3,270 research outputs found

    Displacement and the Humanities: Manifestos from the Ancient to the Present

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    This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordThis is a reprint of articles from the Special Issue published online in the open access journal Humanities (ISSN 2076-0787) (available at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/humanities/special_issues/Manifestos Ancient Present)This volume brings together the work of practitioners, communities, artists and other researchers from multiple disciplines. Seeking to provoke a discourse around displacement within and beyond the field of Humanities, it positions historical cases and debates, some reaching into the ancient past, within diverse geo-chronological contexts and current world urgencies. In adopting an innovative dialogic structure, between practitioners on the ground - from architects and urban planners to artists - and academics working across subject areas, the volume is a proposition to: remap priorities for current research agendas; open up disciplines, critically analysing their approaches; address the socio-political responsibilities that we have as scholars and practitioners; and provide an alternative site of discourse for contemporary concerns about displacement. Ultimately, this volume aims to provoke future work and collaborations - hence, manifestos - not only in the historical and literary fields, but wider research concerned with human mobility and the challenges confronting people who are out of place of rights, protection and belonging

    Some amorphous constituents of New Zealand soils

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    Part 1 – Allophanes derived from volcanic ash Soils formed on weathered volcanic ash in the central and northern North Island of New Zealand contain the amorphous aluminosilicate allophane as the predominant clay mineral which is produced by the weathering of volcanic glass. Allophane has a characteristic DTA curve and I.R. spectrum which serve as a useful means of identifying the clay mineral. Fine clays were separated from soils in the Waikato area and these showed typical allophane patterns of variable cation exchange capacity as well as DTA and I.R. spectra. Under the electron microscope these clays presented a picture of very small, ill-defined particles with indistinct edges and it was apparent that most of the properties of allophane could be explained by the presence of a colloidal system. The colloidal properties of allophane were investigated and it was shown to be remarkable among clay minerals in having a high isoelectric point (∌6). This means that allophane is positively charged under normal soil pH’s (4.5 – 5.5). Synthetic aluminosilicates were prepared with varying SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios and it was found that with a SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio between 2 and 1.5 the isoelectric point was in the range 4.5 - 5.0. Increasing the ratio resulted in a lowering of the isoelectric point. If the allophane samples were deferrated using sodium dithionite and sodium citrate then the isoelectric point of the resulting material was below 2. The very high chemical reactivity normally associated with allophane was thus reduced, although the general properties such as the NaF/phenolphthalein teat and I.R. spectra were unaffected. The results show that the ferric oxide, despite its small proportion, contributes significantly to the high isoelectric point of the allophane found in natural soils. A definition for allophane is proposed which includes its remarkable properties of high isoelectric point, high surface area, high ion exchange capacity along with its very high phosphate retention. The presence of imogolite was noted in New Zealand soils for the first time in one sample. Since New Zealand has a cheap, abundant supply of this unusual material, work was initiated to find possible commercial uses for allophane. One possible use described is the removal of protein from slaughterhouse effluent. The main proteins found in slaughterhouse effluent, hemoglobin, serum albumin and gelatin, were adsorbed onto allophane and adsorption isotherms determined for each. Allophane adsorbed up to 10% by weight of protein from a solution with the protein concentration of the order 1 mg/ml, after which the clay became saturated and would adsorb no further protein. At this stage the protein-clay complex became “jelly-like” and sank to the bottom of the flask. The actual amount of uptake was dependent on the particular allophane used and the solution pH. Allophane shows indications of having antibiotic properties. The breakdown of protein by bacterial activity was greatly inhibited by the presence of allophane in the protein solutions. These solutions could be left open to the air for several days without any change in protein concentration measured by U.V. absorption. Also, when samples of allophane were examined under the electron microscope there were no signs of bacteria, unlike samples from non-volcanic soils in which bacteria could be readily seen. This phenomenon appears