bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Diachronic Order of Psalms 134–136
Authors: Emanuel David
Published: December 2013

Psalms 134–136 share a significant number of words and phraseology, and though they appear in this sequence in the Psalter, we cannot automatically assume they were written at the same point in history. In light of the difficulty in establishing an absolute date for each composition, the present paper attempts to determine their dates in relation to each other. To accomplish this, it primarily relies on linguistic dating methodologies, comparing elements in the common words and phrases to identify signs of diachronic developments. In addition to linguistic evidence, other evidence—such as historical places mentioned within the composition—is adduced to affirm the proposed sequencing. The results show that the psalms are dated in the following order: 134, 136, 135, from the earliest to the latest. Both linguistic and internal evidence attest to this ordering. Though limited in its application, the diachronic analysis of duplicate material in psalms still presents itself as a useful tool for determining the relative dates of psalms. The importance of determining a psalm’s date—relative to the common material it may share with another biblical text—is important for those engaging in inner-biblical allusion and exegesis with respect to the Psalter.
Toward an Ethics of Embodiment
Authors: Hoffman Anne Golomb
Published: December 2013

This article explores the ethical commitments of Grossman’s novel that derive from its attunement to living beings at the most fundamental level of life. The novel’s absorption in the textures and rhythms of ordinary experience supports an ethic of animate being that takes in the human and the animal, as well as the animal vitality of dirt and ground, hillside and desert. Thus Grossman honors the quixotic quest of his characters to resist the political demarcation of territorial claims, whether to bodies or to land.
Yihud Sentences and Their Contribution to Information Structure in Modern Hebrew
Authors: Margolin Bruria
Published: December 2013

This paper offers an empirical examination of yihud sentences in contemporary Hebrew literature. A corpus chosen to reflect contemporary Hebrew prose was examined for yihud sentences, and the structures found were classified under two main models: simple yihud sentences and stressed yihud sentences. Yihud sentences are used in contemporary Hebrew prose to mark the discourse topic using syntactic focalization by means of extraposition. The authors use the yihud clause, that is, the extraposition topic, to mark the discourse topic in its limited sense (the dialogue subject), and the extraposition comment to mark the discourse topic in its broader sense (the dialogue topic). The main textual function of simple yihud sentences in contemporary Hebrew prose is to change the discourse topic, while that of stressed yihud sentences is to change the discourse topic and at the same time to express conflict or contradiction. Due to their textual function of changing the discourse topic, yihud sentences disrupt the flow of the sentences and do not allow the linear connectivity that is characteristic of the discourse in contemporary Hebrew prose.
Unsavory Personalities in the Book of Proverbs in Light of Mesopotamian Writings
Authors: Hurowitz Victor Avigdor
Published: December 2013

This paper examines some previously unnoticed parallels between the book of Proverbs on the one hand and Akkadian and Sumerian writings on the other hand. Some parallels adduced derive from compositions regarded specifically as wisdom literature and included in the well-known collections (sections 3, 4, and 6). Other parallels derive from wisdom compositions not included in these collections (section 2) or from different types of writings, especially of ritual or magical nature (sections 1 and 5). Also, the parallels are of a different sort than those commonly brought, not specific borrowings of passages from this or that didactic work, but rather common ideas and images expressed in similar locutions. Specifically, the parallels adduced here concern the following sayings from the biblical book: Proverbs 6:20–35; 7:7–8; 11:22; 23:27–28; 26:14; 30:10. The examples examined here have one thing in common: they all involve the behavior of character types considered unsavory, a favorite topic of wisdom literature.
Sacrifice and Redemption in To the End of the Land
Authors: Milner Iris
Published: December 2013

David Grossman is commonly considered a genuine spokesman of the Israeli peace camp, expressing its plea for a withdrawal from a militaristic agenda and rhetoric and for a breaking of the vicious circle of wars they bring about. The present essay proposes a reading of To the End of the Land according to which the novel deviates from these political stances as it almost unresistingly accepts a national narrative which does not allow for an alternative to the repetitive military struggle. It argues that the escape journey of the female protagonist, Ora, together with the biological father of her son, Avram, from the terrible news of this son’s death in battle, is in fact also a journey of revival and cure from the catastrophes of a previous war, enabled by the present one. To the End of the Land thus complies with the traditional Zionist version of the myth of the binding of Isaac (Akedah), a version which describes a sacrifice of the sons for the redemption of their fathers.
Ya’acov Orland’s Ballad The Day of Tel Faher : Reality, Myth, Poetry
Authors: Wolf-Monzon Tamar
Published: December 2013

Discussing the monumental poetic composition that Ya’acov Orland wrote on the basis of extensive historical research into one of the bloodiest and most disturbing episodes of the Six Day War—the battle for the Tel Faher outpost on the Golan Heights—this article explores the ways in which he sought to contend with the mythic dimensions of the event. Special attention is given to Orland’s poetic truth and its complex dialogue with the historic truth as well with the mythic truth that took shape in the national mind.
Dimensions of the Shekhinah: The Meaning of the Shiur Qomah in Jewish Mysticism, Liturgy, and Rabbinic Thought
Authors: Sweeney Marvin A.
Published: December 2013

