Seat Of Power Research Articles

Intelligence Gathering and Policy Formulation for Addressing Security Threats in Nigeria

Intelligence has been discussed by many scholars across the globe. But no doubt, there is no universal acceptable definition of intelligence. It is germane to explicate intelligence as the result of information that has been collated, evaluated and interpreted. More so, intelligence is the information that have been processed and originated to be truth and accurate about an object, subject, or group of people. Without accurate and timely intelligence there would not be a functional government or sustainable nationhood. This paper focuses on how government could improve on policy formulations through prompt and accurate intelligence from intelligence community (IC) to frustrate, submerge the activities of hostile intelligence service (HIS) cum local perpetrators of crime. The population of the study comprised of the Nigeria Intelligence Community (IC) which are Department of State Services (DSS), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA). The sample technique adopted was purposive sampling considering the experiences and knowledge of the participants involved in the study, the data collection were both primary and secondary. The primary data was anchored on qualitative research method (in-depth interviews). While the secondary data was relied on textbooks, journals, theses, internet sources, et cetera. The study was affixed on triarchic theory of intelligence to explored the relationship between the policy makers and intelligence community to produce a better policy for the masses. The study comes to conclusion that timely and accurate intelligence must be gathered by the IC and promptly utilized by the PM to form a policy that will curtail any security threats. The study was conducted in Abuja being the Federal Capital Territory, epicentre of intelligence community and seat of power.

Sound quality evaluation and quantification for power seat operating noise

In recent years, vehicle interior condition at running has been quiet due to progress of noise reduction technology. On the other hand, quietness is not required only at running condition but also at parking where slight operating noise is generated by various devices. In this study, we then focused on an operating noise during power seat operation as one of the devices radiated noise in cabin. The impression to power seat operating noise were investigated through subjective evaluation test. For the test, power seat radiated noise at various operating modes and seat types were recorded binaurally and presented in the subjective evaluation test. Participants evaluated the presented sound quality in several evaluation terms such as "loudness," "pitch," and "discomfort." As the results, representative power seat operating mode, in which sound impression varies widely among presented sounds, was found out and suitable evaluation terms for describing the sound quality characteristics well were also extracted. In addition, the representative sound quality tendency was attempted to be evaluated quantitatively using psychoacoustic metrics from recorded sound pressure signal of the power seat.

Spatial evaluation of the museum experience in converted heritage: the case of the National Bardo Museum in Tunisia

This paper addresses the evaluation of the conversion of the Bardo museum in Tunisia. Indeed, buildings converted into exhibition spaces rarely adapt perfectly to their new functions. Following this perspective, we propose to answer two major questions: How can we objectively evaluate the conversion of the Bardo museum, which was originally built as a seat of power and residence purposes and converted into an exhibition space? What criteria can be used to evaluate it while respecting international charters? Through the spatial analysis carried out on the subject, our approach allowed us to highlight the spatial properties of the museum using the Depthmap simulation based on Spatial Syntax, a questionnaire, and the observation technique of Wayfinding. We have developed an objective analysis tool to evaluate the reliability of the conversion and the challenge of transforming a traditional and historical space through its architecture into a space that will fulfil a new 'function'. Hence, we deduced through this method that this conversion is a partial success.

The theory of governance at Qudama bin Jaafar d. 337 AH / 948 AD In his book Al-Kharj and the writing industry

The Muslims cared more than they cared for writing about the policy of managing the state and the system of governance required and the nature of the ruler and his moral qualities, and also how his assistants are from ministers and advisers and other employees, as well as the way the ruler reaches the seat of power. Many scholars of the Islamic nation at that time wrote about this, among them Qudamah bin Ja’far al-Baghdadi, who died in 337 AH / 948 AD, who devoted six chapters to talk about this topic in his book (The Tax and the Art of Writing) in the eighth (last) position, speaking in importance to the need of people to establish governance and what are the specifications of kings (rulers) and their responsibilities and how their relations with the people are. The research was divided into three topics: the first dealt with a brief biography of Qudamah bin Ja’far and his author (The Tax and the Art of Writing), and the second the human need for a system of governance, and the third in the morals of kings and the qualities of their employees from ministers and others from the royal court staff.