coupled with the fact that allophane from volcanic areas bears a positive charge at a pH less than about 6. The bacteria, being negatively charged, become surrounded by a coating of minute allophane particles which inhibits growth. Part II – Synthetic aluminosilicates Synthetic aluminosilicates were prepared to investigate the colloidal properties of alumina and silica. Positively charged hydrated alumina will adhere to the negatively charged surface of freshly cleaved mica and will readily absorb phosphate from a solution containing ÂłÂČP phosphate. Negatively charged hydrated silica was adsorbed onto the surface of alumina-treated mica. This would be expected to block the alumina to phosphate uptake, but this was not the case, the uptake being only slightly less than the alumina treated mica. If further alumina was added, little difference in phosphate uptake was again noted suggesting a uniform surface is presented to the phosphate solution. With hydsrated ferric oxide and hydrated silica alternately adsorbed on the mica surface, an oscillating pattern was noted showing that layers can be built up. The experiment was repeated using ⁔âčFe to ensure that layers were built up and not being removed and then replaced. These experiments showed that amorphous hydrous silica and alumina will react in some way and it is suggested that a reaction takes place between the colloidal hydrous aluminia and silica with the formation of Al-O-Si bonds. The ferric oxide system does not however for Fe-O-Si bonds, but it is suggested the colloidal particles are held together by electrostatic bonds in a form of “colloid complex”. Fresh colloidal suspensions of hydrated alumina and silica prepared from hydrolysis of corresponding organo-derivatives, when mixed and freeze dried, provided an amorphous product with the properties or allophane. But if the solutions were allowed to age by standing tor several days, mixed and then freeze dried, the DTA pattern and X-ray spectrum showed the presence of bayerite (a crystalline form of Al(OH)₃). Addition of acid or base to the hydrolysing solutions increased the rate of crystallisation of hydrated aluminia to either bayerite or gibbsite. Part III – Investigation of other “allophane-like” clay minerals An allophane-like clay mineral has been reported by the pedologists in the High Country soils of the South Island of New Zealand. These soils have been derived from greywacke. In this thesis an attempt was made to bridge the gap between the pedological and chemical description of these soils. Pedologists place great stock by the feel of a soil when it is rubbed between the fingers. When investigated it was found that it was the presence of amorphous oxides or materials less than 10⁻⁔cm that produces a slippery, non-sticky feel, usually associated with the presence of allophane. These High Country soils give this characteristic test and on this basis have been thought to contain allophane. The fine clays from both these soils, and the soils derived from chlorite-schist under similar climatic conditions, were separated and investigated. The soil properties of cation exchange, phosphate retention as well as the I.R. spectra, DTA curves and chemical composition were determined. These soils all gave a positive NaF/phenolphthalein test and up to 30% of the fine clay dissolved in boiling 0.5 M NaOH. However the DTA pattern showed a large additional exotherm and an additional endotherm which are not characteristic of allophane derived from volcanic parent material. The electron micrographs showed the fine clays to be sharp, well-defined particles. Rocks taken from the soil and finely ground in a Tema Mill, showed similar properties. The samples were high in silica and had isoelectric points around three which means the particles bear a negative charge in soil under most field conditions. These results showed the clays to be less reactive chemically than volcanic allophanes. A mechanism of soil formation is proposed whereby the rock is first split by ice-wedging and the pieces further ground by solifluction processes to produce very finely divided rock. The ground rock contains two X-ray amorphous components. One is micro-crystalline whose size is too small to diffract X-rays or to produce an I.R. pattern, and which can only be studied by DTA and electron microscopy. The only weathering that has taken place in this component is the oxidation of much of the iron from ferrous to ferric and a certain amount of leaching. The second component is rock whose original crystal lattice has been destroyed and so it is truly amorphous having a random structure. It is proposed that these amorphous fractions may be a common soil constituent in alpine and polar regions. This material, which it is proposed is a variation of allophane, is given the name “Alpinite”. “Alpinite” will usually weather to the more usual clay minerals. Under periglacial conditions, however, the rate of formation is high and the rate of transformation to other clay minerals is low so that a high steady state concentration is reached. So high that sample of the fine clays (< 0.2ÎŒ) from soils derived at high altitudes give no X-ray pattern whatsoever

