bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Konstruowanie atlasu. Surrealizm - fotografia - Reprodukcja
Authors: Szerszeń Tomasz
Published: January 2023

“The history of art is [...] the history of what is photographable,” wrote André Malraux. Surrealism and related interwar visual phenomena add an interesting context to this observation. If we look at surrealism through the prism of the numerous magazines that accompanied it, we can see the special role of photographic reproduction. It seems that it plays a slightly different role there than in other practices of the interwar avant-garde: it tends to be a visual form of thinking, establishing photography as a crucial medium. The case of the journal “Documents” (1929–1930), existing on the fringe of surrealism and anthropology, seems particularly interesting. It can be seen as a kind of atlas of visual forms, in which the problem of reproductions of artworks and artefacts from different cultures was constantly problematised. The cannibalisation of various types of iconography was related not only to discussions on cultural visual appropriation, or the criticism of various conventions of seeing and making images, but also to a broader project whose aim was the decolonisation of seeing. It assumed a re-examination of European (art) history – in a radical, non-hierarchical and non-encyclopaedic way. The aim of the editors of the journal was to move away from the metaphysical and ocularcentric paradigm in favour of a more horizontal and relational (and in effect anthropological) positioning of a work of art. The question of reproduction is problematised in “Documents” in terms of a discussion on the aura of works and objects from other cultures: displaced and uprooted from their cultural context. The subversive photographic practices of the surrealists related to the status of copies and reproductions are also contextualised here, as are two monumental projects based on reproduction: Aby Warburg’s Mnemosyne Atlas (1924–1929) and Malraux’s Museum of the Imagination (1947–1951), or a “photographic album of universal culture”, but which were created in the face of similar problems to “Documents” (the visual form of knowledge; the “universal” in the face of colonialism; the relationship between artwork and reproduction). All three projects were a kind of response to the globalisation of images and the crisis of cultural memory. Here the use of the atlas form and photographic reproduction becomes an attempt to establish a new epistemic paradigm.
Od „bibliotek fotograficznych” do "fototek". O epistemologicznym potencjale historyczno-artystycznych kolekcji fotografii
Authors: Caraffa Constanza , Lipiński Filip
Published: January 2023

This text is a translation from English into Polish of a fundamental text for research into reproductions of works of art, written by Constanza Caraffa, the leading theorist of the field. It is an introductory chapter of her important volume Photo Archives and the Photographic Memory of Art History (2011), in which she elucidates the meaning of a photo-archive as a site of research into photographs of works of art as individual, material objects. Using examples and her work experience in the Photothek at the Kunsthistorische Institut in Florence, she presents the complexity and abundance of information that photographic reproductions of works of art can carry, over and above the traditional understanding of a photograph as a document transparent onto the object it represents.
Założenia organizacyjne żłobków dziennych w okresie międzywojennym według wytycznych Polskiego Komitetu Opieki nad Dzieckiem
Authors: Wróblewska Urszula
Published: January 2023

The aim of this article is to present the main organizational assumptions of nurseries, which were just organized in the Interwar period and were to represent the first level of social care and educational work for mothers and children. The proposed issue is of contributory nature and is the first attempt to discuss the activities and operations of nurseries in the Interwar period, when their utility and significance were discussed. It is a description of the origins of the facility, which in the post-war period was a common element of childcare. As a result of the developing industry and the growing demand for workers, young mothers also took up paid jobs in order to improve their material status. Therefore, nurseries located near factories did not actually mushroom and the time of development of this institution was arrested in the post-war period.
Działalność doktora Henryka Jordana na rzecz dzieci i młodzieży. W poszukiwaniu współczesnych odniesień
Authors: Rutkowski Jarosław , Semrau Katarzyna
Published: January 2023

The activity of Dr. Henryk Jordan played an important role in the development of health education in Galicia, Eastern Europe, in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. This article revolves around Jordan’s concept of the development of the physical condition of Poles and the physical education system for children and adolescents. Henryk Jordan’s actions have been re-interpreted in the context of building various educational establishments. His efforts, focused on organizing free time for students, were aimed at ensuring their sustainable development. In this respect, the creation of the City Park was Henryk Jordan’s great achievements, serving the physical education of children and adolescents and promotion of mass sport. This organization of public space can be a valuable guideline for architects and educators who create friendly spaces for children and young people. At the same time, the article pinpoints that the target audience and the users are members of local communities whose voices should always be heard and considered. When this happens, they form a relationship with friendly space which takes them into an existential dimension.
Language, Time, and Death. An Ethico-Philosophical Perspective Following Hegel, Heidegger, Lévinas, and Blanchot
Authors: Kaushal Sanjay
Published: January 2023

