The ‘structural purity’ of molecular solids—An elusive concept?

South Africa is heralded as a global ambassador for the rights of domestic workers. Empowerment, however, remains an elusive concept within the sector. Fear-based disempowerment still characterises the employment relationship, resulting in an absence of an employee voice. The dire need to survive renders this sector silent. This article explores the role that legislative awareness can play in the everyday lives of domestic workers. By means of a post-positive, forwardlooking positive psychological and phenomenological research design the researchers sought to access the voiced experiences of domestic workers within their employment context. Consequently, purposive, respondent-driven selfsampling knowledgeable participants were recruited. In-depth interviewing generated the data. The distinct voice of each participant was noted during an open inductive approach to data analysis. Findings indicated that empowerment was an unknown construct for all participants. They lacked the confidence to engage their employers on employment issues. Nevertheless, domestic workers should embrace ownership and endeavour to empower themselves. This would sanction their right to assert their expectations of employment standards with confidence and use the judicial system to bring about compliant actions. The article concludes with the notion that legislative awareness could result in empowered actions though informed employee voices.

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A Robust, Porous and Solution-Processable Molecular Crystal Containing Multiple Donor-Acceptor Units

10.26434/chemrxiv.8969684.v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Shengxian Cheng ◽

Xiaoxia Ma, ◽

Yonghe He ◽

Jun He ◽

Matthias Zeller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Crystal ◽

Bulk Sample ◽

Intermolecular Forces ◽

Close Packing ◽

Molecular Solids ◽

Molecular Scaffold ◽

Excellent Thermal Stability ◽

Crystalline Order ◽

Donor Acceptor ◽

Open Packing

We report a curious porous molecular crystal that is devoid of the common traits of related systems. Namely, the molecule does not rely on directional hydrogen bonds to enforce open packing; and it offers neither large concave faces (i.e., high internal free volume) to frustrate close packing, nor any inherently built-in cavity like in the class of organic cages. Instead, the permanent porosity (as unveiled by the X-ray crystal structure and CO<sub>2</sub> sorption studies) arises from the strong push-pull units built into a Sierpinski-like molecule that features four symmetrically backfolded (<b>SBF</b>) side arms. Each side arm consists of the 1,1,4,4-tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene acceptor (TCBD) coupled with the dimethylaminophenyl donor, which is conveniently installed by a cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization (CA-RE) reaction. Unlike the poor/fragile crystalline order of many porous molecular solids, the molecule here readily crystallizes and the crystalline phase can be easily deposited into thin films from solutions. Moreover, both the bulk sample and thin film exhibit excellent thermal stability with the porous crystalline order maintained even at 200 °C. The intermolecular forces underlying this robust porous molecular crystal likely include the strong dipole interactions and the multiple C···N and C···O short contacts afforded by the strongly donating and accepting groups integrated within the rigid molecular scaffold.

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Molecular solids

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH) ◽

10.29172/7b1d5a31-bb4e-4b73-ae62-1c68e9c6006e ◽

2018 ◽

Keyword(s):

Molecular Solids

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The Best Interests of the Child

The Oxford Handbook of Children's Rights Law ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190097608.013.11 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 203-221

Author(s):

Wouter Vandenhole ◽

Gamze Erdem Türkelli

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Family Law ◽

Children's Rights ◽

Case Law ◽

Children’S Rights ◽

Best Interests ◽

Rights Of The Child ◽

European Court ◽

Elusive Concept

The best interests of the child principle is considered a pillar of children’s rights law and, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), is to be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children. Yet best interests is an elusive concept and principle that has no single authoritative definition or description. Internationally and domestically relevant in such diverse areas as family law, adoption, migration, and socioeconomic policymaking, the best interests principle requires flexibility and is best served by a case-by-case approach, as has been recognized by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the European Court of Human Rights. This chapter analyzes relevant international case law and suggests the use of a number of safeguards to prevent such requisite flexibility from presenting a danger of paternalism, bias, or misuse.

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Montaigne on Curiosity

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190215330.013.26 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Zahi Zalloua

Keyword(s):

Early Modern ◽

Critical Discourse ◽

Loaded Term ◽

Elusive Concept ◽

Careful Assessment

Curiosity for Montaigne is an elusive concept. As a Renaissance author, Montaigne inherits a long and multifaceted critical discourse on the question of curiosity. His reflections on this religiously and philosophically loaded term require careful assessment. This chapter first contextualizes Montaigne’s attitude toward curiosity by looking briefly at the mixed reception of curiosity in ancient and medieval discourses before turning to how early modern figures conceived of curiosity as, in large part, a danger to humanist, religious, and/or philosophical ideals of the period. It will then turn to Montaigne’s musings on curiosity, showing how his essaying, or essayistic doing, puts the author paradoxically at odds with his own dismissive remarks, or constative description, of curiosity. The essay form—a form that illustrates and enacts a curious will or “spirited mind”—will also be considered in the discussion of Montaigne’s transvaluation of curiosity.

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Living Labs for Public Sector Innovation: An Integrative Literature Review

Administrative Sciences ◽

10.3390/admsci11020058 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 58

Author(s):

Lars Fuglsang ◽

Anne Vorre Hansen ◽

Ines Mergel ◽

Maria Taivalsaari Røhnebæk

Keyword(s):

Public Sector ◽

Literature Review ◽

Public Administration ◽

Research Literature ◽

Future Research ◽

The Public ◽

Public Sector Innovation ◽

Multiple Dimensions ◽

Living Labs ◽

Elusive Concept

The public administration literature and adjacent fields have devoted increasing attention to living labs as environments and structures enabling the co-creation of public sector innovation. However, living labs remain a somewhat elusive concept and phenomenon, and there is a lack of understanding of its versatile nature. To gain a deeper understanding of the multiple dimensions of living labs, this article provides a review assessing how the environments, methods and outcomes of living labs are addressed in the extant research literature. The findings are drawn together in a model synthesizing how living labs link to public sector innovation, followed by an outline of knowledge gaps and future research avenues.

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