bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Texas-(s)ized Postmodernism; Or, Capitalism without the Dialectic
Authors: Beller Jonathan
Published: June 2016

The programmatic erasure of the concept of capitalism by the state (here paradigmatically represented by the state of Texas) is allied with the waning of Fredric Jameson’s dialectical concept of postmodernism. “Postmodernism” as the critique of the cultural logic of late capitalism is no more, and capitalism, it would seem, is now to be thought without the dialectic. Indeed, the discourses of capitalism and postmodernism have mutated into discourses of the security state and technological innovation. “Postmodernism” was not, however, a panacea; rather, in a way analogous to the state of Texas’s prohibition of the term slavery (in addition to capitalism) in its history textbooks, the conceptualization of postmodernism failed to adequately consider gender and racialization under what Cedric Robinson called racial capitalism.
From Shame to Drive
Authors: Lie Sulgi
Published: June 2016

This article juxtaposes two 2011 Hollywood films—Shame, directed by Steve McQueen, and Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn—that in their mutations of narrative time and cinematic montage demonstrate the ongoing salience of Fredric Jameson’s Marxist analysis of postmodern culture for the aesthetic and social form of contemporary Hollywood cinema. What Jameson in Postmodernism called the atemporal “waning of affect” is hyperbolically exposed in both films, which are linked by their formal emphasis on accumulation, repetition, and looping. This late capitalist regime of accumulation and excess takes the form of a cinematic drive that no longer hews to a narrative temporality but, rather, appears as exactly the hallucinatory intensity of an overwhelming present that Jameson described. For this reason, the films dispense with beginnings and endings; through modulations of filmic time, they return to the stasis of an eternal “posthistorical” present. Drive and Shame both end with montage sequences in which flashbacks and flash-forwards are rendered indistinguishable. Exploring this emphasis on sameness and repetition, the article takes up the psychoanalytic notion of the drive in relation to Jameson’s argument about the waning of affect.
Adorno by the Pool; Or, Television Then and Now
Authors: Villarejo Amy
Published: June 2016

What can critical theory, from Theodor Adorno to contemporary writers on the relationship between capitalism and digital media, tell us about the specific form or medium that is television? This article undertakes a two-step answer to this question, first by locating television as a key medium in the midcentury analysis of the “culture industries” and then by seeking to frame it as a theoretical object capable of shedding light on contemporary cultural and aesthetic forms in their relation to economic and political conditions. My argument is that Adorno and his readers/critics still have a great deal to teach us about the arrangement of desire and need that television implants, an arrangement that crystallized into its broadcast corporate form in the 1950s. Elsewhere, I have shown how helpful Adorno can be in splaying open the mechanisms of midcentury broadcast media, insofar as his writings attended to the specificities of 1950s television, including the importance of stereotypes as holdovers from radio comedy, the constraints of studio shooting, the standards of script development, and the complicated reception of “common sense.” What remains now is to bring the questions he raises in his television criticism (broadly speaking, questions of psychosocial response, of writing for and about the culture industries, and of ideological analysis) into the current moment, testing the utility of his procedures and insights in light of convergence culture, the proliferation of digital platforms, new phenomenological modes of engagement, and new aesthetic forms. If Adorno by the pool in midcentury Los Angeles is not to be abandoned, how might he speak to us now?
Beyond the “NGO Aesthetic”
Authors: Bajorek Jennifer
Published: June 2016

This article examines two projects by artists living and working in Nairobi. It asks questions about how these artists are visualizing or otherwise materializing in their work the specificity of their contemporary geopolitical and geocultural situation in relation to capitalism. How might this specificity allow these artists to elucidate aspects of contemporary capitalism’s cultural logic that are all too often invisible to people living in other parts of the world? How might it allow them to reframe or gain new traction on what Fredric Jameson once called a “radical cultural politics,” an operation that presupposes, in much Marxist and post-Marxist analysis, an ability to represent one’s location within the system of contemporary capitalism?
The World Is Already without Us
Authors: Toscano Alberto
Published: June 2016

This article revisits the problematic of the cognitive mapping of capital by probing the affinity between two representational predicaments: the depopulated nature of images of human-altered landscapes in the “new topographics” photography and its epigones, and the current debate over the definition of the Anthropocene. It looks in Fredric Jameson’s treatment of the time of capital, and of the place therein of dead labor, for a clue to critically rethink both these phenomena, revealing their profound affinity in the aporia besetting our thinking of historical agency under capitalist conditions. The article concludes with a brief reflection on what it might mean to define communism in this light as the “resurrection of dead labor.”
History Is What Hurts
Authors: Galloway Alexander R.
Published: June 2016

