Transnational identities in the fiction of Monica Ali: In the Kitchen and Alentejo Blue

Monica Ali’s In the Kitchen shows London as a cosmopolitan and postmodern city, a locus of transnational identities. Although this is not a new theme in contemporary English writing, in this novel the topic of migration is detached from the usual postcolonial loci that feature in “immigrant” or “diasporic” literature. In the novel Alentejo Blue, set in the South of Portugal, Monica Ali had already approached the question of migration from the point of view of the exiled citizen, whose situation is part of globalization processes outside of the normal push/pull (centre/periphery, east/west, north/south) conceptions of migration. The focus in the article is, thus, on the ways the new world order of economic globalization relates to the processes of immigration and the dispersal of a stable sense of individual and national identity.

Evaluation of email alerts in practice: Part 2. Validation of the information assessment method.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE:. The information assessment method (IAM) permits health professionals to systematically document the relevance, cognitive impact, use and health outcomes of information objects delivered by or retrieved from electronic knowledge resources. The companion review paper (Part 1) critically examined the literature, and proposed a 'Push-Pull-Acquisition-Cognition-Application' evaluation framework, which is operationalized by IAM. The purpose of the present paper (Part 2) is to examine the content validity of the IAM cognitive checklist when linked to email alerts. METHODS: A qualitative component of a mixed methods study was conducted with 46 doctors reading and rating research-based synopses sent on email. The unit of analysis was a doctor's explanation of a rating of one item regarding one synopsis. Interviews with participants provided 253 units that were analysed to assess concordance with item definitions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The content relevance of seven items was supported. For three items, revisions were needed. Interviews suggested one new item. This study has yielded a 2008 version of IAM.

Síntese de β-cetoésteres cíclicos: novo procedimento para ciclizações de Dieckmann empregando ALCL3 e trietilamina

In this communication we describe a new methodology to Dieckmann cyclization of diethyl adipate (1) and diethyl pimelate (3) applying "push-pull" strategy using anhydrous aluminium trichloride and triethylamine in dichloromethane at room temperature. This method is very efficient, simple, safe and reproducible, giving the corresponding cyclic β-keto ester derivatives in 84% and 71% yield, respectively.

Polarizabilidades e primeira hiperpolarizabilidades elétricas dipolares de ésteres E-4-amino-trans-1,3-butadienil-(1',2'-di-hidroxibenzeno) de boro, alumínio e gálio

Static electric dipole polarizabilities and first hyperpolarizabilites have been calculated for the title molecules and their 3' and 4'-nitro derivatives at ab-initio Hartree- Fock/6-31G(d, p) level. The influence of the pivotal p vacant 3A elements (B, Al or Ga) substitution on the electrical properties of these molecules is detailed. The axial vector components of the first hyperpolarizabilities β(0) of the push-pull 4'-nitro derivatives, -18.2×10-32 esu (B), -21.1×10-32 esu (Al) and -20.8×10-32 esu (Ga) are calculated to be as much as fourfold larger then that calculated for the p-nitroaniline, a reference organic molecule for comparison for this type of molecular property.

Understanding Online Game Players' Post-adoption Behavior: an Investigation of Social Network Games in China

Retaining players and re-attracting switching players has long been a central topic for SNG providers with regard to the post-adoption stage of playing an online game. However, there has not been much research which has explored players’ post-adoption behavior by incorporating the continuance intention and the switching intention. In addition, traditional IS continuance theories were mainly developed to investigate users’ continued use of utilitarian IS, and thus they may fall short when trying to explain the continued use of hedonic IS. Furthermore, compared to the richer literature on IS continuance, far too little attention has been paid to IS switching, leading to a dearth of knowledge on the subject, despite the increased incidence of the switching phenomenon in the IS field. By addressing the limitations of prior literature, this study seeks to examine the determinants of SNG players’ two different post-adoption behaviors, including the continuance intention and the switching intention. This study takes a positivist approach and uses survey research method to test five proposed research models based on Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2; Use and Gratification Theory; Push-Pull-Mooring model; Cognitive Dissonance Theory; and a self-developed model respectively with empirical data collected from the SNG players of one of the biggest SNG providers in China. A total of 3919 valid responses and 541 valid responses were used to examine the continuance intention and the switching intention, respectively. SEM is utilized as the data analysis method. The proposed research models are supported by the empirical data. The continuance intention is determined by enjoyment, fantasy, escapism, social interaction, social presence, social influence, achievement and habit. The switching intention is determined by enjoyment, satisfaction, subjective norms, descriptive norms, alternative attractiveness, the need for variety, change experience, and adaptation cost. This study contributes to IS theories in three important ways. Firstly, it shows IS switching should be included in IS post-adoption research together with IS continuance. Secondly, a modern IS is usually multi-functional and SNG players have multiple reasons for using a SNG, thus a player’s beliefs about the hedonic, social and utilitarian perceptions of their continued use of the SNG exert significant effects on the continuance intention. Thirdly, the determinants of the switch ing intention mainly exert push, pull, and mooring effects. Players’ beliefs about their current SNG and the available alternatives, as well as their individual characteristics are all significant determinants of the switching intention. SNG players combine these effects in order to formulate the switching intention. Finally, this study presents limitations and suggestions for future research.

