This paper explores the practical teachings found in the Dunhuang manuscript of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch and considers the possibility of practice within a doctrine of sudden enlightenment. Part One outlines how the doctrine of sudden enlightenment can be understood to undermine the purpose for practicing meditation. Part Two first makes a case for the position that practice is presupposed by the text regardless of the doctrine of sudden enlightenment. Next the paper argues for what type of meditation practice the Platform Sutra teaches is consistent with sudden enlightenment. The practice the Platform Sutra teaches is an intentionless, continuous, non-passive non-attachment while in the midst of dharmas that takes as its basis the suchness of things inherent in sentient beings.

Στην παρούσα εργασία μελετήθηκαν η κοκκομετρία των επιφανειακών ιζημάτων του Αμβρακικού κόλπου. Τα ιζήματα που καθιζάνουν στον πυθμένα μιας θάλασσας καθώς και ο ρυθμός με τον οποίον αυτά αποτίθονται είναι εξαιρετικοί δείκτες του τρόπου λειτουργίας του υδάτινου αυτού σώματος. Επίσης μέσω των ιζημάτων γίνονται αντιληπτές οι σχέσεις αλληλοεξάρτησης του υδάτινου σώματος με τη στεριά και πως οι διεργασίες που λαμβάνουν χώρα στην στεριά επηρεάζουν τη ζωή στη θάλασσα. / The present study have examined the grain size of the surficial sediments of Amvrakikos gulf. The sediments that subside at the bottom of the sea and the speed of these deposits are excellent ways to find out the mechanisms and the way they faction. In addition, we can examine the correlation between sediments and water column. The processes that take place on land might affect the sea’s living life. The aim of the present study is to sustain laboratory results in order to establish the relationships between grain size of surfacial sediments in Amvrakikos gulf, using statistical parameters.

No description available.

No description available.

The legal rights of the women of ancient Egypt are discussed in this dissertation. All the different aspects of the legal system were examined in order to conclude whether the ancient Egyptian women indeed had legal rights. An inquiry was therefore conducted into the Egyptian Family Law, the Law of Succession, Property Law, Law of Contract and Criminal Law. The modern classification of the law was used, seeing that no evidence exists to provide us with the ancient Egyptians' classification method. / Ancient Languages and cultures / M.A.

The legal rights of the women of ancient Egypt are discussed in this dissertation. All the different aspects of the legal system were examined in order to conclude whether the ancient Egyptian women indeed had legal rights. An inquiry was therefore conducted into the Egyptian Family Law, the Law of Succession, Property Law, Law of Contract and Criminal Law. The modern classification of the law was used, seeing that no evidence exists to provide us with the ancient Egyptians' classification method. / Ancient Languages and cultures / M.A.

Die Arbeit beschreibt ein stochastisches Simulationsprogramm zur Modellierung von Honigbienenpopulationen unter Zuchtbedingungen. Dieses Programm wurde neu implementiert um unterschiedliche Selektionsstrategien zu evaluieren und zu optimieren. In einer ersten Studie wurde untersucht, inwiefern die Vorhersagen, die das Programm trifft, vom verwendeten genetischen Modell abhängt. Hierbei wurde festgestellt, dass das Finite-Locus-Modell dem Infinitesimalmodell in Langzeitstudien vorzuziehen ist. Eine zweite Studie beleuchtete die Bedeutung der sicheren Anpaarung auf Belegstellen für die Honigbienenzucht. Hier zeigten die Simulationen, dass die Zucht mit Anpaarungskontrolle derjenigen mit freier Paarung von Königinnen deutlich überlegen ist. Schließlich wurde in einer finalen Studie der Frage nachgegangen, wie erfolgreiche Zuchtprogramme bei der Honigbiene langfristig nachhaltig zu gestalten sind. Hierbei sind kurzfristiger genetischer Zugewinn und langfristige Inzuchtvermeidung gegeneinander abzuwägen. Durch umfangreiche Simulationen konnten für verschiedene Ausgangspopulationen Empfehlungen für eine optimale Zuchtintensität auf mütterlicher und väterlicher Seite gefunden werden. / The present work describes a stochastic simulation program for modelling honeybee populations under breeding conditions. The program was newly implemented to investigate and optimize different selection strategies. A first study evaluated in how far the program's predictions depend on the underlying genetic model. It was found that the finite locus model rather than the infinitesimal model should be used for long-term investigations. A second study shed light into the importance of controlled mating for honeybee breeding. It was found that breeding schemes with controlled mating are far superior to free-mating alternatives. Ultimately, a final study examined how successful breeding strategies can be designed so that they are sustainable in the long term. For this, short-term genetic progress has to be weighed against the avoidance of inbreeding in the long run. By extensive simulations, optimal selection intensities on the maternal and paternal paths could be determined for different sets of population parameters.

No description available.

