Arab Gulf monarchies including the constitutional monarchies of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman / and the absolutist monarchies of the Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in general, have a poor record of political liberalization. Until the early 1990&rsquo / s, there have been attempts to implement political reforms, however even limited political reforms have been short-lived. Nevertheless, political liberalization in the Arab Gulf monarchies has accelerated particularly since the end of the Cold War, as most of the Arab Gulf ruling elites were then convinced of opening up their political systems. Yet, regardless of similarities in their domestic political contexts, the quality and the quantity of political reform implemented, differed from one Arab Gulf state to another. This study aims to examine, how the ruling regimes of the Arab Gulf have responded to changes in the international context along with the increasing demands for political reform. In addition, it aims to provide the reader with a detailed examination of political liberalization in two specific Arab Gulf states, namely the Kuwait and the Saudi Arabia. Throughout this study, overall performances of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in terms of political liberalization are compared and the reasons why Kuwait has been noticeably more successful than Saudi Arabia in this field are studied. It is the basic conclusion of this study that despite Arab Gulf regimes have been slow in taking steps towards political liberalization, they are not immune to political liberalization, and that even the most conservative Arab Gulf monarchy, the Saudi Arabia has not been able to remain indifferent to change and political reform.

This dissertation research focuses on micromechanical modeling and simulations of two-phase heterogeneous materials exhibiting anisotropic and non-uniform microstructures with long-range spatial correlations. Completed work involves development of methodologies for realistic micromechanical analyses of materials using a combination of stereological techniques, two- and three-dimensional digital image processing, and finite element based modeling tools. The methodologies are developed via its applications to two technologically important material systems, namely, discontinuously reinforced aluminum composites containing silicon carbide particles as reinforcement, and boron modified titanium alloys containing in situ formed titanium boride whiskers. Microstructural attributes such as the shape, size, volume fraction, and spatial distribution of the reinforcement phase in these materials were incorporated in the models without any simplifying assumptions. Instrumented indentation was used to determine the constitutive properties of individual microstructural phases. Micromechanical analyses were performed using realistic 2D and 3D models and the results were compared with experimental data. Results indicated that 2D models fail to capture the deformation behavior of these materials and 3D analyses are required for realistic simulations. The effect of clustering of silicon carbide particles and associated porosity on the mechanical response of discontinuously reinforced aluminum composites was investigated using 3D models. Parametric studies were carried out using computer simulated microstructures incorporating realistic microstructural attributes. The intrinsic merit of this research is the development and integration of the required enabling techniques and methodologies for representation, modeling, and simulations of complex geometry of microstructures in two- and three-dimensional space facilitating better understanding of the effects of microstructural geometry on the mechanical behavior of materials.

[Truncated abstract] The balance equations of mass and momentum, defined at the scale of what has been defined as a Representative Elementary Watershed (REW) has been proposed by Reggiani et al. (1998, 1999). While it has been acknowledged that the REW approach and the associated balance equations can be the basis for the development of a new generation of distributed physically based hydrological models, four building blocks have been identified as necessary to transform the REW approach into, at the very least least, a workable modelling framework beyond the theoretical achievements. These are: 1) the development of reasonable closure relations for the mass exchange fluxes within and between various REW sub-regions that effectively parameterize the effects of sub-REW heterogeneity of climatic and landscape properties, 2) the design of numerical algorithms capable of generating numerical solutions of the REW-scale balance equations composed of a set of coupled ordinary differential and algebraic equations for the number of REWs constituting a study catchment and the sub-regions within the REWs, 3) applications of the resulting numerical model to real catchments to assess its performance in the prediction of any specified hydrological variables, and 4) the assessment of the model reliability through estimation of model predictive uncertainty and parameter uncertainty. This thesis is aimed at making substantial progress in developing each of these building blocks. Chapter 1 presents the background and motivation for the thesis, while Chapter 2 summarizes its main contributions. Chapter 3 presents a description of the closure problem that the REW approach faces, and presents and implements various approaches to develop closure relations needed for the completeness of balance equations of the REW approach. ... In addition, Chapter 4 also shows an initial application of CREW to a small catchment, Susannah Brook in the south-west of Western Australia. Chapter 5 presents the application of CREW to two meso-scale catchments in Australia, namely Collie and Howard Springs, located in contrasting climates. Chapter 6 presents results of the estimation of predictive uncertainty and parameter sensitivity through the application of CREW to two catchments in Australia, namely Susannah Brook and Howard Springs, by using the Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) methodology. Finally, Chapter 7 presents recommendations for future work for the further advancement of the REW approach. Through these exercises this PhD thesis has successfully transformed the REW-scale coupled balance equations derived by Reggiani et al. (1998, 1999) into a new, well tested numerical model blueprint for the development and implementation of distributed, physically based models applicable at the catchment, or REW scale.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-170).