For many humanists and cultural critics, Fredric Jameson’s work in the early 1980s typified a certain kind of Freudo-Marxist inquiry, a materialist approach to the investigation of politics and aesthetics that would remain influential through the turn of the millennium. Yet the status of criticism and theory has changed subtly in recent years, particularly with the advent of new materialism and the larger ontological turn in contemporary theory. This article reassesses Jameson in the context of today’s new materialism, with an eye on the relationship between politics and ontology. Like many Marxists, Jameson tends to avoid discussions of essence, existence, presence, and other ontological topics. Yet being so thoroughly influenced by Hegel’s dialectic and the representational logics of cultural Marxism, Jameson indeed promulgates a very specific ontological structure, if not in word then in deed. This article makes the argument explicitly: Jameson is an ontological thinker; he proposes a specific structure of being, a structure that, while rooted in the Kantian tradition, nevertheless inverts that tradition in favor of a more materialist core.
Revisiting Postmodernism
Authors: Baumbach Nico , Young Damon R. , Yue Genevieve
Published: June 2016

This interview was conducted with Fredric Jameson on 13 March 2014 in New York City and has been lightly edited for clarity. On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of “Postmodernism; or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism” in the New Left Review, Jameson looks back at the essay and considers the current state of capitalism, theory, art, and culture in relation to the concepts he adopted in 1984. Jameson is Knut Schmidt-Nielsen Professor of Comparative Literature, professor of romance studies (French), and director of the Institute for Critical Theory at Duke University. He is the author of many books, including The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act (1981), A Singular Modernity: Essay on the Ontology of the Present (2002), and, most recently, The Ancients and the Postmoderns: On the Historicity of Forms (2015).
Elucidation of the Structures of Asymmetric Autocatalyst Based on X-ray Crystallography
Authors: Matsumoto Arimasa , Fujiwara Satoshi , Abe Takaaki , Hara Atsushi , Tobita Takayuki , Sasagawa Taisuke , Kawasaki Tsuneomi , Soai Kenso
Published: June 2016

Much interest has been paid to the origin of homochirality, such as that of l-amino acids. The proposed origins of chirality have usually induced only low enantiomeric excess. Thus, asymmetric amplification by asymmetric autocatalysis has been invoked. Asymmetric autocatalysis of 5-pyrimidyl alkanol in the enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde is a unique example of amplification of chirality. Crystallization of possible intermediates, specifically zinc alkoxides of this 5-pyrimidyl alkanol, was investigated to obtain mechanistic insights into this reaction. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography of the formed zinc alkoxide crystals shows the existence of tetramer or higher oligomer structures in this asymmetric autocatalytic system.
Preparation of a Thermally Stable Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Containing Cage-Like Oligosilsesquioxane with Two Types of Side-Chain Groups
Authors: Harada Akiyuki , Koge Sayako , Ohshita Joji , Kaneko Yoshiro
Published: June 2016

A thermally stable room temperature ionic liquid containing cage-like oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) with two types of side-chain groups (Amim-Cage-SQ-IL) was successfully prepared by the hydrolytic condensation of a mixture of two organotrialkoxysilanes from which one contained a quaternary ammonium group trimethyl[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (TTACl) and the other an imidazolium group 1-methyl-3-[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]imidazolium chloride (MTICl). Moreover, superacid bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (HNTf2) was used as a catalyst in water/methanol mixed solvent. Amim-Cage-SQ-IL exhibited a glass-transition temperature (Tg) of −8 °C as indicated by a baseline shift in the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curve. In addition, fluidity was visually observed at ca. 30 °C, i.e., Amim-Cage-SQ-IL is a room temperature ionic liquid. Because of the low molecular symmetry of the resulting POSS compound containing two different randomly distributed side-chain groups, its crystallization was suppressed, leading to the disappearance of the melting temperature (Tm). Consequently, Amim-Cage-SQ-IL exhibited low flow temperature. Moreover, the pyrolysis temperatures of Amim-Cage-SQ-IL were extremely high (its pyrolysis temperature of the 5% weight loss was 420 °C).
An Extrapolation of a Radical Equation More Accurately Predicts Shelf Life of Frozen Biological Matrices
Authors: De Vore Karl W , Fatahi Nadia M , Sass John E
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND

Arrhenius modeling of analyte recovery at increased temperatures to predict long-term colder storage stability of biological raw materials, reagents, calibrators, and controls is standard practice in the diagnostics industry. Predicting subzero temperature stability using the same practice is frequently criticized but nevertheless heavily relied upon. We compared the ability to predict analyte recovery during frozen storage using 3 separate strategies: traditional accelerated studies with Arrhenius modeling, and extrapolation of recovery at 20% of shelf life using either ordinary least squares or a radical equation y = B1x0.5 + B0.

METHODS

Computer simulations were performed to establish equivalence of statistical power to discern the expected changes during frozen storage or accelerated stress. This was followed by actual predictive and follow-up confirmatory testing of 12 chemistry and immunoassay analytes.

RESULTS

Linear extrapolations tended to be the most conservative in the predicted percent recovery, reducing customer and patient risk. However, the majority of analytes followed a rate of change that slowed over time, which was fit best to a radical equation of the form y = B1x0.5 + B0. Other evidence strongly suggested that the slowing of the rate was not due to higher-order kinetics, but to changes in the matrix during storage.

