bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The peer review process for awarding funds to international science research consortia: a qualitative developmental evaluation
Authors: Gregorius Stefanie , Dean Laura , Cole Donald C , Bates Imelda
Published: January 2018

Background: Evaluating applications for multi-national, multi-disciplinary, dual-purpose research consortia is highly complex. There has been little research on the peer review process for evaluating grant applications and almost none on how applications for multi-national consortia are reviewed. Overseas development investments are increasingly being channelled into international science consortia to generate high-quality research while simultaneously strengthening multi-disciplinary research capacity. We need a better understanding of how such decisions are made and their effectiveness.

Methods: An award-making institution planned to fund 10 UK-Africa research consortia. Over two annual rounds, 34 out of 78 eligible applications were shortlisted and reviewed by at least five external reviewers before final selections were made by a face-to-face panel. We used an innovative approach involving structured, overt observations of award-making panel meetings and semi-structured interviews with panel members to explore how assessment criteria concerning research quality and capacity strengthening were applied during the peer review process. Data were coded and analysed using pre-designed matrices which incorporated categories relating to the assessment criteria.

Results: In general the process was rigorous and well-managed. However, lack of clarity about differential weighting of criteria and variations in the panel’s understanding of research capacity strengthening resulted in some inconsistencies in use of the assessment criteria. Using the same panel for both rounds had advantages, in that during the second round consensus was achieved more quickly and the panel had increased focus on development aspects.

Conclusion: Grant assessment panels for such complex research applications need to have topic- and context-specific expertise. They must also understand research capacity issues and have a flexible but equitable and transparent approach. This study has developed and tested an approach for evaluating the operation of such panels and has generated lessons that can promote coherence and transparency among grant-makers and ultimately make the award-making process more effective.
Introduction
Authors: Talvet Jüri , Talviste Katre
Published: January 2018

Introduction
Emigration in Estonian Literature: “Self” and “Other” in the Context of European Literature
Authors: Mihkelev Anneli
Published: January 2018

The experience of emigration generated a new paradigm in Estonian culture and literature. After World War II Sweden became a new homeland for many people. Estonian culture and literature suddenly became divided into two parts. The political terror imposed restrictions on literature in homeland and the national ideology limited literature in the initial years of exile. Both were closed communities and were monolingual systems in a cultural sense because these systems avoided dialogue and the influence of other signs. It was a traumatic experience for nation and culture where the totalitarian political power and trauma have allied. The normal cultural communication was destroyed. But the most important thing at this time was memory, not just memory but entangled memory, which emigrants carried with them to the new homeland and which influenced people in Estonia. The act of remembering becomes crucial in the exile cultures.Estonian literature in exile and in the homeland presents the fundamental images of opening or closing, escaping or staying, and of flight or fight. Surrealism as well as fantasy and science fiction as the literary styles reveal what is hidden in the unconscious of a poet or a person or even in the collective memory of a nation. Surrealism has played a certain role in our literature, but it has been different from French surrealism, it is a uniquely Estonian surrealism. At the same time Estonia was already a new homeland for many refugees from Russia who had escaped during the Revolution of 1917 and World War I. August Gailit and Oskar Luts wrote about that issue in different literary works. Luts entangled different memories in his novel Tagahoovis (In the Backyard, 1933): the memories of Estonians and the memories of Russian emigrants. He also entangled historical narratives about World War I, the Russian revolution and the young Estonian state in the 1920s. Luts wrote about common people who interpret historical narratives. The novel was also published in exile in 1969 in Toronto.
Mariage, raison et sentiment chez Honoré de Balzac et Cao Xueqin. Le cas des Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées et du Rêve dans le Pavillon rouge
Authors: Chia-Ping Kan
Published: January 2018

