Visualization of Charge-Transfer Complex for the Detection of 2, 4, 6-Trinitrotoluene Using Terahertz Chemical Microscope

This study focuses on the visualization of a charge-transfer complex, namely a Meisenheimer complex, for the detection of uncharged 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosives by developing a terahertz chemical microscope (TCM) imaging system. The organic amine 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was immobilized on an SiO2-film-coated TCM sensing plate, where it interacted with TNT molecules. The surface electrical potential distribution of TNT, APTES, and the charge-transfer complex was mapped. An electrical potential shift occurred due to the formation of a charge-transfer complex between the electron-rich amino-silane APTES and electron-deficient TNT molecules on the surface of the sensing plate. The electrical imaging and detection of TNT explosives by using the TCM imaging system were demonstrated by measuring the amplitude of the terahertz pulse caused by this electrical potential shift. N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and N1-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)diethylenetriamine were used for further evaluation and comparison of color changes arising from the amine-TNT interactions. The results have shown that TCM imaging is a promising method for the detection of uncharged TNT explosives at a low (sub-parts-per-million) concentration.

Cloaked Meaning and Moral Craftwork: Progress and Perpetual Problems in the News Coverage of Indigenous Peoples and Canada's Justice System

Background: This research offers a critical analysis of the “moral craftwork” of the news media’s coverage of Canada’s Indigenous peoples and the justice system. Analysis: This study’s thematic analysis of three case studies, spanning almost two decades, suggests a potential shift in how Canadian journalists report on racism and structural inequalities. Recent news coverage points toward a more transparent dialogue about racism. Conclusions and implications: This study finds problematic journalistic practices linger, occluding a broader understanding of racism and colonialism. This research aims to expand the reflexivity of journalists by spotlighting this type of storytelling.Contexte : Cette recherche offre une analyse critique de « l’artisanat moral » relatif à la couverture du système judiciaire et des peuples autochtones au Canada par les médias d’information. Analyse : Cet article effectue l’analyse thématique de trois études de cas portant sur presque deux décennies de reportages. Il indique une transformation possible dans la manière dont les journalistes canadiens traitent du racisme et des inégalités structurelles. En effet, depuis peu, le reportage d’actualités semble appuyer un dialogue plus transparent sur le racisme. Conclusion et implications : Cette étude remarque cependant que des pratiques journalistiquesproblématiques perdurent, empêchant une meilleure compréhension du racisme et du colonialisme. En soulignant ces lacunes, cette recherche aspire à encourager la réflexivité parmi les journalistes.

You Don’t Fool Me: On Scams, Scambaiting, Deception, and Epistemological Ambiguity at R/scambait on Reddit

With a focus on the online phenomena of scamming and scambaiting, this article explores users’ communicative activities on Reddit’s r/scambait subreddit. Drawing on a representative corpus viewed through grounded theory, we establish the basic categories of posts and then unpack those further to reveal the deceptive practices being undertaken by both scammers and scambaiters, as well as Redditors’ untruthfulness in their fabricated posts. The analysis reveals that the r/scambait subreddit exists as a site of humorous entertainment arising from various forms of deception. Scammers’ deceptive strategies are depicted as amusingly naïve and inefficient, while scambaiters’ deceptive messages targeted at scammers demonstrate great creativity and wittiness. In both cases, scammer-victims are disparaged for being immensely gullible or downright stupid; and Redditors earn online plaudits for submitting the most upvoted posts. Our significant finding is that posts such as those at r/scambait should never be taken at face value due to their inherent epistemological ambiguity, to which the users choose to remain oblivious or indifferent. Furthermore, on a general plane, this study indicates a potential shift in the emic understanding of the concept of “scambaiting” from a punitive measure and an educational instrument to a creative practice geared toward posters’ kudos and users’ joint humorous experience through “baitertainment” and “scamusement.”

What Does it Mean to be a Female Character in “Indie” Game Storytelling? Narrative Framing and Humanization in Independently Developed Video Games

Video games have long held a spotty history in their narratives regarding women. Most research has examined large budget games and identified issues of simplification, oversexualization, and a general lack of agency among female characters. The present study explores the gaming niche of “indie”—or independent game developer—video games in their representations of women in particular with Never Alone, Gone Home, and Her Story. These games were released around the time frame of the GamerGate controversy—a controversy which drew attention to the treatment of women in gaming culture—and hence, the games are used to reflect on a potential shift in games culture following the controversy. This article argues that these game narratives emphasized multilayered female characterizations, female-to-female interactions, and internal dramas as a way to potentially reach female gamers and present an alternative, humanizing narrative on women.

The COVID States Project #16: Partisan differences in intention to vote by mail

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many election administrators, as well as voters, to reconsider the manner in which votes will be cast during the 2020 general election. With many voters wary of waiting in line in person beside strangers on Election Day, registrars around the country are preparing for a far higher share of ballots to be cast by mail than ever before. The best available academic research suggests that holding elections entirely by mail slightly increases turnout, but does not advantage either major political party. Recent research on expanded access to voting by mail during the pandemic has found that, while many voters (and especially Democrats) who would otherwise vote in person take advantage of the opportunity to vote by mail, there is no evidence that the practice has changed any final election results.However, it is clear that more Democrats than Republicans will be voting by mail in 2020, which means that there may well be substantial shifts in the margin between Trump and Biden during an extended period of time after Election Day during which votes are still being counted in some states. How large these shifts are will depend on how different the rates of voting by mail are between Trump and Biden supporters, when people mail in their ballots, and the state’s rules for receiving and counting votes cast by mail. The 2018 midterm elections are illustrative of the potential shift after the election. Democrats’ net seat gain in the House of Representatives increased from 26 to 41 after Election Day because of (1) slow counting of votes that had arrived by mail, and (2) late arriving ballots.Here we evaluate three questions:• How many people report that they will vote by mail in each state?• What will be the difference in candidate choice between those who vote on the day of the election versus those who vote by mail?• What is the potential shift in the margin between Trump and Biden from the day of voting to a count that incorporates votes received by mail?

Theory of the Electrostatic Surface Potential and Intrinsic Dipole Moments at the Mixed Ionic Electronic Conductor (MIEC)-gas Interface

The local activation overpotential describes the electrostatic potential shift away from equilibrium at an electrode/electrolyte interface. This electrostatic potential is not entirely satisfactory for describing the reaction kinetics of a...

RISKS OF THE SPREAD OF NEW DIGITAL CURRENCIES (STABLECOINS), AND ISSUES OF THEIR REGULATION

Task. This article examines the threats and risks of the spread of new digital currencies, in particular stablecoins. Digital currencies are classified, their advantages and disadvantages are indicated. In particular, the article reveals the types of stablecoins and the issues of their regulation. The advantages of stablecoins over cryptocurrencies and virtual currencies are also noted. Summary. Taking into account advantage of stablecoins and disadvantages of other digital currencies, it can be predicted that this type can become one of the most common types of digital currencies. However, this could potentially have a potential shift in the virtual asset ecosystem as well as in the global economy. The proliferation of stablecoins introduces new risks and threats in the area of money laundering and terrorist financing. The regulation of these digital currencies is a topical issue for the FATF, as well as for national FIU structures. Disclosure of these issues is being considered in accordance with the draft law «Law on Cryptocurrency 2020» and amendments to the FATF Recommendation 16, called «Travel rule» for cryptocurrency. Practical importance. Conclusions lead to understanding: the characteristics of stablecoins and the risks of their spread; the measures and approaches taken by the FATF and national regulators to regulate the field of digital currencies and reduce the ML / TF risks.