1,1-enediamines and β-substituted enamines in heterocyclic synthesis

The work in this thesis mainly deals with l,l-enediamines and ~ -substituted enamines (push-pull olefines) and their reactions, leading to the formation of a number of heterocycles. Various ~-substituted enamines were prepared by a 'one pot synthesis' in which a l,l-enediamine presumably acts as an intermediate. These enamines, various substituted crotonamides and propenamides, were made by using two different orthoesters, various secondary and primary amines and cyanoacetamide. Their structures, mechanism of formation and geometry are discussed. A synthetic route to various unsymmetrically substituted pyridines was examined. Two substituted pyridinones were obtained by using two different ~-substituted enamines and cyanoacetamide. In one case a dihydropyridine was isolated. This dihydropyridine, on heating in acidic conditions, gave a pyridinone, which confirmed this dihydropyridine as an intermediate in this pyridine synthesis. A new synthetic method was used to make highly substituted pyridinones, which involved the reaction of l,l-enediamines with the ~-substituted enamines. A one pot synthesis and an interrupted one pot synthesis were used to make these pyridinones. Two different orthoesters and three different secondary amines were used. Serendipitous formation of a pyrimidinone was observed when pyrrolidine was used as the secondary amine and triethyl orthopropionate was used as the orthoester. In all cases cyanoacetamide was used as the carbon acid. This pyridine synthesis was designed with aI, l-enediamine as the Michael donor and the ~ -substituted enamines as Michael acceptors. Substituted ureas were obtained in two cases, which was a surprise. Some pyrimidines were made by reacting two substituted enamines with two different amidines. When benzamidine was used, the expected pyrimidines were obtained. But, when 2-benzyl-2-thiopseudourea (which is also an amidine) was used, of the two expected pyrimidines, only one was obtained. In the other case, an additional substitution reaction took place in which the S-benzyl group was lost. An approach to quinazolone and benzothiadiazine synthesis is discussed. Two compounds were made from 1, I-dimorpholinoethene

Variabilité stylistique des occupations du Sylvicole moyen ancien (400 av. n.è. – 500 de n.è.) sur la station 3-arrière de Pointe-du-Buisson : approche typologique

Ce mémoire porte sur la variabilité observée dans un assemblage, composé à la fois d’artéfacts lithiques et céramiques, représentatif de la plus grande collection archéologique dominée par une composante du Sylvicole moyen ancien connue au Québec. Les traits caractéristiques des poteries qui ont été transportées, abandonnées, et en partie manufacturées sur la station 3-arrière du complexe de Pointe-du-Buisson, sont appréhendés à travers une acception holistique de la notion de «style», qui inclut tous les aspects des attributs qu’elle couvre, à savoir les technologiques, les morphologiques, les décoratifs et les fonctionnels. Grâce à l’application d’une méthode typologique, une approche peu utilisée depuis plusieurs décennies, du moins dans le Nord-Est américain, et dont le mérite propre réside dans sa capacité à traiter l’artéfact dans son ensemble, des schémas comportementaux (cognitifs et procéduraux) visibles sur les tessons de bord décorés ont été mis en lumière. Ces derniers sont intimement liés aux techniques décoratives employées par les potières, et semblent s’être modifiés au fil du temps de la manière suivante : type «sigillé» précédant les types plus récents «repoussé» et «basculant». Une analyse comparative, basée sur un échantillon de sites localisés dans la région de Haut-Saint-Laurent et dans celles avoisinantes, a par ailleurs souligné d’importantes similarités entre l’assemblage céramique de la composante du Sylvicole moyen ancien de BhFl-1d’ et ceux des sites de Vieux-Pont (Estrie), d’Oka (rivière des Outaouais), de Pointe-du-Gouvernement (Haut-Richelieu) et de Winooski (aux abords du Lac Champlain dans le Vermont). Ces résultats appuient l’identification d’une manifestation culturelle qui est très étroitement connectée aux phases Canoe Point et Winooski de la tradition Point Peninsula. Résultant des conclusions susmentionnées, et d’autres issues d’enquêtes récentes, des considérations d’ordre taxonomique s’ensuivent. Bien qu’une refonte complète du taxon «Sylvicole moyen» soit prématurée, une critique de ce taxon s’avère nécessaire. Aussi des taxons tels que l’Early Horticultural Period de Snow ou le «Sylvicole initial» de Wright et Clermont sont discutés, dans la mesure où ils pourraient renvoyer à une définition plus générale, mais aussi peut-être plus fidèle, des caractéristiques anthropologiques propres aux populations qui ont vécu le long du Saint-Laurent et de ses tributaires depuis le Sylvicole inférieur jusqu’à la fin du Sylvicole moyen tardif.

