Understanding Cross-Conjugation for Organic Electronics

Comunicación a congresopi-Conjugated organic molecules have been the focus of interest since they have been probed as potential semiconducting materials,[1] suitable for replacing the widely used silicon technologies. Their structural, optical and conductive properties are now under study to improve their application in organic electronics and to make possible their ad hoc synthesis. In this sense, the knowledge of the pi-electron delocalization is crucial to stablish the relation between the properties and the function, enabling the development of a synthesis guide based on the specific application. The most acknowledged conjugated organic materials are those which present extended, linearlyconjugated pi-systems. [1,2] However, this is not the only way of pi-electron delocalization: homoconjugation, cross-conjugation, curved-conjugation, etc. constitute different electronic designs to achieve new organic materials. There is a relative high abundance in the organic world of cross-conjugated but limited comprehension. [1,2,3] Thus, the understanding of how cross-conjugation works in -electronic systems is of importance. Following this idea, in this project we show 4 different structures which present two perpendicular pi-conjugated paths and how the cross-conjugated property is revealed. On the one hand, two molecules based on thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione quaterthiophenes[2,3] allow us toaccomplish the subject from the aromatic/quinoidal outlook, and, on the other hand, two molecules with an anthanthrone core make possible the study from the perspective of the substituent groups. [4]Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Providing behaviour awareness in collaborative project courses

Several studies show that awareness mechanisms can contribute to enhance the collaboration process among students and the learning experiences during collaborative project courses. However, it is not clear what awareness information should be provided to whom, when it should be provided, and how to obtain and represent such information in an accurate and understandable way. Regardless the research efforts done in this area, the problem remains open. By recognizing the diversity of work scenarios (contexts) where the collaboration may occur, this research proposes a behaviour awareness mechanism to support collaborative work in undergraduate project courses. Based on the authors previous experiences and the literature in the area, the proposed mechanism considers personal and social awareness components, which represent metrics in a visual way, helping students realize their performance, and lecturers intervene when needed. The trustworthiness of the mechanisms for determining the metrics was verified using empirical data, and the usability and usefulness of these metrics were evaluated with undergraduate students. Experimental results show that this awareness mechanism is useful, understandable and representative of the observed scenarios.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Providing behaviour awareness in collaborative project courses

Several studies show that awareness mechanisms can contribute to enhance the collaboration process among students and the learning experiences during collaborative project courses. However, it is not clear what awareness information should be provided to whom, when it should be provided, and how to obtain and represent such information in an accurate and understandable way. Regardless the research efforts done in this area, the problem remains open. By recognizing the diversity of work scenarios (contexts) where the collaboration may occur, this research proposes a behaviour awareness mechanism to support collaborative work in undergraduate project courses. Based on the authors previous experiences and the literature in the area, the proposed mechanism considers personal and social awareness components, which represent metrics in a visual way, helping students realize their performance, and lecturers intervene when needed. The trustworthiness of the mechanisms for determining the metrics was verified using empirical data, and the usability and usefulness of these metrics were evaluated with undergraduate students. Experimental results show that this awareness mechanism is useful, understandable and representative of the observed scenarios.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

What is "true" in internal realism?