Our daily existence is affected by how we perceive death, be it our own’s death tocome or others’ death. The intimidating nature of death has the potential to affect our daily ethical existence in relation to the other, as is seen in various crises in human history. In such a context, since expansive literature in various approaches such as biological, sociological, psychological, and political addressing the question of death is already available, this essay presents an ethico-philosophical perspective on death and argues if death should be seen as the worst event that is to be experienced by being. In this essay, I correlate language, time, and death, contrasting popular analogies, i.e., death is possibility of impossibility (Hegel and Heidegger), and death is impossibility of possibility (Lévinas and Blanchot). Firstly, the essay stages the discussion with contrasting synchronic and diachronic perspectives of language, i.e., historical understanding of language and time in Hegelian terms and the messianic time in Lévinasian terms, to see how sensibility, i.e., universal meaning, is expressed through concept. Secondly, the essay sees how sensibility is expressed through a concept beyond dialectic opposition and negativity while acknowledging that the question of ethics arises only after the end of philosophy, for something is always inexpressible through expression; there is always remnant beyond philosophical significance. This essay not only argues language, time, and death as the ethical responsibility of the self towards the other, but also contributes to the understanding of language as ethics beyond philosophy, and death as passivity beyond ontology following Lévinas’s idea of messianic time and Blanchot’s views on literature and death.
Filolaos z Krotony, O naturze (Περὶ φύσεως) doksografia i fragmenty
Authors: Wesoły Marian Andrzej
Published: January 2023

The present article consists of two parts. First, we provide some general information on the life and views of Philolaus. This serves as an intro­duction to the second part which offers a new Polish translation of the most important ancient testimonies on Philolaus and the preserved fragments from his book On Nature (the latter are quoted along with the Greek original). According to the most recent research, these fragments are authentic and give an important insight into the Pythagorean and early Greek philosophy. The present selection of Philolaus’ testimonies and fragments has been arranged in a novel and accessible manner.
The (Un)bearable Lightness of Being. The Cyrenaics on Residual Solipsism
Authors: Zilioli Ugo
Published: January 2023

The aim of this paper is to assess the evidence on Cyrenaic solipsism and show how and why some views endorsed by the Cyrenaics appear to be committing them to solipsism. After evaluating the fascinating case for Cyrenaic solipsism, the paper shall deal with an (often) underestimated argument on language attributed to the Cyrenaics, whose logic – if I reconstruct it well – implies that after all the Cyrenaics cannot have endorsed a radical solipsism. Yet, by drawing an illuminating parallel with Wittgenstein’s argument on private language and inner sensations, a case is to be made for the Cyrenaics to have subscribed to a sort of ‘residual solipsism’, which in turn helps us to understand the notion of Cyrenaic privacy at a fuller extent.
An extensive assessment on the distribution pattern of organic contaminants in the aerosols samples in the Middle East
Authors: Orif Mohamed I. , El-Shahawi Mohammad S. , Ismail Iqbal M. I. , Rushdi Ahmed , Alshemmari Hassan , El-Sayed Mohammed A.
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, in spite of a significant progress in indoor air quality (IAQ), an assessable and predictive understanding of atmospheric aerosol sources, chemical composition, transformation processes, and environmental effects are still rather incomplete and therefore signifies a key research challenge in the atmospheric science. Thus, the current comprehensive review is concerned with the dominant sources, organic compositions, and potential health impacts of the organic contaminants in the atmospheric particle matters (PMs) in the Middle East (ME). The ME contributes a major impact of organic contaminants on the atmosphere along with other Asian and African countries. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the communities are noted for being the center of the great majority of the world’s oil reserves and infrastructure for producing crude oil. The review starts with a historical outlook on the scientific queries regarding major source of organic contaminants to the atmospheric aerosols over the past centuries, followed by an explanation of the distribution, sources, transformation processes, and chemical and physical properties as they are formerly assumed. Natural product chemicals from biota, manufactured organic compounds including pesticides, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and lubricants, as well as organic compounds from the use and combustion of fossil fuels make up the aerosol contamination. Thus, in the recent years, IAQ may be seen as a significant health issue because of the increase in industrial activity. Fugitive emissions from industrial processes, as well as natural and anthropogenic emissions from other sources such as forest fires, volcanic eruptions, incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, wood, agricultural waste, or leaves, are typical sources of organic pollutants to the aerosol. In the spring and early summer in the GCC countries, aerosol concentration increases because of dust storms; however, in winter, there are fewer dust storms and higher precipitation rates, and aerosol concentrations are lower. Significances of future research and major suggestions are also outlined to narrow the gap between the present understanding of the contribution of both anthropogenic and biogenic aerosols to radiative forcing, resulting from the spatial nonuniformity, intermittency of sources, unresolved composition, and reactivity.
Association of pro-inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory proteins with atherosclerosis index in obese male subjects
Authors: Alizadeh Farhad , Mirzaie Bavil Fariba , Keyhanmanesh Rana , Lotfi Hajie , Ghiasi Fariba
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Investigation the association of pro-inflammatory markers interleukin (IL)-1β and IL- 10 expression, serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), High-density lipoprotein (HDL), Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily A Member 1 (ABCA1) inflammatory proteins with atherosclerosis index (homocysteine) in normal-weight and obese male subjects.

