Ewige Weisheit : Spruchpoesie des Talmud und der rabbinischen Literatur, nebst Fabeln, Parabeln und Sagen derselben /

Mode of access: Internet.

The life and stories of the Jaina savior, Pārçvanātha,

On Pārśvanātha, 8th century B.C., 23rd Jaina Tīrthaṅkara.

Anthropological report on the Ibo-speaking peoples of Nigeria.

pt. I. Law and custom of the Ibo of the Awka neighbourhood, S. Nigeria.--pt. II. English-Ibo and Ibo-English dictionary.--pt. III. Proverbs, narratives, vocabularies and grammar.--pt. IV. Law and custom of the Ibo of the Asaba district, S. Nigeria.--pt. V. Addenda to Ibo-English dictionary.--pt VI. Proverb, stories, tones in Ibo.

The Cambridge Bible for schools and colleges.

Some volumes have title: The Cambridge Bible for schools.

A mulher sábia e a sabedoria mulher símbolos de co-inspiração Um estudo sobre a mulher em textos de Provérbios

Nos textos de Provérbios 1,20-23; 8 e 9, encontra-se o instigante símbolo da sabedoria mulher, que possui uma longa e controvertida história de interpretação. Ao analisar as ligações textuais entre estes textos e o poema de Pr 31, descobrimos que o símbolo da sabedoria mulher inspira-se na mulher da vida real, que participa corajosamente na reconstrução da história e das relações do povo de Judá, no período pós-exílico. Estas ligações desvelam uma grande valorização da mulher e sua proximidade com Deus ao apresentá- la com o poder de oferecer vida (Pr 8,35; 9,6) e de cuidá-la (Pr 31), vivenciando e transmitindo valores éticos fundamentais para as relações cotidianas da casa (Pr 1,8; 6,20; 31,2-9.26). Este símbolo carrega ainda a memória de antigos cultos realizados na casa para celebrar e garantir a vida. Embora estes rituais contivessem a memória de Deusas, eles não eram opostos ao culto de Javé, pois, dentro da dinâmica da casa, estavam inteiramente integrados na religião de Israel pela priorização da vida e pela prática da jus tiça. Esses textos de Provérbios atestam uma grande mudança na visão da mulher. A origem desta nova visão encontra-se na época do cativeiro, quando já não havia templo e nem um governo que canalizasse a organização do povo e sua luta pela libertação. A casa passa a ter funções de prover a subsistência e de transmitir as tradições religiosas do povo bíblico com a finalidade de obter a inspiração e a força necessárias para garantir o futuro. Na casa interiorana, a mulher tem autoridade e liderança, apesar dos preconceitos da sociedade patriarcal. É no pequeno espaço da casa judaíta que o movimento da sabedoria mulher situa-se, gerando relações de inclusão e de solidariedade, na época da dominação do 2º templo, com suas normas sobre a impureza.(AU)

Extreme weather events and construction SMEs:vulnerability, impacts and responses

Purpose – The UK experienced a number of Extreme Weather Events (EWEs) during recent years and a significant number of businesses were affected as a result. With the intensity and frequency of weather extremes predicted in the future, enhancing the resilience of businesses, especially of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), who are considered as highly vulnerable, has become a necessity. However, little research has been undertaken on how construction SMEs respond to the risk of EWEs. In seeking to help address this dearth of research, this investigation sought to identify how construction SMEs were being affected by EWEs and the coping strategies being used. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods research design was adopted to elicit information from construction SMEs, involving a questionnaire survey and case study approach. Findings – Results indicate a lack of coping strategies among the construction SMEs studied. Where the coping strategies have been implemented, these were found to be extensions of their existing risk management strategies rather than radical measures specifically addressing EWEs. Research limitations/implications – The exploratory survey focused on the Greater London area and was limited to a relatively small sample size. This limitation is overcome by conducting detailed case studies utilising two SMEs whose projects were located in EWE prone localities. The mixed method research design adopted benefits the research by presenting more robust findings. Practical implications – A better way of integrating the potential of EWEs into the initial project planning stage is required by the SMEs. This could possibly be achieved through a better risk assessment model supported by better EWE prediction data. Originality/value – The paper provides an original contribution towards the overarching agenda of resilience of SMEs and policy making in the area of EWE risk management. It informs both policy makers and practitioners on issues of planning and preparedness against EWEs.

