Reading the landscape of Ezekiel 40-48: a theology of resilience

The Old Testament book of Ezekiel presents (in chapters 40 to 48) a landscape restoration plan after the destruction of Jerusalem. Objects, spatial elements, units, buildings, structures and landscapes are described and measured in the ‘visions of God’. The hypothesis of my study is that spatial planning plays an important role in influencing landscape structures in a way that cities are made less vulnerable and more resilient to multi-hazard threats. In order to explore new ways of conceptualising this envisioned plan, I combine the methods of landscape architecture with a study of Hebrew literature. First, the concept of a ‘Pattern Language’, developed by the widely influential architect and design theorist Christopher Alexander, is used to re-categorize the spatial patterns evident in Ezekiel’s vision. Patterns believed to be ‘archetypal’, deeply rooted in the nature of things and a part of human nature, are recognised. Secondly, in order to know which patterns are more significant, and how they are arranged, textual observation is conducted by choosing two words – ‘behold’ and ‘measure’ – as the indicators of the sequence of experience in the landscape. The result displays a thematic chiasm and a parallel structure. Landscape patterns including ENCIRCLING/ROUND ABOUT STRUCTURES, FOURFOLD MEASUREMENT, SQUARED SPACES and WATER FROM UNDERNEATH, play out scenes of awe and measurement in the landscape. With regard to the historical context of the landscape of Ezekiel 40-48, this thesis explores historical landscapes in the ancient Near East, and concludes that Ezekiel 40-48 demonstrates archetypal patterns that are shared with other cultures. However, archetypal patterns based on the nature of things and human nature should not be viewed as evidence of imitation or borrowing. Moreover, it is very likely that the ancient Israelite Iron Age town planning strategies serve as the basic concept of Ezekiel 40-48. Inspired by the Hebrew literary art that naturally forms corresponding themes, my research further argues that Ezekiel 40-48 can be understood as an ancient resilient landscape plan that encompasses rigidity and ductility, and two processes: resistance and recovery. Given the ancient hazards described in Ezekiel (the sword, famine, evil creatures, and pestilence), the mechanism of landscape resilience in Ezekiel 40-48 is similar to modern time ecosystem resilience, as well as disaster risk reduction, and epidemiology/public health of war and defence policy. Ezekiel 40-48 plans a self-sufficient city that is resistant to wars with its capacity to ensure food and water security. The riparian ecosystem provides medicinal resources with a life-giving river running through the land to strengthen the ability to recover. The thesis supports Greenberg’s view that Ezekiel 40-48 fulfils the divine promises of ‘the covenant of wellbeing’ in Ezekiel 37.24b-28. In conclusion, this thesis develops a new theological way of reading Ezekiel 40-48 which prioritizes landscape. An understanding of the ancient planning in Ezekiel 40- 48 may shed light on our reading of the text and our way of viewing the visions, as well as our planning of the environment

Bridging the Digital Divide: A Case Study of Middle-age Women in Taiwan

This article reports a study of how middle-age and elder women adopt ICT through the social intervention and support from the non-profit organizations (NPOs) which they are associated with. By interviewing 30 participants of the Taiwan Women Up project, we reveal the barriers that may hinder women from learning ICT and the forces which can facilitate women in their adoption of ICT at three levels: individual, family and social group. Our findings show that, for our participants who are middle-class housewives over 40, their bonding with the NPOs serves as the main force for them to join the Taiwan Women Up project and adopt ICT. When ICT related difficulty occurs, they approach to the members of the NPOs and receive support from them while their families turn them down initially. After this project, the participants develop confidence and, accordingly, the digital divide is narrowed. Yet, there is little sign that any change of the traditional gender role has occurred

Understanding mechanisms of genetic risk for adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems: The mediating role of parenting and personality

