The polaroid image as photo-object

This article is part of a larger project on the cultural history of Polaroid photography and draws on research done at the Polaroid Corporate archive at Harvard and at the Polaroid company itself. It identifies two cultural practices engendered by Polaroid photography, which, at the point of its extinction, has briefly flared into visibility again. It argues that these practices are mistaken as novel but are in fact rediscoveries of practices that stretch back as many as five decades. The first section identifies Polaroid image-making as a photographic equivalent of what Tom Gunning calls the ‘cinema of attractions’. That is, the emphasis in its use is on the display of photographic technologies rather than the resultant image. Equally, the common practice, in both fine art and vernacular circles, of making composite pictures with Polaroid prints, draws attention from image content and redirects it to the photo as object

Linguistic Structures and Economic Outcomes

Linguistic structures have recently started to attract attention from economists as determinants of economic phenomena. This paper provides the first comprehensive review of this nascent literature and its achievements so far. First, we explore the complex connections between language, culture, thought and behaviour. Then, we summarize the empirical evidence on the relationship between linguistic structures and economic and social outcomes. We follow up with a discussion of data, empirical design and identification. The paper concludes by discussing implications for future research and policy

An infrared microspectroscopic study of plasters and pigments from the Neolithic site of Bestansur, Iraq

Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy and microspectroscopy (μ-IR) supported by Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope – Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis (ESEM-EDX) has been utilised to investigate the technology and use of multi-coloured architectural plasters and pigments by Neolithic communities at the archaeological site of Bestansur, Iraq, c. 7,600 BC. Sub-samples of architectural materials and pigments were analysed using IR spectroscopy and fragile samples and thin sections were analysed using μ-IR and ESEM-EDX to determine the mineralogical and elemental composition of individual components and layers and the history of construction and use of three large rectilinear buildings. In addition, experimental investigations were undertaken into the application of IR to study of the firing of calcium carbonate and of clays to investigate if this technique was able to detect evidence of fired-lime materials and of reddening of building materials by fire. Whilst the IR analysis alone was not able to characterise the plasters and pigments, when combined with ESEM-EDX the minerals responsible for pigmentation in the samples were clearly identified. The green clay was determined to be local celadonite-bearing marine clays. The red pigment was found to contain iron, most likely in the form of hematite. The black pigment contained manganese and iron, likely to be present as manganese dioxide and magnetite. The investigations of firing indicate that a hard white exterior may come from fired-lime while a reddish silty clay wall surface had probably not been subject to high-temperature burning. Analysis of a series of wall plasters and pigments from Building 8 (pre-7,600 BC) revealed experiment and development in technologies and materials throughout the occupation of the building, which in the final sequence resemble those from significantly later level at the site of Çatalhöyük, Turkey (c. 7,000 BC)

Political Regimes and Sovereign Credit Risk in Europe, 1750-1913

This article uses a new panel data set to perform a statistical analysis of political regimes and sovereign credit risk in Europe from 1750 to 1913. Old Regime polities typically suffered from fiscal fragmentation and absolutist rule. By the start of World War I, however, many such countries had centralized institutions and limited government. Panel regressions indicate that centralized and?or limited regimes were associated with significant improvements in credit risk relative to fragmented and absolutist ones. Structural break tests also reveal close relationships between major turning points in yield series and political transformations

Internet of Nano-Things, Things and Everything: Future Growth Trends

The current statuses and future promises of the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Everything (IoE) and Internet of Nano-Things (IoNT) are extensively reviewed and a summarized survey is presented. The analysis clearly distinguishes between IoT and IoE, which are wrongly considered to be the same by many commentators. After evaluating the current trends of advancement in the fields of IoT, IoE and IoNT, this paper identifies the 21 most significant current and future challenges as well as scenarios for the possible future expansion of their applications. Despite possible negative aspects of these developments, there are grounds for general optimism about the coming technologies. Certainly, many tedious tasks can be taken over by IoT devices. However, the dangers of criminal and other nefarious activities, plus those of hardware and software errors, pose major challenges that are a priority for further research. Major specific priority issues for research are identified

Neurobehavioral consequences of chronic intrauterine opioid exposure in infants and preschool children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

<b>Background</b><p></p> It is assumed within the accumulated literature that children born of pregnant opioid dependent mothers have impaired neurobehavioral function as a consequence of chronic intrauterine opioid use.<p></p> <b>Methods</b><p></p> Quantitative and systematic review of the literature on the consequences of chronic maternal opioid use during pregnancy on neurobehavioral function of children was conducted using the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched Cinahl, EMBASE, PsychINFO and MEDLINE between the periods of January 1995 to January 2012.<p></p> <b>Results</b><p></p> There were only 5 studies out of the 200 identified that quantitatively reported on neurobehavioral function of children after maternal opioid use during pregnancy. All 5 were case control studies with the number of exposed subjects within the studies ranging from 33–143 and 45–85 for the controls. This meta-analysis showed no significant impairments, at a non-conservative significance level of p < 0.05, for cognitive, psychomotor or observed behavioural outcomes for chronic intra-uterine exposed infants and pre-school children compared to non-exposed infants and children. However, all domains suggested a trend to poor outcomes in infants/children of opioid using mothers. The magnitude of all possible effects was small according to Cohen’s benchmark criteria.<p></p> <b>Conclusions</b><p></p> Chronic intra-uterine opioid exposed infants and pre-school children experienced no significant impairment in neurobehavioral outcomes when compared to non-exposed peers, although in all domains there was a trend to poorer outcomes. The findings of this review are limited by the small number of studies analysed, the heterogenous populations and small numbers within the individual studies. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if any neuropsychological impairments appear after the age of 5 years and to help investigate further the role of environmental risk factors on the effect of ‘core’ phenotypes

Dream-hole

I draw on Derrida's limitless extension of the concept of writing to read Freud on dreams, and to explore relations between words, phenomenal or sensory experience, and life itself. I agree with Wordsworth, Freud, Derrida and Cixous that words are also things and argue that what linguistics recognizes as the sign can be marked, as a sculpted piece of stone might be, by the shaping violence of a force other than language. That opening remains traceable in the text. Dream writing names a lived experience of force: magical in its power, unlocatable in psychic terms, moving between languages, dependent on belief