Disintegrative Forces Research Articles

“The Political Dimension of the Unification-Disintegration Paradox in Mantra (2001) by Rodrigo Fresán”

Rodrigo Fresán’s writing had a significant impact on Southern Cone literature when his first book, Historia argentina, was published in 1991. Despite its high sales and favorable reviews, which earned Fresán the status of a celebrity writer, his works have often been criticized for possessing “an esthetics of insensitivity and/or an ethics of indifference” (Freidemberg). This essay refutes these accusations of postmodern shallowness in Fresán’s writing and instead proposes an examination of the “politics of literature” (Rancière) in his 2001 work Mantra. The purpose of this essay is to challenge the aporias of the theory of “littérature engagée” derived from Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy that were debated among Latin American intellectuals during the 1960s and 1970s. The main objective of this essay is to demonstrate that Fresán’s writing is not only literary but also political in nature. In Mantra, we can observe a system of heterogeneities that disrupts the realm of experience, creating a non-dialectical paradox between the forces of unification and disintegration that elicits an emotional response and challenges the illusion of a concrete, complete identity. This, in turn, allows us to reconsider central themes such as memory.

Remediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Gas Station Soil Using High-Pressure Soil Washing Technology

Objectives : In this study, high-pressure soil washing was performed on in-situ gas station soils for the remediation of petroleum-contaminated gas station sites.Methods : On-site gas station soils (GSS) collected from four different locations were subjected to high-pressure soil washing to analyze the amount of fine soil removal and TPH concentration after washing according to the cut-off size (0.075, 0.105 mm). In addition, the four GSS were evaluated for the relationship between the organic matter content of each soil and TPH removal efficiency. Furthermore, to evaluate the disintegration force of high-pressure soil washing technology to disperse soil aggregates, the particle size distribution of the soil before and after washing was evaluated and XRD analysis was performed.Results and Discussion : As the cut-off size increased (0.075 mm → 0.105 mm), the removal rate of fine soil in the GSS increased, and the TPH concentration tended to decrease. With respect to the TPH Soil Contamination Warning Standard for Region 2 (800 mg/kg), only the GSS 3 was in compliance with the standard (630 mg/kg). There were no significant differences in fine soil removal rates among the soils, which was expected since all the soils tested represented the same sandy loam. Washing efficiencies by soil were relatively low for soils with relatively high organic matter content. The particle size distribution showed the largest particle reduction was in the 2-0.850 mm range after remediation, while soil particles increased in the 0.105-0.075 mm and <0.075 mm range. In addition, XRD analysis showed an increase in the peak intensity of Quartz and the removal of clay mineral after washing, confirming the effective breakdown of soil aggregates and removal of fine soil by cavitation.Conclusion : If an optimal cut-off size is established, considering the soil texture and economics of the contaminated site after identifying the initial organic content level in the soil prior to washing, it is anticipated that high-pressure soil washing technology will be effectively applied for the remediation of petroleum-contaminated gas station sites.

Techno-nationalism as the cultural logic of global infrastructural capitalism: media spectacles and cyber-situations in Huawei Meng Wanzhou’s extradition case

This article contributes to a theoretical formulation of techno-nationalism as the cultural logic of infrastructural capitalism by revisiting Debord and Situationist International’s discussion of Spectacle and digital struggles. We deconstruct the concept of techno-nationalism into three interlocking but contradictory media events: techno-nationalism as the “integrated Spectacle,” signifying the power of the state and capital; the disintegrative forces of media spectacles that highlight the ruptures and contradictions of global infrastructural capitalism; and digital resistance through the creation of “cyber-situations.” The case of Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou exemplifies how techno-nationalism emerges as an integrated ideological Spectacle with the help of media spectacles and yet undergoes a disintegration process due to inescapable contradictions and labor conflicts. This research not only analyses China as a case to understand the tactical deployment of the cultural logic of techno-nationalism with a focus on both domestic and international dimensions as political economic and social forces but also on the inherent contradictions and digital struggles in global infrastructural capitalism.