Diss.-Munich? / Bibliography: p. [211]-218.

In the mid-20th century the assignment of nurturing democratic citizens in Swedish schools, was first proposed and implemented. Since then, the democratic assignment has been put aside by the schools´ second assignment: communicating knowledge. The aim of this essay is to once again bring light on this forgotten assignment. I have gathered the material for this essay by interviewing five teachers of upper secondary school. By the use of three ideal types of democratic theory I then analyze the material to determine the teachers´ views on school democracy and their ways of using it in their teaching. The ideal types are participatory democracy, discursive democracy and representative democracy. The results show that the interviewed teachers share very similar views on school democracy, close to the ideal type participatory democracy. In their use of school democracy in teaching traces of both participatory and discursive democracy, can be found.

A ascensão do paradigma informacional é resultado do advento das tecnologias de informação e comunicação cujos impactos sociais refletem-se no mundo do trabalho e nas identidades profissionais. A identidade profissional daqueles que trabalham com informação, é fortemente influenciada por esse novo paradigma. O estudo pretende compreender como é construída a identidade profissional dos bibliotecários a partir das representações sociais dos membros dirigentes das entidades de classe da profissão. Foi aplicado um questionário a um membro de cada um dos 14 Conselhos Regionais, além do Conselho Federal, e a um representante de cada uma das quatro associações escolhidas para a pesquisa, além da FEBAB. Oito questionários, dos vinte enviados, retornaram respondidos. Constatou-se que os dirigentes são otimistas em relação ao futuro da profissão, percebem um “mercado potencial” considerável para os bibliotecários. Notam que as faculdades estão “atualizando seus currículos” tendo em vista a nova realidade informacional. Quanto à mudança na denominação profissional todos são contrários, em função dos aspectos legais que a regulamentam. O bibliotecário é visto como um “mediador”, também percebem um tímido reconhecimento social do trabalho bibliotecário. “Pró-atividade” e “atualização” são características que os dirigentes percebem no bibliotecário contemporâneo, e afirmam que embora haja conflitos e tensões com outras categorias profissionais, o bibliotecário é o mais apto a prestar bons serviços no que diz respeito à informação. / The rise of the informational paradigm is the result of the advent of information and communication technologies and its social impacts reflect in the work field and in professional identities. The identity of professional librarians is strongly influenced by this new paradigm, as shown in the present study by the social representations drawn by the leaders of institutions that represent the profession of librarian. The objective of this study was to understand how the professional identity of librarians is formed. Leaders of representative institutions were found optimistic the future of the profession, noticing a significant potential work market for librarians. A questionnaire was applied to a member of each Regional Councils, a member of the Federal Council, a representative from each of the five associations selected for the research and a representative of FEBAB. Eight of the twenty questionnaires sent were answered. According to them the Librarianship colleges are "upgrading their curricula" in view of this new reality. As for the change in professional designation, all are opposed to it due to its legal aspects that determine the work field for the profession. The librarian is seen as a "mediator" and the leaders perceive an incipient social recognition of librarian´s work. "Pro-activity" and "professional upgrade" are characteristics of the contemporary librarian perceived by the leaders. Although there are conflicts and tensions with other professional categories, the leaders believe the librarian is the most capable for providing good services in the information society.