This thesis looks at the role of wild pollinators in providing services to crops. Two data chapters (2 and 3) are accompanied by a modelling chapter (4) which build on the findings of the field studies. The thesis ends with an overview of the trends in pollinator populations and how these relate to the needs of farmers in the UK (chap-ter 5). It is often assumed that commercial pollinators are appropriate substitutes of wild pollinators on farms; however this view neglects the differing roles that particular pollinator taxa might play in providing pollination services. For example, crops with a long growing system may require multiple pollinators to ensure pollination throughout the season. Strawberries in Scotland have an extremely long growing season, flowering from April to August. Chapter 2 presents a study showing season-al complementarity between different pollinating taxa across strawberry farms in Scotland. Pollinators of strawberries also differed in their responses to weather pa-rameters indicating that preserving multiple pollinator taxa could ensure yields un-der different weather scenarios. The requirements of a long-growing season and ad-verse weather may be specific to strawberry production in Scotland, but the valua-tion of multiple taxa can be generalised to systems with differing needs, and also to different ecosystem services. Wild bees are not only valuable for providing complementary services to commercial pollinators, but are also valuable in the longer term as it is unknown whether com-mercial pollinators will be available in the future. There are threats to the supply of honeybees which have already triggered price rises; such supply shocks could force farmers to leave production or to seek other ways of providing pollination, including supporting wild pollinators. However farm management pressures, in particular pes-ticide use, could threaten the ability of wild pollinators to continue to support crop production. The interplay of pesticides and pollination is discussed in chapter 3 and 4. Chapter 3 presents an experiment undertaken on soft-fruit farms which had and had not used the neonicotinoid, thiacloprid, and shows that nests exposed to thia-cloprid had higher worker mortality, and lower male production than those at con-trol farms. This has implications both for pollination services now, as worker mor-tality will reduce the number of bees visiting farms, and also for the maintenance of future pollination services through decreased reproductive capacity of exposed nests. Chapter 4 uses a theoretical model to link pesticide use and habitat use to pollina-tion services, and shows that the use of commercial pollinators could mask the de-cline in wild populations, making local extinctions more likely. Chapter 5 sets out the status and extent of pollinators in the UK, along with popu-lation trends, trends in habitat and trends in pesticide use to provide an overview of how well pollination services are likely to meet the ongoing needs of crop farmers.

Η μελέτη και παρακολούθηση του Περιβάλλοντος με σκοπό την κατανόηση και προστασία του, προϋποθέτουν τη δυνατότητα καταγραφής, επεξεργασίας και αποθήκευσης πλήθους μετρήσεων καθώς και τη χρήση μαθηματικών μοντέλων. Για τον σκοπό αυτό έχουν αναπτυχθεί από διεθνείς οργανισμούς (Κυβερνητικούς και Μη) ειδικές Περιβαλλοντικές Βάσεις Δεδομένων που ανάλογα με τα ιδιαίτερα χαρακτηριστικά τους καταγράφουν τις τιμές διαφόρων περιβαλλοντικών μεταβλητών. Για την αποτελεσματικότερη χρήση των ΠΒΔ και την συγκριτική αξιολόγησή τους αναπτύχθηκε ένας Τυπολογικός Πίνακας βασισμένος σε δώδεκα (12) παραμέτρους με σκοπό την κατάταξη των κυριότερων ΠΒΔ σε αυτόν. Ως εκ τούτου, επιλέχθηκαν δεκαεπτά (17) ΠΒΔ, που υποστηρίζονται είτε από διεθνείς ή από ελληνικούς φορείς, και περιλαμβάνουν την περιοχή της ανατολικής Μεσογείου. Η ανάπτυξη του Τυπολογικού Πίνακα επιτρέπει την κατάταξη οποιασδήποτε άλλης ΠΒΔ σε αυτόν ενώ αποτελεί και ένα χρήσιμο εργαλείο στο σχεδιασμό μελλοντικών τέτοιων Βάσεων. Κάνοντας χρήση των φίλτρων του Πίνακα επιλέχθηκαν τρείς (3) μελέτες περιπτώσεων για την συγκριτική αξιολόγηση των αποτελεσμάτων δύο (2) ΠΒΔ που πληρούν όμοια κριτήρια. Στα συμπεράσματα της εργασίας περιλαμβάνεται η διαπίστωση ότι παρά την ετερογένεια της πληροφορίας που παρατηρείται μεταξύ των ΠΒΔ, υπάρχουν οι προϋποθέσεις να εξαχθούν ασφαλείς και χρήσιμες παρατηρήσεις. / Over the past decades, an effort has been made by several Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations to develop and support Environmental Data Bases (EDBs) containing specific environmental parameters and characteristics. The aim was to study and monitor environmental variables in order to better understand and predict their structures and trends and thus protect the global ecosystem. In order to achieve an effective way of using the various Environmental DBs a typological Table was developed in accordance to specific parameters. Priority was given to those EDBs that focus on the eastern part of Mediterranean. This Typology allows every EDB to be classified according to specific spatio-temporal scales and parameters and simultaneously can offer a better approach for designing other EDBs in the future. Three (3) case studies were selected based on the Typological Table for comparative assessment of the EDBs. In general the EDB are heterogeneous and do not follow the same data structure. However under some circumstances, interesting information can be extracted that expands and completes our knowledge about the Environment.