Critical Potential Research Articles

Geology, Power, and the Planetary

What conditions of possibility have emerged for learning to live on a new earth? This special section builds on scholarship in the environmental humanities, critical Black studies, and geophilosophy to explore how emergent ways of becoming human are forged in relation to powerful earth dynamics, even while earth’s powers are constitutive of contemporary forms of domination. Geologizing Sylvia Wynter’s understanding of being human as a praxis, it proposes that earth as praxis (a) provides a diagnosis of the deeply embedded forms of power that have been materialized, over several centuries, in the earthly conditions of life itself; and (b) represents a critical potential for creating new ways to live on earth through the practical exploration of geosocial relations. We highlight three modes of earth praxis. Inhuman territorializations calls attention to the landscapes and earthy matter subjected to racializing and territorializing modes of power. In turn, such practices participate in the constitution of dehumanized, racialized, and dispossessed bodies and peoples. Becoming geological refers to the ways human forms of living have become shot through with earth system dynamics, mineralogical relations, and energetic possibilities, to the extent that people cannot be who they are without these pervasive anthropogenic geologies. Finally, planetary predicaments helps diagnose the politically vital and collective but deeply unequal and nonhomogeneous conditions of the present. Earth as praxis offers an analytical grip on emerging planetary earth relations that breaks with abstract, universalizing categories, and is capable of diagnosing the wide range of today’s violent, creative, and liberatory planetary practices.

Aesthetic Approach for Critical Sociology of Contemporary Communication Technology

Critical theory has already marked that technology often threatens civil liberties, personal autonomy, and rights. Heidegger, later Marcuse, emphasized how technology is not value-free in its own revealing power of the surrounding environment, external and inner nature. Throughout this paper, I explore how the aesthetic approach engages with critical theory and contributes to the sociology of media and communication. For this, I will theoretically survey the terms of sociality under the forces of immediate communication, ubiquitous surveillance, and the compression of time and space that Baudrillard and Virilio once problematized through the lens of critical technology theory to adapt it to media and communication studies. I contend that techno-aesthetics that converge with Rancière’s dissensus can provide practical suggestions on an updated vocation of critical sociology. This article discusses the potential of aesthetic and social criticism of media for democratizing technology that Feenberg inserted. It is urgent to acknowledge the changing spatio-temporal aesthetic regimes that affect the societal imagination and limits of sociality and action to determine the next steps for achieving a commons-based society.

On the selective corrosion mechanism of LPBF-produced AlSi10Mg: Potentiostatic polarization effects

Additive manufacturing technologies are quickly gaining success in several industries. However, a complete understating of how the unique macro- and microstructures obtainable influence the corrosion behavior is still far from being achieved. In this work, potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization tests were performed in an aerated chloride solution on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)-produced AlSi10Mg specimens, built adopting different baseplate temperatures. Potentiodynamic polarization tests evidenced two separate breakdown potentials. The first was associated with the initiation of corrosion localized at the edge of the melt pool, while the second with the break of the passive film of the matrix. This phenomenon highlighted that potentiodynamic curves can overestimate the critical potentials required to trigger the selective corrosion. Potentiostatic polarization tests were performed at an intermediate potential value with respect to the ones highlighted in the previous test. All the specimens achieved the dissolution of the passive layer after a certain immersion time. This period was lower for the specimens built using higher baseplate temperatures, due to the coarsening of the microstructure and disruption of the Si-rich network. A similar behavior was encountered by the heat-treated samples. These required significantly less time to trigger corrosion, due to the complete disappearance of the melt pool macrostructure and formation of Si particles.

