bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reflections on the route of rural modernization in China
Authors: Zhu Bing-Xiang , Yang Xue
Published: October 2016

When exploring the possible routes of modernizing rural China, scholars often follow the general patterns of urbanizing the rural areas implemented in most western countries. Stemming from the concept of a “new earthbound China” proposed by Xu Jieshun and He Xuefeng, this article makes a counter argument against the western path in modernizing rural China. The article examines the origin and nature of the village as part of the historical development of human civilization, then argues that the great importance of the village largely comes from agricultural civilization rather than industrial civilization. We further argue that western urbanization is just one of many possibilities, and China’s rural modernization should have its own characteristics rooted in the Chinese history of civilization.
Dalit Christian Life in the Interactional Milieu: A Social Dominance Perspective
Authors: Varghese Vinod Chakkittakudiyil
Published: October 2016

The study examined how Christians of Dalit origin describe the experience of social dominance while engaging with socio-religious and school milieus, using a qualitative phenomenological enquiry. I purposively selected 30 Dalit Christians for in-depth interviews, from ‘Thachoor’ village in Tamil Nadu with history of violence against Dalit Christians in the recent past. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed in Tamil and later translated into English. Data were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis. Findings reveal that interactional milieu (viz., social, religious and school milieus) characterized through social dominance of the higher castes. Dalit Christians’ responses included social dominance acceptance, dominance neutral and dominance challenge. High castes strategize social dominance through social distance, conflicts and deprivation of Dalits from help to maintain fear in collective Dalit memory. Collective internalizations of fear seemed to relate with psychosocial disability and social exclusion. The study concludes that high castes considerably exercise social dominance that substantially contribute to compromised agency and increased social exclusion.
History of Indian Environmental Movement: A Study of Dr B.R. Ambedkar from the Perspective of Access to Water
Authors: Kumar V.M. Ravi
Published: October 2016

The thought of Ambedkar, explicitly or implicitly, has fascinating ecological dimensions. His ideas on the relationship between human beings and nature are useful to put equity at the centre stage of environmental discourse. Environmental problems and degradation for Ambedkar are not only because of over-exploitation of natural resources, but also due to iniquitous access of different social groups to the resource base. Particularly on the issue of access to drinking water to socially marginalized sections such as Dalits, Ambedkar reflected deeply in his intellectual and activist life. This article proposes that the ecological dimension of Ambedkar’s thought offers a theory of environmentalism from below which is useful to capture differential impact of environmental problems on socially marginalized sections in general and Dalits in particular.
Je, a versatile suite to handle multiplexed NGS libraries with unique molecular identifiers
Authors: Girardot Charles , Scholtalbers Jelle , Sauer Sajoscha , Su Shu-Yi , Furlong Eileen E.M.
Published: October 2016

Background

The yield obtained from next generation sequencers has increased almost exponentially in recent years, making sample multiplexing common practice. While barcodes (known sequences of fixed length) primarily encode the sample identity of sequenced DNA fragments, barcodes made of random sequences (Unique Molecular Identifier or UMIs) are often used to distinguish between PCR duplicates and transcript abundance in, for example, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). In paired-end sequencing, different barcodes can be inserted at each fragment end to either increase the number of multiplexed samples in the library or to use one of the barcodes as UMI. Alternatively, UMIs can be combined with the sample barcodes into composite barcodes, or with standard Illumina® indexing. Subsequent analysis must take read duplicates and sample identity into account, by identifying UMIs.

Results

Existing tools do not support these complex barcoding configurations and custom code development is frequently required. Here, we present Je, a suite of tools that accommodates complex barcoding strategies, extracts UMIs and filters read duplicates taking UMIs into account. Using Je on publicly available scRNA-seq and iCLIP data containing UMIs, the number of unique reads increased by up to 36 %, compared to when UMIs are ignored.

Conclusions

Je is implemented in JAVA and uses the Picard API. Code, executables and documentation are freely available at http://gbcs.embl.de/Je. Je can also be easily installed in Galaxy through the Galaxy toolshed.
Environment-dependent prey capture in the Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus)
Authors: Michel K. B. , Aerts P. , Van Wassenbergh S.
Published: October 2016

Few vertebrates capture prey in both the aquatic and the terrestrial environment due to the conflicting biophysical demands of feeding in water versus air. The Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus) is known to be proficient at feeding in the terrestrial environment and feeds predominately in this environment. Given the considerable forward flow of water observed during the mouth-opening phase to assist with feeding on land, the mudskipper must alter the function of its feeding system to feed successfully in water. Here, we quantify the aquatic prey-capture kinematics of the mudskipper and compare this with the previously described pattern of terrestrial feeding. Prior to feeding in the aquatic environment, the gill slits open, allowing water to be expelled through the gill slits. The opposite happens in terrestrial feeding during which the gill slits remain closed at this point. In water, the expansive movements of the head are larger, amounting to a larger volume increase and are initiated slightly later than in the terrestrial environment. This implies the generation of strong suction flows when feeding in water. Consequently, the kinematic patterns of the hydrodynamic tongue during terrestrial feeding and aquatic suction feeding are similar, except for the amplitude of the volume increase and the active closing of the gill slits early during the terrestrial feeding strike. The mudskipper thus exhibits the capacity to change the kinematics of its feeding apparatus to enable successful prey capture in two disparate environments.
The Influence of High-Concentration Na Hexametaphosphate Dispersant on the Rheological Behavior of Aqueous Kaolin Dispersions
Authors: Rubio-Hernández Francisco-José , Páez-Flor Nicolás-Marcelo , Gómez-Merino Ana-Isabel , Sánchez-Luque Francisco-José , Delgado-García Reinaldo , Goyos-Pérez Leonardo
Published: October 2016

