bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Connecting linguistic variation and non-linguistic behaviour
Authors: MacFarlane Andrew Euan , Hay Jennifer
Published: March 2015

This paper reviews well-established results from sociolinguistics and social psychology, presents recent results at the interface of the two, and argues that – together – the literature predicts unexplored interactions between non-linguistic behavioural patterns and linguistic variation. It is well documented in sociolinguistics that individuals shift their speech patterns in response to their interlocutors and environment, and that this can sometimes be quite subtle and automatic. That is – speech can be affected by environmental primes. We explore the degree to which speech may alsoactas a prime. Results from the social psychology literature suggest that linguistic choices should have consequences for our non-linguistic behaviours (such as claimed attitudes, or physical movements). Behavioural experiences throughout our lives might also shape and influence our linguistic repertoires. We present a range of literature related to this question, and present some preliminary evidence that speech can indeed act as a behavioural prime.
Captured by State and Church: Concerns about Civil Society in Democratic Hungary
Authors: Kover Agnes
Published: March 2015

This paper conceptualizes challenges and dangers that have impacted Hungary’s civil society (third sector, nonprofit sector, voluntary sector) over the past decade. The cases presented illustrate the fragility of both the civil sector and its underlying democracy in Hungary. The boundaries between state and nonprofits reveal pervasive paternalistic/cliental processes stemming from the period between the two world wars and pre-1989 experience of public–private relations and issue management. On the one hand, old regime strategies have survived and been maintained by the overt and unreflected dependency of the civil sector on the state. Secondly, the boundaries between church organizations and civil nonprofits present a politically mis(non)managed process that has resulted in a fading role of non-church NGOs in the field of social service. This process can be traced back to an unequal and biased treatment of service provider organizations in an allegedly sector-neutral environment. Both cases illuminate operations that have resulted in a significant dismantling of the civil sector and a consequent deterioration of democracy in Hungary.
El abundante agua fría: Hermaphroditic Spanish Nouns
Authors: Eddington David , Hualde José Ignacio
Published: March 2015

According to some Spanish grammarians, including the Royal Spanish Academy, nouns like agua ‘water’, asa ‘handle’, etc., are feminine and take a phonologicallyconditioned allomorph of the definite article (el) that is identical to the masculine article. Our data, both from an experiment and from electronic searches, show that there is considerable fluctuation in the gender of prenominal, but not postnominal, modifiers, with nouns in this group even when no phonological conditioning is found. The facts are incompatible with models where nouns bear a specific gender feature of the lexicon, which they assign to all targets of agreement. Instead, these facts of hybrid agreement are best accounted for in an exemplar model. Regardless of the phonological origin of the phenomenon, speakers interpret sequences such as el agua as showing masculine agreement, which creates an analogical attractor for non-etymological agreement with prenominal modifiers, as in poco agua, el abundante agua, etc.
Viewpoint from Sociolinguistics and Contact Linguistics: On the Role of Dialectology in Modern Linguistics
Authors: Escobar Anna María
Published: March 2015

In the latter decades of the 20th century, historical, typological, dialectological, and sociolinguistic research all contributed to demonstrating the limitations of focusing exclusively on language-internal synchronic data, and these and other disciplines that share a bottom-up perspective acquired respectability as participants in theorybuilding. In the 21st century, there is a renewed appreciation of the potential for such research to address questions that are central to linguistic theory. Dialectology is today a field in which the social changes occurring in human societies are naturally taken into consideration, and includes not only the study of dialects in the traditional sense but also the study of social dialects and second-language varieties. Dialectology has thus evolved into a rich and complex field which is ideally positioned to make important contributions to the process of building theories of language that are firmly based on empirical data.
Las tecnologías del habla en las lenguas románicas ibéricas
Authors: Llisterri Joaquim
Published: March 2015

This paper reviews the development of speech technologies for Iberian Romance languages (Catalan, Galician, Spanish and Portuguese) with a special emphasis on the phonetic knowledge involved in the three core areas in the field: text-to-speech synthesis, automatic speech recognition and spoken language systems. Several important technological advances have taken place during the last decades and there is a substantial base of active researchers in the areas of engineering and computer science. However, the trend towards the use of automatic learning techniques and corpus-based models has seriously reduced the role of linguistics, favoring a reduction in time in the development of applications over basic research into the nature of the speech code.
Abstraction in Adult SLA
Authors: VanPatten Bill
Published: March 2015

I argue that abstraction is a critical feature of SLA research, although it is not relevant to every domain of that research. For those interested in the underlying mental representation of L2 learners, abstraction in the form of linguistic features (e.g. subject, Infl, ±strong agreement) is part and parcel of the tools needed to describe acquisition. For those interested in something like skill theory, such abstraction is not necessary to talk about the development of concepts such as fluency and accuracy. In the end, the importance of abstraction in SLA research is dependent on what aspect of SLA one focuses on.
Abstractness and Generative Syntax
Authors: Zagona Karen
Published: March 2015

