bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of single and double vacancy on hydrogenated graphene for hydrogen storage application
Authors: Yahya M S , Sunnardianto G K , Handayani M
Published: July 2019

We investigated the effect of single and double vacancy on the charge transfer rate of dissociation of hydrogen molecule adsorb on graphene based upon density functional theory calculation for hydrogen storage application. Here, we would like to compare the effect of the single and double vacancy on the charge transfer rates of hydrogen molecule dissociation adsorbed on graphene. Before investigated the charge transfer rates, we optimized the structure of graphene, graphene with single and double vacancy and observed the interaction with hydrogen molecule. Preliminary result revealed that once hydrogen molecule is dissociated to be hydrogen atoms and adsorbed to the dangling bond, the charge transfer rates is decrease compared with the charge transfer from hydrogen to pristine graphene indicated that hydrogen atom absorbed on dangdling bond changing the orientation of hydrogen adsorbed. As for the C-H bond length is decrease around to be 1.11 Å compare to the pristine one 1.12 Å. We need to explore more on the reaction pathways to get the global picuture on the effect of single and double vacancy on the dissociation of hydrogen molecule on graphene surface.
Mechanical properties and curing characteristics of shape memory natural rubber
Authors: Setyadewi N M , Indrajati I N , Darmawan N
Published: July 2019

Natural rubber, which is a polydiene elastomer, is one of the attractive raw materials that could be developed as a shape memory polymer because of its high mechanical and elastic properties. This study aims to determine mechanical properties and curing characteristics of heat-induced shape memory polymer of natural rubber or herein after referred to shape memory natural rubber (SMNR). Natural rubber with different blend ratios of sulphur was prepared by a two-roll mill. The curing characteristics were determined using Moving Die Rheometer at 150°C. The effect of sulphur (0.75; 1.25; 1.5 phr) on mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tear strength and shape memory properties of the stearic acid swollen SMNR vulcanizates were investigated. This research showed that the higher sulphur amount gives the higher torque difference and higher mechanical properties. Shape memory compound swollen stearic acid exhibited shape recovery of 98-100% and shape fixity 59-88.5%.
Pitting corrosion resistance of CA6NM as geothermal turbine blade material in simulated artificial geothermal brine
Authors: Nikitasari A , Prasetyo M A , Riastuti R , Mabruri E
Published: July 2019

Fatigue failure of turbine blades originating from pitting corrosion is a critical issue for power plant. Herein, we study the pitting corrosion resistance of cast CA6NM as turbine blade material in simulated geothermal environment with and without CO2 gas by using cyclic polarization measurement. Three different molybdenum and nitrogen content of CA6NM were used for experiments: (i) CA6NM with a molybdenum content of 1 wt.% and without addition of nitrogen, (ii) CA6NM with a molybdenum content of 2 wt.% and without addition of nitrogen, (iii) CA6NM with a molybdenum content of 2 wt.% and nitrogen content 0.1 wt.%. The measurement reveals CA6NM with molybdenum 2 wt.% and nitrogen 0.1 wt.% is the most resistance to pitting corrosion in simulated artificial geothermal brine with and without CO2 gas.
Green simple microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of cellulose from Theobroma cacao L. (TCL) husk
Authors: Ndruru S T C L , Wahyuningrum D , Bundjali B , Arcana I M
Published: July 2019

This work had successfully produced Theobroma cacao L. (TCL) husk-based cellulose used efficiently and friendly environmentally simple microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method. The microwave-assisted heating time optimization of alkaline-treatment was carried out for 10, 20, 30 and 40 minutes. Microwave-assisted bleaching process was also conducted using green bleaching agent H2O2, and also utilizing microwave heating for 60 minutes. The followed treatment was filtered, neutralized, washed and overnight freeze-dried. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed common cellulose functional groups of TLC, are β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds at ∼897 cm-1, O-H (hydrogen bond) at 3412 cm-1, C-H vibration at 2902 cm-1, C-O-C asymmetric at 1161 cm-1, and C-OH out-of-plane bending at 665 cm-1. FTIR analysis, in addition, also studied crystallinity ratio (CrR), hydrogen bond energy (E
H) and hydrogen bond distances (R
H), while particle size analyzer (PSA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) were carried out to confirm particles sizes, crystallinities and thermal stability properties of TCL husk, cellulose of TCL husk and commercial-microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), respectively.
Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNp) MCM 41 from natural waste rice husk
Authors: Purnawira B , Purwaningsih H , Ervianto Y , Pratiwi V M , Susanti D , Rochiem R , Purniawan A
Published: July 2019