CONCLUSIONS

Predicting shelf life of frozen products through extrapolation of early initial real-time storage analyte recovery should be considered the most accurate method. Although in this study the time required for a prediction was longer than a typical accelerated testing protocol, there are less potential sources of error, reduced costs, and a lower expenditure of resources.
Check list of Anthocerophyta and Marchantiophyta of Pakistan and Kashmir
Authors: Alam Jan , Ali Ibad , Karim Suhail , Islam Mazhar–ul , Ahmad Habib
Published: June 2016

In the present study, a review of previously published literature regarding Anthocerophyta and Marchantiophyta of Pakistan and Kashmir has been done in order to know the diversity of these groups. Previous contributions collectively reveal 122 taxa distributed in 36 genera and 24 families. Of these 118 taxa (97.52%) are belonging to the Marchantiophyta, while the rest of 4 species (3.30%) members to Anthocerophyta. Aytoniaceae is the largest family with 16 species. Genera-wise, Riccia is the largest genus with 12 species. An average number of species/genera is c. 3.36. A major portion of Pakistan is still un-explored especially Sindh and Balochistan province of Pakistan, and on the basis of this study it can be said that many more taxa will be added to the list.
Optimal mass transportation for costs given by Finsler distances viap-Laplacian approximations
Authors: Igbida Noureddine , Mazón José M. , Rossi Julio D. , Toledo Julián
Published: June 2016

In this paper we approximate a Kantorovich potential and a transport density for the mass transport problem of two measures (with the transport cost given by a Finsler distance), by taking limits, aspgoes to infinity, to a family of variational problems ofp-Laplacian type. We characterize the Euler–Lagrange equation associated to the variational Kantorovich problem. We also obtain different characterizations of the Kantorovich potentials and a Benamou–Brenier formula for the transport problem.
X-ray Analysis of Biomass Wood Briquette Structure
Authors: Roman Kamil Krzysztof , Świętochowski Adam
Published: June 2016

The study aims to measure the wood chips flow during the briquetting process by the X-ray image analysis. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) constituted the used feedstock that has been previously divided, according to the standard, into four (>1.0; 1.1-4.0; 4.1-8.0; 8.1-16.0 mm) groups of fraction. Examination of the X-ray image allows description of the movement of the wood fractions flow after the briquetting process. The correlations between the vertical axis and scattering plane factors were estimated. The correlation coefficient was 0.973 and was almost complete. The calculations were made for the areas of deviations (SD) and the area of scattering planes (DPS). Particular flow irregularities were determined for deviations ranges of individual groups of fractions and were (>1.0)=3.04; (1.1-4.0)=4.08; (4.1-8.0)=6.33 and (8.1-16.0)=7.33 cm2, and for scattering planes they were accordingly e (>1.0)=0.32; (1.1-4.0)=0.72; (4.1-8.0)=0.97 and (8.1-16.0)=1.29 cm2.
How do firms compete in the non-market? The process of political capability building
Authors: Brown Richard S.
Published: June 2016

This paper contributes to both corporate political activity (CPA) research and capabilities theory research by offering models that better describe the process that managers undertake to nurture a political capability. This is done through the interplay of four factors inherent in political actions, namely (i) corporate structure, (ii) firm-government linkages, (iii) political access and (iv) public policy pressure. Additionally, recognizing that political capability attainment is not a binary endeavor, I offer a political capability continuum to better categorize the magnitude by which differing firms allocate resources toward molding public policy. This paper adds to the scant literature on management-focused CPA research that integrates the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and political action research.
Trend inflation and monetary policy rules: determinacy analysis in New Keynesian model with capital accumulation
Authors: Gerko Elena , Sossounov Kirill
Published: June 2016

The paper analyzes the effect of positive trend inflation in the framework of a standard New Keynesian model with Calvo price setting and capital accumulation. We are building on the work of Carlstrom and Fuerst (Carlstrom, Charles T., and Timothy S. Fuerst. 2005. “Investment and Interest Rate Policy: A Discrete-Time Analysis.”
Households forming macroeconomic expectations: inattentive behavior with social learning
Authors: Easaw Joshy , Mossay Pascal
Published: June 2016

There has been a heightened interest in how households form their macroeconomic expectations. Recent innovative studies have shown that households form their expectations by observing professionals’ forecasts albeit imperfectly. Such inattentive behavior has been used to explain inflation dynamics. The purpose of the present paper is to provide further microfoundations to the “sticky information” expectations model by incorporating social learning between households. Here, social learning is modeled through spatial local interactions: households learn from their neighbors as they form their expectations. We show the convergence of households’ expectations depends on the rate of absorbing the professional’s forecasts and the interaction rate with neighbors but also on the spatial variability of the cross-section expectation distribution. The analysis also distinguishes between active and passive households as the latter do not have access to the professional’s forecast or prefer to learn from others, such as the active households. We show that the social interactions between active and passive households can lead to non-monotonic convergence. Finally, while our model with active agents is able to match only the mean inflation expectation of the Michigan survey, our model with active and passive agents is able to replicate both the first and the second moments of the inflation expectations observed in the survey.
Periods of automorphic forms: The case of (U
n+1×U
n
,U
n
)
Authors: Ichino Atsushi , Yamana Shunsuke
Published: June 2016

Following Jacquet, Lapid and Rogawski, we define regularized periods of automorphic forms on

