Picturing theory: Nicole Awai’s black ooze as post-diaspora expression

ABSTRACT

Given contexts of globalization and transnationalism, and calls within the academe for new vocabularies to describe contemporary migrations and encounters, this article looks to the visual arts in its proposal of a lexicon for articulating mobilities and self-fashioning. In its consideration of a post-diaspora theory, the article lays a foundation for its argument by putting the ideas of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre in dialog with the work of Trinidadian-born, US-based contemporary artist Nicole Awai, specifically the artworks in which she attends to the notion of a black ooze. Rather than dislocation and disjuncture, the article posits the idea of the viscous or the ooze as a symbol of diverse affiliations and nuanced mobilities. Furthermore, the ooze is advanced as a means of understanding post-diaspora in gendered terms. The article asks: what forms of expression are available to reconfigure identities as post-diasporic? It argues that Nicole Awai’s work is one such expression.     

Perpetuating the Military Myth – Why the Psychology of the 2014 Australian Defence Pay Deal Is Irrelevant

There is a widespread belief that members of the armed forces have a unique psychological relationship with their institution and their nation, and that it is this relationship that leads to loyalty and self‐sacrifice. Yet this ‘military myth’ does not hold. Many soldiers serve for ‘occupational’ rather than ‘institutional’ reasons, and as the experience of private military contractors demonstrates, this need not reduce operational effectiveness. In this article, we argue that the concern expressed in the recent commentary in this journal by Williamson et. al. (2015) that the dispute over the 2014 Australian Defence Pay Deal may damage the ‘psychological contract’, turn it from ‘relational’ to ‘transactional’, and undermine operational effectiveness is unfounded and seems to buy into this military myth.     

Determination of Changes in Crystal Violet and Phenoxyethanol (Dating Ink)

Ink dating is a significant problem in terms of forensic science. Ballpoint pens are generally used as writing tools on the documents. Aging is determination of the changes in dyes and solvents in the composition of ink over time by analytical methods. The evaporation of the solvents from the paper surface is faster than the decomposition process of the dyes. In this study, in 2017, we were asked by the court to determine whether the texts on the suspicious pages of an agenda dated 1996 were written within 2 years or earlier. Phenoxyethanol and dyes were examined in the composition of all suspected ink samples. The results show the determination of both the decomposition process of the dyes and the evaporation process of phenoxyethanol in the aging of the document entries written by ballpoint pen.     

村民自治的历史嬗变--传统文化传承视角下的村民自治审视

传统乡村自治文化是在长期生存过程中对乡村居民生存境域进行深刻认识和对其生活经验进行系统总结后逐步形成的，蕴含着丰富的生存论方面的认识价值和实践方面的参考价值，对生存问题终极思考的永恒性使得传统和现代可以进行超越时空的对话。正是基于这样的原因，传统乡村自治文化中长期积聚的认识和经验在现代社会依然可以得到延续。通过对乡村自治文化进行历史审视和对其内涵做简要分析，发现传统乡村自治不仅出自乡村自我管理的现实需求，也源于教化及文化传承的精神需要，这就使得传统乡村自治文化在现代社会的超越性发展有了前提和基础，因此，深度挖掘传统村民自治中的优秀文化资源，积极探索其和现代村民自治的有效衔接途径，具有非常重要的现实意义。     

Detection of microRNAs in DNA Extractions for Forensic Biological Source Identification

Molecular‐based approaches for biological source identification are of great interest in the forensic community because of a lack of sensitivity and specificity in current methods. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been considered due to their robust nature and tissue specificity; however, analysis requires a separate RNA extraction, requiring an additional step in the forensic analysis workflow. The purpose of this study was to evaluate miRNA detection in blood, semen, and saliva using DNA extraction methods commonly utilized for forensic casework. RT‐qPCR analysis revealed that the tested miRNAs were consistently detectable across most tested DNA extraction methods, but detection was significantly reduced compared to RNA extracts in some biological fluids. DNase treatment was not necessary to achieve miRNA‐specific results. A previously developed miRNA panel for forensic body fluid identification was evaluated using DNA extracts, and largely demonstrated concordance with results from samples deriving from RNA extracts of semen, blood, and saliva.     

伦理观念的嬗变与土地法制的变迁——从更为宽广的伦理视野对资源法的一种审视

土地是人类生存与发展的基础。人类土地法制的历史源远流长，就法域而言其历经了四个阶段：公法、私法、经济法和环境法，推动人类土地法制发生这种变迁的内在动因就在于伦理观念的发展嬗变。     

SA‐EU‐chile: Pioneers in north‐south relations

A look at the many plans, processes, agreements and disagreements that have led the Congo to its current transition phase.     

An International Perspective on the African Famines

This article examines the practice of male circumcision among the migrant Yao people in Zimbabwe with the goal of showing circumcision's importance as a platform for social mobilisation against HIV and AIDS. The work looks at how the practice has health benefits and creates a new form of identity to fight AIDS. It therefore examines the role of the rite in the creation of a collective Yao identity that facilitates mobilisation against the pandemic within the community. This mobilisation is a complex and contentious process, which involves various levels of negotiation, reconstruction and reconfiguration of Yao identity and the circumcision practice (the surgical act and teachings about it), both within and outside the group. The article argues that the practice can be viewed as a form of an African social movement that is largely driven by a complex but self-conscious collective identity and is also induced by the global donor interest in the circumcision–AIDS debate.     

超高效液相色谱串联质谱法检测血液中的林可霉素

目的建立超高效液相色谱串联质谱法(UPLC-MS/MS)测定全血中林可霉素的方法。方法样品血使用3mL水提取,涡旋离心,上清液过HLB柱,用10%甲醇溶液淋洗,甲醇洗脱,洗脱液用于UPLC-MS/MS分析。采用ACQUITY UPLC○R HSS T3色谱柱分离,采用电喷雾多反应监测模式(MRM)检测。结果以林可霉素母离子406.987(m/z)和子离子126.011及359.009(m/z)定性、定量。加标回收率在104.98%～120.74%。在S/N≥3的情况下,最低检出限为55.4pg/mL。结论本方法分析速度快,灵敏度高,准确度高,重现性好,可在法庭科学应用推广。     

Main-streaming the climate change and green growth agenda into development visions: A narrative from selected sub-Sahara African countries

Abstract

Primary commodities continue to play a critical role in the economic development of many economies in Africa. However, the climate change phenomenon is threatening the role of these commodities through two routes. First, through its demand for a development trajectory that mitigates and adapts to climate change by following a less primary commodities-intensive development agenda, and second, climate change induced extreme weather events such as floods and drought that threaten the production of some of these commodities, Through a case study of four primary commodities-intense African economies: South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Cameroon, this article examines the degree and intensity of the articulation of the climate change and green growth agenda in the policy documents that shape the development agendas of these countries. The findings indicate a paucity of discussions on the green growth agenda in the development visions of all the countries except South Africa. In contrast, there is a general discussion of the challenges that climate change poses to the development efforts and articulation of the need to mitigate and adapt to these challenges. The need for mitigation and adaptation is proactively articulated in the post-2007 development visions of South Africa, Nigeria and Cameroon and retrospectively discussed through complementary policy documents supporting the pre-2007 development vision of Kenya. What remains to be determined, is how these visions will be translated into specific policies and implemented in order to enable these economies to adapt to and mitigate climate change in a manner that allows them to sustainably exploit some of their primary commodities and to compete in a world that in the future will increasingly demand green products and services.