The subject of this thesis is to analyse the influence of "The Israel lobby" on the foreign policy of the United States of America. The work examines issues of lobbying, methods of its definition and delimitation. Furthermore, it analyzes the emergence and development of this lobby and introduces its main leaders and influential pro-Israel organizations. Finally, it analyses the effect of the lobby during the administration of some U.S. presidents such as John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter or Barack Obama. In conclusion, it examines the influence of this lobby in Congress, Pentagon and on campuses. The aim of this work is to prove that "The Israel lobby" has such a big impact that it is able to influence the decisions of the President of the United States, including political institutions.

This thesis examines through the use of archives and oral evidence the role of the Pakistan Army in the context of Pakistan’s domestic politics and foreign policy. Its main purpose is to explore the autonomy of the Pakistan Army in shaping national and foreign policy between the years 1947-1965. Focusing on its independent relationship with three instruments of policy-making in the United States – the Department of State, the White House and the Pentagon – the thesis argues that the relationship between the Army and these policy-making bodies arose from a synergistic commonality of interests. The Americans needed a country on the periphery of the Soviet Union to contain Communism while the Pakistan Army needed US military support to check Indian regional military hegemonism in South Asia. This alliance was secured to the disadvantage of democratic political institutions of Pakistan. The Army, which became stronger as a result of US military and economic support, came progressively to dominate domestic politics. This led not only to weakened civilian governments in the period I am examining, but in 1958 to the military seizure of political control of the country itself. The infringement of the Army into civilian spheres of government further caused a deterioration in relations between East and West Pakistan. The increasing clout of a US-backed Army whose elite officers had a bias against the eastern wing of the country, the thesis argues, thus indirectly resulted in the dismemberment of Pakistan itself. To explain the Army’s ascendancy its transformation from British colonial army into a national political actor, is documented. The thesis explores the influence of the martial-race theory and of Punjabisation in the Army as it developed in the colonial era. Secondly, it reconstructs how provincial politics weakened the Federal Government and allowed the Army to usurp political power to a disproportionate degree. Thirdly, the thesis considers the extent to which the US-Army relationship influenced and even took precedence over decision-making within the government itself. It details the military pacts made between the two countries to contain the USSR in this period. Finally, it explores where and how the interests of the US and Pakistan Army diverged, in particular concerning their respective relations with India. The complications arising in Indo-Pakistan relations in consequence of an abrupt tilt of the US towards India after the Sino-Indian war in 1962 are also examined. In reaction to this new Indo-US nexus, it is argued the Pakistani military junta leaned towards China and in 1965 endeavoured to make use of it advanced, US-supplied weaponry before – as they saw it – the strategic balance was to be irrecoverably lost in favour of India. In conclusion, the thesis argues that the period under consideration saw a complete failure of the US policy of containing communism whilst at the same time avoiding war between its allies in the region, and that this had tragic consequences for the future of democracy in Pakistan.

The model of the five-sided classroom was developed for, and has been used in, recent international basic courses on teaching in higher education as an instrument for the analysis of learning settings to be utilized prior to the planning of a concrete course. It suggests the learner(s), the teacher, the physical surroundings, the institution, and society as main influential factors for the potential proceedings and effects of a learning arrangement. It is shown how the model has been embedded practically in the courses, with positive response by the participants. The experience shows evidence in favor of a systemic approach to didactics, including measures concerning the working conditions of teachers.

Endohedral metalofullerenes (EMFs) have emerged as an important class of nanomaterials with vast promise in applications of molecular devices and nanomedicines. This dissertation addresses the EMF research span from synthesis to application, with an emphasis of work on trimetallic nitride template (TNT) EMF and carbide clusterfullerenes (CCFs). As a general introduction, chapter 1 reviews the main literature in TNT EMF studies. Also key works in CCF area are highlighted to show the common feature and uniqueness of this class of EMF in comparison with other EMFs. In the last part of the chapter a list of milestone progress in EMF area has been summarized. Chapter 2 is devoted to the synthetic work on EMFs. Especially, for isotopic modification, the trial and actual EMF syntheses in efforts to introduce 13C, 89Y and 177Lu are described. The next three chapters address the structural characterization of EMFs. Chapter 3 focuses on structural studies of CCFs. With detailed interpretation of 13C NMR and DFT computational results for selected members of the Y2C2@C2n family, the influence of fullerene cage on the size and shape of the yttrium carbide cluster (Y2C2)4+ is investigated. It has also been established that the carbide cluster prefers a linear shape in sufficiently large fullerene cages but adopts a compressed butterfly shape in smaller cages where space is constrained. Chapter 4 presents a systemic examination of dipole moments in TNT EMFs. The first 13C NMR study of M3N@C2(22010)-C78 is achieved on Y3N@C2(22010)-C78. In addition, dipole moments of the M3N@C2n (n=39-44) family are probed by interpretation of chromatographic retention behavior, DFT computational results and single-crystal data. It has been found that TNT EMFs with pentalene motifs exhibit enhanced dipole moments due to the cluster-cage interplay. Chapter 5 provides full characterization of the M2C2@C1(51383)-C84 (M=Y, Gd) molecule, which contains the first example of an asymmetric fullerene cage with fused pentagons. Furthermore, it is suggested that the C1(51383)-C84 cage is capable of a cascade of rearrangements into high symmetry and stable fullerene cages via well-established mechanistic steps, namely, extrusion of C2 units from pentalene or indene motifs and Stone-Wales transformations. As an important intermediate in the formation of high symmetry fullerene cages, the C1(51383)-C84 represents a missing link that implies the "top-down" fullerene formation mechanism. Chapter 6 describes the endeavor to functionalize two exotic EMFs, the room-temperature radical heterometallofullerene Gd2@C79N, and the egg-shaped TNT EMF Gd3N@C84. The reactivity of Gd2@C79N is directly compared to Y2@C79N, Gd3N@C80 and Sc3N@C80 in two reactions and the paramagnetic Gd2@C79N is proven to be very inert toward many known common fullerene cage reactions. Eventually both EMFs have been successfully functionalized via the Bingel reaction, and the derivatives are characterized with HPLC and mass-spectrometry. Chapter 7 compares the effective magnetic moment of Gd3N@C80 and Gd3N@C84, together with the previously reported Gd@C82. The magnetic moment has a second-order contribution to the T1 relaxivity and thereby is an important factor to evaluate an EMF's value in application as MRI contrast agents. Furthermore the influence of cluster motion to magnetic behavior in TNT EMF is discussed. / Ph. D.