U

n
+
1

\mathrm{U}_{n+1}

×

\times

U
n

\mathrm{U}_{n}

along the diagonal subgroup

U
n

{\mathrm{U}_{n}}

and compute the regularized periods of cuspidal Eisenstein series and their residues.
The formula for the periods of residues has an application to the Gan–Gross–Prasad conjecture.
Moduli of Bridgeland semistable objects on 3-folds and Donaldson–Thomas invariants
Authors: Piyaratne Dulip , Toda Yukinobu
Published: June 2016

In this paper we show that
the moduli stacks of Bridgeland semistable
objects on smooth projective 3-folds are
quasi-proper algebraic stacks
of finite type if they satisfy
the Bogomolov–Gieseker (BG for short) inequality
conjecture proposed by Bayer, Macrì
and the second author.
The key ingredients are the equivalent form
of the BG inequality conjecture and its generalization
to arbitrary very weak stability conditions.
This result is applied to define
Donaldson–Thomas invariants counting Bridgeland
semistable objects on smooth projective
Calabi–Yau 3-folds satisfying the BG inequality conjecture,
for example on étale quotients
of abelian 3-folds.
Modeling of braiding parameter impact on pore size and porosity in a tubular braiding fabric
Authors: Li Chaojing , Wang Xiaoming , Zhao Fan , Wang Fujun , Ting Zou , Wang Lu
Published: June 2016

Tubular braiding fabric is widely used in developing tissue-engineered scaffolds, and is especially suitable for connective tissues like ligaments and tendons. The pore size and porosity of braiding structure scaffolds not only highly affect cell adhesion and proliferation, but also influence the mechanical behavior of those scaffolds. It is important to develop braiding scaffolds with controllable pore size and distribution. The purpose of this work is to add insight to the mechanics of this passive pore structure control system. Thus, some constitutive equations were established to reveal the relationship between braiding technical parameters (including the number of spindles, braiding structure, cylindrical mandrel radius, and yarn diameter) and the pore size, the porosity of tubular braiding fabric by the mathematical modeling method. Through this model, pore size and the porosity of the tubular braiding scaffold can be precisely controlled by quantitatively adjusting braiding technical parameters. Furthermore, the reliability and accuracy of this model were verified by the experimental data.
Effect of a pressurized cavity on the replication of micro-patterns with injection molding
Authors: Park Sung Ho , Yoo Yeong-Eun , Lee Woo Il
Published: June 2016

In this investigation, we studied the effect of the cavity air pressure on the replication of micro-patterns in injection molding. When pressure is applied to the cavity air, the pressure at the flow front is also increased and thus the overall pressure gradient in the polymer melt is lowered. Therefore, the melt flow in the cavity becomes slower providing more time for the polymer melt to fill the patterns on the cavity surface resulting in the improvement of replication of the microscopic pattern. We carried out experiments for molds with a macroscopic pattern (ribs) and a microscopic pattern on the surface. In order to evaluate the quality of replication, we measured the filling heights of patterns with different ratio of the cavity air pressure to the injection pressure. The results showed that the application of cavity pressure helps the replication of patterns both for macroscopic and microscopic scales.
Synthesis and structure analysis of polyesteramides modified with bio-based diaminopentane hexanedioic salt
Authors: Wang Xueli , Xu Weihai , Lou Xueqin , Liu Xiucai , Li Naiqiang
Published: June 2016

Two series of bio-based diaminopentane hexanedioic salt (DHS) modified polyesteramides were successfully synthesized by two different synthesis processes in which DHS reacted with bis-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET) and low molecular weight polyester (LPET), respectively. The intrinsic viscosities of the polyesteramides ranged from 0.62 dl/g to 0.78 dl/g, which correlated greatly with the requirements of subsequent processing such as spinning. The results of the heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) indicated that the diaminopentane segment was directly connected with the purified terephthalic acid (PTA) segment. The presence of ester and amide group characteristic peaks in the Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed that the final resultant products were polyesteramides. The results of elemental analysis showed that the ratio of actual nitrogen content to theoretical nitrogen content of two series of polyesteramides was 76%~90%, and the actual nitrogen content in both series was proportional to the addition of DHS.
Insight into the precursor nanofibers on the flexibility of La2O3-ZrO2 nanofibrous membranes
Authors: Han Weidong , Ding Bin , Park Mira , Cui Fuhai , Chae Su-Hyeong , Kim Hak-Yong
Published: June 2016

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)/La3+/Zr4+ precursor nanofibrous membranes (LZPNM) with various Zr contents were synthesized via a simple electrospinning method. By controlling the Zr incorporation, the tensile properties of precursor membranes dramatically change from 0.77 to 1.73 MPa. Meanwhile, the average diameters of precursor nanofibers increase with the increase of Zr contents (from 283 to 535 nm). In addition, flexible La2O3-ZrO2 nanofibrous membranes (LZNM) were obtained by calcination of corresponding precursor membranes. Furthermore, the structures and morphologies of the precursor membranes were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The surface functional groups and thermal properties of the precursor membranes were measured via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
Mineral filler effect on the mechanics and flame retardancy of polycarbonate composites: talc and kaolin
Authors: Jang Keon-Soo
Published: June 2016