Influences of different modifiers on the disintegration of improved granite residual soil under wet and dry cycles

The disintegration of granite residual soil is especially affected by variations in physical and chemical properties. Serious geologic hazards or engineering problems are closely related to the disintegration of granite residual soil in certain areas. Research on the mechanical properties and controlling mechanisms of disintegration has become a hot issue in practical engineering. In this paper, the disintegration characteristics of improved granite residual soil are studied by using a wet and dry cycle disintegration instrument, and the improvement mechanism is analyzed. The results show that the disintegration amounts and disintegration ratios of soil samples treated with different curing agents are obviously different. The disintegration process of improved granite residual soil can be roughly divided into 5 stages: the forcible water intrusion stage, microcrack and fissure development stage, curing and strengthening stage, stable stage, and sudden disintegration stage. The disintegration of granite residual soil is caused by the weakening of the cementation between soil particles under the action of water. When the disintegration force is greater than the anti-disintegration force of soil, the soil will disintegrate. Cement and lime mainly rely on ion exchange agglomeration, the inclusion effect of curing agents on soil particles, the hard coagulation reaction and carbonation to strengthen granite residual soil. Kaolinite mainly depends on the reversibility of its own cementation to improve and strengthen granite residual soil. The reversibility of kaolinite cementation is verified by investigating pure kaolinite with a tensile, soaking, drying and tensile test cycle. Research on the disintegration characteristics and disintegration mechanism of improved granite residual soil is of certain reference value for soil modification.

Zeichen über Zeichen und kein Wunder in Braunschlag. David Schalkos Fernsehserie zeigt “Welt-Niederösterreich” in der Kontingenz-Krise

This article examines how David Schalko’s series Braunschlag (2012) presents a community that is threatened by disintegrative forces and dysfunctional communications. The series is read as a political allegory on postmodernist struggles in Austrian culture – as a laboratory for western European societies in general – between globalisation and provincialism. As this is linked to aspects of popular culture in the series, the article includes theoretical thoughts about popular cultural “common grounds” with their inclusive and exclusive function, as analysed by M. Bauer, U. Eco and M. Tomasello.

«Resistir» em Tempos de Pandemia

In 2015, Josep Maria Esquirol sketched his “philosophy of proximity”. Such a philosophy does not seek to attain a propositional, abstract, or purely theoretical truth. According to Esquirol, it is rather about healing the human person in the concreteness of his or her life. More precisely, without wishing to return to ancient metaphysics, Esquirol seeks to «resist» against the nihilistic forces of disintegration of meaning that leads the human being to the experience of nothingness. In our understanding, La Resistencia Íntima, the book that earned Esquirol the Premio Nacional Ensayo 2016, is prophetic, insofar as the current pandemic context corroborates his “metaphysics of gathering.” Moreover, Esquirol’s philosophy of proximity may teach us how to generate more life from our fragility, which reveals itself as insurmountable.

Brexit and the Differentiated European (Dis)Integration

Abstract On 25 March 2017, the European Union celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which established ‘an ever-closer union’ as a fundamental principle for European regional integration. Only four days later, the United Kingdom delivered an official letter triggering its withdrawal process from the Community. How could we comprehend Brexit integrative and disintegrative dynamics to the EU? The UK’s decision to leave the EU alongside recent crises in the Community and the spread of Eurosceptic movements fostered studies about disintegration dynamics. This article presents the current debate about differentiated (dis)integration based on up-to-date related literature. Next, it proposes a framework to assess the recent shifts in the UK-EU relationship and its contradictory effects on the EU project. The main argument of the paper is that the UK’s relationship with the European Union moved from an internal differentiated integration to a proposal of internal differentiated disintegration and, thereafter, to a process of external differentiated disintegration. Moreover, although Brexit means disintegration by one Member State, its effects on the EU project are mixed, initially promoting an integrative boom among the EU27 members, while at the same time neglecting disintegrating forces that could undermine the traditional European integration model.

An Expert Environmental Engineering Assessment System for the Impact of Traffic Applications

This paper talks about a recursive master framework programming stage for soil disintegration in the rush hour gridlock designing. It centers around work process and information base development. The dirt disintegration force order standards in railroad building and the key soil disintegration sway factors, for example, precipitation, soil, incline precautionary measures and human asset the executives are additionally talked about in this paper. At long last, a specialist arrangement of soil disintegration forecast and assessment for railroad development is developed.

Energy Evaluation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Reed Plant Pelletizing and Utilization as Solid Biofuel

This paper presents the results of research on the preparation and use for energy purposes of three reed herbaceous energy plants: reed (Phragmites australis) and bulrush (Typha); both grown in local vicinities on lakes and riverbanks and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). The physical-mechanical characteristics (density, moisture, and ash content) of chopped and milled reeds were investigated. The investigation of mill fractional compositions determined the largest amount of mill—reed mill, collected on the sieves of 0.63 mm (40.0%). The pellet moisture ranged from 10.79% to 6.32%, while the density was 1178.9 kg m−3 for dry matter (DM) of reed. The ash content of reed, bulrush and reed canary grass pellets was 3.17%, 5.88%, and 7.99%, respectively. The ash melting temperature ranged from 865 to 1411 °C; these temperatures were high enough for ash melting. The determined pellet calorific value varied from 17.4 to 17.9 MJ kg−1 DM. The disintegration force, indicating pellet strength, ranged from 324.25 N for reed canary grass to 549.24 N for reed. The determined emissions of harmful pollutants—CO2, CO, NOx, and unburnt hydrocarbons (CxHy)—did not exceed the maximum permissible levels. The assessment of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from technology showed that the CO2 equivalents ranged from 7.3 to 10.1 kg CO2-eq. GJ−1 for reed and reed canary grass, respectively.