The article discusses a Jewish mystical text that paradoxically takes up the measurements of the body of G-d in the context of a tradition that forbids corporeal, finite, or tangible depiction of the Deity. Consequently, scholars have been at a loss concerning its interpretation. Many resort to invective, labeling the work “a monstrosity” or “a malignant growth on the body of Judaism.” But others note its metaphorical or midrashic character, insofar as it appears to draw out the meaning of biblical texts that project a sense of G-d’s corporeal presence, and its gargantuan physical dimensions for the body of G-d that are beyond normal human comprehension. Three major aspects of the Shiur Qomah are considered: its relation to biblical texts that appear to describe G-d in physical terms; the incomprehensibility of the measurements given; and its liturgical character, with the descriptions of G-d’s body interspersed among elements of prayer and benediction that point to some form of heavenly worship. The paper concludes that the liturgical dimension is key: the readers are confronted with G-d’s unimaginable size in the context of a heavenly but recognizably Jewish service and thereby prompted to consider before whom they pray.
Ora’s Tale: The Narrative Ambitions of David Grossman’s To the End of the Land
Authors: Mintz Alan
Published: December 2013

This essay analyzes the narrative act at the center of Grossman’s novel, especially the performance of Ora as a virtuoso monologist. Eight dimensions of the narrative act in the novel are discussed: the order of the events and their telling; the aspiration to totality of description; the primacy of the spoken voice in relation to the history of the monologue; the capacity of narrating to bring healing to the speaking subject and its recipient; the investment of narrative with magical, protective powers; narrating as moral resistance to the “situation” in Israel; differential gender roles in the act of narration; and narration as the retrieval of lost family.
Women in Pilgrimage: Senses, Places, Embodiment, and Agency. Experiencing Ziyarat in Shiraz
Authors: Honarpisheh Donna
Published: December 2013

This paper is based on fieldwork that explores the social, cultural, and embodied organization of Shi‘a pilgrimage practices in Shiraz, Iran, specifically the ways in which women interact with the shrine. Pilgrimage ( ziyarat ) in Iran is a daily practice that carries an important role in cultural interactions and gives life to the religious experience. While places of pilgrimage usually contain a gendered division, women tend to hold a role of power in (non-Western) conventional dimensions of the religious practice. This is due to the informal nature of shrines, which, unlike other religious settings, offer a deep-seated intimacy and freedom of movement. In a timeline of six weeks, I investigated the culture of the shrine by focusing on three specific shrines and observed the role of women in relation to expressions of power and agency. An integral part of this research has been the exploration of Shi‘a Islam as a sensorial experience, specifically the practice of touch to the physical pilgrimage sites as a means of becoming closer to God. How are women’s relations with the shrine embodied? What are the various modalities of agency that are operative in these interactions? I have engaged with ethnographic material, which consists of interviews, informal conversations, personal observations and photographs of women and religious spaces. By participating in pilgrimage, and observing the way aestheticized space is created and divided, I have attempted to display the role and power of women in Iranian society.
The Malaysian Shi‘a: A Preliminary Study of Their History, Oppression, and Denied Rights
Authors: Musa Mohd Faizal
Published: December 2013

Malaysia is one of the largest strongholds of Sunnism in the Islamic world, and, frequently, the existence of Shi‘a in the Malay archipelago in the pre-modern era or the existence of any sizable number of indigenous Malay Shi‘a is denied; this is done explicitly in the context of legislation outlawing Shi‘ism. Nevertheless, Malay cultural practices show evidence of the influence of Shi‘ism; this suggests a stronger historical presence of Shi‘ism than is commonly acknowledged. Applying the oral historiography framework of Jan Vansina, this study unearths evidence of Shi‘ism in Malaysia going back centuries through anonymous interviews. It also highlights the contemporary lack of religious freedom that the Shi‘a minority in Malaysia faces, particularly after the 2010 raid on the Hauzah Ar Ridha Alaihissalam community centre near Kuala Lumpur. Ultimately, this study hopes to put the situation of the Shi‘a in Malaysia today into a larger historical context and refute the argument that Shi‘ism is a recent arrival to the Malay archipelago.
A Study on the Notions of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib in Malay Popular Culture
Authors: Daneshgar Majid , Shah Faisal Bin Ahmad , Yusoff Zulkifli Bin Mohd , Senin Nurhanisah , Ramlan Siti Fairuz , Mohd Nor Mohd Roslan Bin
Published: December 2013

While Muslims universally acknowledge ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib as one of the most prominent figures in Islamic history, a number of Malay customs and rituals give him a special status. These customs and rituals point to the historical influence of Sufism, Shi‘ism, or a combination of the two during the process of identity formation among Muslims in the Malay Archipelago. This article will explore the special position given to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib in traditional Malay martial arts as well as marriage customs, and will show how ideas generated in other parts of the Islamic world – such as the futuwwah tradition – evolved into uniquely Malay forms of religious and cultural expression which transcend sectarian bounds.
Financial Performance and Technical Efficiency Differentials for Apicultural Technologies in Nakaseke District, Uganda
Authors: Kalule Stephen W. , Ssebbale Edrisa
Published: December 2013