Rice husk contains silica up to 86.9-97.3%, it potentially as precursor silica in the synthesis process of mesoporous silica MCM 41. First, use acid leaching as pre-treatment of rice husk extraction, followed by heat treatment at 600°C in the furnace, continued with sol-gel process to get amorphous silica. Mesoporous silica was synthesizing using CTAB as surfactant to assist porous of silica MCM 41 (CTAB-templated silica). CTAB concentration were 1, 1.25 and 1.5%. Mesoporous silica nanoparticle MCM 41 synthesized by sol-gel method, followed by hydrothermal and reflux methanol + HCl. X-ray diffraction pattern showed that silica has amorphous liked-structure, indicated by peak broadening at 2-theta around 22-24°. Fourier Transformed Infrared-FTIR shown functional group of Si-O, Si-O-H, Si-O-Si, -OH, Si-H, and Si-OH bond have been identified. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) shown particle agglomeration and particle sizes range between 311-482 nm. The desorption adsorption nitrogen analysis (BET analysis) showed that surface area and pore diameter at 1%, 1.25% and 1.5% CTAB have surface area 552.429 m2/g, 768.947 m2/g and 705.501 m2/g. In hence pore diameters are 3.4178 nm, 3.0517 nm and 3.4098 nm respectively.
Effect of austempering treatment time on strength, ductility, hardness, and abrasive wear resistance of JIS FCD 700 ductile iron
Authors: Rinaldo H , Januar M , Sinaga M M
Published: July 2019

The effects of austempering treatment time on the strength, ductility, hardness, and abrasive wear resistance of JIS FCD 700 were studied. The austempering was carried out at a temperature of 315 °C and treatment times of 19, 30, 50, and 77 mins. The results indicate that the variations of the austempering time alternate the mechanical properties of the material, depending on the retained phases in the microstructure. A higher retained austenite induces a higher abrasive wear resistance and strengths, while the presence of acicular ferrite produces a lower hardness. Moreover, the large number of losses in martensite and retained austenite phases deteriorate the overall mechanical performances, as exhibited in the austempering time longer than 50 min. It is found that the 50 min of austempering time yields the optimum performance in terms of strengths (tensile strength of 1058 MPa and yield strength of 859 MPa), ductility (4,08 %), hardness (37 HRC), and abrasive wear resistance (0,21 x 10-6 mm3/mm at 6,32 kg load). This optimum performance was achieved mainly due to the relatively larger amounts of retained austenite in the JIS FCD 700.
Preliminary Synthesis of Slow Release Fertilizer Material by Using Obsidian Rock
Authors: Solihin  , Handoko A D , Noviardi R R
Published: July 2019

Slow release fertilizer is a new kind of fertilizer in which the release rate of elements from fertilizer can be controlled. The controlling of nutrient component release rate lead to the increasing of fertilizer efficiency, decreasing agricultural cost, and decreasing ground water pollution. Obsidian from West Java, Indonesia is one the mineral that can be used to synthesize slow release fertilizer. By using this method, ordinary fertilizer is placed in the matrix of polymerized obsidian. The release test to the slow release fertilizer material shows that the material exhibits slow release property.
The Effect of deposition times on preparation of SnO2:F conductive glass by Indonesian local stannic chloride precursors
Authors: Arini Tri , Hanum Lalasari Latifa , Firdiyono F. , Andriyah Lia , Fahmi Gennady , Yustanti Erlina , Subhan Achmad , Herman Yuwono Akhmad
Published: July 2019

The performance of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as an alternative semiconductor besides indium tin oxide (ITO) has been investigated. Currently, the precursors often used in the manufacture of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) are commercial precursors on the market. In the present work, a thin film FTO will be fabricated using a pyrolysis spray technique with an ultrasonic nebulizer using Indonesian local precursors of stannic chloride with the variation of deposition times (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 minus). Thin films were characterized by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and four-point probes. The optimum result obtained by pyrolysis technique with a deposition time of 20 minutes and substrate temperature at 300 °C has a resistivity of 1.059 x 10−4 Ω.cm and transmittance 89.614%. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) fabricated by using these local Indonesian precursors promise for further development as a glass of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC).
The effect of first step holding time of low high austempering heat treatment to the mechanical properties of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI)
Authors: Bandanadjaja B , Idamayanti D , Widarmansyah N , Lestarianto A
Published: July 2019