The Reader Response Theory in Arabic Criticism Mohammad Al-Mubarak's Book: Istiqbal un-Nass (Text Reception) as an Example

The last century witnessed a lot of changes in world literary criticism. The modern critical approaches with their different philosophical, literary and linguistic attitudes emerged giving us various rules and ways of reading a literary text. These theories were divided into contextual approaches (the historical, psychological and social) paying attention to the author and the political, cultural and psychological changes he/she has undergone and how these changes affected the text through the author and his life. Critical studies then shifted from the context into text with the emergence of the textual approaches which argue that the critical reading begins with text and ends with it. The critical act moves then from the text to the receiver/reader with the appearance of the reader response theories which focus upon the reader as one of the most important elements of constructing the literary text and participating in it. Amid the tumult of all these studies, there were those who deny the existence of Arabic critical studies concerned with the reader or receiver till Mohamd Al-Mubark pulished his study: Text Reception in Arabic Criticism, tracing in it classical Arab critics' opinions concerning critical reading, its levels and types, the reader, his types and attitudes. This book is an attempt by the author to highlight the ancient Arabic critical heritage and to show the place of Arab critics and their critical potentialities in reading and receiving the literary text. Keywords: criticism, critical approaches, reader-response theory, ancient Arabic criticism, text reception.

An effective correspondence-based peridynamics-FEM coupling model for brittle fracture

Correspondence-based peridynamics (CBPD) is attractive and promising because of its outstanding ability to employ the traditional constitutive relations for material modeling. However, application of CBPD to brittle fracture problems is somewhat limited due to the numerical instability issue and lack of a rational bond failure criterion. To enable CBPD to accurately and stably predict brittle fracture problems, an improved energy-based bond failure criterion is firstly established in this work, in which the expression of bond potential is re-derived, and its simplified expression for isotropic linear elastic solids is clearly defined. The critical bond potential is determined by assuming it is directly proportional to the bond length, and the discretization error for the critical energy release rate in the discretized model is corrected with a correction factor. Besides the zero-energy mode control method, additional stabilization technique to reduce the influence of ill-posed or singular reference shape tensor on brittle fracture simulations is also explored to avoid the unexpected irregular damages during the fracture process. In addition, a direct coupling model of CBPD and FEM is established to improve the computational efficiency, and the ghost forces at the interface are verified to be negligible. Finally, several numerical examples involving typical quasi-static and dynamic brittle fracture problems are investigated, and fracture behaviors including the crack paths, load-displacement curves, and crack propagation speeds are all well predicted, which sufficiently demonstrates the accuracy and stability of the proposed method.

Modulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signaling pathways in cancer angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis by natural compounds: a comprehensive and critical review.

Tumor cells employ multiple signaling mediators to escape the hypoxic condition and trigger angiogenesis and metastasis. As a critical orchestrate of tumorigenic conditions, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is responsible for stimulating several target genes and dysregulated pathways in tumor invasion and migration. Therefore, targeting HIF-1 pathway and cross-talked mediators seems to be a novel strategy in cancer prevention and treatment. In recent decades, tremendous efforts have been made to develop multi-targeted therapies to modulate several dysregulated pathways in cancer angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. In this line, natural compounds have shown a bright future in combating angiogenic and metastatic conditions. Among the natural secondary metabolites, we have evaluated the critical potential of phenolic compounds, terpenes/terpenoids, alkaloids, sulfur compounds, marine- and microbe-derived agents in the attenuation of HIF-1, and interconnected pathways in fighting tumor-associated angiogenesis and invasion. This is the first comprehensive review on natural constituents as potential regulators of HIF-1 and interconnected pathways against cancer angiogenesis and metastasis. This review aims to reshape the previous strategies in cancer prevention and treatment.

Postone and Conceptions of Nature: Towards a Panpsychist Marxism?

ABSTRACT How theorists conceptualize the natural world influences their approach to addressing ecological and social issues. Within contemporary historical materialism, there has been minimal attention paid to conceptions of nature based on panpsychism, which is the view that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous property of nature. This paper aims to contribute to the filling of this gap through investigating modern conceptions of nature through the lens of Moishe Postone's Time, Labor and Social Domination. This leads on to consideration of the critical potential of panpsychism, with particular attention to the process philosophy tradition inspired by Alfred North Whitehead. It is concluded that a Postonian immanent critique which incorporates insights from panpsychism broadens the base for envisaging postcapitalist possibilities.