Previous studies of dispersant—aqueous kaolin dispersions have indicated clearly that the concentration of the dispersant determines the type of rheological behavior. Those studies focused on the use of dispersant concentrations below the limit of saturation, ignoring what might have happened at concentrations above that limit, and the practical uses to which such information might be put. The present study examined the influence of sodium hexametaphosphate dispersant on the viscous and viscoelastic properties of aqueous kaolin dispersions when its concentration was greater than the saturation limit. A concentric-cylinders geometry sensor system (with a narrow gap between the cylinders) was used to test the rheological behavior of Na hexametaphosphate-aqueous kaolin dispersions. Aqueous kaolin dispersions were viscoplastic, thixotropic, and viscoelastic fluids. The analysis of frequency sweep tests in the linear viscoelastic limit and steady-flow curves led to the conclusion that an increase in the dispersant concentration above the limit of saturation gave way to ‘solid-like’ dispersions.
Examining Structural and Related Spectral Change in Mars-relevant Phyllosilicates After Experimental Impacts Between 10–40 GPa
Authors: Friedlander Lonia R. , Glotch Timothy D. , Phillips Brian L. , Vaughn John S. , Michalski Joseph R.
Published: October 2016

Accurate clay mineral identification is key to understanding past aqueous activity on Mars, but martian phyllosilicates are old (>3.5 Ga) and have been heavily bombarded by meteoroid impacts. Meteoroid impacts can alter clay mineral structures and spectral signatures, making accurate remote sensing identifications challenging. This paper uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to examine the short-range structural deformation induced in clay mineral samples of known composition by artificial impacts and calcination. Structural changes are then related to changes in the visible-near infrared (VNIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of these clay mineral samples. The susceptibility of phyllosilicates to structural deformation after experimental impacts varies by structure. Experimental results showed that trioctahedral, Mg(II)-rich saponite was structurally resilient up to peak pressures of 39.8 GPa and its unchanged post-impact spectra reflected this. Experimental data on kaolinite showed that this Al(III)-rich, dioctahedral phyllosilicate was susceptible to structural alteration at peak pressures ⩾ 25.1 GPa. This result is similar to previously reported experimental results on the Fe(III)-rich dioctahedral smectite nontronite, suggesting that dioctahedral phyllosilicates may be more susceptible to shock-induced structural deformation than trioctahedral phyllosilicates. The octahedral vacancies present in dioctahedral phyllosilicates may drive this increased susceptibility to deformation relative to trioctahedral phyllosilicates with fully occupied octahedral sheets. Thermal alteration accompanies shock in meteoroid impacts, but shock differs from thermal alteration. NMR spectroscopy showed that structural deformation in thermally altered phyllosilicates differs from that found in shocked phyllosilicates. Similar to shock, dioctahedral phyllosilicates are also more susceptible to thermal alteration. This differential susceptibility to impact-alteration may help explain generic smectite identifications from heavily bombarded terrains on Mars.
Modified Method for Bentonite Purification and Characterization; a Case Study Using Bentonite from Tsunagi Mine, Niigata, Japan
Authors: Hayakawa Takayuki , Minase Makoto , Fujita Ken-Ichi , Ogawa Makoto
Published: October 2016

A modified procedure for bentonite purification and a new method for the quantitative characterization of bentonite using smectite content are reported. Bentonite found in a drill core of Tsunagi Mine, Niigata, Japan was evaluated by the new method to demonstrate the substantial increase in smectite content from 40% in the original bentonite to 75% after purification using a new procedure. Powder samples were prepared by putting blocks of bentonite into acetone to remove water without mechanical crushing. The powdered, acetone-dried bentonite was purified by a dispersion-sedimentation method in water after cation exchange of the interlayer Ca2+ ion with Na+ ion by the reaction of raw bentonite with aqueous NaCl. The purification was evaluated using X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses (TG). The raw bentonite contained feldspar, quartz, and cristobalite, and feldspar and quartz were removed by the new purification procedure. The purification was evaluated quantitatively by comparing the TG data before and after the purification. The purified bentonite swelled in water to give a stable aqueous suspension and 3 g of purified bentonite dispersed in 60 mL of water was stable for several days. The replacement of interlayer sodium with dibehenyldimethylammonium gave an organophilic clay, which swelled in toluene. The bentonite has potential practical uses as a purified bentonite and an organophilic bentonite.
Coprecipitation of Aluminum Goethite and Amorphous Al-Hydroxy-Sulfate Using Urea and Characterization of the Thermal Decomposition Products
Authors: Da Costa Geraldo Magela , De Grave Eddy
Published: October 2016