Marriage, Reason and Sentiment in Honoré de Balzac and Cao Xueqin. The Case of Letters of Two Brides and Dream of the Red Chamber. In both Balzac’s (1799–1850) Letters of Two Brides (1845) and Cao’s (1715– 1763) Dream of the Red Chamber (1742–1764), we have two very determined young girls, ready for marriage, who dream of a more passionate life. Lacking family support, they are alone and adopt opposite behavior patterns. The first (Louise de Chaulieu / Lin Daiyu) stays the same and wants a marriage of love, while the second (Renée de Maucombe / Xue Baochai) resigns herself to a marriage of convenience arranged by her family. Their two destinies diverge: one experiences great love but dies prematurely; the other experiences family happiness but is a prisoner in a life of conventions. However, behind these oppositions, their differences appear superficial and seems to come only from the social and political context. The two destinies are ultimately closely related, until they almost merge. Not only does the stubbornness of the two heroines in the realization of their dream lead them to a similar situation, both authors have also come up with a very similar technique when exposing the same surprising result. In Balzac, the two heroines become “Siamese twins” thanks to the system of correspondence. In Cao’s case, it is thanks to a particular narrative technique that constantly relates both heroeines to each other. Finally, via their common reflections on the influence of “bad novels” on young girls, Balzac and Cao deliver us “a novel about novels”. The novel is a language vessel, and at the same time a metalanguage that reflects on the linguistic structure of the work.
Slovene-Friulian-Italian Literary Connections at the Beginning of the 20th Century: The Case of Alojz Gradnik and Select Friulian and Italian authors
Authors: Toroš Ana
Published: January 2018

Based on the case of Alojz Gradnik (1882–1967), this article deals with previously unresearched Slovene-Friulian-Italian literary connections that occurred during the last years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the first years after WWI along the border of today’s Slovenia (Goriška Brda) and Italy (the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia: the Provinces of Gorizia, Udine and Trieste). The article highlights the parallels in motifs, themes, ideas and form, as well as the connections between Alojz Gradnik and select Friulian and Italian authors from this region. These links are the consequence of living in a joint cultural space and Gradnik’s Friulian family ties, especially with his cousin Maria Samer. The research uncovers certain differences in motifs, themes and ideas stemming from different national identities. Gradnik’s poetry is closest to Friulian lyrical poetry in their descriptions and experiences of a rural setting, predominantly the deep bond felt between the farming people and native land coupled with their terrible social strife. Gradnik and his contemporary Friulian authors also coincide in works with a nationalist theme – on the threshold of WWI both Slovene and Friulian authors infused their work with their personal vision for the future of their own community. They shared a negative literary depiction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the wish to secure a better economic future, to protect and solidify their cultural heritage. Gradnik’s poetry and that of the contemporary Italian (irredentist) authors share a similar literary technique that depicted the national identities of today’s border between Italy and Slovenia; they were ideologically opposed however: while the Italians depicted the Italian view of the region, Gradnik highlights the presence of a Slavic element within the region.
About the Authors
Authors: Authors About
Published: January 2018

About the Authors
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM ON THE EXAMPLE OF SABINSKY DISTRICT OF TATARSTAN REPUBLIC
Authors: Валияхметова Гульназ , Valiyachmetova Gulnaz
Published: January 2018

In the article the author examines the concept of rural tourism, the role of tourism in

development of rural areas. It analyzes the benefits of rural tourism development and the factors of

its development
The Four Pillars: outlining and aligning our future
Authors: Eaton Georgette , Broughton Will
Published: January 2018

As we enter a new year, everyone is making new year's resolutions and working to become the best versions of themselves—the Journal of Paramedic Practice is no exception. In this comment, our Editorial Board Member, Georgette Eaton, together with Will Broughton from the College of Paramedics, introduce the journal's new format and sections aligned with the ‘Four Pillars of Practice’.
Combat Application Tourniquet: best practice use
Authors: McKelvin Rory
Published: January 2018

In this new monthly feature, the paramedic education team at Edge Hill University focuses on the clinical skills carried out by paramedics on the frontlines, highlighting the importance of these skills and how to perform them. In this month's issue, Rory McKelvin discusses best practice use of a combat application tourniquet.
CPD for the supply teacher
Authors: Bromley Matt
Published: January 2018

In the final instalment of SecEd's current series on supply teaching, we look at CPD for teachers not regularly in the same school and offer practical advice for supply teachers thinking about returning to the chalkface as a full-time teacher
Effective feedback practices
Authors: Dabell John
Published: January 2018

Without effective feedback, our students cannot improve and will not succeed. John Dabell offers 12 pieces of practical guidance for effective feedback practices
Divine fusion: Sufi music with a rock ‘n’ roll soul in Hindi cinema’s Rockstar
Authors: Sarrazin Natalie
Published: January 2018

