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Disruption and change appear to be the only constant at present. We are on the verge of hearing the results of another crucial American election[1](as my colleague Professor De Ruyter noted –the world is hanging by a thread). More prosaically (and perhaps selfishly), as England enters a "lockdown-lite", my ability to see family and friends will be curtailed and all manner of venues and activities will close.

In this paper, I discuss the theory behind the use of a dense, concentrated neutron particle-based beam. I look at the particle based physics behind such a beam, when it is focused against solid material matter. Although this idea is still only theoretical, it appears that such a beam may be capable of disrupting the stability of the atoms within solid matter- in some cases by passing great volumes of neutrons between the electron and nucleus thus effectively shielding the electron from the charge of the nucleus. In other cases, by disrupting the nucleus by firing neutrons into it, disrupting the nucleus and weakening its bond on electrons. In either case- the resulting effect would be a disruption of the atom, which in the case of material matter would cause said material matter to fail, which would appear to the observer as liquification with some plasma generation. Thus, a dense neutron particle based beam could be used to effectively liquefy material matter. Such a beam could bore through rock, metal, or even thick, military grade armour, like that used on tanks- causing such materials to rapidly liquefy. The denser and thicker the neutron beam, the more devastating the effect of the beam- thus the faster material matter will liquefy and the greater the area of liquification. Such a beam would have applications in Defence, mining and drilling operations.

In this paper, I discuss the theory behind the use of a dense, concentrated neutron particle-based beam. I look at the particle based physics behind such a beam, when it is focused against solid material matter. Although this idea is still only theoretical, it appears that such a beam may be capable of disrupting the stability of the atoms within solid matter- in some cases by passing great volumes of neutrons between the electron and nucleus thus effectively shielding the electron from the charge of the nucleus. In other cases, by disrupting the nucleus by firing neutrons into it, disrupting the nucleus and weakening its bond on electrons. In either case- the resulting effect would be a disruption of the atom, which in the case of material matter would cause said material matter to fail, which would appear to the observer as liquification with some plasma generation. Thus, a dense neutron particle based beam could be used to effectively liquefy material matter. Such a beam could bore through rock, metal, or even thick, military grade armour, like that used on tanks- causing such materials to rapidly liquefy. The denser and thicker the neutron beam, the more devastating the effect of the beam- thus the faster material matter will liquefy and the greater the area of liquification. Such a beam would have applications in Defence, mining and drilling operations.

Accelerating automisation and increasing lifespans are creating disruptions to existing economic and education models. How can governments and industry address the resulting upheavals?

'Strategy without money is just hot air.' — Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles speaking at ASPI's 2023 conference, 14 September, Canberra At ASPI's national conference, the deputy PM and defence minister was ...

Natural disasters, extreme weather, trade disputes, critical supply shortages, financial problems and new surprising events periodically occur around the world. They often cause severe supply chain disruptions which reduce profitability and can even cause bankruptcy. Disruption response measures are becoming common with the increase of resilient supply chains and added visibility, when facing frequently occurring disruptions. However, the field still lacks studies and applications on supply chain disruption prevention and response methods, when dealing with major disruptions caused by events exogenous to supply chain processes. The goal of this research is to develop a tool that can evaluate a firm's disruption preparedness and offer a set of strategies for improving the ability to face disastrous events. A literature review was conducted on material related to supply chain disruptions, supply chain vulnerabilities, supply chain risk management, natural disasters, risk mitigation strategies, country risk assessments and measures to assess different aspects of supply chains. The focus was on recent research and past case studies. The development of supply chain risk management methods and supply chains' resilience factors were also analysed. The framework selected was the supply chain volatility dimension division where institutional and environmental volatility contains national economic and financial volatility, exceptional environmental events and political and legal instability. The selected disruptive events that matched the set framework were extreme weather, volcanic activity, earthquakes and tsunamis, diseases, terrorism and war, economic conflicts, financial crises, and labour strikes, as those events have caused major supply chain disruptions in the past. Event specific and general supply chain disruption risk mitigation strategies were sought out from literature and were also developed in this thesis, and they were divided into three time periods: before, during and after a disruptive event. Measures for the evaluation of a supply chain's characteristics, which affect supply chain disruption preparedness, were formed with the input of fellow researchers. The measures represented weaknesses that have been witnessed to be the causes of severe problems, and the strengths which have limited damages when disruptions have occurred. These measures were determined by rating scales. Also, a location-based evaluation was performed where country risk assessments were used. The gathered data was then evaluated by supply chain disruption preparedness score equations which were created for the tool. The final outcome was a comprehensive tool for quickly assessing a supply chain's preparedness for various disruptive event types that also offers a guideline on how to develop supply chain operations to decrease risk in supply chains.