Aluminum substitution is a common phenomenon in environmental iron oxides and oxyhydroxides, affecting the color, magnetic character, surface features, etc. Several methods for preparing Al-substituted iron oxyhydroxides can be found in the literature, resulting in samples with particular properties. In the present study, the synthesis of aluminum-substituted goethites, AlxFe1-xOOH with 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.15, by homogeneous precipitation and the transformation to aluminum-substituted hematites, (AlxFe1-x)O3, are presented. The goethite samples were produced at 90°C from solutions of urea and iron and aluminum nitrates in the presence of ammonium sulfate (GU series). Although attempts were made to incorporate up to 33 mole% of Al into the goethite, only ~15 mole% was found to be within the structure, due to the final pH, ~7, of the synthesis. Another feature of these goethites was a lateral alignment of the tabular particles. By heating batches of the GU samples at 400°C and 800°C, two series of Al-hematites were obtained, denoted here as the HX400 and HX800 samples, respectively. X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, Karl-Fischer titration, transmission electron microscopy, and Mössbauer spectroscopy were used to characterize the samples. The X-ray patterns showed the samples to be pure iron phases, with particle sizes of ~10 nm for the GU and HX400 samples, and of ~70 nm for the HX800 samples. An inversion in the intensities of the (104) and (110) diffraction peaks of hematite was observed to be dependent on the aluminum substitution and was explained by small particle sizes, shape anisotropy, and the presence of nanopores. The cell parameters of both GU and HX samples showed a small decrease with increasing aluminum substitution up to x ≈ 0.15. The amount of adsorbed sulfate, presumably as an aluminum hydroxy sulfate gel, increased with aluminum substitution in all GU and HX samples, reaching a maximum of ~6.5 wt.% for the highest substitution. Heating at 100°C did not remove all of the adsorbed water, and significantly higher temperatures were required to achieve complete removal. Mossbauer spectra at 295 K and 80 K are typical for small-particle goethite and hematite, and revealed that Al-for-Fe substitution in all samples seems to be limited to ~15 mol.%.
Transformation of Adsorbed Aflatoxin B1 on Smectite at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Sadia Asma , Dykes Linda , Deng Youjun
Published: October 2016

Aflatoxins cause liver damage and suppress immunity. Through adsorption, smectites can be used to reduce the bioavailability of aflatoxins. To further reduce the toxicity of aflatoxins and to eliminate the treatments of aflatoxin-loaded smectites, the ability to degrade the aflatoxin adsorbed to non-toxic or less toxic compounds is desirable. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of temperature and the exchange cation on the transformation of adsorbed aflatoxin B1 on smectite. An AfB1-Ca-smectite (sm) complex was synthesized. To enhance the Lewis acidity of the complexes, the exchanged calcium in the complex was replaced with Mn and Cu to obtain AfB1-Mn-sm and AfB1-Cu-sm complexes, respectively. The aflatoxin-sm complexes and pure aflatoxin B1 were dried at 60°C in aluminum cups, and heated from 100 to 200°C in 25°C steps. Aflatoxin B1 and its transformation products were extracted with methanol after the heat treatment. The extracts were analyzed using UV spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fluorescence/UV, ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-photodiode array (PDA), and electrospray ionization-tandem quadrupole-mass spectrometry (ESI-TQDMS). The solid residues were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The UV and FTIR spectra of the AfB1-sm clay residue extracts obtained after heating had decreased AfB1 peak intensities and shifted peak positions with increased heating temperature. Significant shifts in band positions and changes in the shape of the UV spectra were observed in the extracts from the AfB1-Ca-sm complex heated at 175°C, the AfB1-Cu-sm complex heated at 150°C, and the AfB1-Mn-sm complex heated at 125°C. The HPLC and UPLCMS analyses of AfB1-sm complex extracts indicated a gradual decrease in AfB1 concentration with increased heating temperature and the formation of aflatoxins B2, B2a, M1, M2, and other unidentified compounds. No new compound was observed in the extracts of pure aflatoxin B1 after a comparable heating experiment. These results suggest that smectite can effectively convert aflatoxin to other less toxic forms at elevated temperatures. Smectite ion exchange with Cu or Mn transition-metal cations and heat treatment induced more efficient conversion of the adsorbed aflatoxin B1 molecules to other compounds.
Modeling Powder X-ray Diffraction Patterns of the Clay Minerals Society Kaolinite Standards: KGa-1, KGa-1b, and KGa-2
Authors: Sakharov B. A. , Drits V. A. , McCarty D. K. , Walker G. M.
Published: October 2016