Sufi music is a devotional genre of traditional music in South Asia, known for its syncretic blend of literary traditions and musical genres, while rock music, an import from the West, began on the margins of Indian popular music. Early Hindi film, notorious for incorporating popular and traditional musical genres into its pictures, featured both traditional Sufi music (e.g. qawwali) and early rock ‘n’ roll in frequent appearances as ‘item numbers’. Picturizations of Muslims relied on exoticized on-screen representations, while rock bands were often picturized doing spastic dance moves, and plagiarizing hits from bands such as the Beatles. Beginning in the 1990s, however, a new genre of Sufi music diverged from its traditional roots and acquired rock and pop attributes, resulting in a powerful musical entity that allowed the emergence of a new genre of Hindi film song, as well as an independent popular genre of Sufi pop-rock. This article examines how the Sufi song became associated with the sentiments of rock music, despite its devotional nature, and the extent to which Sufi pop-rock influenced and helped establish the rock genre in the soundtrack of films such as Rockstar (Ali, 2011) It looks at the different types of Sufi song, its transformation to a new form of Sufi pop-rock, and how it inspired rock in Hindi film creating a musical prototype that helped normalize and advance rock music as an acceptable musical outlet for a new Zeitgeist.
Sufism through the body: Symbolism, selfhood expression and somatic process in embodying hadra ritual practice
Authors: Rodrigues Jamila
Published: January 2018

This article is based on an ethnographic study conducted among the female members of the Naqshbandi Tariqa in Cape Town, South Africa, and their home base in Lefke, Cyprus. It examines how Sufi knowledge influences women’s notions of the body in daily life and in ritual practice. This article discusses the topics of the body and the soul, and body movement representation in hadra and analyses the embodied symbolic meaning of the ritual as described by Sufi women. It argues that hadra is a platform that enables women to encounter that space, re-creating and making sense of their embodied self.
A study on blocking store-operated Ca2+ entry in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells with xyloketals from marine fungi
Authors: Zhou Jie-Bin , Sun Ying-Ying , Zheng Ying-Lin , Yu Chu-Qin , Lin Hua-Qing , Pang Ji-Yan
Published: January 2018

In this study, the effect of four xyloketals 1-4 on store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) was investigated in primary distal pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) isolated from mice. The results showed that xyloketal A (1), an unusual ketal with C-3 symmetry, exhibited strong SOCE blocking activity. Secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) was also inhibited by xyloketal A. The parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) of 1-4 suggested that these xyloketals penetrated easily through the cell membrane. Moreover, the molecular docking study of xyloketal A with activation region of the stromal interaction molecule (STIM) 1 and the calcium release-activated calcium modulator (ORAI) 1 (STIM1-ORAI1) protein complex, the key domain of SOCE, revealed that xyloketal A exhibited a noncovalent interaction with the key residue lysine 363 (LYS363) in the identified cytosolic regions in STIM1-C. These findings provided useful information about xyloketal A as a SOCE inhibitor for further evaluation.
Influence of plasma on the physical properties of ointments with quercetin
Authors: Szulc-Musioł Beata , Dolińska Barbara , Kołodziejska Justyna , Ryszka Florian
Published: January 2018

Effects of two independent variables - the content of quercetin (0 or 1 or 1.5 or 5 %) and the content of plasma (0 or 2 or 4 or 6 %) - on the organoleptic properties and rheological parameters of model formulations prepared on an amphiphilic base were estimated. The consistency of all ointments was uniform, and the content of quercetin and plasma lay within the predefined range. Tested ointments are non-Newtonian systems. The content of quercetin and plasma was found to have a significant effect on the rheological properties of the ointments. An increase in the content of plasma in ointments was accompanied by a significant increase in their hardness, viscosity and shear stress and a reduction of their spreadability. The best rheological properties were shown by formulation F-3, containing 1.5 % of quercetin and 2 % of plasma.
Microstructural and Mechanical Characterization of Al-0.80Mg-0.85Si-0.3Zr Alloy
Authors: Kahrıman F. , Zeren M.
Published: January 2018

In this study, Al-0.80Mg-0.85Si alloy was modified with the addition of 0.3 wt.-% zirconium and the variation of microstructural features and mechanical properties were investigated. In order to produce the billets, vertical direct chill casting method was used and billets were homogenized at 580 °C for 6 h. Homogenized billets were subjected to aging practice following three stages: (i) solution annealing at 550 °C for 3 h, (ii) quenching in water, (iii) aging at 180 °C between 0 and 20 h. The hardness measurements were performed for the alloys following the aging process. It was observed that peak hardness value of Al-0.80Mg-0.85Si alloy increased with the addition of zirconium. This finding was very useful to obtain aging parameters for the extruded hollow profiles which are commonly used in automotive industry. Standard tensile tests were applied to aged profiles at room temperature and the results showed that modified alloy had higher mechanical properties compared to the non-modified alloy.
Diagnosis of Missed Ductile Iron Melts with Process Modelling
Authors: Perzyk M. , Werlaty M.
Published: January 2018

