Material Constitution Research Articles

From trauma to apathy: on the hegemonic force of European authoritarian liberalism

AbstractMichael Wilkinson’s Authoritarian Liberalism puts forward a challenging and controversial claim: the history of European integration and the trajectory of the constitutional orders of the founding Member States have always been driven by authoritarian liberalism. This comment focuses on a certain slack, in Wilkinson’s analysis, between the material constitution of European states and authoritarian liberalism as a form of government. More specifically, the comment highlights the need to retrieve a more conflictual relation between, on one hand, the material constitution of the welfare state and its industrial involvement, and on the other hand, the constitutional forms adopted by authoritarian liberalism.

Bitumen as the cause of the occurrence of zones of low electrical resistivity in the basement rocks of the West Siberian plate

This article presents the results of studies of the material constitution and physical properties of rocks of foundation of the West Siberian Plate. It is shown that anthraxolite and kerite groups are present in bitumen rocks. We assume that the bitumens create a Late Paleozoic paleo-deposit, transformed under the conditions of apocatagenesis. Impregnation with highly transformed organic matter leads to a significant decrease in electrical resistivity to values of 1–30 Ohm metre, which must be taken into consideration when interpreting low-resistivity zones on log data.

Enhancing the quality of legislation: the Italian experience

ABSTRACT The article is based on the observation of an increasingly poor quality of legislation in Italy which has led to citizens experiencing disaffection towards regulatory instruments and, at the same time, mistrust in the institutions responsible for producing, implementing and enforcing legislation. This situation has certainly become more and more serious during the Covid-19 pandemic with the adoption of regulatory acts containing rules that, on the one hand, severely restrict citizens’ freedoms and, on the other, are improvised, often contradictory and difficult to understand and interpret. Starting from this observation, the article analyses the reasons of this crisis, focusing on the complexity of a multi-level system, with the increasing influence of the legislation coming from the European Union, and on the growing weakness of parliamentary institutions and the consequent increase in government legislative power through ‘decree-laws’. The urgency and ‘occasionality’ that frequently characterises these law-making procedures are not compatible with a legislative design focused on better regulation tools, thereby making the commitment to clarity, consistency and homogeneity of legislative acts completely regressive. In this context, it is essential to increase the transparency of the legislative process and to enable citizens and stakeholders to take part in it, thereby restoring confidence in legislation. It is also necessary to bring together in the legislative rule-making process different professional skills and knowledge: legal, linguistic, economic-financial, statistical, social and even behavioural sciences. This will shape legislative intervention geared towards making regulatory acts as capable as possible of producing a phenomenon of spontaneous compliance with the objectives set by the legislation. Finally, these tools must be accompanied by a shift in political culture and a change in vision shared by all institutional actors, starting from Parliament, in order to recompose the material Constitution of the country on new bases.

The Material Constitution and Imperialism

The Material Constitution and Imperialism

The Tradition of the Material Constitution in Western Marxism

The Tradition of the Material Constitution in Western Marxism

A hollow microlattice based ultralight active thermal control device and its fabrication techniques and thermal performances

This paper introduces a new thermal control device (TCD) which has not only low weight and high efficiency but also passive and active cooling capabilities. The TCD mainly consists of hollow graphene-enhanced-metallic microlattice material, phase change material (PCM) and a peristatic pump. The PCM is inside the spatial-interconnected millimeter-scale diameter tubes, which are the basic constitution of the hollow microlattice material, in addition, the peristatic pump was connected with the tubes and used to force the liquid-state PCM to circulate inside the interconnected thin tubes. Thus, the proposed TCD takes combined advantages of the ultralight and high thermal transfer properties of the hollow graphene-enhanced-metallic microlattice materials, the thermal storage capability of the PCM and forced convection of the PCM driven by the peristatic pump as the PCM is in liquid state. The manufacturing process of the active TCD was also developed and proposed, which mainly includes additive manufacturing, composite electroless plating, polymer etching, liquid PCM injecting and the peristatic pump connecting. In addition to that, a thermal test system was built and the effective thermal conductivities of the TCD in passive cooling and with active cooling modes were experimentally studied. The TCD can absorb heat and actively dissipate heat by means of forced convection. Consequently, the proposed active TCD can be used to guarantee the electronic components and spacecrafts operate in a specific temperature range.