Three kaolinite reference samples identified as KGa-1, KGa-1b, and KGa-2 from the Source Clays Repository of The Clay Mineral Society (CMS) are used widely in diverse fields, but the defect structures have still not been determined with certainty. To solve this problem, powder diffraction patterns of the KGa-1, KGa-1b, and KGa-2 samples were modeled. In a kaolinite layer among three symmetrically independent octahedral sites named as A, B, and C and separated from each other by b/3 along the b parameter, the A and B sites are occupied by Al cations, whereas, the C sites located along the long diagonal of the oblique kaolinite unit cell are vacant. The layer displacement vectors t1 and t2 are related by a pseudo-mirror plane from defect-free 1Tc kaolinite enantiomorphs, whereas, the random interstratification within individual kaolinite crystallites creates right-hand and left-hand layer sub-sequences producing structural disorder. A third layer displacement vector, t0, located along the long diagonal of the oblique layer unit cell that contains the vacant octahedral site and coincides with the layer pseudo-mirror plane may exist. Thus, a structural model should be defined by the probability of t1, t2, and t0 layer displacement translations Wt1, Wt2, and Wt0, respectively, determined by simulated experimental X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. X-ray diffraction patterns were calculated for structures with a given content of randomly interstratified displacement vectors, and other XRD patterns were calculated for a physical mixture of crystallites having contrasting structural order with only C-vacant layers. The samples differ from each other by the content of high- and low-ordered phases referred to as HOK and LOK. The HOK phase has an almost defect-free structure in which 97% of the layer pairs are related by just the layer displacement vector t1 and only 3% of the layer pairs form the enantiomorphic fragments. In contrast, the LOK phases in the KGa-1, KGa-1b, and KGa-2 samples differ from HOK phases by the occurrence probabilities for the t1, t2, and t0 layer displacements. In addition, the LOK phases contain stacking faults that displace adjacent layers in arbitrary lengths and directions. Low XRD profile factors (Rp = 8-11%) support the defect structure models. Additional structural defects and previously published models are discussed.
Competitive Removal of Malachite Green and Rhodamine B Using Clinoptilolite in a Two-dye System
Authors: Baran Evrim , Acemioğlu Bilal
Published: October 2016

Surface and groundwaters become contaminated with dyes due to discharge into the environment, which increases the risk of a number of human diseases. Many methods of dye removal from discharge waters at the source have been developed, but few are effective and the most effective method (activated carbon) is very expensive. The purpose of the present study was to test a natural zeolite (clinoptilolite type) as a potentially effective and inexpensive method to remediate dye discharge into the environment. In the removal experiments, malachite green (MG) and rhodamine B (RB) cationic dyes were used. The effects of various experimental conditions such as initial dye concentration, pH, and temperature on dye removal were investigated in a single-dye system. The degree of removal of MG and RB increased with increasing initial concentration and temperature of the dye in a single-dye system. An increase in pH decreased RB removal, but increased MG removal. In a two-dye system, MG and RB adsorption decreased by ~41.74 and 21.51%, respectively, due to competitive adsorption of the two dyes. Adsorption reflected a pseudo-second order kinetics model with high correlation coefficients (r2 = 0.996–1.000) in single-dye and two-dye systems. Adsorption was most consistent with the Langmuir-1 and the Redlich-Peterson isotherm models with high correlation coefficients (r2 = 0.987–0.999) in both systems. The Langmuir-1 adsorption capacities were determined as 43.86 and 44.25 mg/g for the removal of MG and RB in single-dye systems, respectively. In a two-dye system, the Langmuir-1 capacities were 20.62 and 31.54 mg/g for the removal of MG and RB, respectively.
A Socially Responsible Design to Rebuild Cultural Self-Confidence: A Case Study on the Design of a Village Revitalization Project
Authors: Xu Fang , Mo Fujian , Chen Yuanyuan
Published: October 2016

This article presents a socially responsible design approach, through a remote mountain village’s revitalization project in Tongguan, Liping county in Guizhou province. The Village Revitalization Program (VRP) was initiated by the central government in response to many constraints that have resulted from China’s modernization over the past decades. Its objective was to protect these remote villages through maintaining their physical artefacts, sustaining their cultural essence and historical memories. Although various types of projects have been completed, the majority of them have brushed past the complicated byproducts of urbanization such as young generations leaving villages, children being left behind, rural hollowing out, etc., which have developed into a cycle threatening the sustainability of the community. This study diagnoses the critical issues neglected by previous revitalization approaches and initiates a new practice of socially responsible design to end the vicious cycle, achieved through rebuilding the cultural self-confidence of the villagers. From an operational perspective, this practice provides a three-step process: diagnosis, formulation and implementation. The new approach challenges the end-product-oriented method, questions the top-down approach and highlights the significance of direct involvement by end-users. From a theoretical perspective, this practice examines the various forms of socially responsible design and redefines the multiple dimensions that village revitalization projects should address. Following two years of effort by volunteers and villagers, the project was realized in the form of a Villagers’ Center in Tongguan. This product not only satisfies the interests of its current end-users in both the short and long term, but also provides an innovative, functional example of revitalizing values from within the village itself in order to rebuild the cultural self-confidence of villagers.
Fiskars Village: Exploring Possibilities for Collaboration in a Design-Oriented Community
Authors: Tamminen Pia
Published: October 2016