Mineral fillers (MFs) have been widely employed for polymer hybrid composites to enhance mechanical properties for the past few decades. In this study, we explored structural impacts of kaolin and talc on the mechanical, heat-resistant, rheological and flame retardant (FR) properties of the polycarbonate (PC) composites. The incorporation of these fillers into the polymer matrix enhanced mechanical properties like flexural and tensile modulus while elongation at break, impact strength and melt flow index (MFI) were reduced as a function of filler concentration. The heat deflection temperature (HDT) was slightly increased with increasing talc content. Infiltration of even 5 phr fillers dramatically enhanced the flame retardancy. Talc showed somewhat higher mechanics and FR characteristic, compared to kaolin. These PC/filler hybrid composites with enhanced mechanics and flame retardancy would be useful for a specific application by tailoring their ratios.
Abelian varieties over finite fields as basic abelian varieties
Authors: Yu Chia-Fu
Published: June 2016

In this note we show that any basic abelian variety with additional
structures over an arbitrary algebraically closed field of characteristic

p
>
0

${p>0}$

is isogenous to
another one defined over a finite field. We also show
that the category of abelian varieties over finite fields up to
isogeny can be embedded into the category of basic abelian varieties
with suitable endomorphism structures. Using this connection, we
derive a new mass formula for a finite orbit
of polarized abelian surfaces over a finite field.
Probabilistic trace and Poisson summation formulae on locally compact abelian groups
Authors: Applebaum David
Published: June 2016

We investigate convolution semigroups of probability measures with continuous densities on locally compact abelian groups, which have a discrete subgroup such that the factor group is compact. Two interesting examples of the quotient structure are the d-dimensional torus, and the adèlic circle. Our main result is to show that the Poisson summation formula for the density can be interpreted as a probabilistic trace formula, linking values of the density on the factor group to the trace of the associated semigroup on

L
2

${L^{2}}$

-space. The Gaussian is a very important example. For rotationally invariant α-stable densities, the trace formula is valid, but we cannot verify the Poisson summation formula. To prepare to study semistable laws on the adèles, we first investigate these on the p-adics, where we show they have continuous densities which may be represented as series expansions. We use these laws to construct a convolution semigroup on the adèles whose densities fail to satisfy the probabilistic trace formula.
Synthesis and characterization of polyamide-imides based on the different chain length of amino acids in molten TBAB as a green media
Authors: Feng Jinhui , He Fuyan , Yang Zhizhou , Yao Jinshui
Published: June 2016

As a green, safe and eco-friendly solvent, ionic liquids (ILs) have been widely used in organic syntheses. In this paper, polyamide-imides (PAIs) based on different chain length of amino acids were synthesized by two methods, i.e. in the presence of tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (TBAB) as IL and via conventional polycondensation. The obtained results have been compared. It was confirmed that by the polymerization method in the IL, the PAIs can get higher molecular weight and viscosity and better heat resistance and crystallinity after annealing treatment. All polymers showed higher tensile strength (122–134 MPa) and tensile modulus (2.4–3.0 GPa). Among them, the molecular weight of PAIs based on glycine was characterized by gel permeation chromatography.
Modified sodium lignosulfonates (NaLS) with straight chain alcohols and their aggregation behavior and adsorption characteristics on solid surfaces
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Yang Dongjie , Huang Qiuling , Li Rong
Published: June 2016

The aim of the present study is to reveal the effects of straight chain alcohols (CnOHs, 4<n<12) on the aggregation and adsorption behavior of sodium lignosulfonate (NaLS). The analytical methods zeta potential measurement and laser particle size analysis are in focus, while the adsorption characteristics of the samples are studied by means of electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL-SA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV spectroscopy, and a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring. The results indicated that the electronegative character of NaLS molecules increased and the aggregation degree of NaLS in solution diminished due to hydrophobic interactions between the hydrophobic core of NaLS and the alkyl chain of alcohols. The adsorption configuration of NaLS without CnOHs is a mushroom-like structure on the solid quartz surface, of which cation-π is the main driving force. In the presence of alcohols, the adsorption morphology of NaLS on the quartz surface changed from compact rigid to a less compact soft state. The adsorption configuration of NaLS with alcohols assumed the shape of polymer brushes, in which electrostatic interaction played an important role. Therefore, the adsorption amount of NaLS on solid surfaces significantly increases in the presence of alcohols, which facilitate the formation of more uniform and smooth adsorption films.
Primary umbilical endometriosis successfully treated with dienogest
Authors: Chew Kah Teik , Norsaadah Salim , Suraya Aziz , Hing Erica Yee , Ani Amelia Zainuddin , Nor Azlin Mohd Ismail , Nur Azurah Abdul Ghani
Published: June 2016

Primary umbilical endometriosis (PUE) is a rare gynaecological disorder. A majority of the reported cases were treated with surgical excision as medical treatment had been found to be less successful. We reported a case of PUE successfully treated with dienogest without any profound side effects from the drug.
Modulation of energy balance by fibroblast growth factor 21
Authors: Cuevas-Ramos Daniel , Aguilar-Salinas Carlos A.
Published: June 2016