Becoming Human: The Archaeology of John C. Barrett

Becoming Human: The Archaeology of John C. Barrett

Temperature-dependent 2-dimensional porous FG plates free vibration analysis using finite element approach

This work aims to address the free vibration analysis of two-dimensional porous 2-D FG plates with temperature-dependent properties that are subjected to thermomechanical loading. The revised element finite element model has seven degrees of freedom and has been developed based on higher-order shear deformation theory. The material constitutions in two directions along the length and thickness are varied according to the revised index law of power. The current proposed numerical approach has been evaluated with existing literature results to find good amiability between them. With all side-supported boundary conditions, the effect of thermomechanical loads and porosity allocation on free vibration analysis of temperature-dependent material FG plates is explored. Also, the consequence of consistent and erratic porous portions of free vibration characteristics on 2D FG plates is studied. 2D properties are disbanded, which affects the natural frequency of the FG plate. In this case, the rise in environmental temperature and index values reduces the frequencies of the porous FG plates. Changeable porous distribution on FG plates obtained exemplary frequency characteristics compared with the consistent porous distribution.

Technological mineralogy as a framework for the integrated mineral mining : A case-study of the Upper Shchugor bauxite deposit

Technological mineralogy constitutes a significant part in the concept of integrated development of solid minerals resources. Aiming to evolve Academician Vaisberg’s ideas, the authors undertook assaying of Upper Shchugor bauxites described with the complex mineral composition, texture and structure, as well as with the high content of particulates. For the fruitful development of bauxites, it is required to implement the in-depth analysis using modern mineralogical research methods toward complete processing of mineral substance, extending the list of recoverable useful components and products with new properties, efficient waste management and optimization of process flow charts. Russian bauxite resources are concentrated in the Middle and South Timan. The lack of high-quality bauxites in Russia justifies the heightened attention given to the rebellious Timan bauxites which possess a complex material constitution. The ore-forming mineral and minerals of commercial relevance are assayed. The Upper Shchugor bauxites is the complex ore which features an increased content of rare earth elements and a variable content of iron oxides (0.6–47 %). The ore is composed of bauxite of three types: low-, medium- and high-ferruginous. The interphase boundary interactions in bauxite as a composite material, the composition and distribution of rare metal impurities are identified. The promising trends of bauxite processing technology with regard to the structural features of the material are discussed. The authors express their gratitude to the Analyst and Candidate Geological and Mineralogical Sciences Yu. S. Simakova and to the Geonauka Shared Use Center for the help in the research implementation.The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 21-47-00019, and by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Project No. 42061134018.

Hegel’s Antigone: The Birth of the Constitution from the Spirit of Tragedy

Abstract Sophocles’ Antigone has been studied intensely for more than two thousand years, but it was especially Hegel’s allegorical use of this tragedy in several of his works (first and foremost the Phenomenology of Spirit) that added yet another fascinating facet to its possible reading: the birth of the legal order and therewith a constitutional system from the conflict between two normative orders. In this contribution, I interpret the dialectic structure of Antigone in a manner in which each normative position – both Antigone’s and Creon’s – are equally justified and thereby antithetic in the ethical world of the Greek polis. It is therefore only by transcending this tragic conflict between the human and the divine orders that we can transform necessary externalities (‘fate’) into a process of a legal status which eventually allows individuals to become the authors of the law itself and thus to guarantee their freedom. I denote this reading of Hegel’s Antigone as ‘symmetrical’, since it accepts both positions – Antigone’s divine law and Creon’s human law – as equal and makes freedom and justice only possible through the law. This means that an ‘asymmetrical’ reading, giving prevalence to either position (for instance, found in Goethe or Habermas) and localizing freedom and justice beyond the law, can never effectively result in a legal status that would allow individual persons to become legal persons.My principal argument consequently is that only a symmetrical view of this normative conflict can justifiably be regarded as making a constitutional order possible in the first place. It is feasible only in a dynamic-genealogical fashion (ie, by constantly generating this order through conflict and the transcending of this conflict through mutual recognition) that concurrently also respects individuals as particular individuals, not just as formal equals among equals, by allowing them to realize their personalities and to find themselves through the arts, science, and philosophy. This is more than a merely formal or negative constitution which recognizes every person as equal and free, but disregards their particularities; this is a material and positive constitution that can guarantee both equality and self-actualization. Such a constitutional order guarantees an identity of universal laws and individuality, and accordingly offers individuals a solution to the conflicting ethical orders of the ancient polis in which they would otherwise remain trapped.