A low-high austempering process can be referred to as the application of undercooling condition in the austempering process of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI). Undercooling condition promote more grain nucleation and producing finer grains with good mechanical properties. This study aims to investigate the influence of the first stage of lower temperature austempering holding time on its mechanical properties and find the best holding time which can produce the highest toughness of ADI materials. The experiment began with the heating of the nodular cast iron sample up to 927 °C and held for 120 minutes. Then it quenches to a liquid salt bath with a temperature of 260 °C as a lower temperature of the first austempering stage with a variation of holding time at 30, 60 and 90 minutes. Then it was transferred to a second salt bath medium of 400 °C as the second austempering stage with a holding time of 120 minutes then it was given the air cooling. The sample was tested by hardness, tensile, impact, and metallographic examination. The results show that the best toughness value in this research is obtained at 30 minutes holding time on first austempering stage with mechanical properties is tensile strength 1273 MPa, yield strength 1162 MPa, elongation 4,87% and impact value at 54.15 J. Value modulus of toughness is 5.93x107 J/m3.
Improvement of erosion resistance of alumina-phosphate ceramic coating on mild steel by SiC addition
Authors: Idamayanti D , Nurhakim I L , Bandanadjaja B , Purwadi W , Lilansa N
Published: July 2019

This research is focused on the application of the Al2O3-phosphate ceramic coating on mild steel surface to protect mild steel from erosion in coal dust environment. Erosion resistance of mild steel could be improved by overlay it with SiC in the Al2O3-phosphate ceramic coating. As a filler, Al2O3 was mixed with 20%, 40%, and 60% SiC by using aluminium phosphate as a binder and heated at 220 °C for 5 hours. X-ray diffraction testing was conducted to observe the phase of Al2O3-SiC phosphate ceramic coating. Meanwhile, surface morphology and adhesion characteristic of Al2O3-SiC phosphate ceramic coating were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. To analyze the erosion resistance quantitatively solid particle impingement test by applying gas jets at the right angle (90°) against a sample surface has been conducted. The results showed that Al2O3-SiC phosphate ceramic coating is strongly bound to the mild steel surface without the presence of any void. The higher the SiC content can increase the ceramic coating density and its erosion resistance. The SiC 60% produces four times higher erosion resistance than uncoated mild steel. The material characterization of Al2O3-SiC phosphate ceramic coating proves that SiC gives a significant impact on the enhancement of erosion resistance of the Al2O3-SiC phosphate ceramic coating.
Corrosion of carbon steel after exposure in the river of Sukabumi, West Java
Authors: Royani A , Prifiharni S , Nuraini L , Priyotomo G , Sundjono  , Purawiardi I , Gunawan H
Published: July 2019

In this study, the corrosion behavior of carbon steel had been investigated in the river of Sukabumi Region, West Java. The corrosion rates of those steels were measured by weight-loss method after exposure for certain periods of time in various depth of water (0 meters and 1 meter). The surface morphology and the composition of their corrosion product were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD (X-ray diffractometer) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). After exposure, the entire surface of carbon steel was covered by corrosion product in all depth of water. On the basis of results, the corrosion rate of those steels was 19.86 mpy for 0 meters of depth and 7.01 mpy for 1 meter of depth after exposure for 76 days, respectively, which means the no protective oxides on the surface of carbon steel at 0 meters.
Synthesis of graphene oxide from used electrode graphite with controlled oxidation process
Authors: Handayani M , Ganta M , Susilo D N A , Yahya M S , Sunnardianto G. K. , Darsono N , Sulistiyono E , Setiawan I , Lestari F. P. , Erryani A.
Published: July 2019

Graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide attract a lot of attention due to graphene provides some properties that suitable for wider application. Properties of graphene are unique since it can be tuned regarding to its controlled synthesis method and several treatments. This work, graphene oxide was synthesized from used graphite electrode by modified Hummer’s method in which oxidation process controlled. Zinc was used to produce reduced graphene oxide. Graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide were characterized by SEM, EDS, FT-IR, UV-vis, and XRD. Effective strategy was studied to produce graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide by controlling its oxidation process. These results prove that chemical and structural properties of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide depend on oxidation duration. Furthermore, carbon/oxygen ratio was studied to evaluate effective oxidation process.
Optical properties of ZnO nanorods derived from chemical bath deposition process with different seeds solution concentration
Authors: Suhaimi L , Yuwono A H
Published: July 2019