In the field of generative syntax, abstractness has a crucial role in how the field is defined and in how it is practiced. This article discusses four ways in which abstractness is essential to progress in the field. First, abstractness is crucial to the formulation of grammars of individual languages. Second, abstractness is intrinsic to one of the goals of the theory, to provide a general theory of language in addition to particular grammars. Third, abstractness plays a role in observations about language, and is therefore an essential part of the empirical validation of the theory. Finally, the paradigm of generative grammar, with its interest in accounting for the linguistic capacity of humans, has increasingly shaped the questions that are investigated and the types of solutions that are considered.
Explicit Attitudes in Brazil Towards Varieties of Portuguese
Authors: Bugel Talia
Published: March 2015

The study of language attitudes is relevant to the study of language use in society, language policy and planning, and language acquisition and learning. The purpose of this paper is to increase our knowledge of attitudes of native speakers about Portuguese varieties and the role of extralinguistic factors conditioning them. Seventy-nine adult Brazilian Portuguese native speakers were surveyed on their perception of outstanding language differences within various Portuguese-speaking areas, their preferences for specific regional varieties of their language, and their opinion on which variety of Portuguese would be the best choice to teach schoolchildren in Brazil, foreigners visiting Brazil, and Uruguayans and Argentineans in their home countries - in the context of regional integration under Mercosul. Results show the highest percentages of preference favoring the neutral/general variety of Portuguese as the first choice for teaching situations, followed by the Brazilian variety. This contrasts with the information collected on the subjective preferences of the same participants, who reported having a preference for a specific national or regional variety of Portuguese in 78.5% of their answers.
Historia humana de la lengua española y su computación
Authors: Marcos-Marín Francisco A.
Published: March 2015

The study of computational linguistics in Spain is presented from a prosopographical perspective, i.e., as the story of human groups. Furthermore, it could be the only way to understand the current situation, lacking a central coordinating institution. That choice also makes it easier to understand the difference between groups oriented to outcomes, products, and those oriented to projects, as well as the jamming of languages, political institutions and European bureaucracy. What matters is that the workgroup is a common feature for the interaction of computer scientists and linguists, engineers and industrially oriented managers. The presentation will introduce the basic concepts and knowledge, followed by the historical pact, then projects and products, with special attention to digital archives and corpora. The next section deals with projects mostly from the institutional point of view, which allows the inclusion of a larger number. A brief evaluation closes the article.
Comprehension of Prototypical Tense and Aspect Combinations in Child Spanish
Authors: Grinstead John , Pratt Teresa , McCurley Dan
Published: March 2015

Both children and adults tend to produce predicates with lexical aspect, grammatical aspect and tense in particular prototypical combinations. While it has been argued that these prototypes constitute the linguistic knowledge that children have of tense, others argue that they are independent dimensions of knowledge, even in child language, and that the prototypical groupings of these dimensions in child language fall together for non-linguistic cognitive reasons. Recent studies of child Spanish suggest non-adult-like use of verb finiteness. In light of these facts, we seek to determine whether Spanish-speaking children are also delayed in their comprehension of prototypical tense and aspect combinations. Twenty-three Spanish-speaking children (mean age = 3;10) from Mexico City were given a comprehension task and scored on their ability to select a picture corresponding to different tense-aspect combinations. Children were largely able to successfully interpret tense and aspect information as it was conveyed in the adult-like cues.
Pidgin and Creole Studies: Their Interface with Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics
Authors: Schwegler Armin
Published: March 2015

Until recently, dialectologists and general linguists with an interest in Hispanic or Lusophone studies essentially ignored pidgin or creole languages (for example, Bozal Spanish, Palenquero, Papiamento, São Tomense, and so on), several of which may be key for an understanding of the evolution of Spanish and Portuguese, especially as regards vernacular registers (including vernacular Brazilian Portuguese, popular Caribbean Spanish, and so forth).

This paper first provides an overview of the rise of creolistics as a wellorganized subdiscipline of linguistics from the 1980s to the present. In so doing, the study examines principal theoretical issues and major themes, and shows how several of these are of relevance to Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics. Explanations are offered as to why the two subfields were originally slow to interface with each other, and how and why this state of affairs has recently changed for the better. Section 5 -the core of the paper- reviews a selection of contemporary research endeavors (2005-2010) that have either successfully interfaced Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics with pidgin and creole studies (or vice versa), or concentrated on creole speech areas where Spanish or Portuguese has historically had a significant impact.
The Syntax-Semantics Interface in Grammar
Authors: Gutiérrez-Rexach Javier
Published: March 2015

The points of convergence between syntax and semantics are numerous, highly debated, and now emerging as an important field of research. In this paper we explore the notion of an interface between syntax and semantics and how it has been characterized in linguistic theory. Several possible approaches are considered. The cornerstone of the syntax-semantics interface is the study of quantification, which has numerous empirical ramifications and associated topics. We briefly review some of the most promising prospects and developments in this dimension.
The Contribution of Brain Imaging to the Study of Human Language
Authors: Martín-Loeches Manuel
Published: March 2015

