The Contribution Of Brown V. Board Of Education To Law And Democratic Development

This article on law and democratic development will focus on Brown v. Board of Education. We celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Brown I in the year 2004 and we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Brown II in the year 2005. I know that Brown is an important event on which to anchor an analysis of law and democratic development because of a conference I attended in April 2004, in South Africa. The conference was sponsored by the University of Pretoria and was staged for the purpose of celebrating the tenth anniversary of South Africa as a democracy and the fiftieth anniversary of both of the Brown v. Board of Education decisions

Digital Ministry in the Church: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities

This qualitative phenomenological study explores how churchgoers and senior pastors who are servant-leaders perceive the effectiveness, drawbacks, and opportunities of employing digital ministry in their churches as they attempt to develop healthy virtual relationships that maintain personal connections. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a change in churchgoers attending services in person. The government instituted social distancing and closures of businesses, schools, and churches. As a result, senior pastors engaged in creative ways using digital ministry to continue spreading the Word of God. While digital ministry existed pre-COVID-19, an increase occurred in response to the need to suspend in-person attendance. The theory guiding this study is the servant-leadership theory introduced by theorist Robert K. Greenleaf. In this study, the researcher defines digital ministry as using technological means for church ministry, including streaming services, social media, blogs, text, emails, telecommunications (video calling), and church websites

The Cerebral Hercules and the Bankruptcy Hydra: How Judge Schermer Slayed a Multi-Headed Monster While Deep in the Heart of Texas (and What Any of This Lone Star State-Grecian Hero Analogy Has to Do with Just a Little Bit of Yiddish)

This Article revisits Judge Barry Schermer’s approaches to complex matters as a bankruptcy mediator. In Part I, Judge Rendlen explains Judge Schermer’s jurisprudence while mediating the particularly complicated Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, In re U.S. Fidelis, Inc., which helped attain a decision that prevented the estate’s assets drying up in litigation and protect hundreds of thousands of victims of deceptive practices by U.S. Fidelis. In Part II, Willie attests to Judge Schermer’s humanity, which allows him to focus on important underlying matters rather than simply attaining a resolution

Equality of opportunity for racial minorities in the UK Civil Service: the impact of organisational culture.

This thesis is concerned with organisational culture and its impact on equality of opportunity in employment for racial minorities, specifically in the UK Civil Service. It focuses on equal opportunities policies and practices in the context of organisational and cultural change, and attempts to understand better the relationship between culture and disadvantage. To provide this understanding the Civil Service is taken as a case study, using as a starting point the launch of The Programme for Action to Achieve Equality of Opportunity in the Civil Service for People of Ethnic Minority Origin (otherwise known as 'the Programme for Action on Race' (PAR)) in May 1990. From this starting point, the study compares and contrasts Civil Service statistical data and the perceptions of a sample of three respondent groups (Civil Service managers, racial minority staff and equality organisations) on career progression outcomes for white and racial minority Civil Servants. It seeks to identify what, if any, influence the Civil Service culture may have had on these outcomes. In order to do this, the study first draws upon theoretical perspectives around culture, race, racism and racial disadvantage, and examines the literature on the relationship between culture and racism (cultural racism) with particular regard to the UK Civil Service. The evaluation of the theoretical perspectives provides the basis for the selection of an exploratory research design methodology and to a mainly qualitative analysis of the responses from the three respondent groups (Civil Service Organisation Managers, Equality Organisations and Racial Minority Civil Servants) to the study's semi-structured interview schedules, and questionnaires. What clearly emerges from the study is that, both statistically and in the perceptions of those surveyed, there has been a lack of tangible progress for racial minority civil servants, particularly at the senior civil service level. Central to this lack of progress are the barriers still faced by racial minority staff, together with a lack of priority afforded to this issue. The evidential response to the study's two specific research questions clearly identify organisational culture as a key contributory factor to these barriers and the lack of priority Furthermore the study findings suggest that initiatives such as the Programme for Action on Race (PAR), whilst well intentioned, have failed to make a significant impact. The conclusion therefore reached is that a radical approach is needed if there is to be a proportionate level of racial minorities particularly in the higher echelons of the Civil Service

Motivational factors for engaging in dirty work entrepreneurship among a sample of African immigrant entrepreneurs in South Africa

Orientation: South Africa is witnessing a large number of African immigrants coming into the country. These immigrants seek formal and informal employment. One sector favoured is ‘dirty work’ within the informal sector. Research purpose: To investigate the immigrants’ motivational factors influencing migration and dirty work entrepreneurship in South Africa. Motivation for the study: Because of the dynamic nature of political and economic circumstances that affect a country’s employment options, calls have been made for empirical focus on understanding the career development processes of neglected sample groups such as immigrants and even those engaged in dirty work. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research approach was utilised based on the narratives and stories of 27 immigrant entrepreneurs in the informal sector engaged in dirty work careers. Main findings: Three narratives emerged as motivating factors for migrating: (1) socio-economic issues, (2) lack of opportunities and (3) experience of a new life. Furthermore, three motivational factors led into dirty work careers: (1) challenges of breaking into formal employment because of immigration rules, (2) motivation from social networks the immigrants belong to and (3) an enterprising spirit, driven by ambition. Practical/managerial implications: Based on the findings, interventions can be proposed to assist not only those engaged in dirty work but also migrants and citizens seeking opportunities in this sector. Contribution/value add: This study advances the literature in dirty work research within a South African context. Further, the study gives currency to an often neglected yet important sample group in dirty work entrepreneurship, who also happen to be immigrants