The paper presents an application of advanced data-driven (soft) models in finding the most probable particular causes of missed ductile iron melts. The proposed methodology was tested using real foundry data set containing 1020 records with contents of 9 chemical elements in the iron as the process input variables and the ductile iron grade as the output. This dependent variable was of discrete (nominal) type with four possible values: ‘400/18’, ‘500/07’, ‘500/07 special’ and ‘non-classified’, i.e. the missed melt. Several types of classification models were built and tested: MLP-type Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Machine and two versions of Classification Trees. The best accuracy of predictions was achieved by one of the Classification Tree model, which was then used in the simulations leading to conversion of the missed melts to the expected grades. Two strategies of changing the input values (chemical composition) were tried: content of a single element at a time and simultaneous changes of a selected pair of elements. It was found that in the vast majority of the missed melts the changes of single elements concentrations have led to the change from the non-classified iron to its expected grade. In the case of the three remaining melts the simultaneous changes of pairs of the elements’ concentrations appeared to be successful and that those cases were in agreement with foundry staff expertise. It is concluded that utilizing an advanced data-driven process model can significantly facilitate diagnosis of defective products and out-of-control foundry processes.
The Influence of the Microporosity on the Mechanical Properties of the AlZnMgCu Alloy, Based on the Numerical Analysis and Laboratory Trials
Authors: Pysz S. , Żuczek R. , Piekło J. , Maj M.
Published: January 2018

The ecological meanings clearly indicates the need of reducing of the concentration of the CO2 in the atmosphere, which can be accomplished through the lowering of the fuel consumption. This fact implies the research for the new construction solutions regarding the reduction of the weight of vehicles. The reduced weight of the vehicle is also important in the case of application of the alternative propulsion, to extend the lifetime of the batteries with the reduction of recharge cycles. The use of cast alloy AlZnMgCu compliant of plastic forming class 7xxx alloy, are intended to significantly reduce the weight of the structures, while ensuring high strength properties. The wide range of the solidification temperature, which is more than 150°C, characterizes this alloy with a high tendency to create the micro and macro porosity. The study presents the relationship between the cooling rate and the area of occurrence and percentage of microporosity. Then the results were linked to the local tensile strength predicted in the simulation analysis. The evaluation of the microporosity was performed on the basis of the CT (computed tomography) and the analysis of the alloy microstructure. The microstructure analysis was carried out on test specimen obtained from the varying wall thickness of the experimental casting. The evaluation of the mechanical properties was prepared on the basis of the static tensile test and the modified low cycle fatigue test (MLCF).
Effect of Titanium Inoculation on Tribological Properties of High Chromium Cast Iron
Authors: Siekaniec D. , Kopyciński D. , Szczęsny A. , Guzik E. , Tyrała E. , Nowak A.
Published: January 2018

The present investigation focuses on the study of the influence of titanium inoculation on tribological properties of High Chromium Cast Iron. Studies of tribological properties of High Chromium Cast Iron, in particularly the wear resistance are important because of the special application of this material. High Chromium Cast Iron is widely used for parts that require high wear resistance for example the slurry pumps, brick dies, several pieces of mine drilling equipment, rock machining equipment, and similar ones. Presented research described the effects of various amounts of Fe-Ti as an inoculant for wear resistance. The results of wear resistance were collated with microstructural analysis. The melts were conducted in industrial conditions. The inoculation was carried out on the stream of liquid metal. The following amount of inoculants have been used; 0.17% Fe-Ti, 0.33% Fe-Ti and 0.66% Fe-Ti. The tests were performed on the machine type MAN. The assessment of wear resistance was made on the basis of the weight loss. The experimental results indicate that inoculation improve the wear resistance. In every sample after inoculation the wear resistance was at least 20% higher than the reference sample. The best result, thus the smallest wear loss was achieved for inoculation by 0.66% Fe-Ti. There is the correlation between the changing in microstructure and wear resistance. With greater amount of titanium the microstructure is finer. More fine carbides do not crumbling so quickly from the matrix, improving the wear resistance.
Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Mg-0.5Si-xSn Alloys
Authors: Fu Xuesong , Yang Yan , Ma QuanYang , Peng Xiaodong , Xu Tiancai
Published: January 2018