<em>In the Intimacy of the Dār al-Nisā’: The Residential Spaces of the Nasrid Sultanas at the Alhambra of Granada (Thirteenth-Fifteenth Centuries)</em>

Like many other dynasties in the History of Islam in the Middle Ages, the Banū Naṣr (1232-1492) created their own palaces as both their seat of power and royal residence at the Alhambra in Granada, the city chosen as the capital of their kingdom in 1238. During its long building process, which lasted from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, the Alhambra became the dwelling of the different members of the Nasrid family, including not only the men but also the many women who made up the harem of this dynasty. This article aims to identify the residential spaces in the Alhambra where the daily life of the women of the Nasrid dynasty took place. To start with, we will reflect on the feminine nature of the Alhambra and the concept of the harem in this final phase of Andalusi history, also analysing the composition of the household of the Nasrid sultanas. We will then try to locate the specific areas of the Alhambra where the Dār al-nisā’ (or “house of women”) may have been located, gathering the sparse textual anecdotes reflecting the presence of women in different parts of this royal palace and resorting to personal interpretations due this scarcity of textual sources. For this, we will revisit the available Arabic sources and material culture from a gender perspective. With this study, we aim to turn the Alhambra into an academic field of debate and reflection on how the segregation of spaces according to gender category was organized in the context of both Islamic society and architecture.

A study on BSR diagnosis of power seat frame based on STRE-VK method

To establish an efficient method for the buzz-squeak-rattle (BSR) noise diagnosis of faulty power seat frame on the noisy production line, the S-transform ridgeline extraction & Vold-Kalman filtering (STRE-VK) method was proposed for the purpose of revealing the time–frequency characteristics of vibration signals of the power seat frame. The extraction of ridgelines from the time–frequency distribution was achieved through the utilization of adaptive generalized S-transform, and the separation of multiple harmonic components was accomplished by the Vold-Kalman filtering algorithm. The simulation analysis results demonstrated that the STRE-VK method performed better in terms of extracting ridgelines and segregating harmonic components. Then, the STRE-VK method was employed to the online BSR diagnosis of faulty power seat frames, and the prominence ratio of critical bands inspired by ECMA-74 was further calculated as a metric to identify different BSR noise types based on the separated vibration components. The results showed that the rapid online BSR diagnosis of power seat frame can be achieved accurately.

An Afrocentric Ecoreading of ‘Coloniality of Power’ in Prophet Hosea’s Narrative

This work examines the environmental challenges occasioned by Samaria’s ‘imperial singleness’ in prophet Hosea’s text from an African perspective. The interaction between the ‘seat of power’ in Samaria and imperial forces in Hosea’s time appears to have negatively influenced Israel’s attitude towards land use (Hos 12:1, 2; 1 Ki 21:1–28; 2 Ki 9:26). Such interface becomes evident in a shift, by Samaria’s ‘seat of power’, from Yahweh’s prescribed land-use policy to those of their imperial masters—Assyria and Egypt. Despite Israel’s liberation from Egypt by Yahweh during the exodus (Hos 11:1), their susceptibility to treaty alliances with these imperial forces remains vivid in Hosea’s narrative (Hos 7:1–16; 12:1–2). Echoing the words of Ngwa, such an alliance seemingly classifies Samaria’s monarchy as a ‘localised imperial singularity’ and a ‘single hero’ as against the ‘communal oneness with the divine, humans and the earth itself’. This ‘localised imperial singleness’ and its effect on Israel’s land was subjected to a critical engagement premised on the principles of interconnectedness and the voice of the earth, while a combination of Mburu’s African Hermeneutics and Kavus’ Ecological Hermeneutics is employed for the purpose of critical decolonial discourse.

Introduction

In this, the latest volume of the Rocznik Filozoficzny Ignatianum, the first few texts are dedicated to the cultural significance of architecture. For time immemorial architecture has been a means of expressing ideas, harmony and proportion. In the ancient and medieval times the task of architecture was to reflect the principles of balance and symmetry found in the surrounding world. During the Renaissance architecture ceased being classified as a merely technical endeavor and began to be viewed also in a humanistic context. It was recognized that architecture is not merely proper building construction, but through the use of symbols and aesthetics it exerts a strong influence on culture and society. Both monumental structures (temples, university buildings, seats of power), as well as ordinary residences were designed to reflect the social needs of the time. Simplicity and symmetry vied with extravagance, dynamism and theatricality of form. The search for the root causes of these phenomena is the main thrust of the ideas presented in the texts below.