The end of the 2015 Monsoon session of Parliament with one of the worst records in its history—productivity of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were 9% and 48% respectively—has resulted in the usual hue and cry over such disruptions (PRS Legislative Research 2015). But this was anticipated before the session started given the scandals that erupted in the days running upto the session, namely Vyapam scam and the Lalit Modi issue controversy, and the fact that the government does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha. It was unlikely that the Opposition would let the session run smoothly since the newly elected Modi government seemed unable to explain these serious allegations. Furthermore, the United Progressive Alliance-II's (UPA II) term was marked with similar stalemate over a range of issues, notably the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports on coal allocation and 2G spectrum allocations, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail and statehood for Telangana. Most of the discussion surrounding disruptions revolve around a few issues—how the Speaker handles the disrupters, how much is the cost to the exchequer in terms of losses and why the government is unable to manage the floor and coordinate properly with Opposition members. There is also a view that this is business as usual for any party in the Opposition since it gives them the excuse to play to the galleries. There is a lot of chest beating about the inability of the ruling party to do proper floor management or build consensus across parties on important issues (Madhavan 2015).

Politics concerns the fact that it is not obvious how we are supposed to live together in community, and that community is a question and a problem rather than a self-evident given. I explore the implications of this idea and develop a theory of politics as the perpetual disruption and transformation of sedimented social structures, orders, and institutions and explore the implications that this has for the idea and practice of political legitimacy. I seek to develop a principled approach to mediating the co-constitutive forces constituting the very possibility of human community of the disruptive and transformative power of politics and the solidifying and stabilizing power of social structures, orders, and institutions.

Leaders on the forefront of the rapidly escalating climate crisis continually seek effective strategies to help communities stay engaged without burning out or spiraling into despair. This paper examines the concept of adaptive change for its potential to reframe disruption and intentionally harness its potential for building resilience in both practical and psychological ways. In particular, social science suggests that secure communal bonds lay the foundation for the adaptive ability to build resilience through and from disruption. Swiss history offers an intriguing example of this phenomenon: held up as a model for its social, political, and ecological resilience, Swiss democracy evolved as part of the restructuring of society after a series of disruptive historical pandemics. This paper uses the Swiss example and the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) pandemic in order to explore the potential of transcendent and adaptive sociological and theological frameworks for the development of robust concepts of resilience in the face of climate destabilization. It further argues that a wide theological interpretation of Eucharistic abundance offers a lens through which to claim the liberative resurrection of disruptions, even, or perhaps especially, in the extreme case of human or planetary annihilation.

Abstract This paper describes the disruption of Directorate General of Highway, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, in improving the good governance and financing systems for the execution of regional road. Together with Australia Government through Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative Program, Directorate General of Highway made a grant program called Provincial Road Improvements and Maintenance in the Province of Nusa Tenggara Barat. This program is delivered through pre-financing by local budget and reimbursement grant scheme maximum of 40% by the Central Government with incentives around 10% from total program. Provincial Road Improvements and Maintenance applies good governance and open government principles by involving the road authorities, service provider, and road users through Road Transport and Traffic Forum.The Provincial Road Improvements and Maintenance program successfully improved the stability and service of roads in the Province of Nusa Tenggara Barat with the optimum budget. The program also encourages women participation in order to improve gender equality. As a result, Bappenas with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing and Ministry of Finance plan to replicate this program for the broader coverage in 2018. Keywords: regional road, road stability, road service, road maintenance, road improvement Abstrak Makalah ini menjelaskan persoalan yang dihadapi oleh Direktorat Jenderal Bina Marga, Kementerian Pekerjaan Umum dan Perumahan Rakyat, dalam memperbaiki tata pemerintahan dan sistem pembiayaan yang baik untuk menangani jalan daerah. Bersama Pemerintah Australia, melalui Program Inisiatif Infrastruktur Indonesia, Direktorat Jenderal Bina Marga membuat program hibah yang disebut Provincial Road Improvements and Maintenance di Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat. Program ini disampaikan melalui pre-financing dengan skema kompensasi anggaran daerah dan penggantian maksimum sebesar 40% oleh Pemerintah Pusat dengan insentif sekitar 10% dari total program. Provincial Road Improvements and Maintenance menerapkan tata pemerintahan yang baik dan prinsip-prinsip pemerintahan yang terbuka dengan melibatkan pihak penyelenggara jalan, penyedia jasa, dan pengguna jalan melalui Forum Lalulintas Jalan. Program Provincial Road Improvements and Maintenance berhasil memperbaiki kemantapan dan pelayanan jalan di Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat dengan dana yang optimal. Program ini juga mendorong partisipasi perempuan dalam rangka meningkatkan kesetaraan jender. Hasilnya adalah bahwa Bappenas bersama Kementerian Pekerjaan Umum dan Perumahan Rakyat dan Kementerian Keuangan berencana untuk mereplikasi program ini untuk cakupan yang lebih luas pada tahun 2018. Kata-kata kunci: jalan daerah, kemantapan jalan, pelayanan jalan, pemeliharaan jalan, peningkatan jalan

