O objetivo do trabalho é compreender como os Estados e os órgãos de segurança articulam-se no combate do crime organizado transnacional. As hipóteses foram analisadas em três perspectivas: 1.) identificação das mudanças ocorridas no crime organizado que levaram à superação do conceito tradicional de organização hierárquica para a sua nova articulação através das redes difusas de atuação econômica, com a abertura de espaço para a atuação de novos atores; 2.) definição da influência da transnacionalização do crime na mudança da percepção dos Estados em relação à segurança, transpondo o debate da perspectiva política para a perspectiva da segurança humana, identificado no processo de securitização proposto pela Escola de Copenhague, através das medidas adotadas no plano interno, regional e internacional; e 3.) observação da influência que os valores compartilhados exercem nos órgãos destinados à manutenção da segurança, possibilitando a criação das comunidades de cooperação policial internacional. Conclui pela necessidade de alterar os paradigmas de análise do crime organizado, traçando novas perspectivas sob o enfoque do processo de securitização, da segurança humana, da cooperação e do consenso, com destaque ao papel exercido pela Interpol e a Europol. / The objective of this work is to understand how the states and the public safety security articulate fight against transnational organized crime. The hypotheses were tested in three perspectives: 1.) Identification of changes in organized crime that led to overcome the traditional concept of hierarchical organization and its new articulation through the diffuse economical networks activity, with the opening of space for the performance of new actors, 2.) Define the crime transnationalization influence in the State changing perception in relation to security, transposing the discussion of political perspective to the perspective of human security, identified in the securitization process, developed by the School of Copenhagen through, and the measures adopted in the internal, regional and international level, and 3.) Observe the influence of shared values on the organs responsible for security maintaining, enabling the creation of international police cooperation. Concluded by the need to change the paradigms of analysis on organized crime, setting out new perspectives in focus of the securitization process, human security, cooperation and consensus, highlighting the role played by Interpol and Europol

Darwinian sexual selection predicts that males with the most extravagant secondary sexual traits suffer elevated mortality. Although correlative evidence has generally not borne this idea out, recent research, including a field cricket study, showed that investment in sexually selected traits is costly to survival. I investigated male survival, ornamentation (song) and mating success in a North American grylline, Gryllus pennsylvanicus, to test the generality of previous work and highlight the importance of ecology differences to resource allocation. As the calling songs of older male G. pennsylvanicus are highly attractive to females, in Chapter 2 I tested whether male age correlated with calling song and found a weak but statistically significant correlation, thus leaving open the possibility that choosy females use an age-based indicator mechanism. In Chapter 3, I tested the condition dependence of male survival and calling effort. In contrast to previous work, I found that high condition males both called more and lived longer than low condition males, although there was no trade-off between survival and calling effort. The substantial condition dependence of calling effort suggests that calling effort is under strong directional selection. In Chapter 4 I tested whether female mating preferences resulted in strong selection on male calling effort. I also tested for the condition dependence of female mating preferences. I found that female choosiness was condition-dependent, but the rank of preferred male songs (preference function) was not. Both low and high condition females preferred high calling effort over low calling effort song. In Chapter 5 I tested for evidence of nonlinear selection on male survival that might explain the nonlinear pattern of male investment in survival seen in Chapter 3 (i.e. male survival leveled-off with increasing condition). I found that socially experienced females, but not virgin and naive females, exerted linear selection on male age. I discuss these and the other results of my thesis in the context of previous work on field crickets and condition-dependent ornamentation. Finally, Appendix A reports results that confirm ancient Chinese cultural knowledge that large headed male crickets are more successful in male-male combat.

Darwinian sexual selection predicts that males with the most extravagant secondary sexual traits suffer elevated mortality. Although correlative evidence has generally not borne this idea out, recent research, including a field cricket study, showed that investment in sexually selected traits is costly to survival. I investigated male survival, ornamentation (song) and mating success in a North American grylline, Gryllus pennsylvanicus, to test the generality of previous work and highlight the importance of ecology differences to resource allocation. As the calling songs of older male G. pennsylvanicus are highly attractive to females, in Chapter 2 I tested whether male age correlated with calling song and found a weak but statistically significant correlation, thus leaving open the possibility that choosy females use an age-based indicator mechanism. In Chapter 3, I tested the condition dependence of male survival and calling effort. In contrast to previous work, I found that high condition males both called more and lived longer than low condition males, although there was no trade-off between survival and calling effort. The substantial condition dependence of calling effort suggests that calling effort is under strong directional selection. In Chapter 4 I tested whether female mating preferences resulted in strong selection on male calling effort. I also tested for the condition dependence of female mating preferences. I found that female choosiness was condition-dependent, but the rank of preferred male songs (preference function) was not. Both low and high condition females preferred high calling effort over low calling effort song. In Chapter 5 I tested for evidence of nonlinear selection on male survival that might explain the nonlinear pattern of male investment in survival seen in Chapter 3 (i.e. male survival leveled-off with increasing condition). I found that socially experienced females, but not virgin and naive females, exerted linear selection on male age. I discuss these and the other results of my thesis in the context of previous work on field crickets and condition-dependent ornamentation. Finally, Appendix A reports results that confirm ancient Chinese cultural knowledge that large headed male crickets are more successful in male-male combat.