Adaptation to flood risk:the case of businesses in the UK

Despite Government investment in flood defence schemes, many properties remain at high risk of flooding. A substantial portion of these properties are business establishments. Flooding can create serious consequences for businesses, including damage to property and stocks, being out of business for a considerable period and ultimately business failure. Recent flood events such as those in 2007 and 2009 that affected many parts of the UK have helped to establish the true costs of flooding to businesses. This greater understanding of the risks to businesses has heightened the need for business owners to adapt their businesses to the threat of future flooding. Government policy has now shifted away from investment in engineered flood defences, towards encouraging the uptake of property level flood resistance and resilience measures by businesses. However, implementing such adaptation strategies remains a challenge due a range of reasons. A review of the current state of property level flood risk adaptation of UK businesses is presented, drawing from extant literature. Barriers that may hinder the uptake of property level adaptation by businesses are revealed and drivers that may enhance uptake and effectively overcome these barriers are also discussed. It is concluded that the professions from the construction sector have the potential to contribute towards the adaptation of business properties and thereby the flood resilience of businesses at risk of flooding.

Small businesses and flood impacts:the case of the 2009 flood event in Cockermouth

Flooding can have a devastating impact on businesses, especially on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who may be unprepared and vulnerable to the range of both direct and indirect impacts. SMEs may tend to focus on the direct tangible impacts of flooding, limiting their ability to realise the true costs of flooding. Greater understanding of the impacts of flooding is likely to contribute towards increased uptake of flood protection measures by SMEs, particularly during post-flood property reinstatement. This study sought to investigate the full range of impacts experienced by SMEs located in Cockermouth following the floods of 2009. The findings of a questionnaire survey of SMEs revealed that businesses not directly affected by the flooding experienced a range of impacts and that short-term impacts were given a higher significance. A strong correlation was observed between direct, physical flood impacts and post-flood costs of insurance. Significant increases in the costs of property insurance and excesses were noted, meaning that SMEs will be exposed to increased losses in the event of a future flood event. The findings from the research will enable policy makers and professional bodies to make informed decisions to improve the status of advice given to SMEs. The study also adds weight to the case for SMEs to consider investing in property-level flood risk adaptation measures, especially during the post flood reinstatement process. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).

Impacts of flood hazards on small and medium companies:strategies for property level protection and business continuity

Worldwide floods have become one of the costliest weather-related hazards, causing large-scale human, economic, and environmental damage during the recent past. Recent years have seen a large number of such flood events around the globe, with Europe and the United Kingdom being no exception. Currently, about one in six properties in England is at risk of flooding (EA, 2009), and the risk is expected to further increase in the future (Evans et al., 2004). Although public spending on community-level flood protection has increased and some properties are protected by such protection schemes, many properties at risk of flooding may still be left without adequate protection. As far as businesses are concerned, this has led to an increased need for implementing strategies for property-level flood protection and business continuity, in order to improve their capacity to survive a flood hazard. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute a significant portion of the UK business community. In the United Kingdom, more than 99% of private sector enterprises fall within the category of SMEs (BERR, 2008). They account for more than half of employment creation (59%) and turnover generation (52%) (BERR, 2008), and are thus considered the backbone of the UK economy. However, they are often affected disproportionately by natural hazards when compared with their larger counterparts (Tierney and Dahlhamer, 1996; Webb, Tierney, and Dahlhamer, 2000; Alesch et al., 2001) due to their increased vulnerability. Previous research reveals that small businesses are not adequately prepared to cope with the risk of natural hazards and to recover following such events (Tierney and Dahlhamer, 1996; Alesch et al., 2001; Yoshida and Deyle, 2005; Crichton, 2006; Dlugolecki, 2008). For instance, 90% of small businesses do not have adequate insurance coverage for their property (AXA Insurance UK, 2008) and only about 30% have a business continuity plan (Woodman, 2008). Not being adequately protected by community-level flood protection measures as well as property- and business-level protection measures threatens the survival of SMEs, especially those located in flood risk areas. This chapter discusses the potential effects of flood hazards on SMEs and the coping strategies that the SMEs can undertake to ensure the continuity of their business activities amid flood events. It contextualizes this discussion within a survey conducted under the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded research project entitled “Community Resilience to Extreme Weather — CREW”.

