d’un accroissement temporel des ressources internes pour un entrepreneuriat transformatif. A long terme, la TPE devra se servir de son réseau pour construire une véritable culture d’entreprise tout en adoptant des stratégies de son extension

Level of faecal coliform contamination of drinking water sources and its associated risk factors in rural settings of north Gondar Zone, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional community based study

Background: Today, close to a billion people mostl living in the developing world do not have access to safe and adequate water. Several studies in Ethiopia indicate that the majority of the drinking water sources had coliform count beyond the WHO standard. Therefore, Regular quality control mechanisms need to be in place. The objective of this study is therefore to determine the level of faecal coliform contamination of drinking water and its associated factors in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural parts of North Gondar Zone from April to July, 2016. Water samples were taken from water sources using standardized water sampling techniques. Face-to-face interview with structured questionnaires were used to collect socio-economic and behavioral data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done using logistic regression models.Results: A total of 736 households participated in the study. The prevalence of positive faecal coliform at water sources in North Gondar Zone was found to be 56.5% (n=416) with [95% CI (53-60)]. In multivariate analysis, educational status [(AOR): 0.28, 95% CI (0.1-0.8], sanitary risk of contamination [AOR): 513,95%CI (51-511)] and water shortage experience [AOR: 0.25, 95% CI (0.12-0.5)] are variables identified as predictors for faecal coliform contamination of water in the source.Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of positive faecal coliform at water source was high. Educational status, sanitary Risk of contamination at the water source, water shortage experience had significant associations with the presence of faecal coliform in drinking water sources.Keywords: Water quality, Risk factors, Colifor

Critères de choix du mode de financement par crédit-bail dans les Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (PME) au Cameroun

Les PME constituent une composante principale du tissu économique camerounais. Cependant, le phénomène de rationnement dont elles sont victimes sur le marché du crédit à cause de leur vulnérabilité les obligent à se tourner vers des financements alternatifs. Cet article vise à déterminer les critères expliquant le choix du financement par crédit-bail par les PME camerounaises. Pour y parvenir, nous avons collecté les données à partir d’un questionnaire auprès de 61 PMEs relevant de quatre secteurs d’activité (service, commerce, industrie et agricole) et segmenté en deux groupes : celles qui recourent au crédit-bail et celles qui n’y recourent pas. L’analyse des données a conduit à deux séries de résultats. On constate d’une part une association forte entre l’âge de l’entreprise et le recours au crédit-bail. D’autre part, à l’aide d’une analyse en composante multiple, les facteurs tels que l’âge, la qualité de l’information diffusée par le bailleur, le domaine d’activité, la nature de l’actif et de l’investissement, la performance, les contraintes et l’accessibilité expliquent le recours au crédit-bail.&nbsp

Instabilités de convection thermo-électro-hydrodynamiques entre deux parois verticales : étude numérique

L’application d’un champ électrique alternatif inhomogène à un liquide diélectrique soumis à un gradient thermique induit une force diélectrophorétique analogue à la poussée d’Archimède. L’intérêt de cette étude est de comprendre le couplage entre les effets électro-hydrodynamiques et le transfert thermique dans un fluide incompressible entre deux plaques planes verticales avec un gradient thermique et un champ électrique. Les paramètres de contrôle de l’écoulement sont le nombre de Rayleigh (Ra) basé sur la gravité terrestre, le nombre de Rayleigh électrique (L) basé sur la gravité électrique, le nombre de Prandtl (Pr) et le coefficient thermique B de variation de la permittivité. Lorsque L < 1000, le champ électrique exerce un faible effet sur le seuil et la nature des modes d’instabilité de convection naturelle. Pour L ≥ 1000, le champ électrique induit un mode électrique qui interagit avec les autres modes hydrodynamiques ou thermiques selon la valeur de Pr [1-2]. Nous avons mené, par la méthode d’éléments finis sur Comsol, une étude de stabilité linéaire de l’écoulement en considérant la rétroaction du champ électrique sur le fluide. Ainsi, nous avons déterminé la nature et les seuils des différents modes d’instabilité pour différentes valeurs de L, Ra et Pr. A chaque valeur de Pr, correspond un point de codimension 2 dans le plan (L, Ra) où la branche du mode électrique coupe celle du mode hydrodynamique ou du mode thermique. Les branches des trois modes se coupent en un seul point appelé « point triple » pour Pr = 12.454. Nous avons mené des calculs (DNS) pour déterminer l’effet de L sur le transfert thermique (Nu) entre les plaques pour Pr ≤ 1. Références : [1] M. Takashima, H. Hamabata, J. Phys. Soc. Japan 53, 1728-1736, (1984) [2] B.L. Smorodin, Fluid Dyn. 36, 548-555, (2001