Despite apiculture being potentially a large income earner, the financial performance of various apicultural technologies at farm-level is still poor yet very few studies have delved in this sub sector. Using a representative sample of 69 respondents from Nakaseke District, the Ordered Probit analysis revealed that farming experience, apiary plot size, shortness of distance of water source and hive colonization levels were the major positive determinants of apicultural financial performance. A Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) suggested that 62% and 76% of the total variation in honey output in traditional and improved technologies was due to technical inefficiency. The high efficiency levels in traditional technology seemed to suggest that more honey output would only be realized through introduction of improved technologies rather than focusing on technical skills while the low efficiency in improved technology would be improved using technical training. The study recommended policy incentives ranging from specific commodity-targeting extension messages, provision of low interest rate credit products and baiting materials to enhance efficiency.
Impact of Equivalence Scales on The Spatial Distribution of Poverty in Cameroon: A Dynamic Approach
Authors: Ndeffo Luc Nembot , Ngwen Ngangue , Nguetse Tegoum Pierre Joubert , Kamdem Cyrille Bergaly , Tene Marienne Makoudem
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of the relative cost of children to adults and of economies of scale in the context of household’s welfare evaluation. Results derived with empirically-estimated scales show that female-headed households are poorer than male-headed households. Poverty is also found to be more prevalent in rural areas, in households whose heads are illiterate, and in households whose heads work in the informal sector. As for poverty dynamics, the results show that poverty decreased in Cameroon between 1996 and 2001. Despite the fact that some results are the same as those derived from the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) scales used by Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics, many stand in stark contrast to these. The results of the present study are used to recommend specific policies in favor of poverty alleviation.
Empirical Investigation of Pastoralists’ Behaviour towards Participation in the Cattle Market in Omo Valley of Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Bogale Ayalneh , Tamirat Misginaw , Alemu Dawit
Published: December 2013

This research was undertaken in the pastoral areas of southern Ethiopia with the objective of assessing determinants of cattle commercial off-take along with the cultural values. The required data was generated from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data was generated through a formal survey using pretested questionnaire from 160 randomly selected pastoralists and through group and key informant discussion with cattle traders. In order to identify factors determining the pastoralists’ behaviour towards participation in cattle markets and the net commercial position (selling, autarky, and buying) of households, multinomial logit model was used. Age of the household head, education level, income from livestock products, off-take for social purposes, the number of regular clients and having access to market information have a significant effect on the likelihood of choosing the selling position. Cattle market price, and mode of payment/credit have significant effect on the probability of choosing the buying position while off-take for social purposes and number of regular clients have significant effect on probability of choosing the autarky position. Therefore policies that would improve the net commercial off-take by establishing markets and production and/or marketing facilities, and creating awareness regarding some traditional practices such as raiding and sacrificing would alleviate the problem.
Evaluating the Effects of Monetary Policy Shocks on Aggregate Demand Components in GCC Countries: Evidence from Svar
Authors: Ziaei Sayyed Mahdi
Published: December 2013

In this research, for first time effects of monetary policy shocks on aggregate demand components with a baseline of structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) models are evaluated in GCC countries. SVAR Results explain, when fix capital formation included in model, contemporaneous coefficients indicates that in most countries (except Kuwait) the interest rate responds positively to unexpected increase in monetary aggregate. The opposite side of the story is also true, broad money decreases with an unexpected increase in an interest rate. Furthermore, monetary policy interest rate (except Kuwait) especially between 1 to 4 years has the more effect on investment compare to other components of GDP in the case of GCC states. Findings indicate in GCC states, investment is first and remain components of GDP is second variable that mostly affected by monetary policy shocks. Most effects of monetary policy on investment are seen in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.
Can Low Returns to Capital Explain Low Formal Credit Use?: Evidence from Ecuador
Authors: Pearlman Sarah
Published: December 2013

One potential explanation for low formal credit use is that poor entrepreneurs generate returns to capital below borrowing costs and cannot afford the loans. I test this using a new, nationally representative data from Ecuador, focusing on entrepreneurs that say credit constraints are a major problem. I estimate returns to capital and find monthly returns between 3.5% and 21%, well above prevailing interest rates. Despite this, one third of the finance constrained sample expresses no demand for a hypothetical loan. I estimate the determinants of demand for this loan, focusing on the role profitability may play. I find that measures of profitability are positively and significantly associated with demand, and that perceptions of profitability are among the strongest determinants. Meanwhile, assets, employees, duration, formality and past credit use have no predictive power. This suggests that some microentrepreneurs cannot afford prevailing interest rates and rationally eschew formal credit as a result.
Impact of Rural Infrastructure on Farm and Non-Farm Enterprise Choice and Income in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Sanzidur
Published: December 2013