Owing to their high surface to volume ratio and fast electron transfer, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have been well-known as potential nanostructured material for various applications including sensors, dye sensitized solar cells, optoelectronic, transparent heater and biomedical devices. Among other synthesizing techniques for obtaining ZnO nanorods, chemical bath deposition (CBD) has been thought as a simple and low-cost method. However, there are several processing parameters that need to be investigated for the above-mentioned applications where the highly optical transparency of thin film ZnO nanorods grown on glass substrates is one of important targets to be achieved. In this work, ZnO nanorods were synthesized through CBD process at low temperature (0°C) by using seed solution prepared by dissolving 1: 1 equimolar zinc nitrate tetrahydrate and hexamethylene tetraamine. For investigation purposes, three different concentration of seed solutions i.e. 0.005, 0.025 and 0.05 M were used. Thin films containing ZnO nanoseeds were formed by spin coating the precursors on the glass substrates, followed with annealing at 2000C for 5 minutes. Finally, the ZnO nanorods were further grown at 90ºC for 3 hours in the beaker glass using the same solution. Xray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that all ZnO nanorods demonstrated a strong (002) peak belong to wurtzite phase. It was found that the estimated crystallite size and band gap energy (Eg
) for ZnO nanorods derived from the seed solutions of 0.005, 0.025 and 0.05 M were 21.42, 137.11, 171.39 nm, and 3.60, 3.20, 3.18 eV, respectively. However, the optical transparency was adversely lowered from about 75 to 40 % as a result of increased coverage of ZnO nanorods on the glass substrate. For transparent heater application where, a desired combination of high optical transparency and suitable electronic properties is needed, the current results were considered to be promising.
Titanium dissolution from decomposed Ilmenite using NaOH into the aqueous sulphuric acid solutions
Authors: Subagja R , Royani A
Published: July 2019

At present work, the experiment to dissolve titanium from the Indonesian Ilmenite into the aqueous sulphuric acid solutions has been done through the following process: Ilmenite decomposition using NaOH at temperature 800°C for 5 hours to produced decomposed Ilmenite, followed with titanium dissolution from the decomposed Ilmenite into the aqueous sulphuric acid solutions in the glass reactor. The variables used for dissolution process were covering: dissolution temperature from 30°C to 70°C, sulphuric acid concentrations from 5% to 15%, and dissolution time from 30 minutes up to 180 minutes. The influence of those all variables were observed on the titanium dissolution from the decomposed Ilmenite. Result of the dissolution experiment show that the dissolved titanium in the aqueous sulphuric acid solutions increased when the dissolution temperature was increased from 30°C to 60°C, sulphuric acid concentration were increased from 5% to 15% and dissolution time were extended from 30 minutes to 180 minutes.
Determination of compressive strength of 3D polymeric lattice structure as template in powder metallurgy
Authors: Utomo M S , Whulanza Y , Lestari F P , Erryani A , Kartika I , Alief N A
Published: July 2019

Powder metallurgy has been developed to fabricate metal foams from various materials including magnesium. One particular challenge on powder metallurgy is fabrication of highly-ordered and interconnected porous products. Pores interconnectivity is important in application of porous magnesium alloy for biodegradable orthopedic implants. Meanwhile, 3D polymeric printing technology offers capability to build precise and rapid lattice wireframe products in a simple and low-cost manner. Here, we design and validate the capability of 3D polymeric lattice as template in powder metallurgy for fabrication of magnesium-based biodegradable implants. Lattice structures were made of ABS, PLA, and PVA filaments. Lattice structures were cubical-shaped with uniform dimension and variations in pore size are included in the study. Both computational and experimental tests are performed to determine the compressive strength of the lattice structures. Uniaxial stress with uniform magnitude is applied to test the lattice structures. The resulting stress, strain, and deformation of the 3D polymeric lattice are observed. Variations in materials and pore size affect the stress, strain and deformation of the 3D polymeric lattice. Parameters can be further optimized to meet the requirement of the design and fabrication process in consideration of the tolerable stress, strain and deformation.
Study of leaf spring fracture behavior used in the suspension systems in the diesel truck vehicles
Authors: Husaini  , Ali N , Riantoni R , Putra T E , Husin H
Published: July 2019

The leaf spring is frequently applied on a vehicle such as used on the truck and it is one of the machine element suspension systems. It needs to have an excellent resistance to the fracture propagation to avoid failure that could lead to severe accidents. Fracture failure on the leaf spring is frequently experienced especially on diesel trucks, known as premature failure. Therefore, this case is needed to be studied and investigated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cause of failure on the broken leaf spring by counting analytically the stress intensity factor (KI
) occurred near the crack tip. Moreover fracture surface observation conducted by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to find out whether there is or not an initial crack and crack propagation direction. This present study describes the experimental work and analytical analysis of theleaf spring used on Diesel Truck Vehicle. Hardness testing was performed using the Rockwell method. The chemical composition testing on the leaf spring material was found that the material in accordance with AISI 5150 standard. The hardness value of leaf springs tested of about 106.9 HRB. The result of analytical analysis shows that the maximum value of stress intensity factor (KI
) occurred near the crack tip at the near the hole of leaf spring. In this case the value of KI
is higher than thevalue of the fracture toughness (KIC
) of the leaf spring material. Therefore, this result could be inferred that crack propagation happened starting from initial crack tip which is located near the hole on the leaf spring. The failure of leaf springs also caused by fatigue crack propagation due to dynamic loading during the operation marked by appearance the beach mark on the fracture surface.
Effect of nickel additions on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of low-alloy Cr-Mo cast steel
Authors: Pratomo S B , Oktadinata H , Widodo T W
Published: July 2019