This case study investigates the possibilities that drive the development of collaboration in the design-oriented organizations in Fiskars Village through the lens of affordances. This study focuses on affordances, perceived opportunities for action, which build a common ground for collaboration of organizations, and views them at community and individual levels. The study addresses the question of what enables and supports affordances related to collaboration in the design-oriented community. The aim is to raise awareness of the potential that exists in the environment of a heterogeneous group of design-oriented people. The findings build a methodological bridge between the collaborative activities and affordances and provide new insights into the themes that support perception of affordances in the design-oriented community. The theoretical contribution of the article provides suggestions on how the existence of affordances could be emphasized and developed further to support creativity and collaboration. This study highlights the key elements that are needed when building long-term collaboration in a design-oriented community.
Bridging the Gap between Marketing Strategy and Design Teams: A Method to Facilitate Strategic Styling Decision-Making within a Company
Authors: Blijlevens Janneke , Ranscombe Charlie
Published: October 2016

In order for styling (creation of a distinct visual identity for a new product) to be successful in the market, design decisions need to be aligned with marketing strategy decisions. Previous research has suggested a styling strategy model that focuses on the goals of styling (attention drawing, recognition, symbolic meanings) by considering the degree and direction of differentiation from the products in a current portfolio, the succession of product generations, and product competitors. Using these strategies may guide product designers in their styling decisions so that they are aligned with marketing strategy goals. However, research has shown that, while product designers and marketers work towards the same goals, the difference in the way they justify styling decisions can cause difficulties in communication, rationalization and subsequent dismissal of ideas by the other party. Marketers believe that knowledge upon which styling decisions are based should be measurable and generated from competitive analysis and consumer insights, while product designers rely on intuition, experience and observations. In this research we aim to bridge this gap between marketers and product designers to improve the strategic styling decision-making process. Through a case study with Crown Lager beer bottles we developed a method that measures changes in styling compared to previous product designs within the succession of product generations, as well as the differences in styling compared to that of current competitors. This numerical information is then mapped to market data (e.g., revenue and changes in market share). We show how the combination of these data sets aids in identifying previous styling strategy in terms of degree and direction of styling changes, and how this can be used by the design team to justify a styling strategy to marketers using the knowledge and truths that align with what marketers are used to. We contend that this method will facilitate improved shared understanding between design and marketing teams, thereby aiding successful styling decision-making in a company.
Context for Nietzche’s death of God
Authors: Votruba Martin
Published: October 2016

A common graffiti about Nietzsche, death and God turns up in Slovakia fashioned in The T-Shirt to add context to its reductive representation in popular culture. Takes on faith and country in a transatlantic dialogue leave God aside to establish man as the dividing agent.
22 km from Texas to Pustatina
Authors: Grgic Ana
Published: October 2016

The globalized any-place, no-place atmosphere, underscored by monochrome cinematography and bare settings, allows the story to function as an allegory of the contemporary world. The satirical attitude subverts the dominant discourse and questions common beliefs through witty exchanges, while the punchline ending offers a form of liberation and psychic release.
Ethics of public and private space in The T-Shirt
Authors: Mani Saravanan
Published: October 2016

Mark’s provocation to violence is not an action, but an image. To him violence is not just a way of asserting his authority but also a demand to recognize his moral right. This article will evaluate the rules of social engagement in the way it shapes Mark’s moral identity.
Struggling with dogmatism
Authors: Kuzma Konstanty
Published: October 2016

The T-Shirt suffers from a redemptive optimism that risks undercutting its humanistic appeal. By outsourcing the problem of intolerance to American conservatives, rather than confronting the viewer with it, Fazeli lets us live in the illusion that all is well as long as we don’t happen to stumble upon fundamentalists.
The Beach, exposed
Authors: Hole Kristin Lené
Published: October 2016

I analyse The Beach through the concept of exposure – both its overexposed aesthetic and the exposure among the characters as the film unravels. Gendering the idea of ex-peau-sition (Jean-Luc Nancy), I posit a form of feminine writing both through the skin (peau) of the film and the skin of Anne.
The centre cannot hold: The Beach and liminality
Authors: Felando Cynthia
Published: October 2016

The article discusses The Beach in relation to the concept of narrative ‘unity’ as an element of short film specificity, and considers a few of the interpretive possibilities enabled by the film’s representation of several aspects of ‘liminality’ by means of its setting, storytelling and visual strategies.
Evental subjectivity in The Beach
Authors: Lordan Tom
Published: October 2016

Film-philosophy is a growing branch of cinema scholarship, but to what degree can it be deployed in relation to the short film? Here we attempt to configure The Beach and Alain Badiou’s notion of ‘event’ into a reciprocal relationship, and discover why ‘the subject’ is not who one thinks it is.
What children see: Dorthe Scheffmann’s The Beach
Authors: Quigley Paula
Published: October 2016