From Trauma to Apathy: On the Hegemony of European Authoritarian Liberalism

Michael Wilkinson's Authoritarian Liberalism puts forward a challenging and controversial claim: the history of European integration and the trajectory of the constitutional orders of the founding Member States have always been driven by authoritarian liberalism. This comment focuses on a certain slack, in Wilkinson's analysis, between the material constitution of European States and authoritarian liberalism as a form of government. More specifically, the comment highlights the need of retrieving a more conflictual relation between, on one hand, the material constitution of the Welfare State and its industrial involvement, and on the other hand, the constitutional forms adopted by authoritarian liberalism.

Evaluation of the mechanical strength of alkaline-activated mortars made of granulated blast furnace

The development of new cementitious materials from industrial waste has allowed the constitution of supplementary alternative cementitious materials. However, traditional cement production generates large quantities of greenhouse gases such as CO2. Therefore, the study of supplementary alternative cementitious materials like alkaline activated blast furnace slag has become a viable option for the development of alternative cements, especially in the region of Boyacá, Colombia, where there are industries that produce these materials. Therefore, the present research generated mortars made of granulated blast furnace slag, alkaline activated with Na2SiO3/Na2CO3 in 3.5 M solution, dosed at 40%, 50% and 60% addition. Subsequently, the mortars were characterized by studying their crystalline structure by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, microstructural changes by scanning electron microscopy and the influence of the activator concentration was evaluated. The results obtained showed higher strengths in mortars dosed with 60% addition of the activator and up to 15% higher than traditional Portland cements. Therefore, this supplementary alternative cementitious agent is viable for various engineering applications and its implementation will mitigate the environmental impact generated by the consumption of raw materials and the manufacture of traditional cements.

Tomoscopy: Time-Resolved Tomography for Dynamic Processes in Materials.

The structure and constitution of opaque materials can be studied with X-ray imaging methods such as 3D tomography. To observe the dynamic evolution of their structure and the distribution of constituents, for example, during processing, heating, mechanical loading, etc., 3D imaging has to be fast enough. In this paper, the recent developments of time-resolved X-ray tomography that have led to what one now calls "tomoscopy" are briefly reviewed A novel setup is presented and applied that pushes temporal resolution down to just 1ms, that is, 1000tomograms per second (tps) are acquired, while maintaining spatial resolutions of micrometers and running experiments for minutes without interruption. Applications recorded at different acquisition rates ranging from 50 to 1000tps are presented. The authors observe and quantify the immiscible hypermonotectic reaction of AlBi10 (in wt%) alloy and dendrite evolution in AlGe10 (in wt%) casting alloy during fast solidification. The combustion process and the evolution of the constituents are analyzed in a burning sparkler. Finally, the authors follow the structure and density of two metal foams over a long period of time and derive details of bubble formation and bubble ageing including quantitative analyses of bubble parameters with millisecond temporal resolution.

Elastic wave velocities in finitely pre-stretched soft fibers

Elastic wave velocity in a soft fiber that varies depending on material constitution and axial stress level is an essential measure of mechanical signals in many technical applications. In this work, based on the small-on-large theory, we establish a model of linear elastic wave propagation in a finitely pre-stretched soft fiber. The formulas of longitudinal (L-) and transverse (T-) wave velocities are provided and validated by numerical simulations as well as by experimental data on spider silk. The influences of material constitution, compressibility, and pre-stress on the wave propagation are investigated. We found that with increasing pre-stress, the variation of L-wave velocity highly relies on the concavity of the stress–strain curve. In contrast, an increase of T-wave velocity exhibits regardless of any constitutive model. For both L- and T-waves, the variation of the velocities is more significant in a compressible fiber than that in a nearly-incompressible one. Moreover, for minuscule pre-stress, we propose a modified formula for T-wave velocity based on the Rayleigh beam theory, which reveals the competition mechanism between “string vibration” and “beam vibration.” This may provide a reliable theoretical basis for precise mechanical characterization of soft fibers and open a route for lightweight, tunable wave manipulation devices.