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a superfamily of 22 proteins related to cell proliferation and tissue repair after injury. A subgroup of three proteins, FGF19, FGF21, and FGF23, are major endocrine mediators. These three FGFs have low affinity to heparin sulfate during receptor binding; in contrast they have a strong interaction with the cofactor Klotho/β-Klotho. FGF21 has received particular attention because of its key role in carbohydrate, lipids, and energy balance regulation. FGF21 improves glucose and lipids metabolism as well as increasing energy expenditure in animal models and humans. Conditions that induce human physical stress such as exercise, lactation, obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes influence FGF21 circulating levels. FGF21 also has an anti-oxidant function in human metabolic diseases which contribute to understanding the FGF21 compensatory increment in obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, energy expenditure and weight loss is induced by FGF21. The mechanism involved is through “browning” of white adipose tissue, increasing brown adipose tissue activity and heat production. Therefore, clinical evaluation of therapeutic action of exogenous FGF21 administration is warranted, particularly to treat diabetes and obesity.
Some Reflections on the Social Welfare Bases of the Measurement of Global Income Inequality
Authors: Brandolini Andrea , Carta Francesca
Published: June 2016

This paper examines the social welfare bases of the measurement of income inequality among the inhabitants of the world. We develop a general family of global inequality indices which encompasses different concepts of global equity, from the cosmopolitan to the nationalist view. The analysis also provides an interpretation of the EU-wide inequality measures adopted in European statistics.
On strongly just infinite profinite branch groups
Authors: Le Maître François , Wesolek Phillip
Published: June 2016

For profinite branch groups, we first demonstrate the equivalence of the Bergman property, uncountable cofinality, Cayley boundedness, the countable index property, and the condition that every non-trivial normal subgroup is open; compact groups enjoying the last condition are called strongly just infinite. For strongly just infinite profinite branch groups with mild additional assumptions, we verify the invariant automatic continuity property and the locally compact automatic continuity property. Examples are then presented, including the profinite completion of the first Grigorchuk group. As an application, we show that many Burger–Mozes universal simple groups enjoy several automatic continuity properties.
Movement Epenthesis Detection for Continuous Sign Language Recognition
Authors: Choudhury Ananya , Kumar Talukdar Anjan , Kamal Bhuyan Manas , Kumar Sarma Kandarpa
Published: June 2016

Automatic sign language recognition (SLR) is a current area of research as this is meant to serve as a substitute for sign language interpreters. In this paper, we present the design of a continuous SLR system that can extract out the meaningful signs and consequently recognize them. Here, we have used height of the hand trajectory as a salient feature for separating out the meaningful signs from the movement epenthesis patterns. Further, we have incorporated a unique set of spatial and temporal features for efficient recognition of the signs encapsulated within the continuous sequence. The implementation of an efficient hand segmentation and hand tracking technique makes our system robust to complex background as well as background with multiple signers. Experiments have established that our proposed system can identify signs from a continuous sign stream with a 92.8% spotting rate.
Design of a Directional Coupler based on UV-Induced LiNbO3 Waveguides
Authors: Ghosh T. , Samanta B. , Jana P. C. , Ganguly P.
Published: June 2016

A semi-analytical technique, effective index-based matrix method (EIMM), has been applied to determine the coupling length of continuous wave UV-written directional coupler for different gaps between the waveguides as well as the pure bending loss and transition loss of S-curved waveguides estimated to optimize the transition length (
Meaning, Religion, and the State: On the Future of Liberal Human Rights
Authors: Mautner Menachem
Published: June 2016

The proliferation of neoliberalism has unavoidably bred an impoverishment of meaning in the lives of people. The more neoliberal a state is the more religious its populace is likely to turn. If this is accompanied by the decline of the meaning provided by the narratives and practices of the nation-state, religion remains the only real source of big meaning for the citizens of the post-nationalist neoliberal state. The combination of neoliberalism and post-nationalism is therefore a potential threat to the future prospects of secular liberal-democracy. The liberal state cannot provide its citizens with a system of big meaning, or at least not with a thick and comprehensive such system. But if it abides by what I call “the liberalism of flourishing”, the liberal state will take it upon itself to provide its citizens with rich contents of deep meaning, i.e., with an abundance of materials embedded in art. Rich contents of deep meaning can serve as building blocks for individuals to develop their own personal conceptions of the big meaning of life. This is the main way in which a liberal state can compete with the contents of big meaning provided by religion.
Crystal structure of the triphenyltin(IV) chloride dimethyl N-cyanodithioiminocarbonate adduct
Authors: Diop Mouhamadou Birame , Sow Yaya , Diop Libasse , Plasseraud Laurent , Cattey Hélène
Published: June 2016