Développement de nouveaux matériaux conjugués aux propriétés opto-électroniques modulables : de l’électrochromisme à la fluorescence.

La thèse est divisée en deux parties, soit le texte principal et les annexes afin d'alléger la taille des documents.

‘Ethical’, but Gender-Biased?

The migration of healthcare professionals from developing to developed countries, often aided by recruitment agencies, is a phenomenon of great international concern, as reflected in the construction of numerous ethical recruitment codes, which aim to govern the process. In an attempt to provide an overview of the situation, dealing specifically with the migration of nurses, as well as a critical and gender sensitive analysis of the codes, this paper follows three broad steps: first, it reviews the literature dedicated to the migration of nurses from developing to developed countries, adding a gendered account to more conventional push-pull explanations; second, it delineates the positive and negative effects that nurse migration has at the stakeholders levels of the individual, institutional, national and international level, paying particular attention to the role of gender; and third, it reviews and compares numerous codes for the ethical recruitment of nurses, highlighting the gendered rationale and consequences they may have. In showing that nurse migration is a gendered phenomenon, the paper questions whether the codes, written in gender neutral language, will come to bear unintended consequences that will effectively work to uphold gender stereotypes and inequalities.

Incidencia de la política migratoria de España sobre los migrantes colombianos y su efecto en las relaciones diplomáticas binacionales. 2005-2010

El presente estudio de caso pretende explicar los mecanismos de respuesta que incorpora la política migratoria de España, específicamente la Ley Orgánica 4/2000. Este tipo de investigación permite observar el grado de incidencia entre las variables frente a las relaciones diplomáticas binacionales Colombia - España y tiene como objetivo analizar los mecanismos de respuesta de los migrantes colombianos frente a la política migratoria de España en el periodo 2005-2010. Se explican las acciones, proyectos y dimensiones de esta política migratoria y se analiza la posición de los migrantes colombianos frente a dicha política, que incide en aspectos relacionados con el empleo, la calidad de vida y la salud, mediante la teoría Push-Pull de Ernst Georg Ravenstein que permite establecer los mecanismos y las razones de aquellos que emigran. Finalmente, se determinan las acciones utilizadas por los grupos de presión que influyen en la articulación de las relaciones diplomáticas binacionales.

Incremento de la salud financiera mediante la utilización de la relación estratégica comunitaria y marketing.

Debido a las crisis mundiales, la perdurabilidad empresarial se ha convertido en la primera preocupación de las organizaciones, puesto que los problemas económicos en otros países pueden generar un efecto negativo en las condiciones del mercado doméstico, que junto con el entorno empresarial complejo y dinámico en el que se deben desempeñar las empresas hoy en día gracias a la globalización, sumado al aumento en la competitividad nacional e internacional, la perdurabilidad de las empresas se está viendo seriamente comprometida. Lo anterior, ha llevado a las empresas a buscar nuevas formas de mejorar su salud financiera. Para medir la salud financiera empresarial, se pueden usar distintos indicadores como lo es el flujo de caja que está asociado con la rentabilidad, el patrimonio que está asociado a las dificultades financieras, entre otros, o a través de varios modelos de bancarrota, los cuales, por medio de un conjunto de ratios financieros, reflejan el estado actual de la organización y su probabilidad de fracaso en el futuro. Las estrategias comunitarias y el marketing permiten incrementar la salud financiera de las empresas a través de la orientación al cliente y el establecimiento de relaciones gana-gana a largo plazo con las diferentes comunidades con las que se relaciona la organización.