Genetic predispositions play an important role in the development of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Understanding the mechanisms through which genetic risk unfolds to influence these developmental outcomes is critical for developing prevention and intervention efforts, capturing key elements of Irv's research agenda and scientific legacy. In this study, we examined the role of parenting and personality in mediating the effect of genetic risk on adolescents' major depressive disorder and conduct disorder symptoms. Longitudinal data were drawn from a sample of 709 European American adolescents and their mothers from the Collaborative Studies on Genetics of Alcoholism. Results from multivariate path analysis indicated that adolescents' depressive symptoms genome-wide polygenic scores (DS_GPS) predicted lower parental knowledge, which in turn was associated with more subsequent major depressive disorder and conduct disorder symptoms. Adolescents' DS_GPS also had indirect effects on these outcomes via personality, with a mediating effect via agreeableness but not via other dimensions of personality. Findings revealed that the pattern of associations was similar across adolescent gender. Our findings emphasize the important role of evocative gene-environment correlation processes and intermediate phenotypes in the pathways of risk from genetic predispositions to complex adolescent outcomes

The effects of postintubation hypertension in severe traumatic brain injury

Introduction. The effect of post-intubation hypertension in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients remains uncertain. We aimed to determine the relationship between post-intubation hypertension (mean arterial pressure (MAP) > 110mmHg) and outcomes in severe TBI. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, adults who presented with isolated TBI and a MAP 70mmHg were assessed. Data were retrieved from our institutional trauma registry and the admission list of our neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU). Results. We enrolled 126 patients, 81 of whom had a MAP 110 mmHg after intubation and were assigned to group 1; 45 patients who had a MAP > 110 mmHg were assigned to group 2. Only age (P = 0.008), heart rate (HR; P = 0.036), and MAP before intubation (P 110 mmHg, P < 0.034, OR 3.119, 95% CI 1.087–8.953). Conclusion. Post-intubation hypertension was associated with longer ventilator-dependent and ICU stays in patients with severe TBI

The effects of postintubation hypertension in severe traumatic brain injury

Introduction. The effect of post-intubation hypertension in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients remains uncertain. We aimed to determine the relationship between post-intubation hypertension (mean arterial pressure (MAP) > 110mmHg) and outcomes in severe TBI. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, adults who presented with isolated TBI and a MAP 70mmHg were assessed. Data were retrieved from our institutional trauma registry and the admission list of our neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU). Results. We enrolled 126 patients, 81 of whom had a MAP 110 mmHg after intubation and were assigned to group 1; 45 patients who had a MAP > 110 mmHg were assigned to group 2. Only age (P = 0.008), heart rate (HR; P = 0.036), and MAP before intubation (P 110 mmHg, P < 0.034, OR 3.119, 95% CI 1.087–8.953). Conclusion. Post-intubation hypertension was associated with longer ventilator-dependent and ICU stays in patients with severe TBI

Influence of GaInP ordering on the electronic quality of concentrator solar cells

The ordering phenomenon produces a reduction in the band gap of the GaInP material. Though a drawback for many optoelectronic applications, ordering can be used as an additional degree of material and device engineering freedom. The performance of the record efficiency GaInP/GaAs/Ge multijunction solar cells depends on the quality and design of the GaInP top cell, which can be affected also by ordering. The tradeoff existing between band gap and minority carrier properties, and the possibility of creating a back surface field (BSF) structure based on an order–disorder GaInP heterostructure makes the study of the ordering appealing for solar cell applications. In this work, the ordering dependency with the growth conditions and substrate orientation is studied. The results obtained are presented to enrich and extend the data available in the literature. Then the properties of order–disorder GaInP heterostructures are assessed by using them as BSF in GaInP concentrator solar cells. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) shows a good behavior of these BSF layers, but unexpectedly poor electronic quality in the active layers. Although the exact origin of this problem remains to be known, it is attributed to traps introduced by the ordered/disordered domains matrix or growth native defects. EQE measurements with bias light show a recovery of the minority carrier properties, presumably due to the saturation of the traps