Methods

59 males including 30 obese (Body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2) and 29 normal-weight (BMI of 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) were joined to this study. Plasma levels of IL-1β and IL-10 (pg/mL), CRP (pg/mL), COX-2 (ng/mL), APOA1 (mg/dL), ABCA1 (ng/mL), HDL, Cholesterol, and Triglyceride (TG) (mg/dL), and homocysteine (µmol/L) was measured. Association of these biomarkers with homocysteine was determined.

Results

Obese subjects had higher serum levels of IL10, IL1β, CRP, COX-2, TG, and cholesterol concentrations (all p<0.05 except IL-10 and cholesterol) and low levels of HDL, APOA1, and ABCA1 (non-significant differences) in comparison to normal-weight group. Homocysteine levels were high in obese men with no significant differences between the two groups. In obese subjects, homocysteine had a significant inverse correlation with APOA1, ABCA1, and HDL, and a strong and moderate positive correlation was found with CRP and TG levels, respectively.

Conclusions

High level of homocysteine and its correlation with inflammation proteins and markers in obese subjects appear to be contributed with atherosclerosis development.
Individualized treatment rules under stochastic treatment cost constraints
Authors: Qiu Hongxiang , Carone Marco , Luedtke Alex
Published: January 2023

Estimation and evaluation of individualized treatment rules have been studied extensively, but real-world treatment resource constraints have received limited attention in existing methods. We investigate a setting in which treatment is intervened upon based on covariates to optimize the mean counterfactual outcome under treatment cost constraints when the treatment cost is random. In a particularly interesting special case, an instrumental variable corresponding to encouragement to treatment is intervened upon with constraints on the proportion receiving treatment. For such settings, we first develop a method to estimate optimal individualized treatment rules. We further construct an asymptotically efficient plug-in estimator of the corresponding average treatment effect relative to a given reference rule.
Voltaire on Liberty
Authors: Wootton David
Published: January 2023

This article sets forth Voltaire’s philosophy of liberty. Contrary to generally accepted readings, which take Voltaire at face value rather than considering the environment in which he wrote, Voltaire had a clear normative political thought. He was an early proponent of rule of law, ordered liberty, freedom of conscience and expression, and the right to prudent rebellion against tyranny. At the root of his political theory lay a rejection of slavery, and hence of all forms of subjugation.
Spin texture and chiral coupling of circularly polarized dipole field
Authors: Shi Yu , Kim Hong Koo
Published: January 2023

We show that a circularly polarized electric dipole harbors a near-field concentrated wave which orbits around with an energy flux significantly larger (five orders of magnitudes at ∼1 nm radial distance) than far-field radiation. This near-field wave is found to carry transverse spins and reveal skyrmion spin texture (Néel-type). By performing electromagnetic analysis and numerical simulation, we demonstrate chiral extraction of a near-field rotational energy flux: the confined energy flow is out-coupled to surface plasmons on metal surface, whose curvature is designed to provide orbital angular momentum matched to spin angular momentum of dipole field, that is, to facilitate spin–orbit interaction. Strong coupling occurs with high chiral selectivity (∼113) and Purcell enhancement (∼17) when both linear and angular momenta are matched between dipole field and surface plasmons. Existence of a high-intensity energy flux in the deep-bottom near-field region (r ∼ 1 nm) opens up an interesting avenue in altering fundamental properties of dipole emission. For example, extracting ∼1% of this flux would result in enhancing spontaneous emission rate by ∼1000 times.
A renewed perception of living environments after restrictions due to pandemic in Italy
Authors: Bartalucci Chiara , Bellomini Raffaella , Luzzi Sergio , Pulella Paola , Iannuzzi Giulia , Torelli Giulia
Published: January 2023

The rapid habitual changes induced by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic first and the end of the most restrictive phase coinciding with the lock-down later resulted in significant changes, also occurred at an environmental level and, specifically, with regard to the perception of the soundscape in all European countries. The seek for knowledge underlying the research illustrated in this article concerned whether or not the perception of the soundscape following the almost normal resumption of daily activities had returned to that of the period before the restrictions came into force.

This article illustrates how an online questionnaire structured in 16 questions was designed and administered to a sample of Italian citizens, in order to understand whether and how the habits of the respondents had changed in the three reference time periods (before the pandemic spread, the period marked by lock-down or other restrictions in early 2020 and the period afterwards) and their perception of the perceived soundscape of the place where they spend most of their days. A total of around 70 questionnaires distributed throughout Italy were collected and analysed. The results obtained, through the use of descriptive statistical analyses and logistic models, are also presented in this article.
Production of vowel reduction by Jordanian–Arabic speakers of English: an acoustic study
Authors: Abu Guba Mohammed Nour , Mashaqba Bassil , Jarbou Samer , Al-Haj Eid Omar
Published: January 2023

