K rasnoj orijentaciji društvenih istraživanja o južnoj Africi

The study of South African societies has been framed within the logic of the “factual“ existence of “race" and “ethnicity”. A brief historical account of the context of studies shows a range of unresolved questions in mainstream research on South Africa society. It has not been shown exactly why and how “race” and “ethnicity” are sociologically useful categories for analysis and has not actually been made clear how “race” and “ethnicity” help “explain” South African society. The mainstream research has been marked by the empirical-analytical approach which guides to the paradigm of divided society. How has mainstream work sought to establish a critically distant position from apartheid thinking, and has it been able to move substantively beyond the “official” “racial” and “ethnic” classifications of apartheid ideology? - are two main problems discussed in this paper.Proučavanje južnoafričkih društava uokvirivalo se logikom “faktualne” opstojnosti “rase” i “etnije”. Kratki povijesni pregled sadržaja takovih studija pokazuje cijeli niz neriješenih pitanja u istraživanjima što čine glavnu struju u proučavanju južnoafričkog društva. Nije se došlo do saznanja zašto, ustvari, i kako “rasa” i “etnija” postaju sociologijski relevantnim kategorijama za analizu. Nije isto tako posve jasno kako to rasa i etnija omogućavaju objašnjavanje južnoafričkog društva. Glavnostrujaško je istraživanje bilo označeno empirijsko-analitičkim pristupom koji vodi paradigmi zavađenih društava (divided societies). Kako si je glavnostrujaška sociologija zamislila uspostaviti kritičku razdjelnicu spram apariheidskog mišljenja, te je li bila u stanju pomaknuti se znatno ponad “oficijelne” “rasne” i “etničke” klasifikacije ideologije apartheida? - dva su najvažnija problema, o kojima se raspravlja u ovom članku

Organic molecules, dendrimers and sulfur-based polymers of intrinsic microporosity

The research in this thesis is centred on the synthesis of novel organic molecules of intrinsic microporosity (OMIMs), dendrimers of intrinsic microporosity (DIMs) and sulfur-based polymers of intrinsic microporosity (sPIMs). OMIMs are a new class of discretely amorphous microporous materials, synthesised by the combination of functionalised cores and termini that share awkward molecular geometries exploited to generate microporosity in polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). OMIMs presented in this thesis are prepared by the combination of fluorinated biphenyl or terphenyl cores with dihydroxy (catechol) based benzene, naphthalene or triptycene termini. Through a systematic study of substituted termini, a structure-property relationship is established and applied to generate highly soluble OMIMs possessing apparent BET surface areas within the range of 7 – 726 m2 g-1, as measured by nitrogen sorption at 77 K. The second section on DIMs is an expansion of the work on OMIMs. By isolating tri-substituted biphenyl cores (branch units), first generation dendrimers are afforded by the reaction of a branch unit with a suitably functionalised core. DIMs in this thesis centre around the 9,10-diethyltriptycene-2,3,6,7,13,14-hexaol core, and give rise to apparent BET surface areas within the range of 300 – 722 m2 g-1, as measured by nitrogen sorption at 77 K. The final section of this thesis focuses around the monomer synthesis and subsequent polymerisations of three spirobisindane based sPIMs (sPIM-0, sPIM-1 and sPIM-2). Whereas typical PIMs exploit catechol containing monomers to generate dibenzodioxane containing polymers, sPIMs employ dithiol containing monomers to generate thianthrene containing polymers. These thianthrene units could lead to enhanced gas separation properties of the polymer before or after post-polymerisation oxidation to sulfones or sulfoxides. All three sPIMs were found to be microporous, possessing apparent BET surface areas within the range 438 – 510 m2 g-1, as measured by nitrogen sorption at 77 K

Out from Behind the Curtain

A dialogue about The Dream We Carry, The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus (CD & LP, 9x9 Records

Conservation of a crystallographic interface suggests a role for β-sheet augmentation in influenza virus NS1 multifunctionality

The structure of a monomeric effector domain from influenza A virus NS1 is presented from diffraction data extending to 1.8 Å resolution. Comparison of this and other NS1 effector-domain structures shows conformational changes at a strand–strand packing interface, hinting at a role for β-strand augmentation in NS1 function

'Sarsen stones in Wessex': a society of antiquaries project contextualised and renewed

This paper reviews the Society of Antiquaries’ Evolution of the Landscape project, which started in 1974, and the project’s Sarsen Stones in Wessex survey. The survey was an ambitious public archaeology project, involving c 100 volunteers led by Fellows of the Society during the 1970s. Its aims, objectives and outcomes are described. The survey’s unique dataset, produced for the counties of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset, has now been digitised. Drawing on the dataset, the paper situates the Evolution of the Landscape project in the context of later-twentieth century British archaeology. It demonstrates the importance not only of individual Fellows, but also contemporary movements in academic and development-led archaeology, to the direction of the Society’s activities in this formative period for the discipline today, and shows how the Society’s research was engaged with some of archaeology’s most pressing cultural resource management issue