Reaction of dimethyl N-cyanodithioiminocarbonate, NCNC(SCH3)2 (L), and SnPh3Cl led to the formation of [ClPh3SnNCNC(SCH3)2] (1) which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with Z=8, a=19.152(2) Å, b=12.8659 (16) Å, c=19.063(3) Å, β=108.608(3) and V=4451.6(10) Å3. The structure of 1 consists of a SnPh3 moiety trans-coordinated in apical positions by one L ligand, N-coordinated, and one chlorine atom involving a trigonal bipyramid geometry around the Sn(IV) atom. To our knowledge, this is the first isolation of a discrete triorganotin(IV) complex with a N-cyanodithioiminocarbonate adduct. The structural characterization of 1 was completed by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and elemental analysis which confirm the X-ray elucidation.
Crystal structure of N′-[(1E)-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-methylidene]adamantane-1-carbohydrazide, C18H20Cl2N2O
Authors: Aljohar Haya I. , Ghabbour Hazem A. , Abdelbaky Mohammed S.M. , Garcia-Granda Santiago , El-Emam Ali A.
Published: June 2016

C18H20Cl2N2O, orthorhombic, Pbca (No. 61), a = 8.1023(2) Å, b = 18.7063(4) Å, c = 22.5509(6) Å, V = 3417.91(14) Å3, Z = 8, R
gt(F) = 0.0496, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1535, T = 293(2).
Crystal structure of (E)-1-(4-(((E)-3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)phenyl)ethan-1-one O-ethyl oxime, C17H16Cl2N2O2
Authors: Zhao Li , Wang Fei , An Qin-Qin , Zhao Ji-Xing
Published: June 2016

C17H16Cl2N2O2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 9.1238(5) Å, b = 13.0575(4) Å, c = 14.3740(5) Å, β = 104.616(4)°, V = 1657.02(11) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0460, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1120, T = 293(2) K.
Fundraising Policy Reform and its Impact on Nonprofits in China: A View from the Trenches
Authors: Hu Ming , Guo Chao
Published: June 2016

After decades of strict charitable solicitation regulation, the Chinese government has recently begun to experiment with fundraising policy reforms in some local jurisdictions. In this comparative study of two metropolitan cities, Shanghai and Guangzhou, we examine the nature, content, and scope of the reform and its impact on nonprofit organizations. Our archival analysis indicates that the new policies in both cities helped create a more supportive regulatory environment for the nonprofit sector, though they differed in the extent to which policy change departed from the status quo. Yet somewhat surprisingly, the reform elicited a lukewarm reaction from the nonprofit sector: only a very small fraction of nonprofit organizations actually fundraised under the new policies, and their performance varied remarkably. Our field work further reveals that many nonprofit leaders had reservations about the policy initiatives. Possible reasons for such reservations include fragmented policies on nonprofit registration and taxation, discretionary authorization system, and the weak fundraising capacity of nonprofits.
Glossary of terms used in extraction (IUPAC Recommendations 2016)
Authors: Poole Colin , Mester Zoltan , Miró Manuel , Pedersen-Bjergaard Stig , Pawliszyn Janusz
Published: June 2016

Approaches for analytical-scale extraction are developing rapidly as new strategies are implemented to improve sample throughput, to minimize material use in laboratory methods, and to develop on-site capabilities. In this contribution, definitions and recommendations for symbols for the terms used in analytical extraction are presented. Exhaustive, microextraction, elevated temperature, microwave- and ultrasound-assisted, parallel batch, flow through systems, and membrane extraction approaches are discussed. An associated tutorial titled “Extraction” provides a detailed introduction to the topic.
International Tariffs in a Mixed Oligopoly with Research Spillovers
Authors: Haruna Shoji , Goel Rajeev K.
Published: June 2016

This paper merges three strands of the literature – industrial organization, international trade, and economics of technical change – to examine the effect of tariffs on international mixed oligopolies which conduct research and development (R&D) that is prone to spillovers. Mixed oligopolies are prevalent in the defense sector, among other sectors. Using a two-stage sequential game with R&D in the first stage and production in the second stage, results show that higher tariffs reduce outputs of both the domestic public firm and foreign private firms, and private R&D. Effects on domestic R&D and welfare, and profits of foreign private firms depend upon spillovers. Within a large range of research spillovers, higher tariffs can in fact lower welfare. Some of these findings are different from traditional oligopolies and from models that ignore research spillovers. Policy implications are discussed.
The role of the happiness philosophy and core self-evaluations in defining job satisfaction as seen by the self and the significant other
Authors: Walczak Radosław B. , Derbis Romuald
Published: June 2016

Our paper analyses sources of job satisfaction. A cross-sectional study in two variants: an online questionnaire (n=642) and its paper version (n=635), were used to measure the impact of core self-evaluations, hedonism and eudaimonism on job satisfaction. To strengthen the dependent variable (job satisfaction) measurement, two sources for this data were used: the target person’s self-assessment and his or her significant other’s evaluation. The results show that the significant other’s assessment can be a valuable source of information on the target person’s job satisfaction. On top of that, hierarchical regression has shown that both happiness philosophies: eudaimonism and hedonism have predictive power over the assessment of job satisfaction based on core self-evaluations.
Anorexia readiness syndrome and sensitivity to body boundaries breaches
Authors: Korolik Aleksandra , Kochan-Wójcik Marta
Published: June 2016