Grain boundaries boost the prelithiation capability of the Li2CO3 cathode additives for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries

Due to high theoretical capacity, Si anodes have attracted tremendous attention. Nevertheless, huge volume change during cycling together with large lithium loss substantially hinders their large-scale application. Prelithiation has emerged as a highly attractive strategy to compensate for the loss of active lithium. Li2CO3, which is ambient stable and delivers more than 5 times the theoretical capacity of the existing cathode materials, serves as an excellent cathode prelithiation additive. However, the practical application of Li2CO3 is limited by its sluggish charge transport and high critical decomposition potential. Herein, we report a facile route to fabircating nanosized Li2CO3 (N-Li2CO3) materials enriched with grain boundaries (GBs). First-principles investigations reveal that the Li-ion transport behavior is dependent on the concentration of GBs. The Σ(001) GB model exhibits higher Li-ion and electronic conductivities compared to those of the bulk counterpart. As a result, the ∼ 100 % capacity utilization of N-Li2CO3 with a delithiation capacity of 724 mAh/g is obtained, which is much higher than that of commercial Li2CO3 (115 mAh/g), greatly enhancing the reversible capacity, energy density and lifetime of the LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2//Si-graphite full cell. These findings provide valuable understanding of the role of GBs and the correlation between microstructure engineering and performance optimization.

Postdemokratie als Krisendiagnose

Abstract The article looks into the critical potential, but also the limits of the current discussion on post-democracy and the crisis of democracy and proposes an examination of the concept of crisis. The thesis is that the current talk of a crisis of democracy suggests an uncritical, namely restitutive understanding of the crisis that could be appropriated for an apology of Western liberal democracy. In contrast, the text argues for a renewed focus on the self-reflexive and critical potential of the term. Based on a pragmatist concept of problem and action, “crisis” is defined as a certain kind of problem-solving problem and further determined on the basis of four criteria. The contribution this definition makes to the current debate is shown by the example of Jacques Rancière’s diagnosis of post-democracy, which can be read as a diagnosis of crisis in the defined self-reflexive and critical sense.

An Approach for Suppressing Fluid Instabilities in Liquid Metal Battery with an Internal Structure

The instabilities of fluid in the liquid metal battery (LMB) can easily cause a short circuit and lead to safety accidents, which have become a bottleneck in LMB industrial applications. In this case, a structure named grid-structure (GS) based on the inner cavity of the LMB has been used to suppress the fluid instabilities. Based on OpenFOAM-4 x numerical simulation, we analyzed the critical electric potential in basic structures, which is introduced as the threshold of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities. We constructed the GS with a different number of baffles. The simulation results show that the GS can effectively change the spatial distribution of the magnetic field and the flow field. And it can improve the charging/discharging efficiency and enhance the stability of LMB. Simulation results also show that the number of baffles has a positive relationship with the effect of suppressing the instabilities of MHD. This study helps determine the influencing factors of MHD instabilities and proves the universality of the GS.

Critique of digital constitutionalism: Deconstruction and reconstruction from a societal perspective

Abstract Digital constitutionalism is a strand of scholarship that focuses on the relationship between constitutional law and the socio-legal challenges posed by the digital revolution. However, such scholarship often builds uncritically on the tenets of liberal, state-centred constitutional theory, giving rise to contradictions between analytical starting points and normative aspirations. Against this background, with an approach inspired by societal constitutionalism, this article engages with digital constitutionalism as both an object and a means of critique. As an object, digital constitutionalism is assessed in the light of its contradictions. As a means, digital constitutionalism is used to assess the limits of traditional, liberal, state-centred constitutional theory. In other words, societal constitutionalism is the theoretical lens used to both deconstruct and reconstruct digital constitutionalism according to its normative aspirations. The article has three main goals: first, linking different discourses within digital constitutionalism, highlighting its critical potential; second, advancing some proposals based on such reflections; and third, bringing digital constitutionalism closer to the broader global constitutionalism discourse. After an overview of societal constitutionalism, the article focuses on digital constitutionalism’s definition and three functionally differentiated systems: politics, economy and law. For each of them, it highlights analytical and normative gains deriving from the societal constitutionalism-based approach as well as policy proposals to be developed further.