The Alcázar of Córdoba: The Seat of Islamic Power in Al-Andalus

In this paper, we show a synthesis of the recovered information in the most recent archaeological interventions of the occupied space by the architectural complex where the Omayyad seat of power and the following leaders of Córdoba were installed. As the most relevant aspects, we show the persistent continuity of the reoccupation and appropriation of the precedent buildings, the tight correlation with the Aljama Mosque, and the architectonic entity of the documented structures.

Identification of wheelchair seating criteria in adults with neuromuscular diseases: A Delphi study.

Adults with neuromuscular diseases like spinal muscular atrophy or Duchenne muscular dystrophy require full-time use of a wheelchair (WC) and perform all activities of daily living in a sitting position. Optimal configuration of the WC and seating system is essential to maintain the health and quality of life of users. However, few recommendations for configuration exist. The aim of this study was to identify and select 10 WC seating criteria that ensure an optimal sitting posture for health and quality of life. A four round Delphi method was used to collect the opinions of WC users and health professionals (HP), separately. First, the HP were asked if they believed that different criteria would apply to each disease. Then the HP and SMA II and DMD WC user experts responded to electronic surveys in 4 rounds. Overall, 74 experts took part: 31 HP, 21 WC users with SMA II and 22 WC users with DMD. In total, 52% of HP believed that different criteria would apply to each disease. Ten criteria were identified by the HP for SMA II and 10 for DMD. Of the 40 criteria selected, 30 (75%) were common to each panel. Six topics were similar across panels: comfort, access to the joystick, prevention of pain, stability, pressure management and power seat functions. However, power seat functions did not reach consensus between HP and WC users (30-33% of agreement for HP and 93-100% for the WC user panels, p < 0.001). Adults with SMA II and DMD had similar WC seating needs. Therefore, the same recommendations can be applied to these groups. Further research is necessary to understand the impact of cost on the prescription of power seat functions by health professionals.

Shakespeare and the New Palace of Westminster (1834–1927)

ABSTRACT This article explores how the art and architecture of the New Palace of Westminster (home to the UK’s Houses of Parliament) evoke a theatrical experience underpinned by ‘Shakespearean’ aesthetics. Over a series of artistic commissions from the 1840s to the 1920s, artists instrumentalised Shakespeare both explicitly and implicitly as part of the wider schemes within which they worked. Doing so, they visualised and even theatricalised the political and artistic aims of their commissioners and sought to project a unified sense of national history and contemporary aesthetic taste. The three case studies from within the Palace discussed here therefore offer a concentrated reception history of Shakespeare. This reading of the Palace’s visual arts thereby sharpens our understanding of Shakespeare’s developing roles in British national conception. It brings together print, theatrical, and art history with attention to architecture and design, as well as archival details, to offer an interdisciplinary analysis of Shakespeare’s role in constitutional expressions of British identity – not least during a major period of imperial activity and at the very seat of parliamentary power.

Membangun Tradisi Literasi Anti Korupsi di Kalangan Elite Daerah dalam Perspektif Hukum Tata Negara

Purpose: Corruption has a very negative impact. As a crime, corruption not only harms the country's finances and economy, but also hampers the growth and continuity of national development which demands high effectiveness. Methodology: Corruption has eroded democratic values, violated the principles of good governance, and caused discrimination against public services. Corruption has also led to low openness and representativeness in the formulation of policies in the legislature, and even corruption has hampered legal certainty in the judiciary. Results: Corrupt behavior among regional elites still occurs because: 1. System factors, especially regulations related to political recruitment through regional elections, where the weaknesses include our laws that still allow candidates who are suspects in legal cases to run for regional heads, which are further strengthened by the dominance of the ideology of materialism and capitalism that supports these elections, so that the elections still have the opportunity to give birth to corrupt officials, 2. Political actor factors, the low integrity, credibility, and capacity of candidates for regional heads are the biggest contributors to the emergence of corrupt governments, the morality of the candidates is only hunting for the results, namely the seat of power, even though by using all means. The ruling is not to serve the people but to seek material gain.