This paper presents investigation of nickel additions on the low-alloy Cr-Mo cast steel which was normalized at temperature of 920 °C. In this experiment, approximately 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 wt% Ni was added into the Fe-1.0Mn-0.8Cr-0.4Mo cast steel. The microstructure of low-alloy Cr-Mo cast steel was observed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope, and the phase compositions were identified by EDX analysis. Tensile, hardness, and Charpy impact tests were conducted to investigate correlation between nickel additions to microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties. The results show that increasing nickel from 0.3 to 1.0 wt% on the alloys has improved the strength without sacrificing the impact toughness. Ni addition into low alloy steel increased the austenite stability due to the grain refinement. The strength was found increase linearly with Ni addition which may caused mainly by solid solution strengthening due to Ni dissolved into the ferrite matrix.
The effect of alcohol media in the synthesis of calcium carbonate nanoparticles by ultrasonic waves
Authors: Sulistiyono E , Handayani M , Arwanda M R , Kusumaningsih T , Firdiyono F.
Published: July 2019

The process of destroying kidney stones using ultrasonic waves at certain frequencies has long been known in the medical field. The process of granular destruction using ultrasonic waves is very possible to produce a very fine grain size due to the large number of micro bubbles from the cavitation effect on the ultrasonic probe. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of alcohol media in the destruction of calcium carbonate granules by ultrasonic waves to obtain carbonate calcium with nano-sized particles. The alcohol used in this study was 2-butanol, Ethylene glycol and n-propanol. The raw material of calcium carbonate was calcium carbonate precipitates originating from the Bayat region, Klaten Regency, Central Java, which was processed first by the carbonation method into calcium carbonate precipitates. The best result of experiments on the destruction of precipitated calcium carbonate by ultrasonic waves was the use of ethylene glycol media with ultrasonic time of 10 minutes and 30% amplitude. The result of the particle size analysis (PSA) at the best condition obtained with the average size of the granules of calcium carbonate precipitate was 72 nm.
Synthesis and characterization of SiC and CNT doped MgB2 superconducting wire
Authors: Sofyan N , Setiawan M T , Herbirowo S , Imaduddin A
Published: July 2019

Silica nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes-doped magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconducting wires have been successfully prepared via powder-in-tube (PIT) method. In this work, pure MgB2 was doped using various dopants concentrations at 1 and 2 wt.% of each silica nanoparticles (SiC) and carbon nanotubes (CNT). The mix was sintered at 800°C for 3 hours before putting it in a 6 mm diameter stainless steel tube wire and drawn to get 3 mm diameter of stainless-steel wire. The materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase and structural analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM) for surface morphology. Further, superconductivity characteristic of the wires was examined through a transition temperature using a cryogenic magnet. Structural characterization examined using Xray diffraction showed that no other impurities of other phases were detected. Microstructural investigation using electron microscope showed even distribution of the particles with inherent porosities. Measurement at cryogenic temperature showed that pure MgB2 and 2 wt.% CNT doped MgB2 showed superconductivity characteristic after being sintered whereas others showed unique resistivity behaviors. After deformation by drawing process to form wires, all of the samples showed a superconducting behavior, however, the presence of SiC and CNT decreased the critical temperature, Tc, of MgB2. Although the samples doped with CNT decrease the Tc, CNT doped samples showed higher Tc than that of MgB2/SiC wires.
DAPLE and MPDZ bind to each other and cooperate to promote apical cell constriction
Authors: Marivin Arthur , Garcia-Marcos Mikel
Published: July 2019

Dishevelled-Associating Protein with a high frequency of LEucines (DAPLE) belongs to a group of unconventional activators of heterotrimeric G-proteins that are cytoplasmic factors rather than membrane proteins of the G-protein–coupled receptor superfamily. During neurulation, DAPLE localizes to apical junctions of neuroepithelial cells and promotes apical cell constriction via G-protein activation. While junctional localization of DAPLE is necessary for this function, the factors it associates with at apical junctions or how they contribute to DAPLE-mediated apical constriction are unknown. MPDZ is a multi-PDZ (PSD95/DLG1/ZO-1) domain scaffold present at apical cell junctions whose mutation in humans is linked to nonsyndromic congenital hydrocephalus (NSCH). DAPLE contains a PDZ-binding motif (PBM) and is also mutated in human NSCH, so we investigated the functional relationship between both proteins. DAPLE colocalized with MPDZ at apical cell junctions and bound directly to the PDZ3 domain of MPDZ via its PBM. Much like DAPLE, MPDZ is induced during neurulation in Xenopus and is required for apical constriction of neuroepithelial cells and subsequent neural plate bending. MPDZ depletion also blunted DAPLE-­mediated apical constriction of cultured cells. These results show that DAPLE and MPDZ, two factors genetically linked to NSCH, function as cooperative partners at apical junctions and are required for proper tissue remodeling during early stages of neurodevelopment.
Asian American Experimental Theater and Solo Performance
Authors: Bacalzo Dan
Published: July 2019