The study aimed at getting a grass root opinion on poverty and why Ghana is still poor after 50 years of independence in spite of her richness in natural resources, second largest producer of cocoa in the word and appreciable stable political environment. The opinions of the ordinary people in the Bia district and their observed living conditions was analysed in line with theoretical basis of the study and previous studies to justify the stance that poverty should be considered as an abuse of human rights. It was concluded based on position of informants and previous data available that though many factors have been raised by previous scholars as the cause of poverty, the actions and inactions of both internal and external power-holders is the main source of poverty in Ghana. It was proposed that for poverty to be reduced in a sustainable way there should be strong civil society groups and active citizens through civic education to hold power-holders accountable. Until the actions and inactions of power-holders which have subjected many Ghanaians into intergenerational poverty are seen as human rights abuse, the rights of many Ghanaians would be constantly abused. This will eventually defeat the promotion of human rights culture in Ghana.

Competitive video gaming is experiencing exponential growth. Advances in technology and global Internet penetration has created highly dedicated fan bases for games played at a competitive level. Game developing companies are beginning to focus their attention on making games for the new eSports market. How avid eSports fans view competitive gaming is disrupting traditional consumption models. Twitch.TV a site that streams live gaming content is seeing massive growth. Now, more than ever, dedicated gamers can live off of playing games – whether by competing in tournaments as sponsored players or running ads on their Twitch.TV live stream while they play. The communities that have developed around different genres of competitive games are as varied as traditional sports such as Major League Baseball or the National Football League. A new industry with a complex infrastructure is developing in this new market. / text

隨著全球治理網絡之形成，政府肩負服務公眾以及國家治理的責任，廉政是良善治理的基石，透過廉能政府的領航以及全民反貪腐的力量，方能止於至善。「新加坡讓它的四鄰及國際社會敬畏的，不止是經濟表現或軍事實力，而是有效率的廉潔政府、有紀律的多元社會、有素質的公民文化」(戴至中譯，2004)。 面對國人對廉政工作的期許，現行唯一派駐在政府機關內之政風機構扮演著關鍵角色，因而強化政風機構組織及其運作成效則更為重要。為瞭解政風組織運作現況及其可能面臨的困境或相關問題，除檢閱組織設計理論以及相關研究文獻外，並以深度訪談法作為本文之研究途徑，以利進一步歸納及分析，進而研提相關政策建議。 經過文獻探討及訪談資料分析，本研究發現影響政風機構組織運作的構面，包括：「結構」、「效能」、「策略」及「心態」，而影響組織運作成效的因素，則涵蓋「組織層級」、「雙軌體制」、「專業專責」、「政風職權」、「法制規範」、「國際廉政趨勢」及「決心與共識」七個面向。 最後，本論文希望在兼顧國情及公部門體制影響層面最低，而又必須強化或改善之前提下，針對政風機構組織及其運作提出五項政策建議，分別為「提高政風組織位階」、「降低雙軌運作之強度」、「形塑防貪肅貪專業專責」、「研訂政風人員職權行使法」、「凝聚反貪決心與共識」，作為權責機關未來研擬相關政策之參考。 / With the establishment of global government network, the government gradually takes the responsibility to service the public and to govern the country. Incorrupt politic is the foundation of sound governance, with the guidance of rectitude government and the power of public anti-corruption, the goal of pursuing absolute perfection can be finally achieved. “What make Singapore be awed by its neighbor countries and the internationals are the efficient and incorruptible government, disciplinal diverse society, and the accomplished and educated citizens.” (Dai, 2004) Facing the high compatriots’ expectation of incorrupt governance, the sole Government Employee Ethics Unit accredited in the government plays a crucial role; and the strengthening of the organization and operation effectiveness becomes more important. The purpose of this thesis is to understand the current situation of the Government Employee Ethics Organization, and to find out the possible upcoming dilemma and relevant issues. The thesis not only reviews the organization design theory and the relevant researches, but also adopts interviews as the research method for further analysis, conclusion and policy suggestions. Through the literature review, interview discussion and analysis, it is found in this research that framework, efficiency, strategy and mindset are the ”dimensions” influencing the operation of Government Employee Ethics Unit. And the seven factors that affect the outcomes of operation are organization hierarchy, double-track system, dedicated specialization, authority and responsibility, legal regulation, international trend of rectitude, and determination and consensus. In conclusion, considering both the national situation and the impact on the public sectors, this research provides five policy recommendations for the authority organizations with the aim to strengthen and improve the Government Employee Ethics Unit and its operation, which are, Promoting the organization’s hierarchy, Moderating the intensity of double-track system,Forming dedicated specialized unit for preventing and fighting corruption,Drafting power exercise act for the Government Employee Ethics Officers,Uniting determination and consensus of anti-corruption.