    Axis-Parallel Right Angle Crossing Graphs

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    A RAC graph is one admitting a RAC drawing, that is, a polyline drawing in which each crossing occurs at a right angle. Originally motivated by psychological studies on readability of graph layouts, RAC graphs form one of the most prominent graph classes in beyond planarity. In this work, we study a subclass of RAC graphs, called axis-parallel RAC (or apRAC, for short), that restricts the crossings to pairs of axis-parallel edge-segments. apRAC drawings combine the readability of planar drawings with the clarity of (non-planar) orthogonal drawings. We consider these graphs both with and without bends. Our contribution is as follows: (i) We study inclusion relationships between apRAC and traditional RAC graphs. (ii) We establish bounds on the edge density of apRAC graphs. (iii) We show that every graph with maximum degree 8 is 2-bend apRAC and give a linear time drawing algorithm. Some of our results on apRAC graphs also improve the state of the art for general RAC graphs. We conclude our work with a list of open questions and a discussion of a natural generalization of the apRAC model

    Japanese EFL Learners’ Pragmatic Development in the Production of Speech Acts Drawing on ACT-R Model and Skill Acquisition Theory

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    This mixed-methods quasi-experimental study explored the development of pragmatic competence of lower-proficiency EFL learners in their university English classes in Japan. Although pragmatic competence has emerged as a key topic within the field of interlanguage pragmatics (ILP), almost all studies have examined L2 learners’ language use rather than pragmatic development focusing on learning outcomes than process. This study investigates both learners’ language use and development, in order to draw a more comprehensive picture of pragmatic development. It also attempts to identify the mechanisms that drive this development by employing a framework of Adaptive Control Thought-Rational (ACT-R) theory in tandem with skill acquisition theory, which is a promising but underexplored framework in the L2 pragmatic development context. As such, this study aims to fill a gap in the research literature and make a theoretical contribution by showing the potential of the framework to account for learners’ pragmatic development. For this study, I recruited 120 Japanese EFL learners making up four intact classes to examine the development over one term (14 weeks) of their skills for producing speech acts after receiving pragmatic instruction. The development was examined both in terms of knowledge and processing ability with more focus on the latter to produce speech acts. Four types of speech acts were chosen for this experiment: request and refusal speech acts, for which specific instruction was provided; and complaint and disagreement speech acts, for which no instruction was provided. Request and refusal were selected as they were most widely studied, and complaints and disagreements were selected as they are relatively similar in nature to request and refusal speech acts and a good candidate to examine learners’ ability of knowledge extension. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to see how much learners improved their production of request and refusal speech acts - in light of the effectiveness of instruction they had received. A similar analysis was carried out on the uninstructed speech acts of complaint and disagreement to assess their capability to extend their learned knowledge from request and refusal making to the production of new speech acts, namely to assess their processing capability. The results showed that the participants in the treatment groups (TGs) improved in the production of both instructed and uninstructed speech acts by developing their knowledge and processing ability. The development of such knowledge was assessed by measuring the TGs’ improvement in the use of politeness strategies, which are associated with declarative knowledge. As for the development of their processing ability, this was assessed in two ways: in terms of their ability to select contextually appropriate strategies and to apply their learned knowledge sufficiently to produce uninstructed speech acts, these being associated with procedural knowledge. Since the application of the learned speech act schema enables learners to produce ostensibly ‘new’ speech acts with relative ease, not from scratches. This frees up most of the working memory to be available for other purposes, such as planning what to say next, and looking for more sophisticated expressions. This was reflected in the results of this experiment that showed, following instruction, the use of a wider range of strategies and more sophisticated lexical and syntactic expressions. However, the results did show that the participants were still in an early stage of proceduralisation and needed further practice to improve their processing ability to move toward automatisation. This study has pedagogical, theoretical, and methodological implications. Pedagogically, there are several implications afforded by a clearer understanding of learning processes that can be used to revise the EFL curriculum. Theoretically, by showing how pragmatic competence develops in an EFL classroom, this study shows the potential of the ACT-R model, partially revised to apply to this study, to elucidate the operational mechanism of pragmatic ability. Methodologically, this study shows how the application of the revised model I formulated through adaptation and clarification of a range of interpretations of the ACT-R model can better account for proceduralisation in pragmatic development, raising implications for allowing related research to move forward in an otherwise muddled ongoing discussion in the field