The effects of non-host plant essential oil volatiles on the behaviour of the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus

The use of semiochemicals for manipulation of the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is being investigated for potential incorporation into a push-pull control strategy for this pest, which damages oilseed rape, Brassica napus L. (Brassicaceae), throughout Europe. The response of M. aeneus to non-host plant volatiles was investigated in laboratory assays to establish whether they have any effect on host plant location behaviour. Two approaches were used. First a novel, moving-air bioassay using air funnels was developed to compare the response of M. aeneus to several non-host plant essential oils. The beetles avoided the host plant flowers in the presence of non-host volatiles, suggesting that M. aeneus uses olfactory cues in host location and/or acceptance. The results were expressed as 'repellency values' in order to compare the effects of the different oils tested. Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia Miller) (Lamiaceae) essential oil gave the highest repellency value. In addition, a four-arm olfactometer was used to investigate olfactory responses, as this technique eliminated the influence of host plant visual and contact cues. The attraction to host plant volatiles was reduced by the addition of non-host plant volatiles, but in addition to masking the host plant volatiles, the non-host volatiles were avoided when these were presented alone. This is encouraging for the potential use of non-host plants within a push-pull strategy to reduce the pest colonisation of crops. Further testing in more realistic semi-field and field trials is underway.

Electrophysiological and behavioural responses of the pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus, to volatiles from a non-host plant, lavender, Lavandula angustifolia (Lamiaceae)

A semiochemical based push-pull strategy for control of oilseed rape pests is being developed at Rothamsted Research. This strategy uses insect and plant derived semiochemicals to manipulate pests and their natural enemies. An important element within this strategy is an understanding of the importance of non-host plant cues for pest insects and how such signals could be used to manipulate their behaviour. Previous studies using a range of non-host plants have shown that, for the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), the essential oil of lavender, Lavandula angustifolia (Lamiaceae), was the most repellent. The aim of this study was to identify the active components in L. angustifolia oil, and to investigate the behaviour of M. aeneus to these chemicals, to establish the most effective use of repellent stimuli to disrupt colonisation of oilseed rape crops. Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennography (GC-EAG) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) resulted in the identification of seven active compounds which were tested for behavioural activity using a 4-way olfactometer. Repellent responses were observed with (±)-linalool and (±)-linalyl acetate. The use of these chemicals within a push-pull pest control strategy is discussed.

Effects of non-host plant odour on Meligethes aeneus during immigration to oilseed rape

The use of semiochemicals for the manipulation of the pollen beetle, Meliethes aeneus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is being investigated for potential incorporation into a push-pull strategy for this pest, which damages oilseed rape, Brassica napus L. (Brassicaceae), throughout Europe. Previous laboratory behavioural studies using volatiles from non-host plants showed that M. aeneus is repelled by the odour of lavender, Lavendula angustifolia Mill. (Lamiaceae), essential oil. This article reports on semi-field and field trials to investigate this behaviour under more realistic conditions. Semi-field experiments were conducted to assess the relative importance of olfaction at different points in host location behaviour by M. aeneus. The results showed that oilseed rape plants treated with lavender odour were less colonised by M. aeneus in comparison with an untreated control, but that the treatment effect was much reduced if the lavender odour was applied after colonisation. The field experiment demonstrated that lavender odour caused a significant reduction in the number of adultM. aeneus infesting the oilseed rape plants in the treatment plots compared to the control plots. Overall, these findings are very encouraging for the future development of a push-pull pest control system.

The intramolecular charge transfer in a donor-pi-acceptor dianion probed by resonance Raman spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations

The dideprotonation of 4-(4-nitrophenylazo)resorcinol generates an anionic species with substantial electronic pi delocalization. As compared to the parent neutral species, the anionic first excited electronic transition, characterized as an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) from the CO(-) groups to the NO(2) moiety, shows a drastic red shift of ca. 200 nm in the lambda(max) in the UV-vis spectrum, leading to one of the lowest ICT energies observed (lambda(max) = 630 nm in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) in this class of push-pull molecular systems. Concomitantly, a threefold increase in the molar absorptivity (epsilon(max)) in comparison to the neutral species is observed. The resonance Raman enhancement profiles reveal that in the neutral species the chromophore involves several modes, as nu(C-N), nu(N=N), nu(C=C) and nu(s)(NO(2)), whereas in the dianion, there is a selective enhancement of the NO(2) vibrational modes. The quantum chemical calculations of the electronic transitions and vibrational wavenumbers led to a consistent analysis of the enhancement patterns observed in the resonance Raman spectra. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.