Ao definir a democracia como um método de seleção de dirigentes políticos profissionais através da competição eleitoral, J. Schumpeter lança as bases de um modelo econômico de teoria democrática. A intuição schumpeteriana será desenvolvida por A. Downs em Uma Teoria Econômica da Democracia que termina por teorizar e dar o formato mais bem acabado a uma concepção de mercado político que reproduz isomorficamente a natureza do mercado econômico. Ambas as abordagens julgam-se meramente descritivas, sustentando uma separação radical entre construtos teóricos normativos e descritivos. Nesse contexto, a democracia é reduzida a um processo de seleção de dirigentes políticos e a um mecanismo que visa satisfazer, através do mercado político, os interesses individuais de políticos profissionais (empresários do voto) e eleitores-consumidores que desejam maximizar sua renda de utilidade oriunda da ação governamental. Segundo a perspectiva apresentada nesta pesquisa, essa leitura empobrece a teoria democrática e fracassa em seus próprios propósitos, pois tanto falha na tentativa de prever quanto explicar uma gama de fenômenos políticos. Nesse sentido, buscaremos traçar uma análise crítica dos fundamentos filosóficos de uma teoria econômica da democracia influenciados pela leitura da tradição deliberativa, por uma posição normativa forte quanto à irredutibilidade da natureza do fenômeno político ao fenômeno econômico e por uma compreensão da representação democrática, não só como mandato, mas, em especial, como figuração simbólica do povo soberano. / Defining democracy as a method of selection of professional political leaders through electoral competition, J. Schumpeter launches the bases of an economic model of democratic theory. The schumpeterian intuition will be developed by A. Downs in An economic theory of democracy which ends by theorizing and giving the best shaped format of a conception of political market which isomorphically reproduces the nature of the economic market. Both approaches believe they are merely descriptive, sustaining a radical separation between normative and descriptive theoretical constructs. In this context, democracy is reduced to a process of selection of political leaders and to a mechanism that aims satisfying, through the political market, the individual interests of professional politicians (vote entrepreneurs) and voters-consumers who want to maximize their utility income which comes from government action. According to the perspective presented on this research, this view impoverish the democratic theory and fails in its own purposes, as it fails in the attempt of foreseing as well as explaining a series of political phenomena. In this sense, we will try to draw a critical analysis of the philosophical foundations of an economic theory of democracy always under the pressure of the deliberative tradition view, for a strong normative position as to the irreducibility of the nature of the political phenomenon to the economic phenomenon and for an understanding of the democratic representation, not only as mandate, but, specially, as symbolic figuration of the sovereign people.

A ascensão do paradigma informacional é resultado do advento das tecnologias de informação e comunicação cujos impactos sociais refletem-se no mundo do trabalho e nas identidades profissionais. A identidade profissional daqueles que trabalham com informação, é fortemente influenciada por esse novo paradigma. O estudo pretende compreender como é construída a identidade profissional dos bibliotecários a partir das representações sociais dos membros dirigentes das entidades de classe da profissão. Foi aplicado um questionário a um membro de cada um dos 14 Conselhos Regionais, além do Conselho Federal, e a um representante de cada uma das quatro associações escolhidas para a pesquisa, além da FEBAB. Oito questionários, dos vinte enviados, retornaram respondidos. Constatou-se que os dirigentes são otimistas em relação ao futuro da profissão, percebem um “mercado potencial” considerável para os bibliotecários. Notam que as faculdades estão “atualizando seus currículos” tendo em vista a nova realidade informacional. Quanto à mudança na denominação profissional todos são contrários, em função dos aspectos legais que a regulamentam. O bibliotecário é visto como um “mediador”, também percebem um tímido reconhecimento social do trabalho bibliotecário. “Pró-atividade” e “atualização” são características que os dirigentes percebem no bibliotecário contemporâneo, e afirmam que embora haja conflitos e tensões com outras categorias profissionais, o bibliotecário é o mais apto a prestar bons serviços no que diz respeito à informação. / The rise of the informational paradigm is the result of the advent of information and communication technologies and its social impacts reflect in the work field and in professional identities. The identity of professional librarians is strongly influenced by this new paradigm, as shown in the present study by the social representations drawn by the leaders of institutions that represent the profession of librarian. The objective of this study was to understand how the professional identity of librarians is formed. Leaders of representative institutions were found optimistic the future of the profession, noticing a significant potential work market for librarians. A questionnaire was applied to a member of each Regional Councils, a member of the Federal Council, a representative from each of the five associations selected for the research and a representative of FEBAB. Eight of the twenty questionnaires sent were answered. According to them the Librarianship colleges are "upgrading their curricula" in view of this new reality. As for the change in professional designation, all are opposed to it due to its legal aspects that determine the work field for the profession. The librarian is seen as a "mediator" and the leaders perceive an incipient social recognition of librarian´s work. "Pro-activity" and "professional upgrade" are characteristics of the contemporary librarian perceived by the leaders. Although there are conflicts and tensions with other professional categories, the leaders believe the librarian is the most capable for providing good services in the information society.

This is a systematic and critical study of the mission of the Kimbanguist Church in the city of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The research question was: “How do the Kimbanguist members interpret and express the Christian message in and for the context of Katanga province through their communal life, worship and mission?” A historical chapter traces the origins and growth of the church, followed by four chapters that analyze the mission of the church by means of a ‘praxis cycle.’ The chapters look at mission strategies (leadership, church departments, mission methods), followed by mission agents (spiritual head, clergy, chaplains, women, youth), the theological sources of mission (the Bible, the life of Simon Kimbangu, and a code of conduct) and spirituality (liturgy, sacraments, pilgrimages and festivals). In a concluding chapter several critical issues were identified for critical dialogue between the Kimbanguist church and other African churches. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)