This study investigates the production of vowel reduction among Jordanian–Arabic speakers of English. Two groups of speakers, intermediate and advanced, and a control group of English native speakers were asked to read a story. The phonetic properties of reduced vowels, namely duration, intensity, F0, F1, and F2 were measured and compared as produced by the three groups. Results show that there were considerable differences in duration as the reduced vowels produced by the Arabic speakers exhibited longer duration values than those produced by the native speakers. Slight differences were attested between the two proficiency groups. Also, it was found that lower F0, but not intensity, was used by all groups to signal lack of stress. Results revealed that advanced Arabic speakers of English failed to produce English schwa in a native-like manner both in terms of quantity and quality.
Archives of Mass Violence: Understanding and Using ICTY Trial Records
Authors: Vukušić Iva
Published: January 2023

The most relevant collection for studying the wars accompanying the breakup of Yugoslavia, which resulted in over 130,000 dead or missing, is the archive of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. The Tribunal established by the UN Security Council in 1993 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes indicted 161 people and had accumulated millions of pages of testimony, military and police reports, and videos when it closed in late 2017. This invaluable record details the massacres and includes well-known incidents, such as the mass executions after the fall of Srebrenica, but also killings and torture elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia. This article investigates the history of this archive, analyzes its contents, and argues that the collection has two important features which present both a huge opportunity and a significant challenge for research—the immense volume of the archive, and a lack of access to important parts of it.
Photographic Archives and the Anthropology of Communism in Albania
Authors: de Rapper Gilles
Published: January 2023

The communist period in Albania was a time of intense photographic production. Much more than in previous periods, photography was perceived by those in power as an indispensable tool while at the same time becoming accessible to almost the entire population. Many photographs from the time survived the end of the communist regime and can now be used to study the history and memory of that period. To be of historical value, however, the diversity of photographic genres and practices, as well as the history of the constitution of photographic archives demands consideration of the context of the production and circulation of photographs, and that is a primary objective of this article. The author shows how he conducted an ethnography of photography based on presentation of the current state of public and private collections, and how such investigation constitutes a contribution to the anthropology of communism in Albania.
Making Sense of Archives: An Introduction
Authors: Lučić Iva
Published: January 2023

This introduction to the thematic section “Making Sense of Archives” explores different archival terrains in Southeastern Europe. It discusses the politics of storage against the background of the processes of professionalization in the archival field, the provenance of funding for both storing and digitalizing archival collections, and the chronic lack of archival personnel. The author makes a plea for critical engagement with archival spaces by explicating the logics of the archiving processes of documents of different kinds and the dimensions of power immanent to them. Moreover, she argues that scholars need to reflect more critically on archivists’ mediating interventions, including appraisal, arrangement, processing, and description as a necessary complement to applied source criticism. Lastly, she locates the thematic section’s contributions within broader themes in the archival field, including knowledge management and blind spots in archives, the archival turn, the potentials and pitfalls of visual archives, and the study of documents as archival artefacts.
Effects of Microstructural Composition, Porosity, and Microcracks on the Elastic Moduli of Nuclear Graphites
Authors: Spicer James B. , Arregui-Mena José D. , Contescu Cristian I. , Gallego Nidia C.
Published: January 2023

The elastic responses of nuclear graphite not only depend on the graphitic content itself but are largely dictated by the microstructural constitution of the material. The types of raw materials combined with the manufacturing processes used to produce the graphite yield the microstructural content that primarily includes graphite filler, graphitized pitch binder, and voids/defects that typically occupy approximately 20% of the volume. Among these microstructural components, porosity and microcracking (considered to be part of voids/defects) heavily influence the overall properties of the material, including the elastic moduli. It is widely accepted that the primary effect of oxidation is to increase porosity, but the related effect on the moduli cannot be explained satisfactorily by simply noting changes to porosity. Models describing the elastic moduli of porous, polycrystalline graphite materials have been developed to interpret experimental determinations of Young's modulus and shear modulus in oxidized graphites. Beyond porosity, the moduli are heavily influenced by microcracks, and their effects can be assessed using physical property models based on orientation distribution coefficients and microcrack-modified, single-crystal moduli to represent the combined effects of crystallite orientation and microcracking. This work demonstrates how most modulus measurements in nuclear graphites can be understood using relatively simple models that describe the effects of porosity and microcracking. We also present directions to be pursued to account for microstructure-related effects that occur as a result of neutron irradiation.
Equibiaxial Flexure Strength of a Superfine-Grained Nuclear Graphite
Authors: Campbell Anne A. , Wereszczak Andrew A. , Geringer Josina W. , Katoh Yutai
Published: January 2023