Ten years after the introduction of the new democratic political dispensation in 1994, violence in schools are as rife as before. There has been no significant decrease in school violence during this period. Violence has only increased and become part of people's everyday lives. School violence remains a serious problem for both learners and educators. Various factors contribute to school violence and it has become necessary to determine to what extent school violence influences the learners of South Africa. Education is available for everyone to utilize. For learners to achieve optimally, safe environments need to be created. In order to eradicate the problem of school violence, it is important to know what the concept school violence entails, which factors contribute to school violence and to what extent school violence has influenced the schools up to date. It is also important to keep track of international trends which promote health in schools globally. Health is undoubtedly linked to educational achievement. The World Health Organization has initiated a project to promote health and healthy lifestyles universally. To counteract the persisting violence in schools, the possibility of creating health promoting schools in South Africa deserves attention. In order to unravel the phenomenon of violence in schools, a qualitative method of research was used, with data being collected by means of focus-group interviews, through intentional sampling. The transcriptions were subjected to descriptive analysis. The findings of the research are presented with an overview of school violence in the West Rand region. Factors contributing to school violence in this region have been identified as: drug and alcohol abuse, gangsterism, gambling, intolerance and the influence of educators. Physical and Psychological violence are the two main categories of violence identified in this region with various sub-categories which include fighting, harassment, sexual abuse, intimidation and victimization which enhance the violence and violent behaviour in this region. A nation's wealth lies within the youth of a country. They assure the future and our children are the most important natural resources we possess, therefore we need to respond to the challenges -violent behaviour and crime in our schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Research on aversive control of behaviour has dramatically declined over the past decades. This trend is primarily a consequence of an over-reliance on shock-based procedures, which have been increasingly criticized on ethical, practical, and ecological validity grounds. The continued study of aversive regulation thus requires the development of viable alternatives. Six preliminary experiments, triggered by serendipitous observations of Betta splendens’ reactions to unintended water disturbances, allowed for (a) developing a water flows (WFs) experimental paradigm; (b) confirming the aversive function of WFs; and (c) demonstrating the feasibility of the WFs paradigm as an alternative to the use of electric shock, as it does not involve painful stimulation and carries a higher level of inherent ecological validity. Based on the relevance of free-operant avoidance phenomena (Sidman, 1953a) for the study of aversive control, the fact that these have only been demonstrated in one fish species (goldfish) using shocks, and that the only attempt to show another form of avoidance in Betta splendens produced inconclusive results (Otis & Cerf, 1963), the WFs paradigm was implemented in two experiments aimed at addressing these issues. These studies were aligned with a research program on spatiotemporal analysis of behaviour that has demonstrated, over the course of several decades, that a comprehensive understanding of behavioural processes requires an approach that includes, but is not limited to, the study of rates of discrete responses (e.g., key pecks of a pigeon). Accordingly, a more holistic interpretation of experimental data than is typical for behavioural studies was attained through a combined analysis of the frequency and temporal distribution of a target response (crossings in a shuttle-tank), patterns of swimming trajectories, instances and durations of the aversive stimulus, and the occurrence of behaviour related to different features of the experimental tank. In Experiment 1, Betta splendens exposed to a free-operant avoidance procedure reliably escaped WFs but did not develop avoidance behaviour even though escape improved with practice. Moreover, adding a warning stimulus (curtains of air bubbles - CABs) to the free-operant procedure did not produce increments in avoidance behaviour, as has been demonstrated in other species. Considering these findings, Experiment 2 maintained the same free-operant avoidance contingencies, but escape responses were now scheduled to produce the WFs (punishment and extinction of escape). The result of this manipulation was not a substantial decrease of escape, but an initial large increase of this response, followed by a progressive decrease to approximately pre-punishment levels. In addition, punishment did not result in increased avoidance responding as an alternative response. The explanations for these unexpected findings relate to the duration of the CABs; sign- and goal-tracking effects; uncontrolled stimulation produced by water pump activation/operation; unintended reinforcement (mirror reflections and delay between the pump activation and WFs reaching full strength); and the development of responses that allowed the fish to reduce their exposure to high-intensity WFs (i.e., alternative behaviour). The need for investigating the effects of adjusting the WF procedures to the ecology and biology of Betta splendens is also discussed, particularly in regard to their territoriality and predominant defensive response (immobility) in relation to the experimental apparatuses and the target response (changing compartments).