    From images to signs: Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A in context

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    This dissertation adopts a multidisciplinary approach to investigate graphical and formal features of Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A. Drawing on theories which understand inscribed artefacts as an interplay of materials, iconography, and texts, I combine archaeological and philological considerations with statistical and experimental observations. The work is formulated on three key-questions. The first deals with the origins of Cretan Hieroglyphic. After providing a fresh view on Prepalatial seals chronology, I identify a number of forerunners of Hieroglyphic signs in iconographic motifs attested among the Prepalatial glyptic and material culture. I further identified a specific style-group, i.e., the ‘Border and Leaf Complex’, as the decisive step towards the emergence of the Hieroglyphic graphic repertoire. The second deals with the interweaving of formal, iconographical, and epigraphic features of Hieroglyphic seals with the sequences they bear and the contexts of their usage. By means of two Correspondence Analyses, I showed that the iconography on seals in some materials and shapes is closer to Cretan Hieroglyphics, than that on the other ones. Through two Social Network Analyses, I showed that Hieroglyphic impressions, especially at Knossos, follow a precise sealing pattern due to their shapes and sequences. Furthermore, prisms with a high number of inscribed faces adhere to formal features of jasper ones. Finally, through experimental engravings, I showed differences in cutting rates among materials, as well as the efficiency of abrasives and tools unearthed within the Quartier Mu. The third question concerns overlaps in chronology, findspots and signaries between Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A. I discussed all possible earliest instances of both scripts and argued for some items datable to the MM I-IIA period. I further provide an insight into the Hieroglyphic-Linear A dubitanda and criteria for their interpretation. Finally, I suggest four different patterns in the creation and diversification of the two signaries

    Axis-Parallel Right Angle Crossing Graphs

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    A RAC graph is one admitting a RAC drawing, that is, a polyline drawing in which each crossing occurs at a right angle. Originally motivated by psychological studies on readability of graph layouts, RAC graphs form one of the most prominent graph classes in beyond planarity. In this work, we study a subclass of RAC graphs, called axis-parallel RAC (or apRAC, for short), that restricts the crossings to pairs of axis-parallel edge-segments. apRAC drawings combine the readability of planar drawings with the clarity of (non-planar) orthogonal drawings. We consider these graphs both with and without bends. Our contribution is as follows: (i) We study inclusion relationships between apRAC and traditional RAC graphs. (ii) We establish bounds on the edge density of apRAC graphs. (iii) We show that every graph with maximum degree 8 is 2-bend apRAC and give a linear time drawing algorithm. Some of our results on apRAC graphs also improve the state of the art for general RAC graphs. We conclude our work with a list of open questions and a discussion of a natural generalization of the apRAC model