This paper is a critical examination of Putnam's theory of truth as it evolves from metaphysical to internal realism. First, I analyze the model-theoretic argument that led Putnam to abandon the metaphysical concept of truth as correspondence and to adopt and epistemic view of truth. Though a powerful critique of the metaphysical realist conception of truth, this argument does not establish conclusively that the concept of truth has any epistemic content. Secondly, I discuss Putnam's idealization theory of truth, arguing that the identification of truth with "acceptability under ideal conditions" is at odds with the claim that truth is context-transcendent, since the notion of justification is intrinsically context-dependent and no amount of idealization can reedeem its contextual character. Finally, I suggest that the realist intuitions that Putnam's internal realism tries to capture call for no more than a deflationary view of truth. Acceptance of this view requires abandoning not only the idea that truth is an epistemic property, but also the idea that truth is a substantive property that all true statements share and, therefore, a proper object of philosophical theorizing.Aquest article és un examen critic de la teoria de la veritat de Putnam en la seva evolució des d'un realisme metafisic a un realisme intern. En primer lloc, presento una anàlisi de l'argument de la teoria de models que va dur a Putnam a abandonar el concepte metafísic de veritat corn a correspondència i a adoptar un concepte epistèmic de veritat. Aquest argument, encara que constitueix una potent crítica de la concepció de la veritat del realisme metafísic, no estableix conclusivament que la veritar tingui algun contingut epistèmic. En segon lloc, discuteixo la teoria idealitzada de la veritat de Putnam, tot argumentant que la identificació de la veritat amb "acceptabilitat en condicions ideals" no s'adiu amb la tesi que la veritat no és contextual sinó transcendent, per tal com la noció de justificació és intrínsecament contextual i no hi ha idealització que la pugui redimir d'aquest caracter. Finalment, suggereixo que les intuicions realistes que el realisme intern de Putnam intenta captar no requereixen més que una perspectiva deflacionista sobre la veritat. Adoptar aquesta perspectiva implica abandonar no sols la idea que la veritat és una propietat epistèmica, sinó també la idea que la veritat és una propietat substantiva que totes les afirmacions verdaderes comparteixen i que, per tant, és objecte d'una teoria filosòfica

Response: An Invitation to a Too-Long Postponed Conversation: Race and Composition by Octavio Pimentel

Octavio Pimentel’s “Racism and Composition: Redesigning the Composition Classroom to be more Culturally Inclusive” critically provokes pedagogical and programmatic questions by focusing on pressing issues of race and language within a historical context relevant to the field of rhetoric and composition

Tongues United: Polyphonic Identities and the Hispanic Family

In this paper I will use the Bakhtinian notion of polyphony,1 of a choral dialogue of multiple and heterogeneous voices, to elaborate a pluralistic account of cultural identity in general and of Hispanic identity in particular. I will complicate and further pluralize the Bakhtinian notion by talking about the overlapping and criss-crossing dialogues of heterogeneous voices that go into the formation of cultural identities. My pluralistic view emphasizes that cultural identity is bound up with differences and opposes those homogeneous models that try to impose a unique articulation of collective identity on the members of a group. Although I will not explicitly discuss the complex relations between cultural identity and racial and ethnic identity,2 my pluralistic view underscores that racial and ethnic elements are crucial components of cultural identity and of its heterogeneous nature; and I oppose those contemporary views that talk about post-ethnic and post-racial identities, trying to purify individual and collective identities of racial and ethnic meanings.

The inertia of stress

We present a simple example in which the importance of the inertial effects of stress is evident. The system is an insulating solid narrow disc whose faces are uniformly charged with charges of equal magnitude and opposite signs. The motion of the system in two different directions is considered. It is shown how the contributions to energy and momentum of the stress that develops inside the body to balance the electrostatic forces have to be added to the electromagnetic contributions to obtain the results predicted by the relativistic equivalence of mass and energy.Comment: revtex4, 5 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by the American Journal of Physic

Edwin Medina - The Influence of Faith on the Psychosocial Well-Being of Mexican Americans

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship faith has to the eleven dimensions that constitute psychological and social well-being. Though there is an existing body of literature concerned with the relationship between faith and well-being, the work examining this relationship among the Hispanic population is limited. With Latinos now constituting the single largest minority population in the United States, we employed data from a sample of 137 Mexican Americans from Wisconsin. We examined the relationship faith salience and religious behaviors have on six dimensions of psychological well-being (Ryff, 2014) and five dimensions of social well-being (Keyes, 1998). Correlations show a significant negative relation between faith salience and autonomy, environmental mastery, and social acceptance. Religious behaviors show a significant positive relation to autonomy and a significant negative relation to social actualization, and social integration. Previous works suggest a positive association between faith and well-being, but our findings provide results contradictory to the literature concerning this relationship. The Influence of Faith on the Psychosocial Well-Being of Mexican Americans by Edwin Medina is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.https://epublications.marquette.edu/mcnair_2014/1005/thumbnail.jp