The political sovereignty of indigenous Southern Californians has deep history of disenfranchisement and paternalism. A steady decline characterized the political authority and autonomy from the 18th century to 1850 when indigenous tribes of Southern California were in proximity of Spanish Missionaries and later, Mexican ranchers. Following the inclusion of California into the Union, this decline turned into a sharp drop. This paper looks at the history of these people under the three above-mentioned time frames and then analyzes how tribal gaming is effecting the current political sovereignty of Southern Californian Tribes. Special attention is given to the Barona Casino in San Diego to put into context, how tribal gaming is serving as a catalyst for change in the relationship between the California state government and tribal governments.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe yra nagrinėjamos nuotekų dumblo susidarymo ir tvarkymo problemos, analizuojamos nuotekų dumblo apdorojimo ir panaudojimo žemės ūkyje galimybės. Kaip praktiškas, finansiškai optimalus, techninių reikalavimų nekeliantis nuotekų dumblo apdorojimo būdas yra pateikiamas vermikompostavimas. Darbe analizuojama vermikompostavimo technologija, nagrinėjama jos panaudojimo galimybė Lietuvoje, apžvelgiama užsienio šalių patirtis. Darbe pateikiami atlikti sunkiųjų metalų (Cr, Cd, Ni) pašalinimo ir jų bioakumuliacijos Kalifornijos sliekuose tyrimai. Yra pateikiama eksperimentinių tyrimų metodika. Taip pat pateikiami eksperimento, kuriuo siekiama nustatyti sunkiųjų metalų pašalinimą ir jų bioakumuliaciją Kalifornijos sliekuose, rezultatai ir analizė. Pateikiami atliktų bendrųjų kokybinių nuotekų dumblo vermikomposto parametrų tyrimų rezultatai. Sudarant empirines formules, nustatomas dėsnis, pagal kurį vyko vermikompostavimo procesas. Nustatomas optimali laiko trukmė, per kurią bioakumuliuojama daugiausiai sunkiųjų metalų. Išnagrinėjus tyrimų rezultatus yra pateikiamos išvados ir rekomendacijos. Baigiamąjį magistro darbą sudaro 8 dalys: įvadas, nuotekų dumblo tvarkymo metodų ir ir vermikompostavimo procesų apžvalga, sunkiųjų metalų koncentracijos kaitos vermikompostuojant nuotekų dumblą tyrimo metodika, rezultatų dalis, sunkiųjų metalų koncentracijos kaitos ir bioakumuliacijos vermikompostuojant nuotekų dumblą matematinis modeliavimas, bendrosios išvados... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The problems of sewage sludge formation and management are investigated in the Master‘s thesis, sewage sludge treatment and use in agriculture is analyzed as well. As a practical, financial attractive sewage sludge treatment method is given vermicomposting, as having low-technical needs. There is a technology of vermicomposting analyzed in a work as well as its applicability in Lithuania. Also an experience of vermicomposting in other foreign countries is investigated. The research of removal of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Ni) and their bioaccumulation in Californian earthworms is presented in the work. A methodology of the research is given. Results and their analysis of the research of removal of heavy metals and their bioaccumulation in Californian earthworms is presented. Results of a qualitative parameters of vermicomposted sewage sludge is given. When forming empirical formulas a vermicomposting process‘ law is generated using MathCad computer program. An optimal time is determined, during which the vermicomposting process proceeded. The conclusion and recommendation were made after the literature review and analysis of research results. The thesis consists 7 parts: introduction, a review of sewage sludge treatment methods and process of vermicomposting, the methodology of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Ni) concentration and bioaccumulation in Californian earthworms research, results, the mathematical modelling of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Ni) concentration and bioaccumulation in... [to full text]

In 1980, Ronald Reagan became the fortieth president of the United States following an election that was said to have presaged a political turn to the right in that country. This thesis identifies three broad historical themes that characterised the period in the immediate aftermath of the 1980 election. Firstly, there was the notion that the voting public was becoming more conservative in its choices in federal politics. This is tested by looking at voter behaviour in the 1982 midterm elections. Secondly, the idea that the liberal-conservative dialectic was becoming less important in United States politics is examined using as a framework the actions and statements of prominent liberals. Thirdly, the thesis examines the accuracy of prognoses that were being made about liberalism as a viable political entity in the wake of the 1980 elections. These themes are examined via a series of parallel, occasionally overlapping narratives, following the main strands of liberal activity and thought in one state California in the early 1980s. Many of the sources used were derived from commentary that was being made as events unfolded. The debate about the meaning of the 1980 election therefore changes and this change is part of the story told here. Answering some questions also involved using source material that was more reflective. Hence, parts of the thesis are historiographical. Despite its political content, this thesis is a work of history. It examines the drama of men and women acting within their time, bound by the world around them, but also trying to change that world.