The strength of advanced graphite is reported in accordance with ASTM D7846-16 using a two-parameter Weibull distribution for uniaxial strength testing. The rule of thumb for Weibull distributions is to use a minimum of 30 strength measurements to have a high level of confidence in the Weibull characteristic strength and the Weibull modulus. These large sample sets for statistical confidence are easily obtained for as-manufactured graphite, but determination of the Weibull two-factor parameters on graphite that has been exposed to neutron irradiation is nearly impossible due to irradiation testing restraints on specimen size and space limitations in test reactors for the accommodation of specimens. These restrictions have resulted in irradiation programs that use sub-sized specimens to measure uniaxial strength change, but the specimen geometries still hinder the number of replicate specimens for each irradiation condition. In contrast, this work used an advanced ceramic standard, ASTM C1499-05, as the foundation for equibiaxial strength testing of a superfine-grained nuclear graphite to investigate the irradiation-induced strength change and any changes to the two-parameter Weibull distribution. The goal was to investigate the effect of specimen size on the two-parameter Weibull distribution parameters in support of the small specimens and geometry desired for irradiation. A study of the effect of a reduced sample population was also undertaken to investigate the reliability of using the two-parameter Weibull distribution to study changes to the materials properties caused by neutron irradiation damage. The results of this work suggest that these equibiaxial specimens would be ideal for statistically significant studies of the effects of irradiation on the Weibull characteristic strength (but not the modulus) and for providing a method for surveillance specimen campaigns for future operating commercial reactors.
Measurement of Gas Permeability of Irradiated and Virgin Graphite Specimens
Authors: Dinsdale-Potter John H. , Charlton Dave , Shaw Tim , Tzelepi Athanasia
Published: January 2023

Gas permeability describes the rate at which gases can pass through a material under pressure-driven flow. It is a property of interest for graphite components within gas-cooled reactors, indicating the level of permeation of cooling gases within the components and hence the rate of reaction between coolant gases and the graphite. These gas-graphite reactions are responsible for radiolytic oxidation in reactors in the United Kingdom and have the potential for thermal oxidation in high-temperature reactors (HTRs), which can limit reactor lifetimes. It is also important for understanding vulnerabilities in reactors (e.g., the extent of thermal oxidation in HTRs during air-ingress fault scenarios). At the time of writing no specific ASTM standard exists for the measurement of permeability or diffusivity on graphite, but ASTM C781, Standard Practices for Testing Graphite Materials for Gas-Cooled Nuclear Reactor Components, recommends using ASTM C577, Standard Test Method for Permeability of Refractories, with a transport gas of helium for the measurement of permeability. The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has conducted permeability measurements on graphite samples trepanned from both advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) and Magnox cores over the past three decades as part of reactor monitoring campaigns. This paper reviews permeability measurements on irradiated and virgin AGR graphite conducted using the “vacuum leak” methodology and a novel method currently in development at the NNL that does not impose the same stringent sealing requirements on samples. The results are used to examine the size dependence of samples, virgin material variation, and the evolution of permeability with radiolytic oxidation.
Measurement of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Small Graphite Specimens
Authors: Dinsdale-Potter John H. , Shaw Tim , Tzelepi Athanasia
Published: January 2023

Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) gives a key insight into the thermomechanical properties of a material, representing the dimensional expansion of a material for a given temperature change. It is of particular relevance to graphite components within reactors, providing insight into the thermal strains experienced at operating temperatures. In combination with other internal strains and external loads, these thermal strains can have a direct effect on component performance, as well as operational lifetimes. Hence, a good understanding of how CTE changes with irradiation is essential for any graphite reactor component in both existing and newly built reactors. This understanding relies on accurate measurements of small specimens with noncompliant geometries. The most commonly used method of measuring CTE is push-rod dilatometry, favored for its simplicity, and this technique is covered by ASTM E228. This and other CTE measurement standards place specific size requirements on samples, which can be difficult to achieve for irradiated graphite samples recovered from reactors or irradiated in material test reactors. The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has used this technique to routinely measure the CTE of small samples trepanned from Magnox and advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) graphite over the past three decades as part of the graphite core monitoring campaigns. The samples measured at the NNL are not compliant with the geometry requirements mandated by ASTM E228. This paper examines two studies on nonstandard compliant geometry AGR samples. The first is a comparison between dilatometry and electronic speckle pattern interferometry, and the second is a dilatometry study conducted on samples of similar material but differing geometries. The results are used to discuss typical challenges and aspects of the measurements that require addressing to demonstrate confidence in dilatometry and optical interferometry CTE measurements on noncompliant geometries.
Investigation of Size Effects in Test Methods Used for Irradiated and Oxidized Graphite
Authors: Tzelepi Athanasia , Dinsdale-Potter John H. , Jordan Matthew S. L. , Brown Matthew , Preston Henry J. , Wilkinson Samantha , Steer Alan , Davies Mark A. , Wade James , Krishna Ram , Mummery Paul
Published: January 2023