Fibrous hemp (Felina 32, USO 31, Finola) and fibrous nettle processing and usage of pressed biofuel for energy purposes

There were investigated three varieties of fibrous hemp – Felina 32, USO 31 and Finola and one sort of fibrous nettle. Before granulation, plants were chopped and milled, and were determined chaff and mill fractional composition. Produced pellet humidity ranged from 9.98% to 8.87%, and pellet density reached 1171.7 kg m−3 DM of USO 31 variety. The ash contents of the fibrous hemp and fibrous nettle pellet reached 3.58% and 6.6%, and the net calorific values were 17.37 MJ kg−1 and 16.93 MJ kg−1 DM, respectively. The composition of determined fibrous plant chemical elements ranged within these limits: carbon – 45–48%; hydrogen – 1.0–1.5%, nitrogen – 5–6% and oxygen – 41–43%. Determined ash melting temperatures ranged from IT – 733–673 °C to FT – 863–859 °C. Pellets disintegration force varied from 992 N for Felina 32 till 1338 N for fibrous nettle. Harmful emissions were also estimated, it ranged – CO2 – 3.1–5.0%, CO – 411.7–1410.8 ppm, NOx – 88.0–117.3 ppm and unburnt hydrocarbons CxHy – 26.0–127.9 ppm have been determined when burning of granules. Determined emissions were within the permissible limits. Coefficient of energy efficiency of granulated biofuel, when biomass moisture content was decreased by 20%, was 2.83.

"It's Not Blood, It's Red": Color as Category, Color as Sensation in Jean-Luc Godard's Le M�pris, Pierrot Le Fou, Weekend , and Passion

Through a close Deleuzian reading of Le Mépris, Pierrot le Fou, Weekend, and Passion, this essay explores Jean-Luc Godard's use of color as the vehicle for a nomadic ballade/ballad (trans. excursion or road trip/song and dance), categorized by a weakness of motor-linkages that is capable of releasing huge forces of disintegration. Color thus acts as a powerful form of deterritorialization and re-territorialization, creating new conjunctions between and across genres and images, forming new categories in the interstices between series. The result is a logic of sensation that induces a heteroglossia of potential subjectivities, whereby the body is always its own other, always in search of the next series that will make it manifest as something incommensurable, as pure sensation.

ENGLISH EDUCATION AND LITERATURE IN THE CULTURE OF VIOLENCE IN NORTHEAST INDIA

The place of English in the whole scheme of the education has been a subject of much heated debate, since English is a foreign language. Inspite of all this we are ardent admirers of English. English education has admittedly done us great good. English language is one of the richest languages in the world in respect of literature and culture.The use of English in Northeast India had started during the pre-independence period, with the arrival the Christian missionaries and the spread of English education. Western ideas and Christianity has spread widely in this region. English language has as such become the lingua franca in most of the states in Northeast India. Thus the study of English language is both a necessity and an advantage in this region.In this paper I would like to focus on “English Education and Literature in the Culture of violence in Northeast India”. Northeast India is known to the world for its beautiful landscape, different races, different cultures and sub-cultures. Unfortunately peace could not be sustained in this region over the years and there is conflict and insurgency amongst the different ethnic tribes asserting their identity. The negligence and indifference from the mainland had spread insecurity in the region too.The writers of Northeast have something very different to say because of the distinct regional sensibility of Northeast India. Northeast India is precariously situated, linked to the country only by the bottle neck at Siliguri. The moment Siliguri is dislodged by any alien force; the entire Northeast will be cut off from the rest of Indian sub-continent. There was this fearful possibility during the 1962 Chinese aggression. Therefore political myopia, in this important and highly sensitive area can have grave consequences. “If the Siliguri gap were ever to fall to the Chinese, Bhutan. NEFA, Assam and Nagaland would be cut off from India”. (Mehta, 1973, p. 257).The social, cultural and political nature of the English writings depict violence in the region as a result of times that the states had experienced in the contemporary times. Most of the writings of Northeast Indian writers have been translated into English to educate and evoke empathy for the violent socio-political situations the region has faced They provide an insight into the contemporary culture and environment of Northeast India and awaken the readers’ sensitivity to the region. Since the Northeast is going through a crisis of values in the social and political life; disregard shown to basic values like honesty and tolerance has become a matter of grave concern. Crime, violence, cruelty, greed and apathy to human suffering have spread to all aspects of life –political, economic, and social.After decades of violence it is but natural that the writers from the region express their sufferings, of fear and terror they had endured, the loss of faith, the bitterness, the anger, and pain of shattered dreams; and in spite of all, hopes for a better future through their writings. They have been portraying such events of their life which has left a permanent impression in their mind.Looking at the current situation, the goals of peace, secularism, social justice and democracy to which human kind has declared its ideological commitment have come under severe strain in the region. Forces of social and national disintegration have become active, putting our democratic social order to its severest test, which has seriously affected the quality of life of the masses and has caused social tensions and unrest. All these problems can be effectively tackled through efforts -- educational and social. Ccommunication of messages of peace, prosperity and development amongst the masses can happen much better in English language and literature, since this is an international language and understood by most of the masses in the region.What we need under the present circumstances is to educate the learners to a good life. English education and literature in Northeast India is in a process of transmission of values in our education--something that we consider as good and desirable for the learner to acquire both for the learner’s own and the society’s good.