Mg-0.5Si-xSn (x=0.95, 2.9, 5.02wt.%) alloys were cast and extruded at 593K (320oC) with an extrusion ratio of 25. The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast and extruded test alloys were investigated by OM, SEM, XRD and tensile tests. The experimental results indicate that the microstructure of the Mg-0.5Si-xSn alloys consists of primary α-Mg dendrites and an interdendritic eutectic containing α-Mg, Mg2Si and Mg2Sn. There is no coarse primary Mg2Si phase in the test alloys due to low Si content. With the increase in the Sn content, the Mg2Si phase was refined. The shape of Mg2Si phase was changed from branch to short bar, and the size of them were reduced. The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of Mg-0.52Si-2.9Sn alloy at the temperature of 473K (200oC) reach 133MPa and 112MPa respectively. Refined eutectic Mg2Si phase and dispersed Mg2Sn phase with good elevated temperature stability are beneficial to improve the elevated temperature performance of the alloys. However, with the excess addition of Sn, large block-like Mg2Sn appears around the grain boundary leading to lower mechanical properties.
Characterization of the Surface Layer of Mg Enriched with Al and Si by Thermochemical Treatment
Authors: Mola R. , Stępień E. , Cieślik M.
Published: January 2018

The modified surface layers of Mg enriched with Al and Si were fabricated by thermochemical treatment. The substrate material in contact with an Al + 20 wt.% Si powder mixture was heated to 445°C for 40 or 60 min. The microstructure of the layers was examined by OM and SEM. The chemical composition of the layer and the distribution of elements were determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The experimental results show that the thickness of the layer is dependent on the heating time. A much thicker layer (1 mm) was obtained when the heating time was 60 min than when it was 40 min (600 μm). Both layers had a non-homogeneous structure. In the area closest to the Mg substrate, a thin zone of a solid solution of Al in Mg was detected. It was followed by a eutectic with Mg17Al12and a solid solution of Al in Mg. The next zone was a eutectic with agglomerates of Mg2Si phase particles; this three-phase structure was the thickest. Finally, the area closest to the surface was characterized by dendrites of the Mg17Al12phase. The microhardness of the modified layer increased to 121-236 HV as compared with 33-35 HV reported for the Mg substrate.
The Research on Characterization of Crushability for Foundry Sand Particles
Authors: Dai Yu , Ma Quan-yang , Li Xiao-hua , Zhang Xi , Hu Fa-ping , Zhang Yun , Xie Wei-dong
Published: January 2018

In this paper, crushability of foundry sand particles was studied. Three kinds of in-service silica sands in foundry enterprises selected as the study object, and foundry sand particles were subjected to mechanical load and thermal load during service were analyzed. A set of methods for simulating mechanical load and thermal load by milling and thermal-cold cycling were designed and researched, which were used to characterize the crushability for silica sand particles, the microstructure was observed by SEM. According to the user’s experience in actual application, the crushability of Sand C was the best and then Sand B, the last Sand A. The results indicated that mechanical load, thermal load and thermal-mechanical load can all be used to characterize the crushability of foundry sand particles. Microscopic appearances can qualitatively characterize the crushability of foundry sand particles to a certain extent, combining with the additions and cracks which are observed on the surface.
Transport of gas from disk to halo in starforming galaxies
Authors: Shevchenko Mikhail G. , Vasiliev Evgenii O. , Shchekinov Yuri A.
Published: January 2018

Using 3-D gas dynamic simulations, we study the supernova (SNe) driven transport of gas from the galactic disk. We assume that SNe are distributed randomly and uniformly in the galactic plane and we consider sufficiently high volume SNe rates that are typical for starforming galaxies: νSN = (0.3 − 3) × 10−11 pc−3 yr−1. We found that under such conditions, a major part of gas locked initially in the galactic disk is transported up to ∼ 1 − 5 stellar scale heights within several millions years. As expected gas transport is more efficient in the case of a thinner stellar disk. An decrease/increase of SN rate in the galactic disk with the same stellar scale height leads to an enlarging/shortening of time scale for gas transport. Independent of SN rate, the major fraction of the swept up gas is in the cold phase (T < 103 K), though its volume filling factor is rather small, ∼1-3%. Hot gas with T > 106 K is elevated to larger heights than cold gas.
Astroserver – Research Services in the Stellar Webshop
Authors: Németh Péter
Published: January 2018