Nanoparticles of Cu2ZnSnS4 as performance enhancing additives for organic field-effect transistors

The addition of oleylamine coated Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticles to solutions of an organic semiconductor used to fabricate organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) has been investigated. The oligothiophene-based small molecule 5T-TTF and the polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were each applied in the transistors with various concentrations of CZTS (5-20%). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was applied to characterise the surface morphology of the OFETs. The use of 5 and 10 wt% of the CZTS nanoparticles in 5T-TTF and P3HT solutions, respectively, appears to be a simple and effective way of improving OFET performance

Correction: Nanoparticles of Cu2ZnSnS4 as performance enhancing additives for organic field-effect transistors

Correction for 'Nanoparticles of Cu2ZnSnS4 as performance enhancing additives for organic field-effect transistors' by Punarja Kevin et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016, DOI: 10.1039/c6tc01650b

Thiazole-induced rigidification in substituted dithieno-tetrathiafulvalene : the effect of planarisation on charge transport properties

Two novel tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) containing compounds 1 and 2 have been synthesised via a four-fold Stille coupling between a tetrabromo-dithienoTTF 5 and stannylated thiophene 6 or thiazole 4. The optical and electrochemical properties of compounds 1 and 2 have been measured by UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry and the results compared with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to confirm the observed properties. Organic field effect transistor (OFET) devices fabricated from 1 and 2 demonstrated that the substitution of thiophene units for thiazoles was found to increase the observed charge transport, which is attributed to induced planarity through S-N interactions of adjacent thiazole nitrogen atoms and TTF sulfur atoms and better packing in the bulk

Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by cataract:a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020

BACKGROUND: To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by cataract and their proportion of the total number of vision-impaired individuals.METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of published population studies and gray literature from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to estimate global and regional trends. We developed prevalence estimates based on modeled distance visual impairment and blindness due to cataract, producing location-, year-, age-, and sex-specific estimates of moderate to severe vision impairment (MSVI presenting visual acuity &lt;6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity &lt;3/60). Estimates are age-standardized using the GBD standard population.RESULTS: In 2020, among overall (all ages) 43.3 million blind and 295 million with MSVI, 17.0 million (39.6%) people were blind and 83.5 million (28.3%) had MSVI due to cataract blind 60% female, MSVI 59% female. From 1990 to 2020, the count of persons blind (MSVI) due to cataract increased by 29.7%(93.1%) whereas the age-standardized global prevalence of cataract-related blindness improved by -27.5% and MSVI increased by 7.2%. The contribution of cataract to the age-standardized prevalence of blindness exceeded the global figure only in South Asia (62.9%) and Southeast Asia and Oceania (47.9%).CONCLUSIONS: The number of people blind and with MSVI due to cataract has risen over the past 30 years, despite a decrease in the age-standardized prevalence of cataract. This indicates that cataract treatment programs have been beneficial, but population growth and aging have outpaced their impact. Growing numbers of cataract blind indicate that more, better-directed, resources are needed to increase global capacity for cataract surgery.</p

Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by cataract:a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020

BACKGROUND: To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by cataract and their proportion of the total number of vision-impaired individuals.METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of published population studies and gray literature from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to estimate global and regional trends. We developed prevalence estimates based on modeled distance visual impairment and blindness due to cataract, producing location-, year-, age-, and sex-specific estimates of moderate to severe vision impairment (MSVI presenting visual acuity &lt;6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity &lt;3/60). Estimates are age-standardized using the GBD standard population.RESULTS: In 2020, among overall (all ages) 43.3 million blind and 295 million with MSVI, 17.0 million (39.6%) people were blind and 83.5 million (28.3%) had MSVI due to cataract blind 60% female, MSVI 59% female. From 1990 to 2020, the count of persons blind (MSVI) due to cataract increased by 29.7%(93.1%) whereas the age-standardized global prevalence of cataract-related blindness improved by -27.5% and MSVI increased by 7.2%. The contribution of cataract to the age-standardized prevalence of blindness exceeded the global figure only in South Asia (62.9%) and Southeast Asia and Oceania (47.9%).CONCLUSIONS: The number of people blind and with MSVI due to cataract has risen over the past 30 years, despite a decrease in the age-standardized prevalence of cataract. This indicates that cataract treatment programs have been beneficial, but population growth and aging have outpaced their impact. Growing numbers of cataract blind indicate that more, better-directed, resources are needed to increase global capacity for cataract surgery.</p