What are the driving forces of disintegration? A response to Rosamond and Outhwaite

What are the driving forces of disintegration? A response to Rosamond and Outhwaite

The concept of chosen people in the construction and maintenance of Jewish identity

Jews, as a group, are able to withstand the disintegrative forces of modernity by upholding certain notions of self-identification which are rooted in their ancestral and religious history. One such notion around which Jews have formed their identity is the concept of chosen people which lends credence to their sense of belonging. However, the concept of chosenness may be offensive to those who are not Jews. The aim of this article, therefore, is to examine what may be considered objectionable about the concept, to explain its persistence in the world and to explore the foundations on which Jews, a minority group of people, have formed their identity. Although many researchers now understand the concept of chosen people from the perspective of history, nations and nationalisms, ethnicities and myth, there has been little sustained critique in the religious dimension of identity. This article attempts to make a contribution to the work on religious identity of Jews in South Africa by drawing on literature in history, sociology and religion. The article concludes that chosenness, because it can be as onerous to Jews as it is beneficial, need not necessarily imply superiority and that claims to being chosen are rhetorical and not verifiable outside the discourse in which such claims are made.

Assyrians Abroad: Expanding Borders Through Mobile Identities in the Middle Bronze Age

AbstractRecent work by both archaeologists and Assyriologists has characterized the main Assyrian settlement at Kaneš/Kültepe not as “colony” at all but as a place in which Assyrians fully integrated themselves into Anatolian society to create a hybridized community or “middle ground.” This paper builds upon their work by examining the ways in which Assyrians participated in such an intercultural society whilst still maintaining the bounded social category of “Assyrian.” Through the reconstruction of their civic institutions and social traditions abroad, Assyrian merchants were able to expand their mental topography of what constituted “Assyrian-ness” from northern Mesopotamia across central Anatolia. This phenomenon is framed within wider discussions of mobile societies and the Old Assyrian textual record to illustrate that a community identity founded upon the mother city of Assur and its cultural conventions continued to thrive across various political and cultural borders. Treaties and letters demonstrate that these borders were well defined and maintained by the Assyrians themselves, but concurrently, that the driving forces behind a trader’s life on the road also meant for such borders to be expanded and reconstituted. Analyzing the Old Assyrian mercantile phenomenon through the vector of mobility enables us to better understand the ways in which the Old Assyrian merchants maintained a cohesive social identity and bounded community whilst working and living in “foreign” territories. Mobility is not an inherently disintegrating force, but shape the common cultural and political institutions which act as fibers binding communities together across great distances.