This film focuses on an unexpected reaction to a traumatic revelation as witnessed by a child. However, the film’s final image resists being reduced to its significance for an adult spectator. Instead, the boy’s unreadable expression returns us to the position of a child faced with a bewildering grown-up world.
Echoes of The 400 Blows: Ambiguous closure in art cinema
Authors: Bohlinger Vincent
Published: October 2016

This article compares the ending of The Beach with that of The 400 Blows in order to demonstrate how ambiguity arises from the interrelationship between style and narrative in art cinema. Ambiguity requires audience interpretation, which in The Beach leads to poignant reflection on the nature of domestic violence.
Narrative closure in The Beach
Authors: Lefebvre-Linetzky Jacques
Published: October 2016

The last sequence and especially the ultimate shot of The Beach provides closure. The shot of the boy gives a distinctive weight to the story by colouring the entire narrative in retrospect. Narrative closure brings out a sense of completeness, which should be differentiated from a forthright ending.
The dark power of belonging: The T-Shirt
Authors: Burgoyne Robert
Published: October 2016

In The T-Shirt, disagreement overflows into brutal confrontation, as the two characters provoke each other to act out roles preordained by the power of symbols. What Freud called the ‘narcissism of minor differences’ is rendered here as social pathology, dramatized in miniature in the violent encounter of two ordinary people.
Signs matter
Authors: Mazierska Ewa
Published: October 2016

This article discusses The T-Shirt as a film that takes issue with signs and meanings. My argument is that it points to both the instability of meaning in the multicultural world and the need to understand signs correctly in a given context because semiotic incompetence can cost us dearly.
Performance enhancement of MPM using SNR boosting techniques
Authors: Mamdouh Shimaa , Hussein Amr , Elmekaty Hamdy
Published: October 2016

Signal to noise ratio (SNR) boosting is one of the most important research areas in signal processing. The effectiveness of SNR boosting is not limited to a specific application rather, it is widely used in image processing, signal processing, cognitive radio, MIMO systems, digital beam forming, and direction of arrival (DOA) estimation …etc. In this paper, the recursive least square (RLS) and wavelet based de-noising filters are exploited for SNR boosting in DOA estimation techniques for further performance enhancement. The matrix pencil method (MPM) as an effortlessness and high resolution DOA estimation technique is taken as a test case. That is because it suffers from performance deterioration under low SNR regimes. The simulation results reveal that the MPM based RLS de-noising filter outperforms the MPM based wavelet de-noising filter and the traditional MPM in terms of mean square error (MSE) especially at low SNR regimes.
Extending Demographic Windows of Opportunity: Evidence from Asia
Authors: Fong Joelle H.
Published: October 2016

Population aging and a shrinking workforce creates a significant drag on opportunities for economic growth. Specifically, many economies in Asia will see their demographic windows of economic opportunity close within the next two decades or so. One widely explored policy response among governments has been to encourage longer working lives or delay retirement. This paper traces developments in retirement age policies for rapidly aging Asian economies, and investigates the effect of recent reforms in old-age employment practices on their demographic windows. We find that increases in retirement age based on current policy prescriptions can help these aging economies extend their demographic windows by another two to seven years. Nonetheless, further extensions to working lives are needed to help sustain economic expansion and to provide support for growing elderly populations. Our study also demonstrates that the extent of the time gains from retirement age increases vary depending on how the age structures in each economy is expected to evolve over time. Accordingly, the timing and quantum of future retirement age increases should be suitably calibrated so as to sufficiently offset declines in the working-age population.
An experimental study of shear-dependent human platelet adhesion and underlying protein-binding mechanisms in a cylindrical Couette system
Authors: Tran Linda , Mottaghy Khosrow , Arlt-Körfer Sabine , Waluga Christian , Behbahani Mehdi
Published: October 2016

Undesirable thrombotic reactions count among the most frequent and serious complications for patients who rely on the use of medical devices. To improve the design of medical devices, it is essential to develop a more precise understanding of platelet reactions. Clinical studies and experiments have shown a strong dependence of platelet deposition behavior on the flow. However, today the influence of hemodynamic parameters such as the shear rate on thrombotic reactions is not well understood. For the study of the shear-dependent mechanisms leading to the activation, adhesion and aggregation of platelets, a Couette flow system was used to investigate thrombocyte behavior with regard to well-defined flow conditions at shear-rate values between
Fabrication of multifunctional CaP-TC composite coatings and the corrosion protection they provide for magnesium alloys
Authors: Tan Cui , Zhang Xiaoxu , Li Qing
Published: October 2016

