Abstract: This article concentrates on the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), as a South African public sector department, its acceptance of the Batho Pele principles and the implementation of various organisational performance improvement programmes. However, despite accepting the principles and the programmes, it is uncertain whether the SANDF institutionalised them in order to effect continuous performance improvement.

The cationic host defence peptide LL-37 is an immunomodulatory agent that plays an important role in epithelial innate immunity. Previously, concentrations of LL-37 thought to represent levels present during inflammation have been shown to elicit the production of cytokines and chemokines by epithelial cells. To investigate the potential of lower concentrations of LL-37 to alter epithelial cell responses, normal primary keratinocytes and bronchial epithelial cells were treated with pro-inflammatory stimuli in the presence or absence of 1 – 3 μg/ml LL-37. Low, physiologically relevant concentrations of LL-37 synergistically increased IL-8 production by both proliferating and differentiated keratinocytes in response to IL-1β and the TLR5 agonist flagellin, and synergistically increased IL-8 production by bronchial epithelial cells in response to IL-1β, flagellin, and the TLR2/1 agonist PAM3CSK4. Treatment of bronchial epithelial cells with LL-37 and the TLR3 agonist poly(I:C) resulted in synergistic increases in IL-8 release and cytotoxicity. The synergistic increase in IL-8 production observed when keratinocytes were co-stimulated with flagellin and LL-37 was suppressed by pretreatment with inhibitors of Src-family kinase signalling and NF-κB translocation. These data suggest that low concentrations of LL-37 may alter epithelial responses to microbes in vivo. Microarray analysis of keratinocyte transcriptional responses after LL-37 treatment suggest that LL-37 may alter the expression of growth factors and a number of genes important to innate immune responses. LL-37 may thus play a more important role than previously suspected in the regulation of epithelial inflammation; an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which LL-37 alters chemokine responses could lead to the development of novel anti-infective and anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

This report is about relays defence end systemic automatics of Lithuania electricity network. There is analysed relays defence end systemic automatics installations work, reason of deteriorations end incorrectly coordination. Comparing difference generations relay defences and systematic automatics equipments changing of prices tendency. Summarized difference generations relay defences and systematic automatics equipments prices-quality-function possibility relation. In this research summarized Lithuanian electrical system RAA service work. One of the research purposes, establish microprocessors RAA equipments planting in electrical system possibility, on its base carrying out RAA equipments reconstruction necessity and ground this necessity on economical calculations. Collected statistical data was summarized and drawed corresponded conclusions. Analysed electrical wind power stations influence to relay defences and to optimal systematic automatics coordination.

Valstybė, vykdydama nusikaltimų kontrolės ir prevencijos funkcijas, nepajėgi numatyti ir užkardyti kiekvieną konkretų nusikaltimą, taip pat negali padaryti to, kas neįmanoma – apsaugoti kiekvieną individą kiekvienu jo gyvenimo momentu. Asmens teisė į būtinąją gintį yra išvestinė iš Konstitucijoje įtvirtintų žmogaus teisių į gyvybę (21 str.), į laisvės ir asmens neliečiamybę (20, 21 str.), nuosavybės ir būsto neliečiamybę (23, 24 str.), kitų prigimtinių teisių ir yra šių teisių gynimo priemonė. Taip pat teigiama ir Europos Konstitucijoje įtvirtintų žmogaus teisių į gyvybę (2 str.), kiekvienas turi teisę į pagarbą jo fizinei ir protinei neliečiamybei (3 str.), kiekvienas turi teisę į laisvę ir asmens saugumą (6 str.). Kiekvienas mūsų, nepaisant socialinės padėties, esame suinteresuoti gyventi saugioje visuomenėje. Nusipirkti ginklą šiandien nėra labai sudėtinga. Vertinant ginklų gausą, nesunku nuspėti, kad ne visi jų savininkai supranta atsakomybę. Ginklavimasis visų asmens ir turto saugumo problemų neišsprendžia, nors turi neabejotiną prevencinę naudą. Asmuo, įsigydamas ginklą, įgyja ne vien daiktą, jis kartu prisiima ir didelę atsakomybę: įgijęs ginklą, jis privalo užtikrinti, kad su juo bus saugiai elgiamasi, kad ginklas nepateks į svetimas rankas ir, naudojantis įgytu ginklu, bus išvengta nelaimingų atsitikimų. Todėl ginklų ir šaudmenų įgijimas, bet koks disponavimas jais yra griežtai reglamentuoti teisės aktais. Tyrimo problema: dabartinėje Lietuvoje nemažėja agresyvumo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Executing the functions of control and prevention of crimes the state is not able to foresee and prevent each certain crime as well as to do what is impossible, i.e. to protect each individual at each moment in his life. A person’s right to mandatory defence is a derivative from the human right to life (art. 21), freedom and personal immunity (art. 20, 21), property and home immunity (art. 23, 24) established in the Constitution, other natural rights and is the means of defence of these rights. It is also stated by the human rights to life established in the European Constitution (art. 2), that everybody has a right to respect of his physical and mental immunity (art. 3), everybody has a right to freedom and personal safety (art. 6). Regardless of the social status each of us is interested in living in a safe society. To buy a gun nowadays is not very complicated. Evaluating the abundance of guns it is not very difficult to guess that not all of their holders understand the responsibility. The armament does not solve all the personal and property safety problems even though it has undeniable preventive benefit. A person obtaining a gun obtains not only a thing, he also takes a great responsibility: obtaining a gun he must ensure that it shall be used safely, the gun does not get into the other hands and using a gun accidents shall be avoided. Therefore, acquisition of guns and ammunition, any disposal of them is strictly regulated by the legislation. The problem of the... [to full text]