Impact of rural infrastructure on economic development is indirect and complex. The present study jointly determines the impact of rural infrastructure on the decision to choose between farm and non-farm enterprises vis-à-vis income by Bangladeshi rural households (4,195 households from 139 villages) using a bivariate Tobit model. The model diagnostic reveals that the decision to choose enterprises is significantly correlated, justifying use of a bivariate approach. Rural infrastructure has a significant but opposite impact on enterprise choices vis-à-vis income. Other major determinants with varying level of influences are farm size, livestock resources, education, farming experience and household assets. However, female-headed households are doubly disadvantaged as they have failed to participate in both enterprises and consequently earned significantly less. Policy implications include investment in rural infrastructure, irrigation, rural electrification, education, livestock resources, tenurial reforms, as well as targeted approach to promote welfare of the female-headed households, e.g., creation of a hired labor market for females.
Exchange Rate Pass-Through in Tunisia: Evidence from a Time Varying Parameter Model
Authors: Samir Ben Ali , Tarek Jardak
Published: December 2013

This paper highlights the exchange rate pass-through dynamics in Tunisia using a time-varying parameters model. The results show that contrary to what has been generally observed in emerging and transitional economies, pass-through has been increasing steadily during the last decade. This acceleration is due to the implemented exchange rate policy, the absence of credible nominal anchor for monetary policy and the efforts made to reduce subsidies on administered products.
Is The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union an Optimum Currency Area?
Authors: Zhao Xiaodan , Kim Yoonbai
Published: December 2013

Throughout the turbulence in the international financial system, eastern Caribbean countries have enjoyed remarkable monetary and economic stability. This paper attempts to characterize the types of structural shocks in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) and other countries in the region and compare them with other currency unions such as the African Financial Community (CFA) franc zone and the Eurozone. Mundell’s criteria on the optimum currency area (OCA) are examined by using a 2-variable structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model and estimating the extent of symmetric shocks. We find that the role of regional shocks in explaining domestic outputs among the ECCU countries is comparable to that of the EMU countries and much higher than that of the non-ECCU countries in the same region or the CFA franc zone countries. This suggests that the ECCU countries are structurally similar to each other and thus more likely to be subject to symmetric shocks. Their monetary and exchange arrangements appear to have well served the region and the group of countries satisfies most of the criteria to be categorized as an optimum currency area.
A Generalized Model for Foreign Direct Investment Flows to All Countries
Authors: Ramrattan Lall , Szenberg Michael
Published: December 2013

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been spreading across the globe. It evolved from a trickle in history to what appears as a spectacle in the modern world. No model is yet available, beyond common sense to account for its centrality in the global process. We can now chart a generalization course of FDI flows across borders. The evolution of the flow processes are outlined on two scales, one that presumes a well-ordered path within traditional trade theories, which will allow us to advance the notion that FDI is increasingly spreading across the globe, and another that is homologous to a theorem of L. E. Brouwer who proved an existent result in the limiting case for FDI flows. Both aspects are validated with trends in FDI flows. Currently, the triad block, which encompasses North America, Europe, East and South East Asia are the largest recipients of the world’s FDI flows. Prior to this, FDI flows were most noticeable between the United States and Europe in the post-WWII period under the Marshall plan. The phenomenon is more recently noticed between Japan and East Asian countries. These observations lend credence to our development of a model for FDI flows to all countries throughout the world.
Economic Integration and Unemployment in Central America
Authors: Caceres Luis Rene
Published: December 2013

This paper quantifies the interdependence in national labor markets in Central America, a topic that has not received attention in the economic integration literature. Two sets of panel data are constructed: one formed by the aggregation of annual time series data from Costa Rica and El Salvador, and another with data from Honduras and Nicaragua. These two sets of data are used to estimate a Var model that includes the variables economic growth, investment, and unemployment rates; another Var is estimated including the change in export ratios in place of the investment rates. The results indicate that there are strong cross border effects in the sense that national unemployment rates drop in response to shocks to economic growth, investment and export ratios in other countries, and in some cases the induced fall in unemployment is larger than the one resulting from domestic variables. The paper ends with a series of considerations on the design of regional stabilization policies.
The Effects of Corruption on Capital Structure: When Does It Matter?
Authors: Baxamusa Mufaddal , Jalal Abu
Published: December 2013

We study the effects of corruption on the capital structures of firms in 72 countries. Using the Corruption Perception Index, we show that corruption increases the costs of debt and equity. Interestingly, as the level of corruption decreases, these costs become more sensitive to changes in corruption. Similarly, the capital structure adjustment speeds exhibit a non-linear dynamic. These results indicate that for the most corrupt countries, it is necessary to engage in corruption reduction efforts to get past a minimum threshold before they can affect the behaviors of firms. Additionally, the least corrupt countries need to remain vigilant against increases in corruption.
The Adoption of Agricultural Inputs by Smallholder Farmers: The Case of an Improved Groundnut Seed and Chemical Fertilizer in the Senegalese Groundnut Basin
Authors: Thuo Mary W. , Bravo-Ureta Boris E. , Obeng-Asiedu Kofi , Hathie Ibrahima
Published: December 2013