Reinstatement of flood affected properties:experiences of SMEs affected by the 2009 Cockermouth flood event

Recent policy changes in the UK encourage at-risk communities to learn to live with and adapt to flooding. Adaptation of individual properties by embracing resilient and resistant measures is an important aspect endorsed therein. Uptake of such protection measures by property owners, including that of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), has traditionally been low. A post-flood situation offers an opportunity to reinstate / reconstruct by integrating flood protection measures, in such a way that reduce damage and enhance the ability to recover in the event of a future flood incidence. In order to investigate the reinstatement / reconstruction experiences of flood affected SMEs, those affected by the 2009 Cockermouth flood event were studied. The results of a questionnaire survey revealed that many SMEs have opted for traditional reinstatement rather than resilient reinstatement. A detailed case study revealed requirements of getting the business back and running as soon as possible, a lack of guidance and advice from professionals and financial concerns as some of the barriers faced by SMEs. It is important that SMEs are provided with necessary guidance during the post-flood reinstatement stage, in order to make sure that the opportunity to build back better, integrating flood-protection measures is grasped by the SME owners. Stakeholders related to the construction industry, who are actively involved with post-flood reinstatement work, have an important role to play in this regard, providing necessary guidance and expertise to flooded SMEs.

Impacts of flooding on SMEs and their relevance to chartered surveyors:

This is the final report of the RICS Education Trust funded “Developing Flood Expert Knowledge in Chartered Surveyors – DEFENCES” research project. The UK has endured a number of major flood events in recent years, and the UK Environment Agency (2009a) identified that about 5.2million properties in England, amounting to one in six, are at risk of flooding. The impacts of flooding include direct and indirect impacts and can be particularly devastating for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who are generally more vulnerable to such events than larger business organisations. Recent flood events have established how costly flooding can be to the SME sector (Pitt, 2008, ABI, 2010), which has given greater impetus to the need to improve the resilience of at-risk SMEs. A lack of professional advice on flood protection and adaptation measures represents a potential barrier to the uptake of such interventions by SMEs. A recent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey, as quoted in Defra (2008) notes that, although a majority of chartered surveyors would like to work in this area of practice (flood risk assessment and adaptation), they are conscious of gaps in their competency, knowledge and understanding. The research project sought to contextualise this broader issue and investigate how chartered surveyors can bridge the gap in providing professional flood advice to SMEs. Further, a shift in the UK government policy on flood risk management is evident, where at-risk communities are urged to adapt to flooding. This places greater emphasis on property-level flood adaptation, providing further impetus for Chartered Surveyors to be involved. Findings of the research will be of interest to the RICS, the RICS Flood steering Group, practicing surveyors generally, SMEs, business support and policy making organisations.

Commandeering Aesop’s Bamboo Canon: A 19th Century Confederacy of Creole Fugitive Fables