This descriptive study focuses on analyzing the factors influencing public debate on intensified Finnish-Swedish defence cooperation, using qualitative abductive content analysis (a combination of Grounded theory analysis and text/content analysis) as the research method. The study was conducted using a model adapted from Tomas Valasek’s hypothesis on pooling and sharing (Surviving Austerity - The case for a new approach to EU military collaboration, 2011), inducted from a corpus collected from Finnish and Swedish public defence debates from 1.1.2013 to 31.3.2014. The main research question is: what are the driving forces influencing debate on intensified bilateral Finnish-Swedish defence. Secondary research questions were developed from the corpus in four categories: historical, political/military, economic and attitudinal factors. Using these as the analysis model, the corpus was deductively analyzed to increase understanding of the individual factors and to find driving forces. The main result of this study is that the existence or lack of trust is seen as a key driving force influencing debate, either furthering or hindering cooperation. Other driving forces seen as influencing debate are the existence or lack of: understanding of the historical background of cooperation from both countries’ point of view commitment and clarity of political/military goals political commitment to the political/military purposes of cooperation instead of domestic economic gain a legally binding framework for cooperation.

This dissertation traces military integration in Europe from the 1940s to the early 2000s in order to reveal the growth of a common European defence identity. Four factors characterize its approach. First, European defence identity is analyzed in relation to the broader path of European integration and its historical context, showing connections with key turning points in European integration, with the evolution of Franco-German relations and European-American relations, with the Cold War and subsequent Collapse of Communism, etc. Second, the dissertation applies theories of identity formation to guide the historical analysis. This approach draws attention, for example, to the important roles that borders and symbols played in European defence identity formation. Third, the thesis adopts a hybrid “top-down” and “bottom-up” approach; one side considers formal programs, policies, and institutions that promoted a European defence identity, while the other takes stock of public perceptions, actions by “rank and file” soldiers, etc. This dual approach helps to reveal more fully the complex, negotiated character of European defence identity formation. Finally, this thesis traces the growth of a European defence identity as a path of ideological and emotional change, growing commitment, and trust-building that spanned decades.

This thesis is an exercise in discursive psychology. The body of discourse analysed concerns the defence of rural space against New Travellers. In contrast to previous sociological and human geographical work in this area, instead of newspaper articles and Parliamentary discourse, participants' talk and texts are the starting point for the - investigation. The data corpora have been generated from a variety of sources: Focus groupd iscussionsw ith policeo fficers;i nterviewsw ith landowners(or their representatives);le tters to the editors of local newspapers;and private letters of complaint to a local council. The thesisf ocuseso n the participants's electiono f locational formulations,t he work this hast aken,a ndh ow this work partly constitutesin teractional business. The thesis makes a distinctive contribution to several different areas. This includes offering a disciplinaryc ritiqueo f how humanistg eographerasn de nvironmental psychologistsh avec onstructeda ttachmentto placea st he norm,w hilst problematising high residentiaml obility. Without takingu p a positioni n this debatet,h e thesis demonstratehso w a discursivea pproachc an offer a differentp erspectiveo n place discourse- includingt he way thatp lacei dentity / attachmenmt ight be reconceiveda nd studied. The first two analytic chapters provide a distinctive contribution to discursive psychology by bringing together, and building on, previous work around the analysis of Abstract place discourse. Chapter five demonstratesp articipants' use of location as a domain of warrant for making complaints about New Travellers. Chapter six demonstratesh ow participants used spatial descriptionst o construct New Travellers as transgressiveo r literally 'out-of-place'. The third andf inal analyticc hapter,c hapters evenp rovidesa contribution to social psychology by demonstrating citizenship in practice. The project concludes by considering these contributions and their implications, and outlining several reasons for further work on the discursive psychology of place. The thorny issues raised by a focus on place, such as realism vs relativism are also discussed.