This study provides empirical evidence of factors that influence the adoption of an improved groundnut variety (La Fleur 11), and chemical fertilizer in the Senegalese Groundnut Basin. Pooled cross-sectional time-series farm level data collected in the Basin are used to estimate univariate and bivariate probit models. Results show that the decision to plant La Fleur 11 and to use chemical fertilizer on groundnuts is independent from each other. Adoption of La Fleur 11 was positively associated with ownership of draft power, but negatively related to farmer’s experience and location. Fertilizer use was positively affected by farm size, the number of plots and location, and negatively affected by access to off-farm income and ownership of draft power. Results suggest a need to tailor the diffusion of productivity enhancing inputs to area specific conditions and to design technology adoption strategies within a broader policy environment.
Macroeconomic Determinants of Workers' Remittances and Compensation of Employees In Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Adenutsi Deodat E.
Published: December 2013

In this paper, an attempt has been made to identify the macroeconomic determinants of migrant remittances received in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at the disaggregated level. The underlying motivation is that, given their unique characteristics, permanent and temporary migrants are likely to respond differently to macroeconomic conditions in migrant-host countries and their native or migrant-home countries. For the empirical analysis, the system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach was used to estimate a dynamic panel-data model involving 36 SSA countries over the period, 1980-2009. It was found that the inflows of compensation of employees and workers' remittances to SSA are influenced by host-country macroeconomic conditions in a similar way, whereas these two forms of remittances are driven by contrasting home-country macroeconomic conditions. Remittances from permanent migrants are less altruistic than remittances from temporary migrants. To attract higher remittances on a more permanent basis, the implementation of stable macroeconomic and pro-growth policies are inevitable in labor-exporting SSA countries.
Economic, Production, and Poverty Impacts of Investing in Maize Tolerant to Drought in Africa: An Ex-Ante Assessment
Authors: Rovere Roberto La , Abdoulaye Tahirou , Kostandini Genti , Guo Zhe , Mwangi Wilfred , MacRobert John , Dixon John
Published: December 2013

The potential impacts of investing in drought tolerant maize (DTM) in 13 countries of eastern, southern and western Africa were analyzed through an innovative economic surplus analysis framework, to identify where greatest economic returns and poverty reduction may be achieved. Assuming a potential full replacement of improved varieties with DTM varieties, by 2016 there would be economic gains of US$ 907 million over all countries under conservative yield gains, or US$ 1,535 million under optimistic yield gains. Largest gains in terms of consumer and producers surplus are in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Malawi. However, in terms of production gains and poverty reduction, the countries gaining most are Nigeria, Kenya and Malawi (in terms of production); and Zimbabwe, Malawi and Kenya (number of people out of poverty). A total of 4 million people — both producers and consumers— would have their poverty greatly reduced in all countries. To achieve these impacts, deployment strategies are discussed and various options are suggested, which depend on local context and state of the national seed sectors.
Export-Led Growth Hypothesis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Sannassee R.V. , Seetanah B. , Jugessur J.
Published: December 2013

There is a generally held belief that an expansion of the exports sector in a country would usually lead to an improved economic growth. However, a survey of the literature indicates that a great variety of techniques, data sets and country groups have been employed in empirical assessments of the export-led growth hypothesis, with an equally broad variety of results. In this regard, the essence of the present study is to determine what factors impact on the export-growth relationship using a study of 82 studies which yields 447 observations. Results from the counting analysis and the meta-regression analysis show that economies with a low development level benefit less from exports as a driver of economic growth.
The Joint Effect of Macroeconomic Uncertainty, Sociopolitical Instability, and Public Provision on Private Investment
Authors: Escaleras Monica , Kottaridi Constantina
Published: December 2013

Most studies on private investment focus either on macroeconomic conditions or sociopolitical climate to explain private investment patterns. We go a step further and examine empirically the joint effect of macroeconomic uncertainty, sociopolitical instability and public provision on private investment using data from 37 developing countries between 1970 and 2000. Our results show that macroeconomic instability, macroeconomic uncertainty and socio-political instability jointly have a negative impact on private investment. Our empirical findings enable identification of particular social and political imbalance attributes that deter private investment. Furthermore we establish a detrimental effect of public provision, when measured by public investment, on private investment and a beneficial effect when measured by infrastructure availability. Influential policy implications are then developed, especially in the face of the unprecedented Eurozone crisis in the post war period.
El invernáculo móvil de José Fernández: naturaleza, tecnología y degeneración en la prosa de J. A. Silva
Authors: Martínez-Pinzón Felipe
Published: December 2013