Blast resistance of rocks–framework for the blastability classification of solid materials

The rock blastability analysis reveals that the common blastability characteristic of rocks, namely, powder factor per fragmentation of 1 cubic meter of rock, is an indirect estimate of blast resistance. The review of the existing rock blastability classifications finds out that the comparison of these classifications is impossible due to different definitions of rock blastability, as the powder factor depends, ambiguously, on the rock hardness, explosion yield and blasting conditions. Explosibility of rocks is also often estimated as function of rock hardness factor on Protodyakonov’s scale. In this case, it is assumed that hard rocks are more difficultly blastbale than soft rocks with smaller value of hardness. In reality hard but brittle rocks, other things being equal, have smaller resistance to blasting and produce better fragmentation as against weaker clayey rocks. This is connected with sudden attenuation of blast-induced seismic waves in loose clayey rocks. The proposed method allows higher accuracy of rock blast resistance estimate thanks to inclusion of rock characteristics reflective of rock blastability. It s found that blast resistance of solids, including rocks, depends on the material constitution, structure and texture of a material. The blast resistance value is minimal in low-density and brittle rocks, for instance, coal, with low strength, and is maximal in dense and more plastic rocks. The proposed rock blastability classification grounded on the mechanics-based blast resistance index enables powder factor control and enhancement of blasting efficiency in surface and underground ore and coal mines.

SUCCESSIVE ELECTION OF REGIONAL HEADS: A COMPARISON STUDY OF THE STATE CONSTITUTIONS OF MAJAPAHIT, INDONESIA, AND THE UNITED STATES

A constitution is a written regulation and a state convention (state administration) that determines the composition and position of state bodies, regulates relations between the bodies, and regulates the relationships between these bodies and the citizens. The enactment of a constitution as a binding fundamental law is based on the highest power or the principle of sovereignty adopted by a certain country. If the country adheres to the notion of popular sovereignty, then the source of the legitimacy of the constitution is the people. If monarchical sovereignty is applied, then the monarch will determine whether or not a constitution may be enforced. A constitution also contains regulations for the election of regional heads. Regional head elections are one of the characteristics of a state that applies democratic principles. This study aims to analyze the election of regional heads by comparing the constitutions of Majapahit, Indonesia, and the United States of America. The method used in this research is normative juridical, namely by reviewing the norms of Constitution, laws and other sources of legal material, including journals. The results of this research are that regional heads in Majapahit were directly elected by the Prabu (King). It was a District/majority representative system since the regional heads were directly elected by the king, an Organic and Non-Democratic electoral system. Whereas in Indonesia, regional heads (Governors, Regents and Mayors) are democratically elected, elected directly by the people or by the Provincial, Regential and Municipal House of Representatives (district representation system based on the majority and balance). However, in the reform era, the legislators interpreted the democratic system as direct election by the people. The electoral system is mechanical, organic and democratic. In the United States, the Head of State is directly elected by the people but at the discretion of the legislature, hence the representative system is a balanced representation system. The electoral system is organic and semi-democratic.
 