This article presents an overview of the contribution of brain imaging techniques to the study of human language by first reviewing previous historical approaches to the study of the relationships between language and the brain. A brief introduction to modern brain imaging techniques follows, thereafter describing several concrete examples of contributions of these techniques to better know the human language, as well as to vivid debates into the linguistic and the psycholinguistic disciplines. This overview finishes with a comment on the present and the future of studying language with brain imaging techniques. It is concluded that these techniques are playing an essential role in the understanding of human language.
Semantic Extension in Grammaticalization as a Double-Scope Integration Process: The Case of the Ditransitive Construction with para in Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: Huelva Unternbäumen Enrique
Published: March 2015

This article discusses the semantic changes inherent in the grammaticalization process that have led to the ditransitive construction [NP V NP para NP] in Brazilian Portuguese. We have tried to demonstrate that the high complexity of these changes cannot be conceived of solely as the result of a process of desemantization. As an alternative hypothesis, we propose that the conceptual structure of this construction is caused by a specific type of blending called doublescope blending. This type of blending is especially suitable for explaining one of the key features of the conceptual structure of [NP V NP para NP], namely the fact that this structure is composed of semantic aspects from different conceptual domains.
The Role of Functional Categories in L2 Spanish: Persistence of L1 CP Values in IL
Authors: Massery Laurie A. , Fuentes Claudio
Published: March 2015

English irrealis modality is usually captured by syntactic structures that often exclude overt complementizers that and for and include indicative or infinitival morphology. The Spanish equivalents to English structures of irrealis modality, however, typically require the overt subordinate marker que (‘that’) followed by a [+finite] subordinate verb. These syntactic differences between English and Spanish produce asymmetrical surface structures caused by functional categories (FCs). The primary goal of this study is to examine the role of FCs, and more specifically, complementizers (CPs), in the syntactic development of L1 English speakers with L2 Spanish. The results of our data suggest that L1 CP properties (i.e. CP = Ø) persisted in learners’ interlanguage (IL) systems, following the work of Schwartz & Sprouse (1996). As a result, learners at all levels of instruction intuitively perceived English-like [-overt] CP structures as more grammatical than their [+overt] CP counterparts, even at advanced levels of acquisition.
Voseo in Montevideo’s Advertising: Reflecting Linguistic Norms
Authors: Weyers Joseph R.
Published: March 2015

This study examines the role of the voseo, tuteo, and ustedeo in written advertising in Montevideo, Uruguay. Analysis of 133 samples shows a preference for voseo in publicity, although tú and usted are also present. While written voseo - with or without a tonic pronoun - has traditionally been stigmatized in public education (Bertolotti & Coll 2003 and Gabbiani 2000), its predominant role in advertising suggests an increased acceptance of that written form in public venues. The study examines the language of publicity within the framework of politeness strategies, which explains that written publicity uses linguistic forms that lessen social distance and power [-D, -P] for the purpose of persuading consumers to buy. As such, voseo is the preferred form of address in commercial advertising in Montevideo, appearing in 83% of the samples. Voseo also has a strong presence in non-commercial advertising, where it appears in 44% of the examples in this study, irrespective of any stigma attached to its use.
The Role of Implicature in Castilian Pronominal Address Forms
Authors: Sinnott Sarah
Published: March 2015

Second person singular address forms in Castilian Spanish are shown to contribute meaning to an utterance via conventional and conversational implicature. The V form conventionally implicates distance regardless of context. The motivation behind the expression of distance is inferred based on context; it is conversationally implicated. Motivations for distance marking include respect and anger (among others). The T form relies on its opposition with V, in combination with context, to conversationally implicate content such as intimacy or disrespect (among others). Conclusions are based on interview and survey data from 92 native speakers in Madrid and Manzanares, Spain.
Mid-gut ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine tumor unmasked with 18F-dihydroxyphenylalanine-positron emission tomography
Authors: Ducry Julien , Gomez Fulgencio , Prior John O , Boubaker Ariane , Matter Maurice , Monti Matteo , Pu Yan , Pitteloud Nelly , Portmann Luc
Published: March 2015

Ectopic ACTH Cushing's syndrome (EAS) is often caused by neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of lungs, pancreas, thymus, and other less frequent locations. Localizing the source of ACTH can be challenging. A 64-year-old man presented with rapidly progressing fatigue, muscular weakness, and dyspnea. He was in poor condition and showed facial redness, proximal amyotrophy, and bruises. Laboratory disclosed hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, and markedly elevated ACTH and cortisol levels. Pituitary was normal on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and bilateral inferior petrosal sinus blood sampling with corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulation showed no significant central-to-periphery gradient of ACTH. Head and neck, thoracic and abdominal computerized tomography (CT), MRI, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SSRS), and 18F-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) failed to identify the primary tumor. 18F-dihydroxyphenylalanine (F-DOPA)-PET/CT unveiled a 20-mm nodule in the jejunum and a metastatic lymph node. Segmental jejunum resection showed two adjacent NETs, measuring 2.0 and 0.5 cm with a peritoneal metastasis. The largest tumor expressed ACTH in 30% of cells. Following surgery, after a transient adrenal insufficiency, ACTH and cortisol levels returned to normal values and remain normal over a follow-up of 26 months. Small mid-gut NETs are difficult to localize on CT or MRI, and require metabolic imaging. Owing to low mitotic activity, NETs are generally poor candidates for FDG-PET, whereas SSRS shows poor sensitivity in EAS due to intrinsically low tumor concentration of type-2 somatostatin receptors (SST2) or to receptor down regulation by excess cortisol. However, F-DOPA-PET, which is related to amine precursor uptake by NETs, has been reported to have high positive predictive value for occult EAS despite low sensitivity, and constitutes a useful alternative to more conventional methods of tumor localization.