Postirradiation examination (PIE) of graphite samples trepanned from the UK reactor cores has been carried out for more than 50 years. Due to the nature of the material, there are sample size and geometry restrictions and no standard test methods to cover measurements on this material. Nevertheless, these measurements are used to support the continued operation of the UK reactor cores, and hence a large program of trials is carried out to provide confidence that each method is accurate and reproducible. These trials typically involve a study of size effects using virgin graphite and simulant materials for the irradiated and oxidized graphite, but a corresponding study with irradiated samples is usually not possible. This paper combines the work of two UK studies to investigate the size effect of the PIE test methods on irradiated graphite on the basis of the characterization of graphite used in the advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGRs) and Magnox reactors. The AGR study focused on the static Young's modulus, three-point bend strength of unnotched and notched beams, and the work of fracture. The Magnox study focused on the coefficient of thermal expansion, diametral compression, and flexural strength. The two studies used large irradiated graphite samples from “installed sets” (i.e., precharacterized graphite samples installed in the reactor cores before the start of operation for monitoring purposes). Large Magnox samples that were trepanned from the reactor core after shutdown were also tested. The purpose of these investigations was to relate the graphite measurements normally undertaken on small trepanned samples to property values obtained using standard test methods on irradiated material. The sample selection was such that it covered as wide a range of dose and radiolytic weight loss as possible. This paper outlines the methodology, results, and conclusions for each of the studies and provides some guidelines for similar studies on new graphites.
Unequal Exchange in the EU: The Case of Trade Transactions Between Germany, Italy, and Greece
Authors: Economakis George , Markaki Maria
Published: January 2023

In contemporary capitalism, unequal exchange is a form of imperialist exploitation. A theoretical approach to unequal exchange is traced to Marx's analysis of economic crises in Volume III of Capital and Theories of Surplus Value. Unequal exchange penetrates the world economy revealing an economic-performance hierarchy through value extraction in trade. Trade transactions between Germany, Italy, and Greece are examined to estimate the degree of unequal exchange in the European Union.
RNA-seq Analysis of the BCG Vaccine in a Humanized Mouse Model
Authors: Wang Jie , Mi Jie , Liang Yan , Wu Xueqiong , Zhang Junxian , Liu Yinping , Wang Lan , Xue Yong , Shi Yingchang , Gong Wenping , Wang Xinru
Published: January 2023

Objective:

This study was aimed at screening differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and exploring the potential immune mechanism induced by the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine in a humanized mouse model.

Methods:

Candidate DEGs between mice vaccinated with BCG or injected with PBS were identified through transcriptomics, and their biological functions, signaling pathways, and protein interaction networks were analyzed through bioinformatics.

Results:

A total of 1035 DEGs were identified by transcriptomics: 398 up-regulated and 637 down-regulated. GO analysis indicated that these DEGs were significantly enriched in cell adhesion, oxygen transport, receptor complex, carbohydrate binding, serine-type endopeptidase activity, and peroxidase activity terms. KEGG analysis indicated that these DEGs were involved in the Rap1 signaling pathway, axon guidance, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Protein interaction network analysis demonstrated that the Myc, Vegfa, and Itgb3 proteins had the highest aggregation degree, aggregation coefficient, and connectivity.

Conclusion:

The BCG vaccine induced 1035 DEGs in humanized mice. Among them, the differentially expressed down-regulated genes myc and itgb3 involved in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway may play essential roles in the immune mechanism of the BCG vaccine.
Age-Related Changes in Risky Decision Making and Associated Neural Circuitry in a Rat Model
Authors: Orsini Caitlin A. , Pyon Wonn S. , Dragone Richard J. , Faraji Mojdeh , Wheeler Alexa-Rae , Pompilus Marjory , Febo Marcelo , Bizon Jennifer L. , Setlow Barry
Published: January 2023

Altered decision making at advanced ages can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life and the ability to maintain personal independence. Relative to young adults, older adults make less impulsive and less risky choices; although these changes in decision making could be considered beneficial, they can also lead to choices with potentially negative consequences (e.g., avoidance of medical procedures). Rodent models of decision making have been invaluable for dissecting cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to age-related changes in decision making, but they have predominantly used costs related to timing or probability of reward delivery and have not considered other equally important costs, such as the risk of adverse consequences. The current study therefore used a rat model of decision making involving risk of explicit punishment to examine age-related changes in this form of choice behavior in male rats, and to identify potential cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to these changes. Relative to young rats, aged rats displayed greater risk aversion, which was not attributable to reduced motivation for food, changes in shock sensitivity, or impaired cognitive flexibility. Functional MRI analyses revealed that, overall, functional connectivity was greater in aged rats compared with young rats, particularly among brain regions implicated in risky decision making such as basolateral amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral tegmental area. Collectively, these findings are consistent with greater risk aversion found in older humans, and reveal age-related changes in brain connectivity.
The Public’s Role in Politicizing International Issues: Why Multilateralism Needs to Take Public Opinion More Seriously
Authors: Dumdum Omar O.
Published: January 2023