Критика «традиции» в контексте «психоаналитического метода» экзегезы О. Древермана

The paper examines the functions of “tradition” in the Catholic critical discourse basing on the works of one of the most provocative catholic authors of the second half of the 20th century. The meaning of “tradition” in Catholic theology seems to be rather vague; however, in the works of the 20th century theologians it is possible to trace two most general aspects of the concept: tradition as transcendent truth, given by God, and tradition as order, custom or teaching, created by people, historical in its character. The transcendent core of tradition has a strong positive connotation, while its historical aspect can be subject to critique. The two aspects are used both by the adherents of a conservative policy, and by the supporters of church reform, which testifies to a certain flexibility of the term. Eugen Drewermann, one of the most notable modern critics of the Catholic Church, uses the notion in a negative sense, which magnifies the critical potential of his argument. This critical effect does not result singularly from the definition of “tradition” Drewermann gives in his texts. In order to explicate the specific way the author uses the term and to reconstruct its critical potential, the article analyzes the notion of “tradition” functionally: basing on the author's three-volume thesis, Structures of Evil, where he combined biblical exegesis with current psychoanalytic knowledge, and Depth Psychology and Exegesis, the book where Drewermann continues to develop his innovative exegetical method. This approach makes it possible to trace how the notion acquires negative connotations: by excluding the transcendent aspect from the field of its denotations, by discussing religion in terms of psychoanalysis, as well as by linking tradition to such negatively connoted terms as “fear”, “neuroticism”, “external” and contrasting it to the “objective”, “internal”, “natural” and “true”. Eugen Drewermann’s critical interpretation of tradition based on the psychological understanding of religion in fact deprives Christianity of its transcendent origin and delegitimizes the modern institutional form of Catholicism: which allows the author to radicalize the question of the extent to which the Church is liable to change.

„Wizualizacja otwarta” jako narzędzie demokratyzacji wiedzy

In this poster I compare two types of visualization that can be distinguished by the role of the viewer. In the first, which I call “closed visualization,” interpretation is seen as a decoding of meanings already set by the author. The other—“open visualization”—sees the viewer as an active co-creator of meanings. In its processual character, open visualization elicits the critical potential of the imagination and is open to new contexts and interpretations. As such, open visualization democratizes the production of knowledge by enabling the critical analysis of the spectator. Instead of the hegemonic production of discourse typical of closed visualization, it introduces a “diagonal perspectivism” that allows problems to be seen from differentiated perspectives. As examples of the mentioned models of visualization I will analyze two projects: Neil Halloran’s The Shadow Peace: The Nuclear Threat and Aby Warburg’s Mnemosyne Atlas.

Intersectionality Gets Fashionably Fat

The authors’ research project, Sizing Up Gender, explored the experiences of thirteen participants at the intersections of gender expression and fat. Through a series of photographs of participants and their garments, the project pushed the boundaries of art, identities, representations, and research. This article seeks to consider the ways in which innovative arts-based practice with a deep focus on justice and anti-oppression can allow for a thickening of intersectionality research. The blending of art and research practices, such as those under discussion here, can simultaneously maintain a commitment to the genesis of intersectionality’s critical potential while allowing the term to evolve and consider heretofore undiscussed terrain.

Heat and Martin Kernel estimates for Schrödinger operators with critical Hardy potentials