Two major problems with magnesium (Mg) alloy biomaterials are the poor corrosion resistance and infection associated with implantation. In this study, a novel calcium phosphate (CaP)/tetracycline (TC) composite coating for Mg implants that can both improve the corrosion resistance of Mg and release a drug in a durable way is reported. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that TC additives make the CaP coating more compact and uniform. Electrochemical tests indicated CaP/TC coatings can provide excellent corrosion protection for Mg alloy substrates. Besides, TC additives can also provide effective prevention of bone infection and inflammation due to its broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. The one-step hydrothermal process reported here greatly simplified the multi-step fabrication of smart coatings reported previously.
Progress and impact of enzyme measurement standardization
Authors: Infusino Ilenia , Frusciante Erika , Braga Federica , Panteghini Mauro
Published: October 2016

International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) has established reference measurement procedures (RMPs) for the most popular enzymes. Manufacturers should assign values to commercial calibrators traceable to these RMPs to achieve equivalent results in clinical samples, independent of reagent kits, instruments, and laboratory where the measurement is carried out. The situation is, however, far from acceptable. Some manufacturers continue to market assays giving results that are not traceable to internationally accepted RMPs. Meanwhile, end-users often do not abandon assays with demonstrated insufficient quality. Of the enzyme measurements, creatine kinase (CK) is satisfactorily standardized and a substantial improvement in performance of marketed γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) assays has been demonstrated. Conversely, aminotransferase measurements often exceed the desirable analytical performance because of the lack of pyridoxal-5-phosphate addition in the commercial reagents. Measurements of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and α-amylase (AMY) still show major disagreement, suggesting the need for improvement in implementing traceability to higher-order references. This is mainly the result of using assays with different analytical selectivities for these enzymes. The definition by laboratory professionals of the clinically acceptable measurement uncertainty for each enzyme together with the adoption by EQAS of commutable materials and use of an evaluation approach based on trueness represent the way forward for reaching standardization in clinical enzymology.
Choosing between zero and pronominal subject: modeling subject expression in the 1st person singular in Finnish conversation
Authors: Helasvuo Marja-Liisa , Kyröläinen Aki-Juhani
Published: October 2016

The variability of subject expression has been extensively investigated across languages. We present a large-scale multivariate statistical analysis of the choice of subject expression in the 1st person singular in spontaneous Finnish conversation, with a focus on the choice between pronominal and zero subject. Spoken Finnish represents an interesting case, as the dominant type of subject expression is double marking, i. e. the combination of a pronominal subject marker (subject pronoun) and a verbal subject marker (person marking). Siewierska (1999, From anaphoric pronoun to grammatical agreement marker: Why objects don’t make it.
Improvement of the chemical inhibition phenotyping assay by cross-reactivity correction
Authors: Njuguna Nicholas M. , Umehara Ken-ichi , Huth Felix , Schiller Hilmar , Chibale Kelly , Camenisch Gian
Published: October 2016

Background:

The fraction of an absorbed drug metabolized by the different hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, relative to total hepatic CYP metabolism (fm
CYP), can be estimated by measuring the inhibitory effects of presumably selective CYP inhibitors on the intrinsic metabolic clearance of a drug using human liver microsomes. However, the chemical inhibition data are often affected by cross-reactivities of the chemical inhibitors used in this assay.

Methods:

To overcome this drawback, the cross-reactivities exhibited by six chemical inhibitors (furafylline, montelukast, sulfaphenazole, ticlopidine, quinidine and ketoconazole) were quantified using specific CYP enzyme marker reactions. The determined cross-reactivities were used to correct the in vitro
fm
CYPs of nine marketed drugs. The corrected values were compared with reference data obtained by physiologically based pharmacokinetics simulation using the software SimCYP.

Results:

Uncorrected in vitro
fm
CYPs of the nine drugs showed poor linear correlation with their reference data (R
2=0.443). Correction by factoring in inhibitor cross-reactivities significantly improved the correlation (R
2=0.736).

Conclusions:

Correcting in vitro chemical inhibition results for cross-reactivities appear to offer a straightforward and easily adoptable approach to provide improved fm
CYP data for a drug.
Modification of pristine nanoclay and its application in wood-plastic composite
Authors: Yadav Sumit Manohar , Yusoh Kamal Bin
Published: October 2016

The modification of pristine nanoclay and its application in wood plastic composite (WPC) have been investigated in this paper. Pristine nanoclay was modified using transition metal ion (TMI) which was copper (II) chloride to achieve good dispersion and to improve properties of WPC. The morphology, composition, structure, and thermal stability of TMI-modified nanoclay were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis. The pristine (WPC/MMT) and TMI-modified (WPC/MMT Cu) nanoclay based WPC were made from polypropylene (PP), wood flour (WF), and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) coupling agent. Pristine and modified nanoclay with different concentration (1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 4 wt% and 5 wt%) were used as a reinforcing filler for WPC. Mechanical, physical, morphological, and thermal properties of the prepared composites were evaluated. Result exhibit that at 1 wt% nanoclay content, the tensile, flexural, and impact strength of WPC/MMT improved by approximately 6%, 4%, and 8%, respectively, compared to WPC without nanoclay. For the WPC/MMT Cu, the improvements in these properties were about 2.6, 2.1 and 3 times higher than the WPC/MMT. The physical and thermal properties also improved by incorporating modified nanoclay in WPC.
Microstructure of chemically modified wood using X-ray computed tomography in relation to wetting properties
Authors: Sedighi Moghaddam Maziar , Van den Bulcke Jan , Wålinder Magnus E.P. , Claesson Per M. , Van Acker Joris , Swerin Agne
Published: October 2016