The aim of this article is to introduce a framework that expands our understanding of the power of public opinion in influencing decisions at the multilateral level, with particular focus on the relationship between public opinion and legitimacy of international institutions and IOs. The framework traces how multilateral issues evolve from having high consensus to being highly contested, or vice versa. The progression and pathways become clear when public contestation is disentangled from elite contestation. Further, it argues that the faster pace of issue politicization is aided by the political ecology dominated by social media, as compared to the period when news media were the public’s main source of information on international matters.
A critical period of prehearing spontaneous Ca2+ spiking is required for hair‐bundle maintenance in inner hair cells
Authors: Carlton Adam J , Jeng Jing‐Yi , Grandi Fiorella C , De Faveri Francesca , Ceriani Federico , De Tomasi Lara , Underhill Anna , Johnson Stuart L , Legan Kevin P , Kros Corné J , Richardson Guy P , Mustapha Mirna , Marcotti Walter
Published: January 2023

Sensory‐independent Ca2+ spiking regulates the development of mammalian sensory systems. In the immature cochlea, inner hair cells (IHCs) fire spontaneous Ca2+ action potentials (APs) that are generated either intrinsically or by intercellular Ca2+ waves in the nonsensory cells. The extent to which either or both of these Ca2+ signalling mechansims are required for IHC maturation is unknown. We find that intrinsic Ca2+ APs in IHCs, but not those elicited by Ca2+ waves, regulate the maturation and maintenance of the stereociliary hair bundles. Using a mouse model in which the potassium channel Kir2.1 is reversibly overexpressed in IHCs (Kir2.1‐OE), we find that IHC membrane hyperpolarization prevents IHCs from generating intrinsic Ca2+ APs but not APs induced by Ca2+ waves. Absence of intrinsic Ca2+ APs leads to the loss of mechanoelectrical transduction in IHCs prior to hearing onset due to progressive loss or fusion of stereocilia. RNA‐sequencing data show that pathways involved in morphogenesis, actin filament‐based processes, and Rho‐GTPase signaling are upregulated in Kir2.1‐OE mice. By manipulating in vivo expression of Kir2.1 channels, we identify a “critical time period” during which intrinsic Ca2+ APs in IHCs regulate hair‐bundle function.
Jacob‐induced transcriptional inactivation of CREB promotes Aβ‐induced synapse loss in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Grochowska Katarzyna M , Gomes Guilherme M , Raman Rajeev , Kaushik Rahul , Sosulina Liudmila , Kaneko Hiroshi , Oelschlegel Anja M , Yuanxiang PingAn , Reyes‐Resina Irene , Bayraktar Gonca , Samer Sebastian , Spilker Christina , Woo Marcel S , Morawski Markus , Goldschmidt Jürgen , Friese Manuel A , Rossner Steffen , Navarro Gemma , Remy Stefan , Reissner Carsten , Karpova Anna , Kreutz Michael R
Published: January 2023

Synaptic dysfunction caused by soluble β‐amyloid peptide (Aβ) is a hallmark of early‐stage Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is tightly linked to cognitive decline. By yet unknown mechanisms, Aβ suppresses the transcriptional activity of cAMP‐responsive element‐binding protein (CREB), a master regulator of cell survival and plasticity‐related gene expression. Here, we report that Aβ elicits nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of Jacob, a protein that connects a NMDA‐receptor‐derived signalosome to CREB, in AD patient brains and mouse hippocampal neurons. Aβ‐regulated trafficking of Jacob induces transcriptional inactivation of CREB leading to impairment and loss of synapses in mouse models of AD. The small chemical compound Nitarsone selectively hinders the assembly of a Jacob/LIM‐only 4 (LMO4)/ Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) signalosome and thereby restores CREB transcriptional activity. Nitarsone prevents impairment of synaptic plasticity as well as cognitive decline in mouse models of AD. Collectively, the data suggest targeting Jacob protein‐induced CREB shutoff as a therapeutic avenue against early synaptic dysfunction in AD.
Testing of a new way of cadastral maps renewal in Slovakia
Authors: Kyseľ Peter , Hudecová Ľubica
Published: January 2023

The land-rating measures land site productivity based on natural factors, including soil characteristics, climate, relief, and special impacts. The basic unit of administering land rating is the equal land-rating area. The establishment and upgrading took place over several years in the entire territory of Slovenia. The uniform layer of the equal land-rating area of the whole state is administered by the Surveying and Mapping Authority based on the proposal of the individual or ex officio. The uniform layer of equal land-rating area and database of land-rating values are public and used for land valuation purposes and for land management measures.
A ficção brasileira contemporânea e o existencialismo bizarro nas obras: Biofobia, Mastigando humanos e Feriado de mim mesmo, de Santiago Nazarian
Authors: Mendes Araújo Alexandre César , Machado Pereira Marcílio
Published: January 2023