Let Ω\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Omega $$\\end{document} be a bounded domain in RN\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\\mathbb {R}}}^N$$\\end{document} with C2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$C^2$$\\end{document} boundary and let K⊂∂Ω\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$K\\subset \\partial \\Omega $$\\end{document} be either a C2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$C^2$$\\end{document} submanifold of the boundary of codimension k<N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$k<N$$\\end{document} or a point. In this article we study various problems related to the Schrödinger operator Lμ=-Δ-μdK-2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$L_{\\mu } =-\\Delta - \\mu d_K^{-2}$$\\end{document} where dK\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$d_K$$\\end{document} denotes the distance to K and μ≤k2/4\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mu \\le k^2/4$$\\end{document}. We establish parabolic boundary Harnack inequalities as well as related two-sided heat kernel and Green function estimates. We construct the associated Martin kernel and prove existence and uniqueness for the corresponding boundary value problem with data given by measures. To prove our results we introduce among other things a suitable notion of boundary trace. This trace is different from the one used by Marcus and Nguyen (Math Ann 374(1–2):361–394, 2019) thus allowing us to cover the whole range μ≤k2/4\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mu \\le k^2/4$$\\end{document}.

Holographic superfluid with excited states

We construct a novel family of solutions of the holographic superfluid model with the excited states in the probe limit. We observe that the higher excited state or larger superfluid velocity will make the scalar hair more difficult to be developed, and the higher excited state or smaller mass of the scalar field makes it easier for the emergence of translating point from the second-order transition to the first-order one. We note that the difference of the critical chemical potential between the consecutive states increases as the superfluid velocity increases. Interestingly, the “Cave of Winds” phase structure will disappear but the first-order phase transition occurs for the excited states, which is completely different from the holographic superfluid model with the ground state. This means that the excited state will hinder the appearance of the Cave of Winds. Moreover, we find that there exist additional poles in Im[σ(ω)] and delta functions in Re[σ(ω)] arising at low temperature for the excited states, and the higher excited state or larger superfluid velocity results in the larger deviation from the expected relation in the gap frequency.

LncRNA SNHG4 promotes prostate cancer cell survival and resistance to enzalutamide through a let-7a/RREB1 positive feedback loop and a ceRNA network

BackgroundProstate cancer threatens the health of men over sixty years old, and its incidence ranks first among all urinary tumors among men. Enzalutamide remains the first-line drug for castration-resistant prostate cancer, however, tumors inevitably become resistant to enzalutamide. Hence, it is of great importance to investigate the mechanisms that induce enzalutamide resistance in prostate cancer cells.MethodsBioinformatic analyzing approaches were used to identified the over-expressed genes in prostate cancer tumor tissues from three GEO datasets. qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunochemistry/In situ hybridization staining assays were performed to assess the expression of SNHG4, RRM2, TK1, AURKA, EZH2 and RREB1. Cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry. CCK-8, plate colony formation and EdU assays were performed to assess the cell proliferation. Senescence-associated β-Gal assay was used to detect the cell senescence level. γ-H2AX staining assay was performed to assess the DNA damages of PCa cells. Luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were performed to verify the RNA-RNA interactions. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to assess the bindings between protein and genomic DNA.ResultsWe found that RRM2 and NUSAP1 are highly expressed in PCa tumors and significantly correlated with poor clinical outcomes in PCa patients. Bioinformatic analysis as well as experimental validation suggested that SNHG4 regulates RRM2 expression via a let-7 miRNA-mediated ceRNA network. In addition, SNHG4 or RRM2 knockdown significantly induced cell cycle arrest and cell senescence, and inhibited DNA damage repair and cell proliferation, and the effects can be partially reversed by let-7a knockdown or RRM2 reoverexpression. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that SNHG4 overexpression markedly enhanced cell resistance to enzalutamide. RREB1 was demonstrated to transcriptionally regulate SNHG4, and RREB1 was also validated to be a target of let-7a and thereby regulated by the SNHG4/let-7a feedback loop.ConclusionOur study uncovered a novel molecular mechanism of lncRNA SNHG4 in driving prostate cancer progression and enzalutamide resistance, revealing the critical roles and therapeutic potential of RREB1, SNHG4, RRM2 and let-7 miRNAs in anticancer therapy.

