The economics of the Arab Spring

This article explores the economic underpinnings of the Arab spring. We locate the roots of the regiosn's long-term economic failure in a statist model of development that is financed through external windfalls and rests on inefficient forms of intervention and redistribution. We argue that the rising cost of repression and redistribution is calling into question the long-term sustainability of this development model. A singular failure of tyhe Arab world is that it has been unable to develop a private sector that is independent, competetive and intergrated with global markets. We argue that developing such a orivate sector is both a political as well as a regional challenge. In so far as the private sector genertaes incomes that are independent of the rent streams controlled by the state and can pose a direct political challenge, it is viewed as a threat. And, the Arab world's economic fragmentation into isolated geographic units further undermines the prospects for private sector development. We explain this economic fragmentation as a manifestation of dentralized and segmented administrative structures. Revisiting the polictics and geo-politics of regional trade, we argue that overcoming regional economic barriers constitues the single most important collective action problem that the region has faced since the fall of the Ottoman Empire.Arab Spring, Fragmentation, Regional Trade, Protectionism

Extracting Hierarchies of Search Tasks & Subtasks via a Bayesian Nonparametric Approach

A significant amount of search queries originate from some real world information need or tasks. In order to improve the search experience of the end users, it is important to have accurate representations of tasks. As a result, significant amount of research has been devoted to extracting proper representations of tasks in order to enable search systems to help users complete their tasks, as well as providing the end user with better query suggestions, for better recommendations, for satisfaction prediction, and for improved personalization in terms of tasks. Most existing task extraction methodologies focus on representing tasks as flat structures. However, tasks often tend to have multiple subtasks associated with them and a more naturalistic representation of tasks would be in terms of a hierarchy, where each task can be composed of multiple (sub)tasks. To this end, we propose an efficient Bayesian nonparametric model for extracting hierarchies of such tasks \& subtasks. We evaluate our method based on real world query log data both through quantitative and crowdsourced experiments and highlight the importance of considering task/subtask hierarchies.Comment: 10 pages. Accepted at SIGIR 2017 as a full pape

Synthesis, Processing, and Fundamental Phase Formation Study of CZTS Films for Solar Cell Applications

Copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu2ZnSnS4 or CZTS) kesterite compound has attracted much attention in the last years as a new abundant, low cost, and environmentally benign material with desirable optoelectronic properties for Photovoltaic (PV) thin film solar cell applications. Among various synthesis routes for CZTS thin films, sol-gel processing is one of the most attractive routes to obtain CZTS films with superior quality and low cost. In this study, sol-gel sulfurization process parameters for CZTS thin films were systematically investigated to identify the proper process window. In addition, temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy was employed to monitor the CZTS sulfurization process in real time and gain fundamental information about the phase formation and degradation mechanisms of CZTS under the relevant processing conditions. It was found that CZTS thin films with different Cu stoichiometry can be prepared using parts-per-million (ppm) level of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas as opposed to high percentage level of H2S (e.g., ≥ 5%) in all previous studies. Samples sulfurized at lower temperatures of ~350°C and 125°C revealed the formation of CZTS phase as confirmed by XRD, Raman micro-spectroscopy, and sheet resistance measurement. Local EDS analysis indicates that CZTS films prepared at those low temperatures have a near-stoichiometric composition and are sometimes accompanied by the formation of Cu2-xS phase(s). Also, stoichiometric and Cu-rich precursor solutions tend to yield CZTS samples with better crystallinity and superior optical properties compared with the Cu-deficient solution. Moreover, in situ Raman monitoring of phase formation of CZTS material was carried out from room temperature up to 350°C in a 100 ppm H2S+4%H2+N2 gas mixture. The results showed that CZTS phase formed in about 30 min via a direct reaction between the metal oxide precursor film and the H2S-H2 gas mixture at an intermediate temperature of 350°C and remained stable upon extended exposure. In comparison, at a lower temperature (170°C), the oxide precursor film had to be reduced first (e.g., in 4% H2/N2 forming gas) and then the CZTS phase emerged. However, continued sulfurization at a lower temperature (e.g., 170°C) led to the disintegration of CZTS and the formation of CuS impurity, which remains stable upon cooling the sample down to room temperature. Furthermore, results of in situ Raman monitoring of CZTS films in an oxygen-rich atmosphere at elevated temperatures up to 600°C suggested that CZTS oxidizes first at ~400°C to form tin oxide (SnO2) and binary sulfides of mainly copper sulfide (Cu2-xS) and zinc sulfide (ZnS). Then, at temperatures higher than 400°C, the remaining sulfides oxidize to form zinc oxide (ZnO). The outcomes of the current study set the directions for optimizing the CZTS film structure and stoichiometry toward developing low cost and high-performance CZTS solar cells in future