No description available.

The cationic host defence peptide LL-37 is an immunomodulatory agent that plays an important role in epithelial innate immunity. Previously, concentrations of LL-37 thought to represent levels present during inflammation have been shown to elicit the production of cytokines and chemokines by epithelial cells. To investigate the potential of lower concentrations of LL-37 to alter epithelial cell responses, normal primary keratinocytes and bronchial epithelial cells were treated with pro-inflammatory stimuli in the presence or absence of 1 – 3 μg/ml LL-37. Low, physiologically relevant concentrations of LL-37 synergistically increased IL-8 production by both proliferating and differentiated keratinocytes in response to IL-1β and the TLR5 agonist flagellin, and synergistically increased IL-8 production by bronchial epithelial cells in response to IL-1β, flagellin, and the TLR2/1 agonist PAM3CSK4. Treatment of bronchial epithelial cells with LL-37 and the TLR3 agonist poly(I:C) resulted in synergistic increases in IL-8 release and cytotoxicity. The synergistic increase in IL-8 production observed when keratinocytes were co-stimulated with flagellin and LL-37 was suppressed by pretreatment with inhibitors of Src-family kinase signalling and NF-κB translocation. These data suggest that low concentrations of LL-37 may alter epithelial responses to microbes in vivo. Microarray analysis of keratinocyte transcriptional responses after LL-37 treatment suggest that LL-37 may alter the expression of growth factors and a number of genes important to innate immune responses. LL-37 may thus play a more important role than previously suspected in the regulation of epithelial inflammation; an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which LL-37 alters chemokine responses could lead to the development of novel anti-infective and anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

The thesis presents an argument for the re-alignment of Australia's National Security efforts so that they mirror the changes occurring in our economy and society. Specifically, it seeks outcomes that can focus our efforts in protecting the critical infrastructure including our financial information infrastructure, from new and emerging threats. The thesis presents a definition of security as it applies to the Nation-State and provides the evidence of the changes in conflict and global security. It outlines the changes in the National Security environment and identifies emerging forms of conflict that effect national economic systems, and financial information infrastructures. It shows how the traditional view of National Security is being eroded by the Information Age. To support this argument a view of the key forces that are changing weapons, warfare, and approaches to National Security are provided. The thesis presents a view of the unconventional threats to economic systems. In particular, it describes the targeting of critical national information infrastructures including energy, banking and finance, transportation, vital human services, and telecommunications. The thesis outlines concern regarding the vulnerability of developed nations' social structures through increasing dependence on information and communications technology (ICT) systems, and the small population of specialist that support and protect it. The thesis argues that this dependency exposes national and global economies to new threats and forms of attack. The thesis consists of an overview of the evolution National Security approaches. In particular, it examines collective security and security concepts as they relates to the Nation-State. It identifies a number of drivers, which outline the changing nature of the global security environment. The thesis describes asymmetric warfare and discusses Information Warfare (IW), describing its elements and goals. An analysis of offensive and defensive information warfare, strategies, and operations is provided. This is then related to economic systems and how they have featured in conflicts between nations throughout history. The information and communications technology (ICT) that underpin the financial environment (in particular payment systems) are reviewed and the thesis closes by focusing on the elements of economic infrastructure assets and types of attacks from which they require protection. We conclude that the challenges for Critical Infrastructure protection in Australia are daunting and a number of recommendations are made that should be considered in light of the rapidly changing security environment. The challenges of Information Warfare will stretch Australia's resources, require re-conceptualising of our national defence forces, greater participation of the private sector, and changes in our daily lives.