Learning points

Uncontrolled high cortisol levels in EAS can be lethal if untreated.

Surgical excision is the keystone of NETs treatment, thus tumor localization is crucial.

Most cases of EAS are caused by NETs, which are located mainly in the lungs. However, small gut NETs are elusive to conventional imaging and require metabolic imaging for detection.

FDG-PET, based on tumor high metabolic rate, may not detect NETs that have low mitotic activity. SSRS may also fail, due to absent or low concentration of SST2, which may be down regulated by excess cortisol.

F-DOPA-PET, based on amine-precursor uptake, can be a useful method to localize the occult source of ACTH in EAS when other methods have failed.
Neonatal exposure to xenoestrogens impairs the ovarian response to gonadotropin treatment in lambs
Authors: Rivera Oscar E , Varayoud Jorgelina , Rodríguez Horacio A , Santamaría Clarisa G , Bosquiazzo Verónica L , Osti Mario , Belmonte Norberto M , Muñoz-de-Toro Mónica , Luque Enrique H
Published: March 2015

Bisphenol A (BPA) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) are xenoestrogens, which have been associated with altered effects on reproduction. We hypothesized that neonatal xenoestrogen exposure affects the ovarian functionality in lambs. Thus, we evaluated the ovarian response to exogenous ovine FSH (oFSH) administered from postnatal day 30 (PND30) to PND32 in female lambs previously exposed to low doses of DES or BPA (BPA50: 50 μg/kg per day, BPA0.5: 0.5 μg/kg per day) from PND1 to PND14. We determined: i) follicular growth, ii) circulating levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), iii) steroid receptors (estrogen receptor alpha, estrogen receptor beta, and androgen receptor (AR)) and atresia, and iv) mRNA expression levels of the ovarian bone morphogenetic protein (BMPs) system (BMP6, BMP15, BMPR1B, and GDF9) and FSH receptor (FSHR). Lambs neonatally exposed to DES or BPA showed an impaired ovarian response to oFSH with a lower number of follicles ≥2 mm in diameter together with a lower number of atretic follicles and no increase in E2 serum levels in response to oFSH treatment. In addition, AR induction by oFSH was disrupted in granulosa and theca cells of lambs exposed to DES or BPA. An increase in GDF9 mRNA expression levels was observed in oFSH-primed lambs previously treated with DES or BPA50. In contrast, a decrease in BMPR1B was observed in BPA0.5-postnatally exposed lambs. The modifications in AR, GDF9, and BMPR1B may be associated with the altered ovarian function due to neonatal xenoestrogen exposure in response to an exogenous gonadotropin stimulus. These alterations may be the pathophysiological basis of subfertility syndrome in adulthood.
Improvement Methodology Increases Guideline Recommended Blood Cultures in Children With Pneumonia
Authors: Murtagh Kurowski Eileen , Shah Samir S. , Thomson Joanna , Statile Angela , Sheehan Brieanne , Iyer Srikant , White Christine , Ambroggio Lilliam
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

A national evidence-based guideline for the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children recommends blood cultures for patients admitted with moderate to severe illness. Our primary aim was to increase ordering of blood cultures for children hospitalized with CAP from 53% to 90% in 6 months. The secondary aim was to evaluate the effect of obtaining blood cultures on length of stay (LOS).

METHODS:

At a tertiary children’s hospital, interventions to increase blood cultures focused on 3 key drivers and were tested separately in the emergency department and inpatient units by using multiple plan-do-study-act cycles. The impact of the interventions was tracked over time on run charts. The association of ordering blood cultures and LOS was estimated by using linear regression models.

RESULTS:

Within 6 months, the percentage of patients admitted with CAP who had blood cultures ordered increased from 53% to 100%. This change has been sustained for 12 months. Overall, 239 (79%) of the 303 included patients had a blood culture ordered; of these, 6 (2.5%) were positive. Patients who had a blood culture did not have an increased LOS compared with those without a blood culture.

CONCLUSIONS:

Quality improvement methods were used to increase adherence to evidence-based national guidelines for performing blood cultures on children hospitalized with CAP; LOS did not increase. These results support obtaining blood cultures on all patients admitted with CAP without negative effects on LOS in a setting with a reliably low false-positive blood culture rate.
Sociodemographic Attributes and Spina Bifida Outcomes
Authors: Schechter Michael S. , Liu Tiebin , Soe Minn , Swanson Mark , Ward Elisabeth , Thibadeau Judy
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUND:

A National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR) was begun in 2009 to help understand the natural history of spina bifida (SB) and the effects of treatments provided by SB clinics. We used the NSBPR to explore the relationship of sociodemographic characteristics with SB outcomes.