Beginning in the 1960s and continuing into the present day, a wide range of performers and playwrights have contributed to Asian American experimental theater and performance. These works tend toward plot structures that break away from realist narratives or otherwise experiment with form and content. This includes avant-garde innovations, community-based initiatives that draw on the personal experiences of workshop participants, politicized performance art pieces, spoken word solos, multimedia works, and more. Many of these artistic categories overlap, even as the works produced may look extremely different from one another. There is likewise great ethnic and experiential diversity among the performing artists: some were born in the United States while others are immigrants, permanent residents, or Asian nationals who have produced substantial amounts of works in the United States. Several of these artists raise issues of race as a principal element in the creation of their performances, while for others it is a minor consideration, or perhaps not a consideration at all. Nevertheless, since all these artists are of Asian descent, racial perceptions still inform the production, reception, and interpretation of their work.
Dynamic Managerial Capabilities
Authors: Ambrosini Véronique , Altintas Gulsun
Published: July 2019

Dynamic managerial capabilities are a form of dynamic capabilities. They are concerned with the role of managers in refreshing and transforming the resource base of the firm so that it maintains and develops its competitive advantage and performance. To do so, managers must develop entrepreneurial activities. These activities consist of sensing and seizing opportunities and transforming the resource base. While most studies focus on the role of top managers and CEOs, entrepreneurial activities can occur throughout the organization. Mid- and lower-level managers can also sense opportunities emanating from the market. Managerial human capital, managerial social capital, and managerial cognition are the three main antecedents to dynamic managerial capabilities.
Content Management Systems and Journalism
Authors: De Maeyer Juliette
Published: July 2019

A content management system (CMS) is a computer program used by news organizations or individuals to create, edit, organize, and publish journalistic content. The origins of modern-day CMSs date back to the process of newsroom computerization that started in the 1960s and to technological developments in web publishing in the 1990s. The latter have led to the creation of software that allows nontechnical users to easily publish content on the Web (blogging software and social media platforms). Consequently, the development of CMSs can be understood as a process of remediation, that is, the operation through which “new” media incorporate “old” media in a series of refashionings: modern-day CMSs still bear some traces of previous technological systems, as exemplified by the protean existence of the slug, a term that originated in the hot-type era and has carried into today’s digital software terminology. Journalism research has generally studied CMSs as being part of the technical infrastructure of media, through a socio-material approach. In that regard, digital technology is a black box wherein lurks the many tensions inherent to contemporary newsmaking. Opportunities to study such (invisible) infrastructure therefore arise whenever it dysfunctions, and research has focused on the various problems, obstacles, and impediments brought about by CMSs in newswork. More specifically, studying the CMS draws attention to issues related to the institutionalization of journalistic workflows (that become ossified in digital technologies), newsroom technologies constituting a complex system, the evolution of professional roles and hierarchies (and consequent power relations), as well as the agency and relative autonomy of software.
Sunk Costs and Political Decision Making
Authors: Miller Charles A.
Published: July 2019

The “sunk costs fallacy” is a popular import into political science from organizational psychology and behavioral economics. The fallacy is classically defined as a situation in which decision-makers escalate commitment to an apparently failing project in order to “recoup” the costs they have already sunk into it. The phenomenon is often framed as a good example of how real decision-making departs from the assumption of forward-looking rationality which underpins traditional approaches to understanding politics. Researchers have proposed a number of different psychological drivers for the fallacy, such as cognitive dissonance reduction, and there is experimental and observational evidence that it accurately characterizes decision-making in certain contexts. However, there is significant skepticism about the fallacy in many social sciences, with critics arguing that there are better forward-looking rational explanations for decisions apparently driven by a desire to recoup sunk costs – among them reputational concerns, option values and agency problems. Critics have also noted that in practical situations sunk costs are informative both about decision makers’ intrinsic valuation for the issue and the prospects for success, making it hard to discern a separate role for sunk costs empirically. To address these concerns, empirical researchers have employed a number of strategies, especially leveraging natural experiments in certain non-political decision making contexts such as sports or business, in order to isolate the effects of sunk costs per se from other considerations. In doing so, they have found mixed support for the fallacy. Research has also shown that the prevalence of the sunk costs fallacy may be moderated by a number of factors, including the locus of decision-making, framing, and national context. These provide the basis for suggestions for future research.
Intergovernmental Organizations and LGBT Issues
Authors: Kiel Christina , Campbell Jamie
Published: July 2019

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international institutions have proliferated since the end of World War II. This development has changed the landscape of international relations not only for states, but also for nongovernmental organizations and social movements.