According to many, India has the potential to become one of the largest digitized economies in the world. By end of 2016, most sectors in the Indian economy ranging from healthcare to education, banking and finance as well as retail will face challenges and opportunities through digital disruption. In this fast changing scenario, the euphoria of new marketing opportunities may however be dampened by the reality of considering how sustainable such digital disruptions will be in the long run. One key element in this sustainability is the network readiness of the economy. The World Economic Forum publishes Networked Readiness Rankings for all economies where India is ranked 89 out of 143 countries for the year 2015 and India's rank has been declining consistently declining since 2013. This is a clear indication that despite the digital revolution which is now called the fourth industrial revolution, India may not be able to harness its full potential if the networked readiness of the country does not improve. The services sector of the Indian economy which contributes close to 60 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product should see incremental growth as the networked readiness improves. This paper seeks to examine this relationship as well as the reasons for the declining rank on Network Readiness. Only when such challenges are addressed both by the private sector as well as the Government can we be confident that the digital disruption will indeed add a long run value for the economy.

Welche Sicht haben Lehrer*innen an zwei ausgesuchten Schulen auf den Notfall-Fernunterricht, der aufgrund der politischen Maßnahmen während der Corona-Pandemie nötig wurde? Mithilfe von Diskursiven Interviews wurden Lehrer*innen befragt, die tagtäglich mit den entstehenden Herausforderungen konfrontiert sind. Das Ziel des Beitrags ist es, die sozialen Deutungsmuster der Lehrer*innen im Zusammenhang mit eben diesen Herausforderungen zu rekonstruieren. Im Ergebnis zeigte sich, dass dabei besonders die Frage der digitalen Reproduzierbarkeit des Sozialen sowie pragmatische Muster die Deutungen der Lehrer*innen bestimmen. (DIPF/Orig.)

The foundation of our economic system is based on competition and a free market. Antitrust laws were established in order to promote competition and preclude monopolies from occurring so that society as a whole will benefit. But consider the taxi industry. All the requirements and regulations taxi companies need to abide by in order to operate have resulted in decades of a government-backed monopoly. Then came Uber, a tech start-up out of San Francisco five years ago, which has made taxi companies vulnerable in recent years and requires a closer look at the concept of innovation, regulation, and government backed monopolies.

The foundation of our economic system is based on competition and a free market. Antitrust laws were established in order to promote competition and preclude monopolies from occurring so that society as a whole will benefit. But consider the taxi industry. All the requirements and regulations taxi companies need to abide by in order to operate have resulted in decades of a government-backed monopoly. Then came Uber, a tech start-up out of San Francisco five years ago, which has made taxi companies vulnerable in recent years and requires a closer look at the concept of innovation, regulation, and government backed monopolies.

From Brexit to Covid-19, the UK is going through a period of increasing uncertainty and disruption.In the next Centre for Brexit Studies YouTube Live video, Director Professor Alex de Ruyter will provide a reflective, historical account of how seemingly stable periods of economic and social life can be suddenly and dramatically upended by unexpected events.