METHODS:

Using NSBPR data collected in 2009 to 2012, we examined the unadjusted association between demographic characteristics and 4 SB outcomes: bowel continence, bladder continence, mobility, and presence of pressure sores. We then developed multivariable logistic models to explore these relationships while controlling for SB clinic, SB type, and level of lesion.

RESULTS:

Data were available on 2054 patients <22 years of age from 10 SB clinics. In the multivariable models, older age groups were more likely to have continence and pressure sores and less likely to be community ambulatory. Males and patients without private insurance were less likely to be continent and community ambulatory. Non-Hispanic blacks were less likely to be continent. Level of lesion was associated with all outcomes; SB type was associated with all but pressure sores; and all outcomes except community ambulation showed significant variation across clinic sites.

CONCLUSIONS:

Sociodemographic attributes are associated with SB outcomes. In particular, males, non-Hispanic blacks, and patients without private insurance have less favorable outcomes, and age has an impact as well. These characteristics need to be considered by clinicians who care for this patient population and factored into case-mix adjustment when evaluating variation in clinical and functional outcomes among different SB clinics.
Isolated Linear Skull Fractures in Children With Blunt Head Trauma
Authors: Powell Elizabeth C. , Atabaki Shireen M. , Wootton-Gorges Sandra , Wisner David , Mahajan Prashant , Glass Todd , Miskin Michelle , Stanley Rachel M. , Jacobs Elizabeth , Dayan Peter S. , Holmes James F. , Kuppermann Nathan
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Children and adolescents with minor blunt head trauma and isolated skull fractures are often admitted to the hospital. The objective of this study was to describe the injury circumstances and frequency of clinically important neurologic complications among children with minor blunt head trauma and isolated linear skull fractures.

METHODS:

This study was a planned secondary analysis of a large prospective cohort study in children <18 years old with blunt head trauma. Data were collected in 25 emergency departments. We analyzed patients with Glasgow Coma Scale scores of 14 or 15 and isolated linear skull fractures. We ascertained acute neurologic outcomes through clinical information collected during admission or via telephone or mail at least 1 week after the emergency department visit.

RESULTS:

In the parent study, we enrolled 43 904 children (11 035 [25%] <2 years old). Of those with imaging studies, 350 had isolated linear skull fractures. Falls were the most common injury mechanism, accounting for 70% (81% for ages <2 years old). Of 201 hospitalized children, 42 had computed tomography or MRI repeated; 5 had new findings but none required neurosurgical intervention. Of 149 patients discharged from the hospital, 20 had repeated imaging, and none had new findings.

CONCLUSIONS:

Children with minor blunt head trauma and isolated linear skull fractures are at very low risk of evolving other traumatic findings noted in subsequent imaging studies or requiring neurosurgical intervention. Hospital admission for neurologically normal children with isolated linear skull fractures after minor blunt head trauma for monitoring is typically unnecessary.
Characterization of Polyesters Obtained by Enzyme-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Polymerization of Pentadecanolide at high Temperature
Authors: Herrera-Kao W. , Cervantes-Uc M. , Lara-Ceniceros T. , Aguilar-Vega M.
Published: March 2015

Differences on physicochemical properties of poly(pentadecanolide), PPDL, synthesized by enzymatic ring opening polymerization at two different temperatures, 70 C and 90 C, using Novozyme-430 were assessed. PPDL synthesized at 90°C presents lower molecular weight and crystallinity than the one prepared at 70°C. It was detected by FTIR that PPDL synthesized at 90°C presents a large amorphous phase with more terminal OH groups. A difference in the melting and crystallization behavior was detected by differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, where the melting of the PPDL synthesized at 90°C presents multiple melting and crystallization events at lower temperature than those exhibit by PPDL synthesized at 70°C which presents a well defined single melting and crystallization event. The differences in melting behavior are attributed to the presence of a larger amorphous phase in PPDL synthesized at 90°C due to increased number of terminal OH groups that disrupt the crystalline structure. Thermal stability is also higher in PPDL synthesized at 70°C since the onset of decomposition starts 50°C above that observed in PPDL obtained at 70°C.
Synthesis and Characterization of Regioregular Poly(3-hexylthiophene) applied in a Dual Electrochromic Device
Authors: Medrano-Solís Alma B. , Nicho-Díaz María E. , Hu Hailin
Published: March 2015

The polyaniline (PANI) and regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HTr) are polymers synthesized easily, can be deposited as a film by various techniques, are materials that exhibit a variety of colors to go through oxidation processes and reduction by applying an external potential, both polymers have an immediate response rate of color. The electrochemical behavior of the PANI and P3HTr is complementary, that is, if a positive potential to the device is applied, the PANI film is oxidized while the P3HTr film is reduced, on the other hand, if a negative potential is applied, the PANI film is reduced while the P3HTr film is oxidized. Both films in its redox process are clarified and obscured at the same time, this color change provides a significant difference in optical transmittance on a dual electrochromic device (DED's).