Formulation strategy towards minimizing viscosity mediated negative food effect on disintegration and dissolution of immediate release tablets

Food induced viscosity can delay disintegration and subsequent release of API from solid dosage form which may lead to severe reduction in the bioavailability of BCS type III compounds. Formulations of such tablets need to be optimized in view of this postprandial viscosity factor. In this study, three super disintegrants, croscarmellose sodium (CCS), cross-linked polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (CPD), and sodium starch glycolate (SSG) were assessed for their efficiency under simulated fed state. Tablets containing these disintegrants were compressed at 10 and 30 KN, while taking lactose as a soluble filler. In addition to other compendial tests, disintegration force of these formulations was measured by texture analysis. Comparison of parameters derived from force – time curves revealed a direct relation of maximum disintegration force (Fmax) and disintegration force development rate (DFDR) with compressional force in fasted state, whereas an inverse relationship of Fmax and DFDR with compressional force was observed in fed state. The gelling tendency of disintegrants influenced the rate of release of API in simulated fed and fasted states when compressional force was changed. These observations recommend the evaluation of formulations in simulated fed state, in the development stage, with an objective of minimizing the negative impact of food induced viscosity on disintegration. Use of disintegrants that act without gelling or can counteract the effect of gelling is recommended for tablet formulations with reduced disintegration time (DT) and mean dissolution time (MDT) in fed state, respectively.

International Indigenous Youth Cooperative (IIYC): Youth, Cultural Sustainability, Resilience, and Survivance

This article explores the involvement of Indigenous youth in achieving food, water, and energy security in response to impacts and risks to continuance of culture posed by climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, while valuing Indigenous knowledge and technologies, and making use of emerging solution technologies. Efforts to preserve and protect Indigenous linguistic, cultural, and biological diversity are linked as strategic in adapting to and mitigating the complex effects of climate change, while education of Indigenous youth that is culturally responsive and bases education and employment locally in community is increasingly recognized as having benefits for youth, culture, and cultural relationships with lands, waters, and wildlife. A review reveals dynamic initiatives relating Indigenous cultural and environmental protection and preservation efforts, sustainable development goals, and advances in cooperative enterprises. The International Indigenous Youth Cooperative is offered as a solution to employ Indigenous youth and is designed to deliver services that build and fortify food, water, and energy self-sufficiency and resilience. Involving Indigenous youth in an egalitarian and participatory program of environmental protection and preservation and building Indigenous self-sufficiency capacity benefits all community generations and strengthens resistance to external social, environmental, economic, and political disintegrating forces.

Integration of Government Bond Market in the Euro Area and Monetary Policy

Abstract This paper combines analysis of evolution in euro area government bond market integration and interference of European Central Bank with functioning of respective market recently. Since the introduction of euro, government bond yields converged in the euro area, bonds of different countries have become close substitutes in the perception of investors, and overall integration of the market was rather high. At the end of 2008, dramatic shift occurred and ever since disintegrative forces were set in motion. The paper presents the following measures of integration of the government bond markets: yield spreads, dispersion in yield spreads and beta coefficient. All three measures suggest unprecedented market disintegration as of 2010. The paper highlighted relevance of sovereign bond market for the smooth functioning of the monetary policy transmission mechanism in a monetary union context. Three ECB’s programmes aimed at sovereign debt crisis resolution were analysed in details. They proved successful in lowering peripheral countries’ yields and spreads, and calming the markets. If one takes central bank function of the lender of last resort for banks, then these programmes may be viewed as the “buyer of last resort” device for government bonds. Although warranted by exceptional circumstances and need for swift response, a due caution should be paid to these programmes since they pose certain challenges for conduct of monetary policy and might even have unintended consequences.

The Socioeconomic Function of Evil

This article challenges various theories that depict the capitalist epoch as a process of civilization to posit a new theoretical framework built around the concept of pseudo-pacification. Principal indicators of civilizing momentum, such as the decline in homicide and brutal punishment, are relocated in a new perspective that juxtaposes them with the concomitant proliferation of non-violent crimes and the types of aggressive sociosymbolic competition that energize and structure consumer culture. What seems to have occurred is not the repression or dissipation of aggressive libidinal energy but its conversion into a dynamic yet largely pacified form that performs the dual function of protecting property and expanding production and trade by intensifying and democratizing sociosymbolic competition. The pseudo-pacification process does not counteract but stimulates and reproduces aggressive drives in sublimated forms to create a fragile social peace whose potential disintegrative forces are manufactured at the very core of its own socioeconomic and cultural systems.

Mechanical Characterization of Brown and Green Coconut Husk

The mechanical properties of both brown and green coconut husk were evaluated by using Universal Testing Machine (UTM). Different auxiliary tools were employed for gripping and mounting the peculiar shaped coconut husk on to the machine. Tensile and compression test (both in longitudinal and transverse direction), tear strength, and U-bend test of the husk were carried out. Husk offered maximum resistance in longitudinal direction of tensile load and in the transverse direction for compression load. Husk disintegration is easy in longitudinal direction. The green husk was found stable to deformation and resilient as compared to brown husk, thus needing less beating force for fiber disintegration.