The Monstrosity of the Destruction of the Females in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein

This research examines the real monstrosity in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. My argument is that the true monstrosity in the novel is the destruction of the females that results, as Julia Kristeva says in her theory of abjection, from fear and disgust of women’s bodies. I will use major pieces of textual evidence from the novel and analyze them through Kristeva’s idea of abjection to show how monstrosity is constructed in the novel. First, I show that monstrosity is evident, as Kristeva says, in the fragility of law. This can be seen in how Victor Frankenstein is exonerated of his crimes that led to the destruction of Justine and the female monster because of the unfair and biased judicial institutions. In contrast, Justine is accused and punished for a crime that she did not commit. Second, monstrosity is also evident in Victor’s denial of the significance of the maternal. This can be seen in his creation of the female monster without the need of a woman, his comparison between his creation and females’ labor, and the symbolic destruction of the female monster’s placenta. The latter in turn indicates that he wants to prove that the mother’s absence is not a big deal

The Impact of Direct Integration of Social Emotional Lessons with Montessori Upper Elementary Children

This action research study aimed to analyze the impact of direct social-emotional lessons on students\u27 emotional intelligence in a Montessori upper elementary classroom. This study explored the impact of combining social-emotional vocabulary with social-emotional learning (SEL) skill development. The study used quantitative and qualitative data, including pre- and post-assessments, follow-up work, observation logs, and SEL elements added to the students’ weekly work plans. SEL curriculum materials and follow-up work were created for this study following the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework and their SAFE acronym: sequenced, active, focused, and explicit. The data showed that teaching SEL vocabulary and the five competencies’ qualities positively impacted student understanding and SEL skill development. Based on these results, Montessori teachers could positively impact students\u27 emotional intelligence, normalization in the classroom, and overall student well-being by integrating SEL lessons into the cosmic curriculum

The role of Connexin45 in the pathogenesis of ventricular tachyarrhythmia

Gap junction remodelling occurs in heart disease and likely contributes to the pathophysiology of cardiac arrhythmias. The most abundant cardiac gap junction proteins are Connexin (Cx) 43, 40 and 45. Cx45 expression in cardiac physiology is the least studied and has been associated with cardiac tachyarrhythmia. This thesis phenotyped the rat heart following over-expression of Cx45 by somatic gene transfer and was able to show slowing of conduction as evidenced by prolongation of both PR and QRS intervals seen on the ECG’s of rodent hearts. In addition there was increased ventricular arrhythmia (VA) as compared to control, GFP transduced rats. This is likely due to co-localisation of Cx45 and Cx43 in gap junctions as found in our protein-protein interaction studies. Furthermore knockdown of Cx45 by gene therapy in a disease model of post-myocardial infarction VA, where increased Cx45 was noted, led to reduced VA and sudden cardiac death. In summary this thesis has shown that Cx45 has a role in the pathophysiology of ventricular arrhythmias where an increase in expression leads to increased VA and targeted reduction of Cx45 in a disease model leads to a reduction in VA