In this research, regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) was synthesized and characterized, films were deposited by spin-coating and dip-coating techniques. Polyaniline films were deposited by chemical bath and spin-coating techniques. Dual electrochromic devices based on P3HTr and PANI were prepared. The devices were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy at three different voltages: 1.4 V, 0 V and -1.4 V, optical kinetic tests were also performed at 550 nm applying a positive potential (1.4 V) and negative (-1.4 V). The results indicated the wavelength where both (PANI and P3HT) reach the greatest difference in transmittance. The influence of deposit type of polymer films on electrochromic response was determined.
Fabrication of p-i-n solar cells utilizing ZnInON by RF magnetron sputtering
Authors: Matsushima Koichi , Shimizu Ryota , Ide Tomoaki , Yamashita Daisuke , Seo Hyunwoong , Koga Kazunori , Shiratani Masaharu , Itagaki Naho
Published: March 2015

We succeeded in photovoltaic power generation of p-i-n solar cells utilizing epitaxial ZnInON film with a wide band gap of 3.1 eV as the intrinsic layer, suitable for a top cell of tandem solar cells. The solar cell shows a high open circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.68 V under solar simulator light irradiation of 3.2 mW/cm2. The solar cell performance becomes worse under 100 mW/cm2, which is mainly attributed to the leakage current caused by crystal defects and grain boundaries. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the ZnInON film has rather large tilt and twist angles and a high dislocation density of 7.62×1010 cm-2. Such low crystallinity is a bottleneck for high performance of the solar cells. Our results demonstrate a potential of epitaxial ZnInON films as an intrinsic layer of wide band gap p-i-n solar cells with a high Voc.
CNT fibres - yarns between the extremes
Authors: Gspann Thurid S. , Montinaro Nicola , Windle Alan H.
Published: March 2015

The carbon nanotube community swims in the sea of superlatives. Researchers expect mechanical performance to achieve two extremes, an ultrastrong fibre taking us into space, and a superlubricant saving energy otherwise lost as heat. We examine CNT fibres in the light of traditional yarn science and present an interpretation of properties which combines aspects of these two extremes of performance.
Dynamic photo-induced force microscopy
Authors: Jahng Junghoon , Potma Eric O.
Published: March 2015

We provide a general description of the operating principle of the photo-induced force microscope (PiFM), which probes the optically induced changes in the dipolar interactions between a sharp polarizable tip and the sample, in terms of classical fields and forces. We rigorously calculate the photo-induced force behavior and compare the predicted profile with experimental results obtained from a gold nanowire.
Where Do Our Students Encounter Materials: Everywhere and Rarely
Authors: Zimmerman George O. , Zimmerman Isa Kaftal
Published: March 2015

In our increasingly digitized and safety conscious society, we tend to shield our children form real contact with the material world and tend to steer them increasingly to only virtual experiences. Appliances are not repaired but replaced. So are materials used in everyday life. As a consequence, we cannot assume experiences with materials which were a given in the past. In this article, we will concentrate on both K-12 and Undergraduate education with examples of the necessity of consciously encountering “materials” in our increasingly digital society, and how students can be taught to realize the properties and necessity of consciously encountering materials. We will draw our examples from the lack of that experience students bring to undergraduate research, and how that deficiency can be remedied.
Wide Band Gap Quantum Dots Sensitized α-Fe2O3 Thin Film for Solar Generation of Hydrogen
Authors: Ikram Ashi , Sahai Sonal , Rai Snigdha , Dass Sahab , Shrivastav Rohit , Satsangi Vibha R.
Published: March 2015

Present study investigates the system of small and large band gap materials for their use in Photoelectrochemical splitting of water. Electrodeposited Zr doped hematite (α-Fe2O3) films were subjected to ZnO quantum dots sensitization for 24, 48, and 72 hours which later on characterized for optical, structural, morphological and photoelectrochemical properties. These sensitized films, when used as photoelectrode in PEC cell, showed a significant increase in the photocurrent density as compared to unsensitized films. This may be attributed to reduction in carrier recombination rate along with photocatalytic effect of ZnO. The enhanced photo response has also been supported by increased negative value of flat band potential from -0.29V/SCE for unsensitized film to -0.8V/SCE for ZnO QDs sensitized hematite film, as examined by Mott-Schottky curve. In the present system, small band gap hematite has been chosen as a main solar energy absorber, while wide band gap ZnO QDs decorated over it, as an efficient electron transport across the interface by reducing charge carrier recombination rate.
Calvinism Without God
Authors: Nelson Robert H
Published: March 2015

Environmentalism has emerged as an important part of the American public debate since the 1960s. It challenges the longstanding implicit faith in economic progress as the path of salvation of the world. The exercise of human scientific and economic mastery is instead seen as frequently doing great damage to the natural world, including to the global climate and the endangerment of whole species of plants and animals. To a greater degree than most environmentalists realize, the real roots of their thinking lie in Christian (and Jewish) sources. One might describe environmentalism as an implicit Christianity—a religion in disguise. In the United States, reflecting the large historic influence of Puritanism on the intellectual and political life of the nation, American environmentalism is an implicit Calvinism. This has been a major contributing factor to its wide success and impact there. Assessing the future prospects for American environmentalism will require the development of a more complete understanding of its deeply religious essence.
Animals, Women, and Writing Impurity: From Joy to Compassion
Authors: Birch Eva
Published: March 2015