La notion d’espace prend un sens très fort et comme actif dans le travail artistique de Robert Irwin. Celui-ci instaure un nouveau mode d’être pour l’espace par son installation dite « site-conditioned/determined » tout en la nouant pourtant avec celui du site préexistant, qu’il soit intérieur ou extérieur. Le statut ontologique de son installation est celui d’un « non-objet », d’une extrême simplicité de forme et d’un minimum de matérialité : une bande noire ou une surface de voile semi-transparent, à la fois objet montré et sujet montrant, mettent en jeu lumière et ombre, attirant notre attention non seulement sur lui mais tout autour, intégrant l’espace où il s’intègre. L’installation est mise en œuvre de son environnement architectural ou naturel. L’installation est ainsi installa(tten)tion, c’est-à-dire installation qui installe l’attention. Ce que procure l’artiste au spectateur par son installation est la sensation pure de l’apparaître dynamique et changeant de l’espace du monde réel. Sensible d’abord à la dimension réelle de l’espace physique, nous découvrons peu à peu sa dimension virtuelle, puis transcendantale, au fur et à mesure que ce processus de sensation pure déclenché par l’aspect inhabituel de cet espace pourtant réel se déploie. Grâce au toucher direct et vivant d’un sentir aiguisé, et visuel et kinesthésique, éveillé par l’installation de Robert Irwin, devient quasi palpable notre conscience d’exister. Elle résonne alors à la réalité directe et immédiate du monde mais aussi aux virtualités de son apparaître et à ce qui les rend possibles : sa forme en soi, révélée et actualisée comme la véritable nature de l’espace réel. / The notion of space has a strong and active meaning in Robert Irwin’s art work. He establishes a new way of appearance of space through his so-called “Site-conditioned/determined” installation by uniting the installation with the space of the existing site, whether indoors or out. The ontological status of his installation is that of a “none-object”: extremely simple in form and with a minimum of materials. He uses a black tape or a surface of semitransparent scrim. These objects are both “object shown” and “subject showing”. They play with light and shadow, catching our attention not only on themselves but also on their surroundings, including the space into which they fit. So the art piece is not only the installation itself but its circumstance with its whole architectural or natural environment. So the installation is installa(tten)tion, that is to say an installation that installs attention. Through the installation, the artist provides for the viewer a chance to have a pure sensation of the dynamic and changing appearance of space in the real world. At first sensitive to the real dimension of physical space, we discover little by little its virtual and then transcendental dimensions, as this process of pure sensation unfolds, triggered by the unusual aspect of the real space caused by the installation. A direct and living contact through a sharpened feeling, both visual and kinesthetic, with the space, awakened by the installation of Robert Irwin, makes our awareness of existing almost palpable. This awareness of existing resonates with the direct and immediate reality of the world as well as potentialities of the world’s appearance and what makes these potentialities possible: form in itself, revealed and actualized as the true nature of real space.

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Californian, Canada, or creeping thistle) is an exotic perennial herb indigenous to Eurasia that successfully established in New Zealand (NZ) approximately 130 years ago. Presently, C. arvense is considered one of the worst invasive weeds in NZ arable and pastoral productions systems. The mechanism most commonly invoked to explain the apparent increased vigour of introduced weeds is release from natural enemies. The enemy release hypothesis (ERH) predicts that plants in an introduced range should experience reduced herbivory, particularly from specialists, and that release from this natural enemy pressure facilitates increased plant performance in the introduced range. In 2007 broad surveys were carried out in NZ and central Europe in order to quantify and compare growth characteristics of C. arvense in its native vs. introduced range. Additionally, permanent field plots were established in NZ and Europe where natural enemies were excluded with the use of insecticide and fungicide applications, and compared with controls (ambient natural enemy pressure). The impact of the specialist leaf-feeding beetle, Cassida rubiginosa Müller, which was recently released in NZ as a biological control agent against thistles, was also assessed. From the field surveys, significantly more endophagous herbivory was present in the native range compared to the introduced range, as predicted by the ERH. Endophagous herbivory in NZ was solely from the capitulum-feeding weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus (Frölich), and was only found in the North Island surveys. No stem mining attack was found anywhere in NZ. The proportion of shoots attacked by the specialised rust pathogen, Puccinia punctiformis (Str.) Röhl., was similar in both the native and introduced ranges. Interestingly, this has casted doubt on the idea that stem-mining vectors, such as Ceratapion onopordi Kirby, are important for transmission of the rust pathogen. Contrary to the ERH, there were no significant difference in plant performance between the native and introduced ranges, or differences could be explained by simple climatic factors. Climate tended to be more favourable for growth of C. arvense in NZ. In the permanent field plots in the native range, population growth of C. arvense was significantly greater where natural enemies were excluded, suggesting that insect herbivores and pathogens might have a regulating influence on the population growth of this plant. Furthermore, the probability of shoots transitioning to the reproductive growth stage was enhanced when insect herbivores were excluded, indicating that natural enemies might influence plant development. The biological control agent C. rubiginosa reduced the growth of C. arvense, although the impact of this herbivore was minimal in comparison to interspecific plant competition. Thus, although there is reduced specialist natural enemy pressure in NZ, the growth of C. arvense is not significantly different from in its native range. Nevertheless, there is some evidence that natural enemies in the native range might have a regulating influence on the population dynamics of the plant, and that the specialist herbivore, C. rubiginosa, can impact the plant in certain conditions.