In my thesis, “Commandeering Aesop’s Bamboo Canon: A 19th Century Confederacy of Creole Fugitive Fables,” I ask and answer the ‘Who? What? Where? When? Why?” of Creole Literature using the 19th century production of Aesopian fables as clues to resolve a set of linguistic, historical, literary, and geographical enigmas pertaining the ‘birth-place(s)’ of Creolophone Literatures in the Caribbean Sea, North and South America, as well as the Indian Ocean. Focusing on the fables in Martinique (1846), Reunion Island (1826), and Mauritius (1822), my thesis should read be as an attempt capture the links between these islands through the creation of a particular archive defined as a cartulary-chronicle, a diplomatic codex, or simply a map in which I chart and trace the flight of the founding documents relating to the lives of the individual authors, editors, and printers in order to illustrate the articulation of a formal and informal confederation that enabled the global and local institutional promotion of Creole Literature. While I integrate various genres and multi-polar networks between the authors of this 19th century canon comprised of sacred and secular texts such as proclamations, catechisms, and proverbs, the principle literary genre charted in my thesis are collections of fables inspired by French 17th century French Classical fabulist, Jean de la Fontaine. Often described as the ‘matrix’ of Creolophone Literature, these blues and fables constitute the base of the canon, and are usually described as either ‘translated,’ ‘adapted,’ and even ‘cross-dressed’ into Creole in all of the French Creolophone spaces. My documentation of their transnational sprouting offers proof of an opaque canonical formation of Creole popular literature. By constituting this archive, I emphasize the fact that despite 200 years of critical reception and major developments and discoveries on behalf of Creole language pedagogues, literary scholars, linguists, historians, librarians, archivist, and museum curators, up until now not only have none have curated this literature as a formal canon. I also offer new empirical evidence in order to try and solve the enigma of “How?” the fables materially circulated between the islands, and seek to come to terms with the anonymous nature of the texts, some of which were published under pseudonyms. I argue that part of the confusion on the part of scholars has been the result of being willfully taken by surprise or defrauded by the authors, or ‘bamboozled’ as I put it. The major paradigmatic shift in my thesis is that while I acknowledge La Fontaine as the base of this literary canon, I ultimately bypass him to trace the ancient literary genealogy of fables to the infamous Aesop the Phrygian, whose biography – the first of a slave in the history of the world – and subsequent use of fables reflects a ‘hidden transcript’ of ‘masked political critique’ between ‘master and slave classes’ in the 4th Century B.C.E. Greece.

This archive draws on, connects and critiques the methodologies of several disciplinary fields. I use post-colonial literary studies to map the literary genealogies Aesop; use a comparative historical approach to the abolitions of slavery in both the 19th century Caribbean and the Indian Ocean; and chart the early appearance of folk music in early colonial societies through Musicology and Performance Studies. Through the use of Sociolinguistics and theories of language revival, ecology, and change, I develop an approach of ‘reflexive Creolistics’ that I ultimately hope will offer new educational opportunities to Creole speakers. While it is my desire that this archive serves linguists, book collectors, and historians for further scientific inquiry into the innate international nature of Creole language, I also hope that this innovative material defense and illustration of Creole Literature will transform the consciousness of Creolophones (native and non-native) who too remain ‘bamboozled’ by the archive. My goal is to erase the ‘unthinkability’ of the existence of this ancient maritime creole literary canon from the collective cultural imaginary of readers around the globe.

Exploring an Ancestral Irish Adage

This paper will examine the various processes through which the folktale ‘On the Advantage of Silence’, first recorded by the Persian poet Sa’di in his The Gulistān (Rose Garden) (1258),has been altered in terms of content, style and function since the 13th century. Particular emphasis will be placed on the expression ‘tied stones and loose dogs’ which became its punch line in jest tales of the 17th and 18th centuries, and which was subsequently appropriated in the Irish language as a blason populaire denigrating the town of Ballyneety,Co. Limerick, and then as a legal expression in the Irish legal system in the 20th century.

La divination par les sorts dans le monde oriental méditerranéen du IIe au VIe siècle après J.-C. : étude comparative des sortes Homericae, sortes Astrampsychi et tables d'astragalomancie en Asie mineure

Cette thèse se propose de comparer exhaustivement trois systèmes de divination par voie de tirage au sort qui ont été contemporains dans l’antiquité tardive. À l’aide d’une analyse rigoureuse des thèmes évoqués, des stratégies rhétoriques employées, du vocabulaire présent et des probabilités d’obtention des réponses offertes, plusieurs points communs ressortent. Les énoncés positifs et négatifs se veulent, dans tous les cas, équilibrés et ils optent souvent pour des variantes temporelles afin de tempérer les prédictions. Lorsqu’ils ne s’appliquent pas à des questions spécifiques, ils misent sur l’imaginaire des consultations littéraires qui allie proverbes et éléments épiques, sans toutefois déroger des thèmes communs liés aux préoccupations quotidiennes des consultants. La rhapsodomancie s’inscrit dans cette mouvance et prouve à quel point l’épopée est une source propice à l’élaboration de systèmes oraculaires, sans jamais que le contexte narratif et littéraire des vers sélectionnés n’entre en jeu.