The advocacy of international nongovernmental organizations (INGO) plays a central role in pushing IGOs and their member states toward action. INGOs’ success in doing so depends on a number of factors, opportunity prime among them. Political opportunity structures (the institutional arrangements and resources available for political and social mobilization) determine lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) INGO access to power holders and thus their chances of bringing their concerns, and possible solutions to those concerns, to IGOs. The opportunity structures vary significantly from one IGO to the next. For example, the political opportunity structure offered by the European Union (EU) has been favorable to LGBT activism, while the United Nations is much less open to comprehensive inclusion of LGBT and sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) human rights.

As LGBT issues move onto an IGO’s agenda, a symbiotic relationship develops between the IGO and advocacy organizations. The changing opportunity structures influence NGOs’ structure, strategy, and resource mobilization. Coordination between advocacy groups with similar goals becomes easier when many organizations have physical offices at IGOs. For diplomats and bureaucrats working at the IGO or national representative offices, INGOs can be beneficial, too. In particular, advocacy organizations are experts and purveyors of information. However, the interdependence between INGOs and IGOs has the potential of silencing voices that do not neatly fit into the internationalist, liberal rights-based discourse.

Besides the political opportunity structures in IGOs, the frames INGOs use to advocate for issues have been found to be essential for campaign success. One tactic that often constitutes successful framing is the grafting of issues to existing norms. In the LGBT context, the frames proposed by activists include human rights, health (specifically HIV­-AIDS), and women and gender.

International institutions assure that similar issues will be politicized in multiple countries. In order to meaningfully affect domestic populations, the policy needs to translate to the local level through norm diffusion. The mechanisms of diffusion include material inducement (e.g., conditions for membership), learning, and acculturation and socialization.
Social Media and Elections in Africa
Authors: Gagliardone Iginio
Published: July 2019

The analysis of the diffusion of social media in Africa and its relevance for politics has been caught in a paradox. On the one hand, social media have been saluted for their newness and for their ability, especially in connection with increasingly accessible portable tools such as mobile phones, to offer a level playing field for individuals to participate in politics and speak to power. On the other hand, this very enthusiasm has evoked relatively tired tropes used to frame the advent of other “new” technologies in the past, stressing what they could do to Africa, rather than exploring what they are doing in Africa.

Early research on the relationship between social media and elections in Africa has tended to adopt normative frameworks adapted from the analysis of electoral contests in the Global North, presupposing unfettered citizens using social media to root for their leaders or demand accountability. A more recent wave of empirically grounded studies has embraced a greater conceptual and methodological pluralism, offering more space to analyze the contradictions in how social media are used and abused: how humor can be turned into a powerful tool to contest a type of power that appears overwhelming; or how armies of professional users have exploited people’s credulity of new media as “freer” from power to actually support partisan agenda. Interestingly, this latter approach has brought to light phenomena that have only recently caught global attention, such as the role of “fake news” and misinformation in electoral contests, but have played a determinant role in African politics for at least a decade.
Controlling Bureaucratic Corruption
Authors: Gong Ting , Yang Sunny L.
Published: July 2019

Corruption is a complex social phenomenon. It refers to the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, but it may still mean different things to different people. The definition of corruption applicable in one place may not be suitable in another setting, and the conception of corruption is highly contextualized. Adding to the difficulty of defining corruption is the lack of accurate measurements for the degree of corruption. Objective and subjective measures have been developed by scholars and practitioners, but their reliability and validity have often been challenged. The measurements developed so far are proxies for the level of corruption rather than accurate diagnostic tools. Despite the difficulties of conceptualizing and measuring corruption, its effects on public administration and social development are clearly evident. Corruption causes losses to state coffers, undermines the rule of law and regulatory regimes, distorts the provision of public services, ruins public trust in government, and weakens the overall quality of governance. Corruption may sometimes grease administrative wheels, but it usually benefits only a few individuals or groups and in the long run is detrimental to the society as a whole. When unchecked or under-checked, corruption destabilizes the economy, destroys political legitimacy, and triggers social unrest. This explains why controlling corruption has been a high priority on the government’s agenda in most countries and has been the focus of the activities of many civil society organizations. Various anti-corruption strategies are adopted; there are, for example, compliance-based, value-based, top-down, bottom-up, economic, institutional, and cultural approaches to controlling corruption. The configuration of anti-corruption agencies may also differ from country to country, displaying distinctive features. Evidently, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to corruption control and prevention. What works or not depends on a country’s specific circumstances. However, the experiences of Hong Kong and Singapore in fighting corruption and building clean societies reveal a few important success factors.
Youth Politics in Africa
Authors: Van Gyampo Ransford Edward , Anyidoho Nana Akua
Published: July 2019