Este texto analiza un espacio largamente ignorado por la crítica latinoamericana: el invernáculo de flora tropical que acompaña al poeta José Fernández en sus viajes por la Europa de fin de siglo en la novela de J. A. Silva De sobremesa. El ensayo argumenta que el espacio del invernáculo móvil interpela las fantasías regeneracionistas de la reacción conservadora de entonces (1886-99), que pretendía reimplantar el orden supuestamente subvertido por las reformas liberales de mediador del siglo XIX y reconducir al país por la ruta del progreso. Como un espacio donde la naturaleza tropical obedece los designios del hombre, plenamente ordenada y puesta a producir, el invernáculo móvil, no obstante, crea a un hombre degenerado: un ser que a pesar de ser blanco y de sensibilidades europeas es completamente improductivo: cultiva en el invernáculo orquídeas para regalarlas, descansa en hamacas donde fuma opio y practica relaciones eróticas que contravienen la normativa social.
“Libia en Toledo”: “lo moro” en Las firmezas de Isabela de Luis de Góngora
Authors: Irigoyen-García Javier
Published: December 2013

Luis de Góngora, más conocido como poeta, es también autor de la comedia Las firmezas de Isabela (1610), que ha sido ampliamente analizada en sus aspectos formales, destacando sus recursos poéticos así como su supuesta irrepresentabilidad. Este artículo propone que, a pesar de la ausencia de personajes musulmanes o moriscos, la comedia de Góngora supone una intervención en los debates identitarios producidos durante la expulsión de los moriscos, llevada a cabo entre 1609 y 1614. Esta intervención se realiza de forma indirecta, revelando mediante juegos de percepciones la naturaleza estratégica y situacional de “lo moro” como repertorio de representaciones aplicadas a individuos y espacios que no guardan una relación directa con el islam. En última instancia, Góngora cuestiona la posibilidad misma de llevar a cabo un proyecto de depuración cultural y la construcción de un imaginario de la diferencia en España a comienzos del siglo XVII.
Ragpickers of Modernity: Cristina Rivera Garza’s Nadie me verá llorar and Walter Benjamin’s Theses on the Philosophy of History
Authors: Silverstein Stephen
Published: December 2013

La crítica ha subrayado cómo la tesis doctoral de Cristina Rivera Garza, “The Masters of the Streets: Bodies, Power and Modernity in Mexico, 1867-1930” (1995), sirve de prototexto para el contenido de su premiada novela Nadie me verá llorar (1999). Sin embargo, hasta ahora no se ha explorado cómo “The Masters of the Streets” y Nadie me verá llorar comparten una metodología procedente de la aproximación a la historiografía propuesta por el filósofo alemán Walter Benjamin en Las tesis sobre la filosofía de la historia (1940). Los dos textos de Rivera Garza, partiendo de las Las tesis de Benjamin, recuperan del vertedero histórico las voces anteriormente definidas como detrito. De esta manera, la escritora se convierte en lo que el filósofo alemán llamaría una “trapera histórica.”
El “feminismo moderado” de Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer en su contexto histórico
Authors: Díez Carmen Servén
Published: December 2013

La personalidad y la obra de Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer vienen suscitando una creciente atención crítica. Sin embargo, carecemos todavía de una reflexión general que ilumine la adscripción ideológica y generacional de esta autora. Este artículo procura aclarar la evolución de la escritora y atiende especialmente a su posición política y su línea de pensamiento. Se sirve de la comparación entre Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer y otras autoras coetáneas, o inmediatamente anteriores y posteriores, para contextualizar las orientaciones intelectuales y políticas de la escritora aragonesa. De este modo obtenemos una visión más ajustada de la proyección e interés que obtuvieron antaño y merecen hoy sus textos y sus iniciativas. La contribución de Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer al primer feminismo español no es desdeñable y debe ser reseñada, pese a su vinculación con los ideales domésticos y familiares tradicionales.
Despertar del Letargo : Literatura vasca contra la indiferencia y el silencio
Authors: Portela Edurne
Published: December 2013

En El mal consentido: La complicidad del espectador indiferente , Aurelio Arteta explora la postura de buena parte de la sociedad vasca respecto a la violencia terrorista y otras muchas violencias cotidianas—o “males”—que se contemplan desde una actitud consentidora. Este ensayo explora la forma en que la literatura, desde la representación y la ficción, puede revelar y señalar los males consentidos que analiza Arteta y así no solo despertar al ciudadano de su apatía e indiferencia sino también provocar nuevas maneras de imaginarse como ciudadano activo, algo necesario para que el presente proceso de paz en Euskadi sea exitoso. Para esta exploración se mencionan brevemente varios cuentos de Fernando Aramburu de su colección Los peces de la amargura y se trabajan en más detalle varios cuentos del autor Jokin Muñoz, de su colección Bizia Lo , traducida al castellano como Letargo . Estos textos exploran el silencio en torno a la violencia, la normalización de ésta en la vida cotidiana, y la indiferencia como modo de estar en el mundo.
Mortification of the Flesh: Transcending the Material Body in Camino (2008)
Authors: Ureña Carolyn
Published: December 2013

