Evolution as a self-organized critical phenomenon.

We present a simple mathematical model of biological macroevolution. The model describes an ecology of adapting, interacting species. The environment of any given species is affected by other evolving species; hence, it is not constant in time. The ecology as a whole evolves to a "self-organized critical" state where periods of stasis alternate with avalanches of causally connected evolutionary changes. This characteristic behavior of natural history, known as "punctuated equilibrium," thus finds a theoretical explanation as a self-organized critical phenomenon. The evolutionary behavior of single species is intermittent. Also, large bursts of apparently simultaneous evolutionary activity require no external cause. Extinctions of all sizes, including mass extinctions, may be a simple consequence of ecosystem dynamics. Our results are compared with data from the fossil record.

The action cam phenomenon: a new trend in audiovisual production

When the GoPro camera was first put on the market in 2004, it brought about a new generation of ultracompact cameras designed to be attached to the user’s body, and which came to be known as action cams. Their principal characteristics were their tiny size, their high-quality images and a wide-angle, fixed-focal-length lens. This combination has made it much simpler to get spectacular subjective shots with considerable depth of field. The users of this technology now form a whole generation of citizen-filmmakers who produce thousands of videos every day in a novel realistic style dominated by first-person narrative. Their work is principally shared via video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, which provide instant feedback in the form of millions of views. In this paper we analize the common features of the action cam recording style and we state these videos will bring about a redefinition of the realist visual style. Furthermore, we propose to relate the success of the action cam phenomenon with the cognitive concept of embodiment and argue that the viewer’s mirror neurons copy the real sensations and enable the viewer to experience, virtually and in safety, the same emotions felt by the person actually taking part in the action.

Give me a shilling [videorecording]: phenomenon of the street children

Pictures of the Watoto wa Lwanga project, the efforts of the Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga not only to rehabilitate Nairobi's street children, but to prevent slum children from ending up in the streets. Features life in the slums, the situation of the street children, the efforts of the social workers to involve the children's parents, the various reception centers, the vocational school, the Boy's Town Ruai Residential School, the community of the Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga as well as interviews with former street children and with various directors and benefactors of the project.

Svodboda party - the new phenomenon on the Ukrainian right-wing scene. OSW Commentary No. 56, 2011-07-04

Even though the national-level political scene in Ukraine is dominated by the Party of Regions, the west of the country has seen a progressing increase in the activity of the Svoboda (Freedom) party, a group that combines participation in the democratically elected local government of Eastern Galicia with street actions, characteristic of anti-system groups. This party has brought a new quality to the Ukrainian nationalist movement, as it refers to the rhetoric of European anti-liberal and neo-nationalist movements, and its emergence is a clear response to public demand for a group of this sort. The increase in its popularity plays into the hands of the Party of Regions, which is seeking to weaken the more moderate opposition parties (mainly the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc). However, Svoboda retains its independence from the ruling camp. This party, in all likelihood, will become a permanent and important player in Ukrainian political life, although its influence may be restricted to Eastern Galicia. Svoboda is determined to fight the tendencies in Ukrainian politics and the social sphere which it considers pro-Russian. Its attitude towards Russia and Russians, furthermore, is unambiguously hostile. In the case of Poland, it reduces mutual relations almost exclusively to the historical aspects, strongly criticising the commemoration of the victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army’s (UPA) crimes. This may cause tension in Polish-Ukrainian relations, where they are affected by decisions made by local governments controlled by the Svoboda Party.

Homo Jihadicus. Islam in the former USSR and the phenomenon of the post-Soviet militants in Syria and Iraq. OSW REPORT 2015-09-21

The post-Soviet area, along with the countries of the Middle East, North Africa and Western Europe, have become one of the main global exporters of Islamic militants. Currently on the territory of Syria, and to a lesser extent of Iraq, there are several thousands of foreign fighters from the post-Soviet states. The causes of the war migration from the former USSR states to the Middle East have their roots in the dynamic changes taking place inside Islam in the post-Soviet area: primarily the growth of Salafism and militant Islam, as well as the internationalisation and globalisation of the local Islam. The deep political, economic, social and ideological changes which Muslims underwent after the collapse of the USSR, led to the creation of a specific group within them, for which Islam in its radical form became the main element of their identity. Homo sovieticus, without fully eradicating his Soviet part, became Homo jihadicus who not only identifies himself with the global Ummah, but is also ready to leave his country and join jihad beyond its borders in the name of the professed ideas.

A problem in Greek ethics, being an inquiry into the phenomenon of sexual inversion, addressed especially to medical psychologists and jurists /

Mode of access: Internet.

Human rights and the phenomenon of disappearances [microform] : hearings before the Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, September 20, 25, and October 18, 1979.

Reuse of record except for individual research requires license from Congressional Information Service, Inc.

How peripheral a phenomenon is it?: On the interaction of DP-internal ellipsis, degree inversion, and islands

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Why do US banks borrow from the Fed? A fresh look at the ‘reluctance’ phenomenon

The role of several theoretical factors in determining the demand of US banks for borrowed reserves from the Fed is empirically investigated. The main objective is to isolate the candidate(s) most likely responsible for the recent observed phenomenon of banks reluctance to borrow from the Fed, particularly since the mid-1980s. The results indicate that the declining number of banks due to mergers and consolidations holds much of the weight for explaining the weakened demand for borrowed reserves since the mid-1980s. Consistent evidence is found suggesting that US banks may have been unlawfully exploiting the discount window service for profit-taking purposes. This finding proves credible and suggests the need for further loan scrutiny at the Federal discount window.

The NASCAR phenomenon: Auto racing sponsorships and shareholder wealth

This study presents the first analysis of the impact of NASCAR sponsorship announcements on the stock prices of sponsoring firms. The primary finding of the study-that NASCAR sponsorship announcements were accompanied by the largest increases in shareholder wealth ever recorded in the marketing literature in response to a voluntary marketing program-represents a striking and unambiguous stock market endorsement of the sponsorships. Indeed, the 24 sponsors analyzed in this study experienced mean increases in shareholder wealth of over $300 million dollars, net of all of the costs associated with the sponsorships. A multiple regression analysis of firm-specific stock price changes and select corporate and sponsorship attributes indicates that NASCAR sponsorships with more successful racing teams, corporate (as opposed to product or divisional) sponsorships, and sponsorships with direct ties to the consumer automotive industry are all positively correlated with perceived sponsorship success, while corporate cash flow per share (a well-known proxy for agency conflicts within the firm) is negatively related with shareholder approval.

Supervision Practice for Allied Health Professionals Within a Large Mental Health Service: Exploring the Phenomenon

This paper reports on an exploration of the concept of 'supervision' as applied to allied health professionals within a large mental health service in one Australian State. A two-part methodology was used, with focus group interviews conducted with allied health professionals, and semi-structured telephone interviews with service managers. Fifty-eight allied health professionals participated in a series of seven focus groups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the Directors or Managers of mental health services in all 21 regions in the state. Allied health professionals and service managers both considered supervision to be an important mechanism for ensuring staff competence and best practice outcomes for consumers and carers. There was strong endorsement of the need for clarification and articulation of supervision policies within the organization, and the provision of appropriate resourcing to enable supervision to occur. Current practice in supervision was seen as ad hoc and of variable standard; the need for training in supervision was seen as critical. The supervision needs of newly graduated allied health professionals and those working in rural and regional areas were also seen as important. The need for a flexible and accessible model of supervision was clearly demonstrated.