The youth in Africa have been an important political force and performed a wide range of roles in the political field as voters, activists, party members, members of parliament, ministers, party “foot soldiers,” and apparatchiks. Although political parties, governments, and other political leaders often exploit young people’s political activity, their participation in both local and national level politics has been significant. In the academic literature and policy documents, youth are portrayed, on the one hand, as “the hope for the future” and, on the other, as a disadvantaged and vulnerable group. However, the spread of social media has created an alternative political space for young people. Active participation of young people in politics through social media channels suggests that they do not lack interest in politics, but that the political systems in Africa marginalize and exclude them from political dialogue, participation, decision-making, and policy implementation. The solution to the problem of the exclusion of young people from mainstream politics would involve encouraging their participation in constitutional politics and their greater interest and involvement in alternative sites, goals, and forms of youth political activism in contemporary Africa.
Migrants and Refugees in Africa
Authors: Adepoju Aderanti
Published: July 2019

Intraregional migration of cross-border workers, unskilled and temporary contract workers, undocumented migrants, highly skilled professionals, and refugees characterize the migration landscape in Africa and is reflected in distinctive and changing configurations in the different subregions: labor migration in the west and central areas, movement of refugees in the eastern and southern areas, and migration of skilled professionals from west and east to southern Africa. Migrants and refugees in Africa share a number of common features: both are caused in large part by a set of interrelated factors—conflicts, underdevelopment, poor governance, and economic and social deprivation—and movements are confined largely to the continent. Youth unemployment, a major trigger for irregular migration, together with emigration of skilled professionals, pose serious challenges for many countries; remittances from the diaspora, though a lifeline for poor families left behind, do not compensate for the loss of skills. The refugee situation is highly dynamic and fluid. The sheer numbers of refugees in Africa, their composition, and the challenges they face and the limited success obtained thus far in the search for a permanent solution require sustained efforts in what is regarded an African problem requiring essentially an African solution.
International Relations in Africa in Theory and Practice
Authors: Shaw Timothy M.
Published: July 2019

One-quarter of the world’s states are African and can contribute to international relations theory and practice as the North enters a period of ambivalence and begins to retreat from positive global engagement. Each actor based in or concerned about the African continent, state and non-state alike, advances a foreign policy to reflect its interests, often in coalition with others. East-South relations and a non-Western world, as well as Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa, are important in international development and emerging powers in Africa.

The diversion away from international order and peace of the United States under President Donald Trump, the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Theresa May, and the European Union, the latter characterized by unanticipated immigration and endless Eurozone crises, can be positive for African agency and development if the continent can seize the unprecedented space to advance its own developmental states and regionalisms. Such possibilities of Africa’s enhanced prospects are situated in terms of a changing global political economy in which new economies, companies, and technologies are emerging along with contrary, nontraditional security threats. In response, novel forms of transnational “network” governance are being conceived and charted to advance sustainable developmental states and regionalisms through innovative foreign policy stances outside established, but increasingly dysfunctional and ossified, interstate institutions.
Team Dynamics and Processes in the Workplace
Authors: Bisbey Tiffany , Salas Eduardo
Published: July 2019

Teams are complex, dynamic systems made up of interdependent members working toward a shared goal; but teamwork is more than working together as a group. Teamwork is a multifaceted phenomenon that allows a group of individuals to function effectively as a unit by using a set of interrelated knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Effective teamwork is marked by cooperation, communication, coordination, conflict management, coaching, and shared cognition among team members. The most effective teamwork leads to team performance gains that are greater than the sum of each individual member’s effort. These performance outcomes re-inform the teamwork process, thus creating a recursive feedback loop that drives team development and guides future performance. Along with performance outcomes, individual- and team-level changes incite learning and allow teams to adapt to the dynamic systems in which they exist. With each development cycle over time, teams learn how to maneuver their environment and allocate their resources to reach performance goals with more efficiency. There are many external factors that can influence this process, including organizational characteristics, situational demands, and team training interventions; as well as internal factors that emerge and evolve over the life of the team, such as shared mental models and psychological safety. Although teamwork is a complex phenomenon with many moving parts, a strong body of research guides practitioners in leveraging its influence on organizational effectiveness.