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No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Poliana Queiroz Borges - 2015.pdf: 1718946 bytes, checksum: 54ad826d94b3c278f823b6c4312ad22e (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objective of this study is to analyze the musical correspondences in "Hahn's Pentagon," the third narrative of Nove, Novena (1966), by Osman Lins. This work from the author's transitional phase, introduces several poetic innovations such as the use of unpronounceable signs, that establishes a silence full of meaning. Consider them a stylized representation of the musical figures already established in the musical writing, too little for the attempted approximation of the two artistic languages, the musical and the literary. The proposal became effectively possible by approaching the musical parameters of the characteristics of the characters and their respective semantic fields. For the configuration of what is called "literary score", the first part of this dissertation is dedicated to the configuration of the space, the pentagon. This geometric figure revealed several symbolic and also musical representations, constituting the pentagram or the stave where the compositions are written. The concept of soundscape was added to the constitution of space, expanding the musical possibilities in the literary text. The organum as a manifestation of polyphony, was composed by five narrative voices in equivalence with the "movements" of a musical composition. For the analysis of the characters, besides the musical equivalents, references were used from the field of symbolic hermeneutics, through the elements observed in the text. The question of silence returns when we analyze the title character, because the animal condition of Hahn, is also an impediment to his speech. As a final approximation between the arts, we notice the similarity of the musical composition technique called fugue with the structure of the work, indicating the idea of a musical transcription for the literary text. In developing this study, we base ourselves on the considerations of Mario Praz, Etienne Souriau and GE Lessing, with regard to the correspondence between the arts. For the symbolic image analysis we make use of the reflections of Mircea Eliade, Gaston Bachelard and Joseph Campbell. Undertaking an incursion through the text in search of the author's intent in redimentioning his poetics, we intend to contribute with new approaches to the multiple techniques used by Lins, with the intention to attain the fullness of his writing. / O objetivo deste estudo é analisar as correspondências musicais em “Pentágono de Hahn”, terceira narrativa de Nove, novena (1966), de Osman Lins. Esta obra da fase de transição do autor, apresenta diversas inovações poéticas, como a utilização dos sinais impronunciáveis, que instauram um silêncio cheio de significações. Considerá-los uma representação estilizada das figuras musicais já consagradas na escrita musical foi demasiado pouco para a tentativa de aproximação das duas linguagens artísticas, a musical e a literária. A proposta se tornou efetivamente possível aproximando os parâmetros musicais das características das personagens e de seus respectivos campos semânticos. Para a configuração do que se chamou “partitura literária”, a primeira parte dessa dissertação foi dedicada à configuração do espaço, o pentágono. Essa figura geométrica suscitou diversas representações simbólicas e também musicais, constituindo o pentagrama ou a pauta onde são escritas as composições. O conceito de paisagem sonora foi agregado à constituição do espaço, ampliando as possibilidades musicais no texto literário. O organum como manifestação da polifonia, foi composto pelas cinco vozes narrativas, em equivalência com os “movimentos” de uma composição musical. Para a análise das personagens, além das equivalências musicais, foram utilizadas referências no campo da hermenêutica simbólica, por via dos elementos observados no texto. A questão do silêncio retorna quando da análise da personagem título, pois a condição animal de Hahn, também é um impedimento para sua elocução. Como última aproximação entre as artes, observou-se a semelhança da técnica de composição musical denominada fuga com a estrutura da obra, sugerido a ideia de uma transcrição musical para a o texto literário. Para o desenvolvimento deste estudo, apoiamo-nos nas considerações de Mario Praz, Étienne Souriau e G.E. Lessing, no que diz respeito à correspondência entre as artes. Para as análises das imagens simbólicas recorremos às reflexões de Mircea Eliade, Gaston Bachelard e Joseph Campbell. Empreendendo uma incursão pelo texto em busca da intencionalidade do autor em redimensionar sua poética, pretendemos contribuir com novas abordagens acerca das múltiplas técnicas utilizadas por Lins na intenção de alcançar a plenitude de sua escrita.