Our study tests the relationships between the anorexia readiness syndrome (ARS) and the sense of body boundaries as well as sensitivity to breaches of self boundaries. Conducted among 120 young females aged 18–24, the study was based on three questionnaires: the Eating Attitudes Questionnaire, the Sense of Body Boundaries Questionnaire, and the Self Boundaries Sensitivity Scale. Two groups were used for comparative analyses, each consisting of 30 participants with either high or low ARS intensity. The results showed high-ARS intensity individuals to have a weaker body boundary sense, a weaker sense of being separate from the environment, and a stronger sense of their bodies’ permeability boundaries, as well as being overly-sensitive to breaches in their social self boundaries. The groups showed no significant differences with respect to sensitivity to breaches in their bodily and spatial-symbolic selves.
Existential/spiritual resources and the subjective quality of life experiences among elderly adults
Authors: Kapała Magdalena
Published: June 2016

My paper presents the results of a research study on the relationship between existential/spiritual resources, that is, spiritual sensitivity (a disposition to experience spirituality, manifested in the embracement of the nature of things in the transcendent and final perspective, in moral sensitivity, and the ability to find meaning in paradoxical and limiting situations), spiritual sensitivity components and subjective quality of life (a generalized attitude to one’s own life mode, in the four existential dimensions: psychophysical, psycho-social, subjective, and metaphysical). Study subjects were older adults (60+, n = 522) living in the current, dynamic, uncertain and fluid modern world conditions. The study had two phases – quantitative and qualitative (narrative interviews). To measure the phenomena, the Spiritual Sensitivity Inventory (Straś-Romanowska, Kowal, & Kapała, 2013) and the Quality of Life Questionnaire (Straś-Romanowska, Oleszkowicz, & Frąckowiak, 2004) were used. The results obtained confirmed a strong mutual relationship between spiritual resources and quality of life, also providing an answer to some questions about the nature of spiritual sensitivity, and its integrating, pro-development and pro-health role in the elderly adults’ life in the post-modern era.
Photocatalytic removal of reactive yellow 145 dye from simulated textile wastewaters over supported (Co, Ni)3O4/Al2O3 co-catalyst
Authors: Mohammad Emman J. , Lafta Abbas J. , Kahdim Salih H.
Published: June 2016

The supported co-catalyst (Co, Ni)3O4/Al2O3 was prepared via using a co-precipitation method. Three sets of these materials were prepared by calcination at three different temperatures 500, 600, and 700°C. Crystal structure of the prepared materials was investigated using powder X-rays diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Atomic force microscope (AFM), and specific surface area (BET). The activity of the prepared catalysts was investigated by following both of photocatalytic and adsorption removal of Reactive yellow 145 dye (RY 145) from simulated industrial wastewaters. In this study, different reaction conditions were performed such as effect of pH of the reaction mixture, mass dosage of the used catalyst, and effect of temperature. In addition to that adsorption isotherms and reaction kinetics were investigated. Also the activity of these catalysts were investigated after cyclization of the used catalysts.
Adsorptive molecularly imprinted composite membranes for chiral separation of phenylalanine
Authors: Shah Nasrullah , Rehan Touseef , Park Joong Kon
Published: June 2016

Two types of composite imprinted membranes, i.e., composite membrane comprised of D-Phe imprinted beads and D-Phe imprinted membrane or DCM and composite membrane comprised of L-Phe imprinted beads and L-Phe imprinted membranes or LCM, were synthesized by phase inversion technique after a uniform dispersion of beads within the polymeric solutions using simple physico-mechanical process. The assemblies of the prepared DCM, LCM and control membranes were employed in ultrafiltration for chiral separation of D, L-Phenylalanine racemate solution. DCM and LCM showed an improved adsorption capacity (0.334 mg g-1 and 0.365 mg g-1 respectively), and adsorption selectivity (2.72 and 2.98 respectively). However, the percent rejection of the template and counter enantiomer were lower than that of control membranes. Compared to control membrane, the DCM and LCM showed inverse permselectivity. These composite membranes having better adsorption and separation ability for Phenylalanine racemate solution will be suitable in the future for various other applications.
Kinetics and reaction pathways of total acid number reduction of cyclopentane carboxylic acid using subcritical methanol
Authors: Mandal Pradip C. , Nagarajan Thasvinya
Published: June 2016

Cyclopentane carboxylic acid (CPCA) is a model compound of Naphthenic acids (NAs). This objective of this paper is to discover total acid number (TAN) reduction kinetics and pathways of the reaction between CAPA and subcritical methanol (SubC-MeOH). The experiments were carried out in an autoclave reactor at temperatures of 180-220°C, a methanol partial pressure (MPP) of 3 MPa, reaction times of 0-30 min and CPCA initial gas phase concentrations of 0.016-0.04 g/mL. TAN content of the samples were analyzed using ASTM D 974 techniques. The reaction products were identified and quantified with the help of GC/MS and GC-FID respectively. Experimental results reveal that TAN removal kinetics followed first order kinetics with an activation energy of 13.97 kcal/mol and a pre-exponential factor of 174.21 s-1. Subcritical methanol is able to reduce TAN of CPCA decomposing CPCA into new compounds such as cyclopentane, formaldehyde, methyl acetate and 3-pentanol.