Ethnic Diversity and Democratic Governance in Nigeria: A Consociational Perspective

This study explored the relationship between ethnic diversity/plurality and democratic governance in Nigeria. Nigeria has over 300 different ethnic groups, with diverse beliefs, customs, traditions and norms. These diversities have threatened the unity of the country and the system of governance. Political rivalry among the different ethnic groups substantially hampers the institutionalization of democratic governance in the country. Efforts at accommodating the ethnic groups in governance processes by successive administrations have not yielded significant results, hence threat of secession by some ethnic groups. The result of these threats in the country is the lack of harmony and/or cohesion in the polity, particularly in the areas of national identity and unity of purpose. Therefore, the main objective of the paper is to demonstrate that ethnic plurality does not necessarily negate democratic governance in a society. The study adopted the Consociational Democratic Theory to analyze the imperative for national unity cohesion, peace and harmony among the different ethnic nationalities under a democratic system of governance. The study used mainly secondary data, related to ethnic diversity/plurality, democratic governance and the politics of accommodation for harmonious national development. The study revealed that tension in the polity is attributable to the different ethnic groups struggle to capture and/or maintain state power for the benefit of mainly people from the leader’s ethnic group and/or region. This has increasingly made people of the different ethnic extractions clamour for “one of their own” to occupy the seat of power at federal, state and/or local government levels. The paper concluded that for Nigeria to make progress and achieve oneness of purpose under a democratic administration, there must be sincere accommodation of all ethnic groups in the governance process. The paper recommended, among other things, that leaders should live above ethnic biases in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities; there is a need to create sustainable national consciousness and identity among Nigerians in order to reduce ethnic rivalry in the country to the barest minimum.

Participatory Action Design and Engineering of Powered Personal Transfer System for Wheelchair Users: Initial Design and Assessment.

Caregivers that assist with wheelchair transfers are susceptible to back pain and occupational injuries. The study describes a prototype of the powered personal transfer system (PPTS) consisting of a novel powered hospital bed and a customized Medicare Group 2 electric powered wheelchair (EPW) working together to provide a no-lift solution for transfers. The study follows a participatory action design and engineering (PADE) process and describes the design, kinematics, and control system of the PPTS and end-users' perception to provide qualitative guidance and feedback about the PPTS. Thirty-six participants (wheelchair users (n = 18) and caregivers (n = 18)) included in the focus groups reported an overall positive impression of the system. Caregivers reported that the PPTS would reduce the risk of injuries and make transfers easier. Feedback revealed limitations and unmet needs of mobility device users, including a lack of power seat functions in the Group-2 wheelchair, a need for no-caregiver assistance/capability for independent transfers, and a need for a more ergonomic touchscreen. These limitations may be mitigated with design modifications in future prototypes. The PPTS is a promising robotic transfer system that may aid in the higher independence of powered wheelchair users and provide a safer solution for transfers.

Scots and Italy as seen through Alba amicorum, 1540s–1720s Part 2

Part 2 of this article continues its investigation into the relationships between Scots and Italy, as seen through books of friendship, by considering additional socioprofessional categories beyond the academic and military worlds. Among the political activists considered is David Graham of Fintry, a Marian and member of the Catholic party, whose album is studied in great depth. It is a key document for our further knowledge of his activities as a courier and intelligencer for Scottish Catholic interests in Europe and adds to the scholarly understanding of his political involvement in the Counter-Reformation. More broadly speaking, friendship albums shed light on Scottish activists’ politico-religious networking processes and their connections with middle-ranking and regional intermediaries, at times in key locations or seats of power. As with the military officers studied in Part 1, it transpires from these contacts that there were lighter moments for artistic and cultural activities or edification. In correlation, the few ecclesiastical contributions studied in this paper cast light on a fluid matrix of information and networks and highlight their potential influences, both negative and positive. Indeed, there were risks involved in being in contact with dubious characters, whereas tapping into a rich circle of contacts with courtiers could present opportunities and patronage. For Scottish scientists, the genre of alba amicorum is particularly important, not so much to highlight their side activities as to lay the foundations for their subsequent careers and establish the potential links and backgrounds that underscore their subsequent scientific tasks, achievements, and modus operandi in their professional roles.