The diploma thesis The depiction of the Watergate scandal in the movies: Comparison of feature films and documentaries focuses on portrayal of journalists and the Watergate scandal on film. It illustrates this on examples of specific feature films and documentaries, which have been made about this topic. These particular movies are All the President's Men (1976), Frost/Nixon (2008), Watergate (2018), Our Nixon (2013) a Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words (2014). In the first part of the thesis summarises the general history of the portrayal of journalists and media on film. It also contains the introduction of the key players in the Watergate scandal, which are Richard Nixon, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Furthermore, this part also describes the history of the newspaper The Washington Post and the Watergate scandal itself. The next part focuses on defining the basic terms used in the thesis, such as for example feature film, documentary, investigative journalist etc. The third and the last part, then concentrates on comparing and analysing the six aforementioned chosen films with the help of comparative method, which should lead to the final results. The primary question, in which this thesis focuses, is how (and if) the portrayal of the Watergate scandal differentiates in feature films and...

Yes / In dealing with big data, we need effective algorithms; effectiveness that depends, among others, on the ability to remove outliers from the data set, especially when dealing with classification problems. To this aim, support vector finder algorithms have been created to save just the most important data in the data pool. Nevertheless, existing classification algorithms, such as Fuzzy C-Means (FCM), suffer from the drawback of setting the initial cluster centers imprecisely. In this paper, we avoid existing shortcomings and aim to find and remove unnecessary data in order to speed up the final classification task without losing vital samples and without harming final accuracy; in this sense, we present a unique approach for finding support vectors, named evolutionary Pentagon Support Vector (PSV) finder method. The originality of the current research lies in using geometrical computations and evolutionary algorithms to make a more effective system, which has the advantage of higher accuracy on some data sets. The proposed method is subsequently tested with seven benchmark data sets and the results are compared to those obtained from performing classification on the original data (classification before and after PSV) under the same conditions. The testing returned promising results.

The purpose of the study was to record the post-traumatic symptoms resulting from the September 11th tragedy, as observed in students by their teachers and counselors throughout a six-month period.

The purpose of this study was to examine what, if any, symptoms of a traumatic stress reaction were still being experienced by police officers, as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, who were geographically distant from the events of that day. Participants included 60 police officers at two southern California law enforcement agencies.

The existence of hydrodynamically developed, laminar Viscoelastic Secondary Flows (VSFs) of non-Newtonian fluids in straight ducts of non-circular cross-section was proposed in the 1950's. VSFs have since been observed sporadically, and only once with a velocimetric technique. Using axial and transverse full flow-field velocity-position raster maps made with Rheological Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Rheo-NMR), Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid flows were quantified in Hagen-Poiseuille and Power Law contexts, over more than two orders of magnitude of flow rate, in ducts of circle, square, triangle, and pentagon cross-section. VSF was reliably and repeatedly observed to occur at between one part in 130 and one part in 600 of the primary axial flow velocity. Velocity measurements ranged from <10 µm/s to approximately 30 cm/s, suggesting a velocity dynamic range >3E4 without optimization. To obtain VSF flow direction information, a novel flow directional phantom was developed and characterized. Aqueous solutions of Polyethylene Oxide (PEO), Viscarin GP-109NF, Viscarin GP-209NF (V209), Hyaluronan (HA) in a Phosphate-Buffered Saline-like solvent, and an aqueous Polyethylene Glycol/PEO-based Boger fluid were investigated. Axial data was corroborated with related data gathered by an independent method. Basic simulations corroborated the VSF observations. Duct hydraulic diameters (>= 1.6 mm) approached the micro-channel regime. VSF detections in HA --- synovial fluid's principal component --- and V209 were novel, as were observations of some artifacts which were subsequently characterized and corrected. The detection of VSF in HA represents the first experimental evidence suggesting that its second normal stress (N_2) is comparable to that of better-characterized fluids. In the first application of a new VSF-based method, a particular Boger fluid's constant viscosity and, in the square duct, its lack of VSF were used with established criteria to suggest that the fluid's N_2 approached zero. The development of a rudimentary, but versatile and inexpensive home-built velocimetric spectrometer is detailed, as are several new components. An exhaustive VSF literature review is included. The remarkable transverse velocimetric ability of Rheo-NMR in both optically opaque and transparent system is highlighted, suggesting that perhaps the technique might represent, in both micro-channels and conventional ducts, the gold-standard in flow velocimetry.