Imagerie Musicale Involontaire : caractéristiques phénoménologiques et mnésiques

L’imagerie musicale involontaire (IMIN) est un phénomène mental extrêmement commun. Il peut être défini en tant que type d’imagerie mentale musicale qui devient consciente sans effort ou intentionnalité et qui n’est pas pathologique. La forme la plus connue d’IMIN est le « ver d’oreille », qui se présente généralement comme un court extrait musical tournant en boucle en tête et dont on se débarrasse difficilement. L’objectif principal de la présente thèse est d’investiguer les mécanismes cognitifs sous-tendant le phénomène puisque, malgré l’intérêt répandu dans les médias populaires, son étude expérimentale est récente et un modèle intégré n’a pas encore été proposé. Dans la première étude, l’induction expérimentale a été tentée et les caractéristiques des images mentales d’épisodes d’IMIN ont été investiguées. Dans le laboratoire, des chansons accrocheuses (versus des proverbes) ont été présentées répétitivement aux participants qui devaient ensuite les chanter le plus fidèlement possible. Ils ont par après quitté le laboratoire, une enregistreuse numérique en mains, avec la consigne d’enregistrer une reproduction vocale la plus fidèle possible de ce qu’ils avaient en tête lors de tous leurs épisodes d’IMIN sur une période de quatre jours, ainsi que de décrire leur timbre. L’expérience a été répétée deux semaines plus tard. Douze des dix-huit participants du groupe expérimental ont rapporté des pièces induites comme épisodes d’IMIN, ce qui confirme l’efficacité de la procédure d’induction. La tonalité et le tempo des productions ont ensuite été analysés et comparés à ceux des pièces originales. Similairement pour les épisodes d’IMIN induits et les autres, les tempi produits et, dans une moindre mesure pour les non-musiciens, les tonalités étaient proches des originaux. Le timbre décrit était généralement une version simplifiée de l’original (un instrument et/ou une voix). Trois études se sont ensuite intéressées au lien entre le potentiel d’IMIN et la mémorabilité. Dans une étude préliminaire, 150 chansons du palmarès francophone radiophonique ont été évaluées en ligne par 164 participants, sur leur niveau de familiarité, d’appréciation et de potentiel d’IMIN. Les pièces ont ensuite été divisées en groupes de stimuli à faible et à fort potentiel d’IMIN, qui ont été utilisés dans une tâche typique de rappel libre/reconnaissance, premièrement avec des francophones (pour qui les pièces étaient familières) et ensuite avec des non-francophones (pour qui les pièces étaient non-familières). Globalement, les pièces à fort potentiel d’IMIN étaient mieux rappelées et reconnues que les pièces à faible potentiel. Une dernière étude a investigué l’impact de la variabilité inter-stimulus du timbre sur les résultats précédents, en demandant à une chanteuse d’enregistrer les lignes vocales des pièces et en répétant l’expérience avec ces nouveaux stimuli. La différence précédemment observée entre les stimuli à fort et à faible potentiel d’IMIN dans la tâche de reconnaissance a ainsi disparu, ce qui suggère que le timbre est une caractéristique importante pour le potentiel d’IMIN. En guise de conclusion, nous suggérons que les phénomènes mentaux et les mécanismes cognitifs jouant un rôle dans les autres types de souvenirs involontaires peuvent aussi s’appliquer à l’IMIN. Dépendamment du contexte, la récupération mnésique des pièces peut résulter de la répétition en mémoire à court terme, de l’amorçage à court et long terme ou de l’indiçage provenant de stimuli dans l’environnement ou les pensées. Une des plus importantes différences observables entre l’IMIN et les autres souvenirs involontaires est la répétition. Nous proposons que la nature même de la musique, qui est définie par la répétition à un niveau micro- et macro-structurel en est responsable.