Internal mass transfer considerations in biofilms of succinic acid producing Actinobacillus succinogenes

The rumen bacterium Actinobacillus succinogenes is reputable for its high productivity, -yield and -titre fermentative production of succinic acid under biofilm conditions. The paper presents an analysis of internal mass transfer effects in biofilm fermentations of A. succinogenes. Internal mass transfer effects were investigated by batch fermentations using attached- and resuspended biofilms as biocatalysts. In the latter, the biofilms were resuspended after initial development to simulate mass transfer free (free cell) fermentations. Intrinsic kinetics for succinic production obtained from resuspended free cell fermentations predicted faster production rates than for the attached biofilms runs (biofilm thicknesses in the range of 120–200 µm), indicating internal mass transfer restrictions. A developed biofilm reaction diffusion model gave good predictions of attached biofilm batch results by accounting for internal mass transfer in the biofilm. Biofilm effectiveness factors ranged from 75% to 97% for all batches at the inception of batch conditions but increased with progression of batch operation due to increased succinic acid titres which inhibited production rates. Biofilm thickness and succinic acid concentrations were shown to have a significant effect on internal mass transfer. A simplified algorithm was developed to estimate the pseudo-steady state glucose penetration and biofilm effectiveness of A. succinogenes biofilms without the requirement to solve the overall mass transfer model. The results clearly showed that internal mass transfer need to be considered in biofilm fermentations involving A succinogenes as high biomass concentrations may not always equate to increased productivities if mass transfer effects dominate.The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and the Sugar Milling Research Institute (Durban, South Africa) via the Step-Bio program.https://www.elsevier.com/locate/cejhj2022Chemical Engineerin

Effect of shear on morphology, viability and metabolic activity of succinic acid-producing Actinobacillus succinogenes biofilms

Please read abstract in the article.The Sugar Milling Research Institute via the Step-Bio program and the National Research Foundation (NRF).http://link.springer.com/journal/4492021-03-14hj2020Chemical Engineerin

African-American Folk Art in Kentucky

1998 Kentucky Folk Art Center exhibition catalog of African-American folk art from Kentucky.https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/kfac_exhibition_catalogs/1017/thumbnail.jp

Identifying energy extraction optimisation strategies of Actinobacillus succinogenes

A. succinogenes is well known for utilising various catabolic pathways. A multitude of batch fermentation studies confirm flux shifts in the catabolism as time proceeds. It has also been shown that continuous cultures exhibit flux variation as a function of dilution rate. This indicates a direct influence of the external environment on the proteome of the organism. In this work, ATP production efficiency was explored to evaluate the extent of bio-available energy on the production behaviour of A. succinogenes. It was found that the microbe successively utilised its most-to-least efficient energy extraction pathways, providing evidence of an energy optimisation survival strategy. Moreover, data from this study suggest a pyruvate overflow mechanism as a means to throttle acetic and formic acid production, indicating a scenario in which the external concentration of these acids play a role in the energy extraction capabilities of the organism. Data also indicates a fleeting regime where A. succinogenes utilises an oxidised environment to its advantage for ATP production. Here it is postulated that the energy gain and excretion cost of catabolites coupled to the changing environment is a likely mechanism responsible for the proteome alteration and its ensuing carbon flux variation. This offers valuable insights into the microbe’s metabolic logic gates, providing a foundation to understand how to exploit the system.http://www.mdpi.com/journal/catalystsam2022Chemical Engineerin

Variation in the initial assessment and investigation for ovarian cancer in symptomatic women: a systematic review of international guidelines

Abstract: Background: Women with ovarian cancer can present with a variety of symptoms and signs, and an increasing range of tests are available for their investigation. A number of international guidelines provide advice for the initial assessment of possible ovarian cancer in symptomatic women. We systematically identified and reviewed the consistency and quality of these documents. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, guideline-specific databases and professional organisation websites were searched in March 2018 for relevant clinical guidelines, consensus statements and clinical pathways, produced by professional or governmental bodies. Two reviewers independently extracted data and appraised documents using the Appraisal for Guidelines and Research Evaluation 2 (AGREEII) tool. Results: Eighteen documents from 11 countries in six languages met selection criteria. Methodological quality varied with two guidance documents achieving an AGREEII score ≥ 50% in all six domains and 10 documents scoring ≥50% for “Rigour of development” (range: 7–96%). All guidance documents provided advice on possible symptoms of ovarian cancer, although the number of symptoms included in documents ranged from four to 14 with only one symptom (bloating/abdominal distension/increased abdominal size) appearing in all documents. Fourteen documents provided advice on physical examinations but varied in both the examinations they recommended and the physical signs they included. Fifteen documents provided recommendations on initial investigations. Transabdominal/transvaginal ultrasound and the serum biomarker CA125 were the most widely advocated initial tests. Five distinct testing strategies were identified based on the number of tests and the order of testing advocated: ‘single test’, ‘dual testing’, ‘sequential testing’, ‘multiple testing options’ and ‘no testing’. Conclusions: Recommendations on the initial assessment and investigation for ovarian cancer in symptomatic women vary considerably between international guidance documents. This variation could contribute to differences in the way symptomatic women are assessed and investigated between countries. Greater research is needed to evaluate the assessment and testing approaches advocated by different guidelines and their impact on ovarian cancer detection