Ten years after the introduction of the new democratic political dispensation in 1994, violence in schools are as rife as before. There has been no significant decrease in school violence during this period. Violence has only increased and become part of people's everyday lives. School violence remains a serious problem for both learners and educators. Various factors contribute to school violence and it has become necessary to determine to what extent school violence influences the learners of South Africa. Education is available for everyone to utilize. For learners to achieve optimally, safe environments need to be created. In order to eradicate the problem of school violence, it is important to know what the concept school violence entails, which factors contribute to school violence and to what extent school violence has influenced the schools up to date. It is also important to keep track of international trends which promote health in schools globally. Health is undoubtedly linked to educational achievement. The World Health Organization has initiated a project to promote health and healthy lifestyles universally. To counteract the persisting violence in schools, the possibility of creating health promoting schools in South Africa deserves attention. In order to unravel the phenomenon of violence in schools, a qualitative method of research was used, with data being collected by means of focus-group interviews, through intentional sampling. The transcriptions were subjected to descriptive analysis. The findings of the research are presented with an overview of school violence in the West Rand region. Factors contributing to school violence in this region have been identified as: drug and alcohol abuse, gangsterism, gambling, intolerance and the influence of educators. Physical and Psychological violence are the two main categories of violence identified in this region with various sub-categories which include fighting, harassment, sexual abuse, intimidation and victimization which enhance the violence and violent behaviour in this region. A nation's wealth lies within the youth of a country. They assure the future and our children are the most important natural resources we possess, therefore we need to respond to the challenges -violent behaviour and crime in our schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka och skapa djupare förståelse för hur begreppet grit framställs som motiv i klassisk barnlitteratur. Grit kan definieras som "the disposition to pursue long-term goals with sustained interest and effort over time" (Duckworth et al, 2014, s. 2). Analysens utgångspunkt är bland annat Angela Duckworths teorier om grit och Ethan Ris diskursanalys av grit. Undersökningen har ett litteratursociologiskt perspektiv och begagnar sig av speglingsteorin, som handlar om hur litteraturen speglar samhället. Det här är ett examensarbete som skrivs inom lärarprogrammet, därför studeras också vilken koppling grit har till studier i litteraturen. De frågor som ställs är hur grit framställs i persongestaltningen av karaktärerna, samt vilka samband som finns mellan grit, social klass och genus i texterna. De klassiska barnböcker som analyseras är Huckleberry Finns äventyr, Huset vid Plommonån, En liten prinsessa och Kulla-Gulla. Resultatet av analysen är att klassikerna har didaktisk användbarhet, både i skolans värdegrundsarbete och för att inspirera till grit. Motivet grit tycks dyka upp som mest när karaktärerna brottas med fattigdom och gestaltas ofta som ett utövande av självkontroll. Skönlitteraturen innehåller även oväntade och intressanta skildringar av strategier för grit. / The purpose of this study is to investigate and create a deeper understanding of how the concept of grit is portrayed as a motif in classical children's literature. Grit can be defined as "the disposition to pursue long-term goals with sustained interest and effort over time" (Duckworth et al, 2014, p. 2). The analysis is, among other things, based on Angela Duckworths theories on grit and Ethan Ris' analysis of the discourse of grit. The study has a perspective of literary sociology and applies the mirror theory, which describes how literature mirrors society. This is a thesis written within the teacher's education and therefore the literary connection between grit and academic studies will be investigated as well. The questions asked are how grit is portrayed in the forming of the characters, and what the connections are between grit, social class and gender in the texts. The classical children's books analyzed are the following: Huckleberry Finn, On the Banks of Plum Creek, A Little Princess and Anna All Alone. The result of the analysis is that the classics have didactic usefulness, both in the school's work with core ethical values and in order to inspire grit. The motif grit seems to appear the most when the characters struggle with poverty and is often portrayed as an exercise of self-control. The fiction also contains unexpected and interesting depictions of strategies for grit.