This paper examines the subjectivity of the woman and the animal through the critical lens of écriture feminine, the poststructuralist, feminist theory of Hélène Cixous, Julia Kristeva, and Luce Irigaray, and queries how these theorists have used religious notions either to bolster or challenge their constructions of identity. In the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament we ?nd ordinations in regard to the pure and the impure. Cixous’s and Kristeva’s interventions into this text draw on literature to illustrate the shared associations between women and animals as categories of the impure and subjects of abomination. Yet, their feminist brand of anthropocentrism belies general disregard for the morality of eating meat, which is a pivotal concern in Leviticus. Irigaray’s autobiographical writing, which forgoes the confessional trappings of conventional memoirs, provides us with an alternative literary engagement with this theme, one that counters carno-phallogocentric logic with an embrace of vegetarianism. In her essay ‘Animal Compassion’ she writes about impurity in a way that describes the possibility of companionship between those exiled by this category, and therefore problematises the notion of human privilege.
‘Politics with a Spiritual Dimension’: Václav Havel in the Context of Eastern Philosophy and Religion
Authors: Kinnear Olivia Ann
Published: March 2015

This article analyses the work of Václav Havel in order to explore some possibilities for integrating Eastern spiritual and philosophical perspectives within Western political and academic discourses. In particular I focus on a difference of opinion in the literature on Havel over whether to categorise him as a religious or a postmodern thinker, and contend that this tension disappears when his work is placed in the context of the ancient Indian philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. Havel was not a Shiavite (nor was he a Christian); however, I argue that Havel and Shaivism share a fundamentally similar worldview. I also argue that Shaivism has much to offer Havel and Western philosophy and politics more generally. To demonstrate this I explore the topics of God and religion, truth and morality, and human nature. Whilst these discussions are very brief and preliminary they show that this could be a powerful and fascinating area of future research.
Interreligious Engagement and Identity Theory: Assessing the Theology of Religions Typology as a Model for Dialogue and Encounter
Authors: Hedges Paul
Published: March 2015

This paper will use identity theories developed in sociology, social psychology and cognate areas to assess traditional Christian theories about religious Others. Employing the theology of religions typology as a focus, it will be argued that Christian theological approaches tend to stress monolithic notions of identity and are not adequate as tools to approach religious Others. Even where more nuanced understandings of identity are employed it is argued that these tend to be very generic and speak broadly of ‘identity’ without classifying what is meant, for instance, by ‘group’ or ‘personal’, and so discussions tend to be inadequate. It will further be suggested that certain theological positions are inherently problematic with regards to engaging Others when viewed through the lens of identity theories, and possible ways forward are suggested. This paper is an attempt to explore the territory of identity theory in this area and is intended to promote further research.
Fasting in Christianity and Gurdjieff
Authors: Azize Joseph
Published: March 2015

The use of fasting by the Greek-Armenian mystic G.I. Gurdjieff (c. 1866– 1949) has never been studied. Although it was not as important in Gurdjieff’s system as his better known methods (e.g. self-observation and the sacred dances), fasting nonetheless numbered among the techniques he employed for ‘self-remembering’. Over a period of about twenty-five years, Gurdjieff variously stated that fasting could be used for developing the will, altering the tempo of one’s metabolism, curing disease and cleansing the body and for self-study. Gurdjieff also had unique, if unscientific, ideas on how to fast. This article gathers the relevant material, some of which has never been published, and offers a preliminary assessment and evaluation of the significance of Gurdjieff’s ideas about fasting. It is fair to say that, for Gurdjieff, fasting is important because eating is important in his system and was used as a means for development of consciousness or ‘self-remembering’. Then, according to Gurdjieff, the development of consciousness will, by a sort of providence, produce ‘higher hydrogens’ available for the trogoautoegocratic process.
Hard Work: Locating Gurdjieff in the Study of Religion/s
Authors: Sutcliffe Steven J.
Published: March 2015

What kind of data do Gurdjieff and the ‘Work’ provide the student of ‘religion’, and how is this material best approached within the disciplinary field of the study of religion/s? This article is an exercise in general orientation to the Gurdjieff ‘movement’ from the perspective of the comparative study of religion/s. It briefly reviews existing secondary sources on Gurdjieff and selected associates and descendants in order to identify lacunae in scholarly conceptualisations, before moving on to discuss how best to locate the Work academically in the modern history of culture and religion. The merits and pitfalls of three different academic approaches to representing the Gurdjieff phenomenon will be considered: (i) as a sui generis ‘Gurdjieff Studies’; (ii) as a study of a ‘new religious movement’; (iii) as data for modern social and cultural history. Despite the respective attractions of (i) and (ii), I argue for the (deferred) benefits of (iii).
Researching Freemasonry in the Twenty-first Century
Authors: Beaurepaire Pierre-Yves
Published: March 2015

Our research field is at a crossroads and has, in my opinion, real assets to further develop and organize if we are to attain academic recognition, which is essential.
FIELD, Ophelia, The Kit-Cat Club (London: Harper Perennial, 2009), 523 pp., £9.99, Pbk, ISBN: 978­0­00717893­3
Authors: Collis Robert
Published: March 2015

