The irony of just war?

By claiming that “just war is just war,” critics suggest that just war theory both distracts from and sanitizes the horror of modern warfare by dressing it up in the language of moral principles. However, the phrase can also be taken as a reminder of why we need just war theory in the first place. It is precisely because just war is just war, with all that this implies, that we must think so carefully and so judiciously about it. Of course, one could argue that the rump of just war scholarship over the past decade has been characterized by disinterest regarding the material realities of warfare. But is this still the case? This essay examines a series of benchmark books on the ethics of war published over the past year. All three exemplify an effort to grapple with the hard facts of modern violent conflict, and they all skillfully bring diverse traditions of just war thinking into conversation with one another

Depository institution failures: the deposit insurance connection

Bank failures ; Deposit insurance ; Savings and loan associations

Exploring the utility of Brachypodium distachyon as a model pathosystem for the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici

peer-reviewedBackground Zymoseptoria tritici, the causative organism of Septoria tritici blotch disease is a prevalent biotic stressor of wheat production, exerting substantial economic constraints on farmers, requiring intensive chemical control to protect yields. A hemibiotrophic pathogen with a long asymptomless phase of up to 11 days post inoculation (dpi) before a rapid switch to necrotrophy; a deficit exists in our understanding of the events occurring within the host during the two phases of infection. Brachypodium distachyon has demonstrated its potential as a model species for the investigation of fungal disease resistance in cereal and grass species. The aim of this study was to assess the physical interaction between Z. tritici (strain IPO323) and B. distachyon and examine its potential as a model pathosystem for Z. tritici. Results Septoria tritici blotch symptoms developed on the wheat cultivar Riband from 12 dpi with pycnidial formation abundant by 20 dpi. Symptoms on B. distachyon ecotype Bd21-1 were visible from 1 dpi: characteristic pale, water soaked lesions which developed into blotch-like lesions by 4 dpi. These lesions then became necrotic with chlorotic regions expanding up to 7 dpi. Sporulation on B. distachyon tissues was not observed and no evidence of fungal penetration could be obtained, indicating that Z. tritici was unable to complete its life cycle within B. distachyon ecotypes. However, observation of host responses to the Z. tritici strain IPO323 in five B. distachyon ecotypes revealed a variation in resistance responses, ranging from immunity to a chlorotic/necrotic phenotype. Conclusions The observed interactions suggest that B. distachyon is an incompatible host for Z. tritici infection, with STB symptom development on B. distachyon comparable to that observed during the early infection stages on the natural host, wheat. However first visible symptoms occurred more rapidly on B. distachyon; from 1 dpi in comparison to 12 dpi in wheat. Consequently, we propose that the interaction between B. distachyon and Z. tritici as observed in this study could serve as a suitable model pathosystem with which to investigate mechanisms underpinning an incompatible host response to Z. tritici.Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm

DNA repair: Disorders

No description supplie

The development of a computer human interface using touch input for point of sale applications : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Product Development at Massey University

This project developed a touch screen interface for a new generation EFTPOS sales terminal at the fuel pump in a service station. Scenario plans and creative observation of consumers and analysis of their expressed needs, wants, and requirements were developed within the context of the client's specifications. This enabled the production of a physical and graphical user interface that provided initial appeal, ease of learning, high speed of user task performance, low user error rate, subjective user satisfaction, and user retention over time. Using multimedia computer software as a rapid prototyping tool enabled realistic feedback to be obtained early in the development stages and facilitated the modification of prototypes to minimise the barriers to potential consumer acceptance. The designer was able to effectively communicate the goals and details of the product to the team implementing the design using flow charts and diagrams to define the structure and content of the interface. The process used to develop the interface was compared with published product development techniques that incorporated consumer testing checkpoints throughout the discrete phases of product creation. It was determined that the generic processes were useful in practice, but only if the checkpoints were chosen appropriately and the tests customised for the developing product. Testing at fixed stages in the design process was found to be detrimental to the project. Putting excessive emphasis on the testing of the product curbed creativity by removing valid solutions before they could be investigated fully. The touch screen interface developed will be used to lead customers through fuel deliveries, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) transactions, and the purchase of other service station related products and services. The interface allows incorporation of advertising and customisation for use in other countries, meets the company's specifications, and has polled well in consumer tests when incorporated in a simulated mounting