Ni2+ and Cu2+ complexes of N-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-N-mesityl formamidine dithiocarbamate structural and functional properties as CYP3A4 potential substrates

Metal compounds continued to attract diverse applications due to their malleability in several capacities. In this study, we present our findings on the crystal structures and functional properties of Ni2+ and Cu2+ complexes of N'-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-N-mesitylformamidine dithiocarbamate (L) comprising [Ni-(L)2] (1) and [Cu-(L)2] (2) with a four-coordinate metal center. We established the two complex structures through 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), elemental, and single-crystal X-ray analysis. The analyses showed that the two complexes are isomorphous, having P21/c as a space group and a unit-cell similarity index (π) of 0.002. The two complexes conform to a distorted square planar geometry around the metal centers. The calculated and experimental data, including bond lengths, angles, and NMR values, are similar. Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed the variational contribution of the different types of intermolecular contacts driven by the crystal lattice of the two solvated complexes. Our knowledge of the potential biological implication of these structures enabled us to probe the compounds as prospective CYP3A4 inhibitors. This approach mimics current trends in pharmaceutical design and biomedicine by incorporating potentially active molecules into various media to predict their biological efficacies. The simulations show appreciable binding of compounds 1 and 2 to CYP3A4 with average interaction energies of –97 and –87 kcal/mol, respectively. The protein attains at least five conformational states in the three studied models using a Gaussian Mixture Model-based clustering and free energy prediction. Electric field analysis shows the crucial residues to substrate binding at the active site, enabling CYP3A4 structure to function prediction. The predicted inhibition with these Ni2+ and Cu2+ complexes indicates that CYP3A4 overexpression in a diseased state like cancer would reduce, thereby increasing the chemotherapeutic compounds' shelf-lives for adsorption. This multidimensional study addresses various aspects of molecular metal electronics, including their application as substrate-mimicking inhibitors. The outcome would enable further research on bio-metal compounds of critical potential.

Application of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis and Fault Tree Analysis in Determining Prevention Efforts Failure of The Fire Extinguishing Process

Banyumas is one of the regencies that still experiences frequent fires. The fire caused physical or material losses. To minimize fire losses, many efforts can be made to prevent the occurrence of these potential causes, which are the cause of the failure of the firefighting process. This study aims to implement the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) methods in determining efforts to prevent fire suppression failures. The result of the FMEA is Risk Priority Number (RPN) values to assess critical potential causes that need to be analyzed using FTA. In this research, there are ten important causes of potential, namely burned assets, difficult assets to save, victims panicking, witnesses/owners were not present, officers slipping, water sources being far from the location, victims being rescued too late, victims being trapped, officers being hit by debris, and officers inhaled excess smoke (congested). The result FTA obtained eleven minimum cut sets, which can fail the firefighting process in the Banyumas Regency, namely lack of awareness from related agencies, the protection system is not up to the firefighting standard and lack of maintenance of the fire protection system, lack of knowledge about how to evacuate yourself, the water source is far from the location, the owner does not live in the place (location), the victim has responsibility for the assets saved, high-priority asset value, a witness has not reported because the incident is considered to be handled by the residents, fire smoke is thick and firefighters not using self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

Unusual Architectures: «Other» Experiences in Architecture and Urbanism, Santiago de Chile (1950-2020)

Understanding the contemporary city as an unfathomable experience, as a set of complex experiences, prone to the indeterminate, this research acknowledges and collects fragments of a larger complex to search for and highlight objects, situations, artifacts, and experiences far from the canonical discourses. These "other" experiences are defined as unusual architectures, that is, located on the margins of what is normally discussed and valued in the traditional spaces of architectural practice, criticism, and teaching. Such recognition is constructed from otherness and comprises a provisional and changing complex. Methodologically, the research implies, first, a conceptual contextualization regarding the valuation of the otherness in architecture and the city as a motor of change in the discipline, and second, an immersion in the direct experience of space by the team. Through urban tours and a search for bibliographic and archival information, ninety cases are collected. Their relevance and critical potentialities are discussed and twenty-seven are studied in depth, making a planimetric and photographic representation, as well as a discourse of contextualization and valuation. Of these, six cases are rescued to contextualize the categories proposed for the organization of all the others. As a finding, the value of otherness, often silenced, is recognized in the set to trigger new possible ways of facing the architectural and urban challenges of contemporaneity.