Zurkhāneh, Akhāṛā, Pahlavān, and Jyeṣṭhī-mallas: Cross Cultural Interaction and Social Legitimisation at the Turn of the 17th Century

The tradition of Turco-Persian wrestling, including its programme of physical education based at dedicated gyms known as zurkhāneh (literally “houses of strength”), contains elements that would appear to merge Turkish, Iranian, Central-Asian, and Indian influences within a mystical (Sufi) Islamic framework potentially affected to a certain degree by Buddhism. The chapter discusses the relations and interaction between the Turco-Persian athletic tradition and the one existing in India on the basis of a parallel reading of four key textual sources, two from each tradition. On the Indian side we will draw on the analysis of the Mallapurāṇa and of the Mānasollāsa, while the Persian documents that inform our discussion are the Tumār-e afsāneh-ye Puryā-ye Vali and the Gol-e koshti of Mir-Nejāt Qomi known as Esfahāni. The chapter will first survey the evolution of the tradition of Turco-Persian wrestling from the middle of the 13th through to the end of the 16th century, and then make a comparative analysis of the connections between Turco-Persian wrestling and the Indian tradition of the jyeṣṭhī-mallas of Gujarat. Based on these observations it will then proceed to ask how one might explain the commonalities between the two traditions. Attention will be brought to the consideration that certain physical practices gain recognition thanks to being performed at royal courts, and, in India, also at temples, due to the intellectualisation, and hence legitimisation, of these borrowed practices by learned representatives of the dominant schools of thought present at the seats of political and/or spiritual power.

Socio-Technical Energy Systems: Configurations That Work Better for Some

The political character of the energy transition requires a fine-grained perspective on the power games occurring to bring it about. There are approaches specifically geared towards calling out the identity-based inequalities in such social processes termed as grand challenges, and then there are those specialised in studying the role of technology in the energy system and how actors in that system interact with these technologies. Feminist social scientists have highlighted the entanglements of intersectionality with technology in general and energy more specifically. At the same time, the literature on Science and Technology Studies (STS) emphasizes a social dimension, e.g., how technology is co-constructed by societal actors or how large technical systems structure our daily lives. Of relevance for feminist social scientists, STS approaches are well-positioned to analyse how technology creates, re-enacts, or mirrors power asymmetries. STS approaches understand technologies as socio-technical systems that inadvertently incorporate societal realities in production and consumption which allows an analysis of the covert seats of power in socio-technical systems. Similarly, energy systems have been a popular research object in STS due to their large-scale, often high-tech character, especially when considering modern energy technologies. Regardless of the common scope of intersectionality and STS regarding power asymmetries, there is still significant room for “hybridization” of these approaches. Although the energy domain has seen efforts being made with the development of notions such as energy poverty, energy justice, or energy democracy, the hybridization effort with STS has not been taken further significantly. This paper, we contributes to the hybridization of the STS and intersectionality lenses.

Manuel de Faria e Sousa y la maldición de los Corte-Real

Abstract The seats of Portuguese power emerging from the Restauração right up to the present day were built on confiscated property belonging to the Corte-Real family. Manuel de Faria e Sousa had an early and decisive role in the accursed family’s destiny, when he denounced D. Manuel de Moura Corte-Real as a thief, forgerer, sodomite, and traitor, and when he put his edition of Camões’s Lusiads at the service of those who had made his denunciation successful. As a source of this confrontational discourse, Faria’s interpretations of Camões have sealed high and low fates of men throughout literary history.

Moon Witch, Spider King

Moon Witch, Spider King

The Effect of Political Configuration on the Implementation of Tasks and Authorities of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Indonesia

was established on December 29, 2003, to enhance efforts to eradicate corruption in Indonesia. KPK has the task and authority to coordinate, supervise, investigate, prosecute, and prevent corruption, as well as monitor the administration of state governance. Since its establishment, KPK has handled over 1,064 corruption cases committed by public officials and individuals close to the seat of power. However, in carrying out its duties, KPK has encountered obstacles such as political configuration influences and limitations on authority through legislation. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the influence of political configuration on the performance of KPK as well as the obstacles that hinder KPK from carrying out its duties and authority optimally.