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Features of material constitution of quartz–feldspar ore from Quang Nam deposit in Vietnam

Feldspar is the largest group of aluminosilicate minerals making around 50% of the lithosphere mass. Feldspar is a high-value raw materials used in various industries in production of glass, ceramics, electrical insulators, abrasives, as well as an aggregate in production of plastics, paints, rubber, etc. A major source of high-grade feldspar is granitic pegmatites. The Social Republic of Vietnam possesses considerable feldspar reserves but mostly in weathered and semi-weathered pegmatite zones, which governs the complex material constitution of feldspar material and the diverse lattice architecture of feldspar weathering products. The article describes the integrated studies into the material constitution of quartz–feldspar ore from Quang Nam deposit in Vietnam. It is found that the ore has a rather complex composition. Alongside with the base useful component – feldspar represented by orthoclase and albite, the ore contains free quartz, mica group minerals (muscovite) and iron-bearing minerals as inclusions and coats in feldspar. The iron mineral coats are observed on the surface of muscovite grains. The mass percentage of Al2O3 is on average 14.20%; Fe2O3 – 0.75%; SiO2 – 75.27%. The total percentage of alkali metal oxides (K2O+Na2O) is similar in different size grades and makes on average 8.64%. The yield and distribution of useful component y size grades are relatively uniform. The analysis of the research findings allows drawing the conclusion that most efficient method to remove impurities of mafic minerals, including iron minerals, and free quartz is flotation. The feldspar ore flotation flow chart should include four stages: desliming (removal of clayey minerals); flotation of mina group minerals; flotation of iron-bearing minerals; flotation of feldspar. The proposed ore pretreatment circuit with selective milling and desliming enables production of mica concentrate with the size of +2 mm. The studies into material constitution of Quang Nam quartz–feldspar ore prove that this ore is processable toward production of valued products in high demand in many industries.

The effect of quench rate on the β-α″ martensitic transformation in Ti–Nb alloys

While Ti–Nb binary alloys have been extensively studied over the years, there are discrepancies in the literature relating to the β-α″ martensitic transformation that indicate an incomplete understanding. In particular, there are inconsistencies regarding the phase constitution of as-quenched material and the ability for α″ phase to be thermally-induced. To resolve these issues, the β-α″ phase transformation is studied in a Ti–24Nb (at.%) alloy subjected to two different water quench conditions. It is demonstrated that only the fastest quench rates (≳500 °C/s) result in the formation of α″ phase, and these materials exhibit a reversible thermally-induced β-α″ transformation at low temperatures. In contrast, slightly slower water quench procedures lead to a β+ω microstructure, and these samples do not exhibit a thermally-induced β-α″ transformation, even when cooled to −168 °C. Despite this, room temperature mechanical testing results indicate that α″ can be induced by stresses as low as 200 MPa. To explain these results, it is proposed that quenching stresses play a role in the competition between α″ and athermal ω phases at rapid quench rates. The present results are then reconciled with the body of literature and a broader understanding of phase stability in metastable β-titanium alloys.

Hans Kelsen and the material constitution of democracy

ABSTRACT This paper aims to assess the relevance of the notion of the material constitution for democratic constitutional theory. It is argued that the concept of material constitution is a useful antidote for narrowly legalistic approaches to constitutional theory, but only if its complexities are properly understood. To achieve such understanding, theorists of the material constitution would do well to rely more strongly than they have thus far on Hans Kelsen’s approach to the material constitution of democracy.

Push-Out Behavior of Short Headed Stud Connectors in Steel-Ultra High Performance Concrete Composite Deck

A steel-ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) composite deck has good fatigue performance while the thin UHPC slab leaves a very limited space for the connector configuration. This is actually crucial to achieve the composite action. Current literatures concerning the short stud behavior are still limited for a general mechanism understanding. Therefore, a series of push-tests containing 15 specimens were conducted for investigating the mechanical behavior of short studs with various diameters and lengths in UHPC composite deck. And a parametric FEM analysis with nonlinear material constitutions was conducted as well for the bearing performance understanding. The push-out tests showed the shear fracture near stud roots is the leading dominant failure mode, and a longer stud length might introduce a higher percentage of stud shank bending deformation. It explained longer stud length could be helpful to improve the shear strength of stud in UHPC. Meanwhile, the shear stiffness of the push-out specimens were all increased with a larger stud diameter or length. On the other side, the analysis results showed that a pull-out failure could happen when the stud length was less than 25 mm in UHPC and the failure mode of stud could also be affected by the concrete strength. In addition to the tests and analysis, the safety redundancies of strength evaluations of short stud in UHPC based on several civil codes were discussed in terms of the comparison works.