Este artigo científico, resultante de pesquisa vinculada ao PIBIC-UESPI, e situado na linha de pesquisa que estuda a ficção brasileira contemporânea, analisa as obras Biofobia, Mastigando humanos e Feriado de mim mesmo, romances adultos do escritor Santiago Nazarian. Estuda as anteriormente citadas obras através das pistas deixadas pelo próprio autor, que utilizou a expressão “existencialismo bizarro” para referir-se a sua obra. Desenvolve uma discussão sobre os temas do existencialismo, do bizarro e do uso da metaficção enquanto aspectos representativos na literatura contemporânea e que se fazem presentes em Nazarian. Realiza leituras aprofundadas dos romances Biofobia, Mastigando humanos e Feriado de mim mesmo com o intuito de perceber traços estilísticos distintivos, recorrências temáticas e preocupações formais. Discute temas como o fracasso, a solidão e a incapacidade de adaptação dos personagens de Santiago Nazarian. Apresenta ainda uma breve biobibliografia de Santiago Nazarian para uma melhor compreensão da trajetória do autor. Utiliza, por fim, a pesquisa bibliográfica e documental como estratégias de coleta de dados, apoiando-se esta análise em autores tais como Oliveira (2011), Santos (2005), Reichmann (2006) e Schollhammer (2009).
La esterilización de personas discapacitadas: la radical reforma penal de 2020
Authors: García Arán Mercedes
Published: January 2023

La LO 2/2020 modificó el art. 156 del CP español, suprimiendo la posibilidad de autorizar judicialmente la esterilización de personas discapacitadas que el Tribunal Constitucional había confirmado en 1994. Este trabajo analiza la repercusión de la Convención Internacional sobre los derechos de las personas con discapacidad en esta reforma penal y también en el nuevo régimen civil de la discapacidad mental, en el que se sustituye el viejo sistema de representación por el de asistencia y apoyo en la decisión de la persona discapacitada. Tanto la Convención como el Código Civil aceptan la representación excepcional en casos graves, pero la reforma penal lo ha rechazado, prohibiendo la esterilización en casos de discapacidad absoluta. El trabajo analiza el principio de no discriminación y las consecuencias penales de la nueva situación.
EL SPOT PRESIDENCIAL ESTADOUNIDENSE A TRAVÉS DE SU MÚSICA. DE LOS PRIMEROS ANUNCIOS TELEVISIVOS A LA CONSOLIDACIÓN DE INTERNET COMO CAMPO DE BATALLA ELECTORAL
Authors: Herreras Carrera Aleix
Published: January 2023

Este artículo parte de la observación de los spots recogidos en el Museum of the Moving Image y los canales de YouTube de los candidatos a la presidencia de los EE. UU. Hasta la década de los ochenta no se normaliza el uso de la música en este tipo de publicidad. Se aprecia un uso decreciente del jingle y una mejora en la integración por congruencia y complementariedad de los significados aportados por la música. En los noventa hay un claro aumento en la cantidad de spots lanzados, a través de los cuales se asientan sus clichés estilísticos musicales más característicos. En el siglo XXI se integran los recursos musicales de la publicidad emocional, y actualmente se está normalizando un efectismo que absorbe el estilo del tráiler cinematográfico. A través de la música, el spot distingue el propósito del anunciante y señala palabras con silencios u otros recursos musicales.
ncreasing the Efficiency of Creating Augmented Reality Scenes Using Neural Networks
Authors:   National Technical University of Ukraine «Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute», Zhabokrytskyi I.V.
Published: January 2023

On the way to the fourth wave of industrial technological progress, visualization and virtualization tools have received a wide range of applications and integration into the multi-industry space. The technology of creating additional visual images is currently used in the medical field, the field of education, the industrial and industrial field, the field of advertising and trade, in the field of modeling and design, in the scientific field, the cultural and entertainment field, etc. The potential of using visualization tools is inexhaustible, because the integration of additional information in the form of graphic objects helps to increase the perception of the data flow of reality and develops analytical capabilities for users of augmented reality technology. Modern means of creating scenes of augmented reality and additional visual images have increased requirements for the consumption of computing power, as they require dynamic adaptive interaction with streams of real data, which actually leads to the formation of extremely complex algorithms and corresponding hardware-analog and software-digital solutions. Optimizing and improving the efficiency of the augmented reality scene creation technology is a scientific problem that needs to be solved, including within the scope of the current research. According to the bibliographic search and analysis of modern trends and profile developments, the potential possibility of using neural network tools to create additional visual objects in augmented reality scenes has been established. Neural networks have a high adaptive capacity for learning and an adequate reaction to external conditions of functioning. Therefore, neural network tools are surprisingly suitable for integration into technological solutions for the functioning of augmented reality technology. Known topological solutions for arranging and organizing the functioning of neural networks, which can be applied to solve a certain scientific problem of optimizing the consumption of computing power and increasing the efficiency of creating augmented reality scenes, have a number of limitations to their application, which prompts the further search for adaptive solutions. A promising solution is the formation of combined-hybrid technologies for constructing the topology of neural networks. Thus, the relevance of the research is outlined, the scientific issues are formed, and the vector of scientific research to solve the identified issues is proposed.