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was utilized to visualize and quantify the 2D and 3D microstructure of acetylated southern yellow pine (pine) and maple, as well as furfurylated pine samples. The total porosity and the porosity of different cell types, as well as cell wall thickness and maximum opening of tracheid lumens were evaluated. The wetting properties (swelling and capillary uptake) were related to these microstructural characteristics. The data show significant changes in the wood structure for furfurylated pine sapwood samples, including a change in tracheid shape and filling of tracheids by furan polymer. In contrast, no such changes were noted for the acetylated pine samples at the high resolution of 0.8 μm. The XCT images obtained for the furfurylated maple samples demonstrated that all ray cells and some vessel elements were filled with furan polymer while the fibers largely remained unchanged. Furfurylation significantly decreased the total porosity of both the maple and pine samples. Furthermore, this was observed in both earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) regions in the pine samples. In contrast, the total porosity of pine samples was hardly affected by acetylation. These findings are in line with wetting results demonstrating that furfurylation reduces both swelling and capillary uptake in contrast to acetylation which reduces mostly swelling. Furfurylation significantly increased the cell wall thickness of both the maple and pine samples, especially at higher levels of furfurylation.
Effect of Plate Thickness on Tensile Property of Ti–6Al–4V Alloy Joint Friction Stir Welded Below β-Transus Temperature
Authors: Ji Shude , Wang Yue , Li Zhengwei , Ma Lin , Zhang Liguo , Yue Yumei
Published: October 2016

Defect-free joint of Ti–6Al–4V alloy was successfully friction stir welded below β-transus temperature and then tensile tests were performed. Microstructure, macrostructure, tensile properties and fracture position are mainly discussed in order to investigate how surface indentation and plate thickness influence the tensile property. Weld zone (WZ) attained below β-transus temperature that owns better tensile strength limit than base metal (BM). During the tensile test, the elongation is decided by whether BM yields. Compared with friction stir welding joint using 2.5 mm thick plate, it is very difficult for joint using 2 mm thick plates to get bigger elongation due to surface indentation. Due to the higher tensile property of the WZ, the joint without surface indentation fractures at BM, reaching the 58.46 % elongation of BM.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Heat-treated T92 Martensitic Heat Resistant Steel
Authors: Rajesh Kannan P. , Muthupandi V. , Arivazhagan B. , Devakumaran K.
Published: October 2016

T92 samples were solutionized at 1,050 °C, 1,100 °C and 1,150 °C for 20 min and then tempered at 730 °C, 745 °C and 760 °C for 60 min. Optical microscopy studies were carried out to understand the microstructural evolution due to heat treatment. These heat-treated samples comprised of lath martensite microstructure in all the cases. Prior austenite grain size of the heat-treated samples increased with solutionizing temperature. Tensile properties were evaluated using micro-tensile samples. Hardness values of the heat-treated samples were estimated using Vickers hardness tester. Interestingly, for all the given tempering condition, the hardness values showed an increasing trend with solutionizing temperature while their tensile strength values tend to decrease. Fractograph analysis depicted that increasing the solutionizing temperature led to grain boundary decohesion.
People Trafficking and Smuggling Crimes in Australia: A Critical Analysis of State Intent
Authors: Lilienthal Gary
Published: October 2016

This article’s objective is to expose the rhetorical source of the heavy irony in Australia’s immigration detention regime. The observer might wonder why an isolated and vast land could be so concerned at, and afraid of, small groups of “boat people.” Therefore, the paper poses the question as to what reasoning and public policy purposes might underlie the successful public rhetoric vilifying “boat people,” creating the construct of “people smuggling” and demanding military operations to “turn back the boats.” It tries to correlate with a likely state desire to resurrect the old laws of attainder, civil death and outlawry, in order to create a slave-class of displaced migrants, for solely state interests and purposes. In addressing the question structurally, discussion begins with a brief look at the Australian law. Argument then concentrates on the originating negotiations in the international high councils. After this, the article looks at instances of people smuggling rhetoric in Canada, also addressing briefly the United States law. Then there is a section on modern rhetorical analysis, which argument tries to use to explain what might underlie these government methods. The paper briefs the reader on the old laws of civil death, outlawry and attainder in Australia, with a view to a contextual assessment as to whether they are really what underlie the draconian outcomes of Australia’s human trafficking and people smuggling laws and policies. The research outcome will likely suggest that conveniences to the state such as efficiency in policing, removing likely political opposition from new arrivals, avoiding any dilution of the local culture and skirting unwanted international rights are most likely to be the real state intent.