Reviewed by: Robert Collis, Leverhulme Research Fellow, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. Email: r.collis@sheffield.ac.uk
RIZOPOULOS, Christos and Andreas Rizopoulos, Philhellenes and Greek Freemasons in 1821, 2nd edn (Athens: Tetraktys, 2008), 293 pp., €34.00, Pbk, ISBN 978­960­8141­ 40­7
Authors: Chaitow Sasha
Published: March 2015

Reviewed by: Sasha Chaitow, Visiting Professor at the University of Indianapolis, Athens (Philosophy­religion), and PhD candidate in Western Esotericism at EXESESO, Exeter, UK. Email: sashanonserviat@yahoo.com
Enlightenment Females and Freemasonry
Authors: Snell Susan
Published: March 2015

Providing an overview of poetic contributions by women to the Freemasons’ Magazine, or General and Complete Library, the first English Masonic periodical published between 1793 and 1798, this article identifies an anonymous verse by the poet, Anna Jane Vardill (1781–1852). A member of the Attic Chest literary coterie of Eleanor Anne Porden (1795–1825), Vardill’s poem was set to music and performed by pupils at the Anniversary Concert of the Freemasons’ Royal Cumberland School for Girls in 1797. This poem provides a link for unravelling the ‘her’ stories of the first hundred pupils at the School, established in 1788 by Chevalier Bartholomew Ruspini (c.1728–1813) to assist the daughters of deceased or distressed freemasons in 1788, the present–day Royal Masonic School for Girls. This re-examination of previously overlooked information reveals details about the cultural and personal lives of women included in various printed and archive resources held at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry.
Widow's Shield
Authors: Mirala Petri
Published: March 2015

In this article it is argued that, while there is no documentary evidence for the existence of female freemasonry in Ireland in the eighteenth century, freemasonry indirectly impacted the lives of many Irish women.
Historical Geography of Louis Goaziou and the Early Years of L’Ordre Maçonnique Mixte et International ‘Le Droit Humain’, American Federation of Human Rights
Authors: Slifko John
Published: March 2015

This paper engages the historical geography of the origins of L’Ordre Maçonnique Mixte et International ‘LE DROIT HUMAIN’ Fédération américaine (the American Federation of Human Rights hereinafter AFHR) in the United States in the early twentieth century, the first major institution of freemasonry to accept full equality of men and women, with its origins in France. There is, in addition, biographical material on three seminal figures in the origin of LE DROIT HUMAIN, Antoine Muzzarelli, Louis Goaziou, and Dr. Alida de Leeuw. The research examines Louis Goaziou, a major architect in the formation of the AFHR and a small sampling of important co-workers. Antoine Muzzarelli was the real founder of AFHR. He was an editor in France and teacher of French in America. The first nine lodges at their origins involved different immigrant ethnic groups from across East, Central, and Southern Europe.
OPTIMIZATION OF THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY METHODS FOR SEPARATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN THEIR MIXTURE
Authors: Kazlauskienė Daiva , Kiliuvienė Guoda , Nenortienė Palma , Kasparavičienė Giedrė , Matukaitytė Ieva
Published: March 2015

By conducting the toxicological analysis it is meaningful to determine the analytical system that could identify simultaneously several medicinal preparations quickly and precisely. The purpose of this work was to create and validate the method of thin-layer chromatography that would be suitable to separate the components of antidepressant mixture (amitriptyline hydrochloride, paroxetine hydrochloride, sertraline hydrochloride, fluvoxamine maleate and buspirone hydrochloride) and to identify them. The system was validated with regard to the sensitivity, repetition of data, resistance and particularity. The solvent systems with potential of high separation of components in their mixture were created: acetonitrile, methanol, ammonia solution 25 percent (85:10:5); acetonitrile, methanol, ammonia solution 25 percent (75:20:5); dichlormethane, 1,4-dioxane, ammonia solution 25 percent (50:45:5); dichlormethane, 1,4-dioxane, ammonia solution 25 percent (42:55:3); trichlormethane, 1,4-dioxane, ammonia solution 25 percent (25:70:5); trichlormethane, 1,4-dioxane, ammonia solution 25 percent (60:36:4). One of the most suitable solvent systems for separation of the analyzed mixture (sertraline, amitriptyline, paroxetine, buspirone, fluvoxamine) was determined – acetonitrile, methanol, ammonia solution 25 percent (85:10:5). When this solvent system was used, the average Rf values of the analyzed compounds differed the most. Validation was conducted – the relative standard deviation (RSD, percent) of the average Rf value of the analyzed compounds varied from 0,6 to 1,8 percent and did not exceed the permissible error of 5 percent. The sensitivity of methodology was determined by assessing the intensity of the mixture’s spots on the chromatographic plate. The detection limit of buspirone was 0,0012 µg; sertraline – 0,0008 µg; amitriptyline – 0,0004 µg; fluvoxamine – 0,0004 µg; paroxetine – 0,0008 µg. The resistance of results to the changed conditions – it was determined that when the amounts of the solvents acetonitrile and methanol were increased or decreased to two milliliters, the average Rf values of the analyzed compounds did not change statistically significantly