    Death and the Societies of Late Antiquity

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    Ce volume bilingue, comprenant un ensemble de 28 contributions disponibles en français et en anglais (dans leur version longue ou abrĂ©gĂ©e), propose d’établir un Ă©tat des lieux des rĂ©flexions, recherches et Ă©tudes conduites sur le fait funĂ©raire Ă  l’époque tardo-antique au sein des provinces de l’Empire romain et sur leurs rĂ©gions limitrophes, afin d’ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives sur ses Ă©volutions possibles. Au cours des trois derniĂšres dĂ©cennies, les transformations considĂ©rables des mĂ©thodologies dĂ©ployĂ©es sur le terrain et en laboratoire ont permis un renouveau des questionnements sur les populations et les pratiques funĂ©raires de l’AntiquitĂ© tardive, pĂ©riode marquĂ©e par de multiples changements politiques, sociaux, dĂ©mographiques et culturels. L’apparition de ce qui a Ă©tĂ© initialement dĂ©signĂ© comme une « Anthropologie de terrain », qui fut le dĂ©but de la dĂ©marche archĂ©othanatologique, puis le rĂ©cent dĂ©veloppement d’approches collaboratives entre des domaines scientifiques divers (archĂ©othanatologie, biochimie et gĂ©ochimie, gĂ©nĂ©tique, histoire, Ă©pigraphie par exemple) ont Ă©tĂ© dĂ©cisives pour le renouvellement des problĂ©matiques d’étude : rĂ©vision d’anciens concepts comme apparition d’axes d’analyse inĂ©dits. Les recherches rassemblĂ©es dans cet ouvrage sont articulĂ©es autour de quatre grands thĂšmes : l’évolution des pratiques funĂ©raires dans le temps, l’identitĂ© sociale dans la mort, les ensembles funĂ©raires en transformation (organisation et topographie) et les territoires de l’empire (du cƓur aux marges). Ces Ă©tudes proposent un rĂ©examen et une rĂ©vision des donnĂ©es, tant anthropologiques qu’archĂ©ologiques ou historiques sur l’AntiquitĂ© tardive, et rĂ©vĂšlent, Ă  cet Ă©gard, une mosaĂŻque de paysages politiques, sociaux et culturels singuliĂšrement riches et complexes. Elles accroissent nos connaissances sur le traitement des dĂ©funts, l’emplacement des aires funĂ©raires ou encore la structure des sĂ©pultures, en rĂ©vĂ©lant une diversitĂ© de pratiques, et permettent au final de relancer la rĂ©flexion sur la maniĂšre dont les sociĂ©tĂ©s tardo-antiques envisagent la mort et sur les Ă©lĂ©ments permettant d’identifier et de dĂ©finir la diversitĂ© des groupes qui les composent. Elles dĂ©montrent ce faisant que nous pouvons vĂ©ritablement apprĂ©hender les structures culturelles et sociales des communautĂ©s anciennes et leurs potentielles transformations, Ă  partir de l’étude des pratiques funĂ©raires.This bilingual volume proposes to draw up an assessment of the recent research conducted on funerary behavior during Late Antiquity in the provinces of the Roman Empire and on their borders, in order to open new perspectives on its possible developments. The considerable transformations of the methodologies have raised the need for a renewal of the questions on the funerary practices during Late Antiquity, a period marked by multiple political, social, demographic and cultural changes. The emergence field anthropology, which was the beginning of archaeothanatology, and then the recent development of collaborative approaches between various scientific fields (archaeothanatology, biochemistry and geochemistry, genetics, history, epigraphy, for example), have been decisive. The research collected in this book is structured around four main themes: Evolution of funerary practices over time; Social identity through death; Changing burial grounds (organisation and topography); Territories of the Empire (from the heart to the margins). These studies propose a review and a revision of the data, both anthropological and archaeological or historical on Late Antiquity, and reveal a mosaic of political, social, and cultural landscapes singularly rich and complex. In doing so, they demonstrate that we can truly understand the cultural and social structures of ancient communities and their potential transformations, based on the study of funerary practices

    Armenia through the Lens of Time. Multidisciplinary Studies in Honour of Theo Maarten van Lint

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    From pilgrimage sites in the far west of Europe to the Persian court; from mystic visions to a gruesome contemporary “dance”; from a mundane poem on wine to staggering religious art: thus far in space and time extends the world of the Armenians. A glimpse of the vast and still largely unexplored threads that connect it to the wider world is offered by the papers assembled here in homage to one of the most versatile contemporary armenologists, Theo Maarten van Lint. This collection offers original insights through a multifaceted lens, showing how much Armenology can offer to Art History, History, Linguistics, Philology, Literature, and Religious Studies. Scholars will find new inspirations and connections, while the general reader will open a window to a world that is just as wide as it is often unseen

    Fixed-Parameter Algorithms for Computing RAC Drawings of Graphs

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    In a right-angle crossing (RAC) drawing of a graph, each edge is represented as a polyline and edge crossings must occur at an angle of exactly 90∘90^\circ, where the number of bends on such polylines is typically restricted in some way. While structural and topological properties of RAC drawings have been the focus of extensive research, little was known about the boundaries of tractability for computing such drawings. In this paper, we initiate the study of RAC drawings from the viewpoint of parameterized complexity. In particular, we establish that computing a RAC drawing of an input graph GG with at most bb bends (or determining that none exists) is fixed-parameter tractable parameterized by either the feedback edge number of GG, or bb plus the vertex cover number of GG.Comment: Accepted at GD 202
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