Aunque gran parte de la conversación critica que rodea la película Camino (2008) de Javier Fesser se centra en la representación controvertida de la organización católica Opus Dei, Fesser logra superar este debate religioso con su insistencia en re-imaginar los límites del cuerpo y del espíritu. Este artículo analiza la forma en que la yuxtaposición estilística de escenas quirúrgicas y fantasías infantiles produce una nueva sensación documental, a pesar de que la película se sitúa en el género de la ficción. Por lo tanto, Camino nos ofrece un comentario sobre la distancia entre lo visible y lo invisible, lo mundano y lo inalcanzable. Dirigiendo nuestra atención hacia el cuerpo cada vez mas deteriorado de la protagonista, Fesser enfatiza la materialidad del cuerpo enfermo y la forma en que la mortificación corporal secular puede permitir el acceso a un nuevo tipo de transcendencia.
Comedia de un náufrago: lectura anacrónica del capítulo X del libro L de la Historia general y natural de Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo
Authors: Loaeza Pablo García
Published: December 2013

El capítulo sobre el naufragio de Alonso Zuazo que Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo incluyó en el último libro de la Historia general y natural de la Indias ha sido generalmente interpretado como un relato didáctico-moralizante que refleja el espíritu, más bien serio, de la época en la que fue escrito. Sin embargo, la significación de un texto no es estática y depende en parte del contexto en que se lee. Aprovechando la teoría del humor y particularmente las ideas de Henri Bergson, se analizan los mecanismos narrativos que hacen que el naufragio de Alonso Zuazo pueda resultar un cuento cómico desde una perspectiva actual, lo cual no sólo ratifica su valor literario, sino que invita una lectura poscolonial del texto.
Working the Waters: Political Ecology of Scale and Georgia's "100-year" Drought, 2007-2009
Authors: Kohl Ellen
Published: December 2013

En este trabajo se analiza cómo las interpretaciones de los interesados sobre operaciones ambiguas y múltiples de procesos ecológicos pueden conducir a cambios en cómo se gestionan estos procesos. A través de un estudio de caso sobre el manejo del agua durante la sequía del 2007-2009 en Athens, Georgia, el documento examina cómo los miembros del sector de la agricultura urbana reconocieron el manejo multi-escalar del agua durante la sequía y utilizaron estas interacciones en su propio beneficio político. Usando ecologías políticas de escala, este trabajo examina cómo las interacciones entre el manejo de sequía estatal, regional y local, las percepciones de la sequía, y las interpretaciones de poder para manejar el agua durante la sequía dio lugar a la aprobación del Proyecto de Ley 1281 de la Cámara de Representantes de Georgia, que cambió cómo se gestiona el agua durante sequía. Este trabajo argumenta que es necesario tener en cuenta la percepción de la sequía y el manejo de la sequía, así como la propia sequía, porque influyen en cómo las partes interesadas participan en los procesos políticos y cambian la forma cómo el agua se utiliza durante sequía.
"We didn't have any other place to live": Residential Patterns in Segregated Arlington County, Virginia
Authors: Perry Nancy , Crew Spencer , Waters Nigel M.
Published: December 2013

Utilizando teorías establecidas sobre la selección de vecindarios como marco teórico, así como métodos cualitativos y cuantitativos y fuentes de datos mixtos, el presente trabajo documenta un estudio que explora los patrones residenciales de los afroamericanos viviendo en Arlington, Virginia, durante la segregación (1900-1970). Una ciudad del sur, colindante con Washington, DC, Arlington ha sido hogar de afroamericanos desde que los esclavos trabajaron en un inicio las plantaciones de tabaco en la década de 1600. Durante el período en que los vecindarios negros de las ciudades del norte fueron inundados por sureños, migrantes negros durante la Gran Migración, las granjas y asentamientos de Arlington, muchos de ellos integrados, fueron inundados de manera similar por trabajadores federales blancos del otro lado del río Potomac. Tanto los desarrolladores, el Condado y el gobierno federal jugaron un papel en la aceleración de la transición de Arlington de una colección de granjas a un populoso suburbio blanco con tres vecindarios negros altamente segregados. El estudio presenta un nuevo procedimiento para la agregación de datos del censo para su uso con índices de segregación.
Telling the Story of African-Americans in Hattiesburg, Mississippi: A Case Study of Socially Sustainable Tourism?
Authors: Miller Mark M. , Cochran David M.
Published: December 2013

Este estudio de caso de Hattiesburg, Mississippi se centra en los recientes esfuerzos de la Comisión del Convenio Hattiesburg para forjar una alianza con los gobiernos municipales y estatales y organizaciones civiles afroamericanas con el objetivo de desarrollar una industria turística local que celebre la historia de diversidad racial de esta comunidad en el sur estadounidense. Nuestra inves-tigación, llevada a cabo en 2012-13, se basa en las observaciones de campo y entrevistas en profundidad con los actores locales y está informada por la literatura reciente sobre el desarrollo sostenible y el turismo. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que este turismo emergente en Hattiesburg ha alcanzado un grado de sostenibilidad social—definido aquí en términos de su éxito en forjar alianzas multirraciales y la creación de narrativas de lugares que, en parte mitigan sus historias conflictivas. La sostenibilidad financiera—la cual definimos como la rentabilidad—ha resultado ser más difícil de alcanzar y es probable que sólo se logre en el largo plazo.
Improved Modeling of in Vivo Confocal Raman Data Using Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR) Augmentation of Ordinary Least Squares Models
Authors: Hancewicz Thomas M. , Xiao Chunhong , Zhang Shuliang , Misra Manoj
Published: December 2013

In vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy has become the measurement technique of choice for skin health and skin care related communities as a way of measuring functional chemistry aspects of skin that are key indicators for care and treatment of various skin conditions. Chief among these techniques are stratum corneum water content, a critical health indicator for severe skin condition related to dryness, and natural moisturizing factor components that are associated with skin protection and barrier health. In addition, in vivo Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a rapid and effective method for quantifying component penetration in skin for topically applied skin care formulations. The benefit of such a capability is that noninvasive analytical chemistry can be performed in vivo in a clinical setting, significantly simplifying studies aimed at evaluating product performance. This presumes, however, that the data and analysis methods used are compatible and appropriate for the intended purpose. The standard analysis method used by most researchers for in vivo Raman data is ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The focus of work described in this paper is the applicability of OLS for in vivo Raman analysis with particular attention given to use for non-ideal data that often violate the inherent limitations and deficiencies associated with proper application of OLS. We then describe a newly developed in vivo Raman spectroscopic analysis methodology called multivariate curve resolution-augmented ordinary least squares (MCR-OLS), a relatively simple route to addressing many of the issues with OLS. The method is compared with the standard OLS method using the same in vivo Raman data set and using both qualitative and quantitative comparisons based on model fit error, adherence to known data constraints, and performance against calibration samples. A clear improvement is shown in each comparison for MCR-OLS over standard OLS, thus supporting the premise that the MCR-OLS method is better suited for general-purpose multicomponent analysis of in vivo Raman spectral data. This suggests that the methodology is more readily adaptable to a wide range of component systems and is thus more generally applicable than standard OLS.
Visual Recognition of Fishmeal and Meat and Bone Meal Using Temperature-Dependent Two-Dimensional Correlation Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Lü Chengxu , Chen Longjian , Yang Zengling , Liu Xian , Han Lujia
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficiency of two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) in recognizing the authenticity and purity of fishmeal (FM) and meat and bone meal (MBM), which are both complex mixtures with high similarity. Twenty FM samples and 20 MBM samples were obtained and examined. Temperature-dependent near-infrared (NIR) spectra were obtained using a Spectrum 400 spectrometer from 20 °C to 60 °C with an interval of 10 °C. Wavelet transform (Daubechies 5 wavelet with five levels) and baseline correction were applied to the temperature-dependent spectra in the wave range of 6000–5400 cm−1. A 2D-COS synchronous map was calculated and scaled to the range between −1 and 1. A correlation coefficient was employed to quantitatively evaluate the visual differences of synchronous maps. The results show minor differences in NIR spectral absorbency of FM and MBM, and such differences are caused by appropriate temperature perturbation and enlarged by the 2D-COS method. The sensitive wave range is found in the area of 5800–5400 cm−1. FM and MBM have observable pattern differences in the synchronous maps. Further quantitative evaluation of synchronous maps confirms correct recognizing results. Temperaturedependent 2D-COS is capable of recognizing the authenticity and purity of highly similar FM and MBM samples.
Characterization of Large Amyloid Fibers and Tapes with Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Ridgley Devin M. , Claunch Elizabeth C. , Barone Justin R.
Published: December 2013

Amyloids are self-assembled protein structures implicated in a host of neurodegenerative diseases. Organisms can also produce “functional amyloids” to perpetuate life, and these materials serve as models for robust biomaterials. Amyloids are typically studied using fluorescent dyes, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), or Raman spectroscopy analysis of the protein amide I region, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) because the self-assembled β-sheet secondary structure of the amyloid can be easily identified with these techniques. Here, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy analyses are described to characterize amyloid structures beyond just identification of the β-sheet structure. It has been shown that peptide mixtures can self-assemble into nanometer-sized amyloid structures that then continue to self-assemble to the micrometer scale. The resulting structures are flat tapes of low rigidity or cylinders of high rigidity depending on the peptides in the mixture. By monitoring the aggregation of peptides in solution using FT-IR spectroscopy, it is possible to identify specific amino acids implicated in β-sheet formation and higher order self-assembly. It is also possible to predict the final tape or cylinder morphology and gain insight into the structure's physical properties based on observed intermolecular interactions during the self-assembly process. Tapes and cylinders are shown to both have a similar core self-assembled β-sheet structure. Soft tapes also have weak hydrophobic interactions between alanine, isoleucine, leucine, and valine that facilitate self-assembly. Rigid cylinders have similar hydrophobic interactions that facilitate self-assembly and also have extensive hydrogen bonding between glutamines. Raman spectroscopy performed on the dried tapes and fibers shows the persistence of these interactions. The spectroscopic analyses described could be generalized to other self-assembling amyloid systems to explain property and morphological differences.