A quick look at research and development in astronomy shows that we live in exciting times. Exoplanetary systems, supernovae, and merging binary black holes were far out of reach for observers two decades ago and now such phenomena are recorded routinely. This quick development would not have been possible without the ability for researchers to be connected, to think globally and to be mobile. Classical short-term positions are not always suitable to support these conditions and freelancing may be a viable alternative.We introduce the Astroserver framework, which is a new freelancing platform for scientists, and demonstrate through examples how it contributed to some recent projects related to hot subdwarf stars and binaries. These contributions, which included spectroscopic data mining, computing services and observing services, as well as artwork, allowed a deeper look into the investigated systems. The work on composite spectra binaries provided new details for the hypervelocity wide subdwarf binary PB 3877 and found diverse and rare systems with sub-giant companions in high-resolution spectroscopic surveys. The models for the peculiar abundance pattern of the evolved compact star LP 40-365 showed it to be a bound hypervelocity remnant of a supernova Iax event. Some of these works also included data visualizations to help presenting the new results. Such services may be of interest for many researchers.
Amine-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: A New Nanoantibiotic for Bone Infection Treatment
Authors: Pedraza Daniel , Díez Jaime , Izquierdo-Barba Isabel , Colilla Montserrat , Vallet-Regí María
Published: January 2018

This manuscript reports an effective new alternative for the management of bone infection by the development of an antibiotic nanocarrier able to penetrate bacterial biofilm, thus enhancing antimicrobial effectiveness. This nanosystem, also denoted as “nanoantibiotic”, consists in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) loaded with an antimicrobial agent (levofloxacin, LEVO) and externally functionalized with N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (DAMO) as targeting agent. This amine functionalization provides MSNs of positive charges, which improves the affinity towards the negatively charged bacteria wall and biofilm. Physical and chemical properties of the nanoantibiotic were studied using different characterization techniques, including Xray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N
Cervantes, Lizardi, and the Literary Construction of The Mexican Rogue in Don Catrín de la fachenda
Authors: Vilches Patricia
Published: January 2018

This study explores the socio-economic legacies and critique of nation-building found in the work of Jose Joaquin Fernandez de Lizardi (1776-1827). In the nineteenth century, the Latin American elite struggled to disassociate itself from a suffocating colonial machine; they sought their own identity, and writing became a way to express their frustration. As in other parts of Latin America, Mexican intellectuals protested fossilisation via Cervantes’s Don Quijote. Using the Spanish author’s text as a blueprint, Lizardi’s Don Catrín de la fachenda depicted a turbulent society that was in the process of abandoning a decaying colonial order. Don Quijote’s characters engaged in power struggles and were involved in a variety of forms of social antagonism. Lizardi juxtaposed and superimposed these on an American geographical and socio-economic space where there was much dissension around the nation’s direction. The social and economic rules of Mexico (and Latin America) today can be said to be already present in the social exchanges in Don Catrín. It was in this context that Don Quijote was “Mexicanised” by Lizardi and thereby made to participate in local reflections on liberty, patriotism, capitalism, and citizenship. Cervantes’s text thus took on a socio-political meaning in the narrative of Latin America’s past and present.
On the approximation of integrable functions by some special matrix means of Fourier series
Authors: Kranz Radosława , Rzepka Aleksandra
Published: January 2018

The results concerninig pointwise approximation and product of summability methods corresponding to the theorems of Xh. Z. Krasniqi [Poincare J. Anal. Appl., 2014, 1, 1-8] and W. Łenski and B. Szal [Math. Slovaca, 2016, 66(6), 1-12] are generalized. Some special cases are also formulated as corollaries.
Dependent defaults and losses with factor copula models
Authors: Ackerer Damien , Vatter Thibault
Published: January 2018

We present a class of flexible and tractable static factor models for the term structure of joint default probabilities, the factor copula models. These high-dimensional models remain parsimonious with paircopula constructions, and nest many standard models as special cases. The loss distribution of a portfolio of contingent claims can be exactly and efficiently computed when individual losses are discretely supported on a finite grid. Numerical examples study the key features affecting the loss distribution and multi-name credit derivatives prices. An empirical exercise illustrates the flexibility of our approach by fitting credit index tranche prices.
Improving the Quality of the Comply or Explain Approach and Introducing Self-Monitoring Through Online Feedbacks
Authors: Mangano Renato
Published: January 2018

Codes of corporate governance and comply or explain approach are always at the core of the European Union agenda. This paper will deal both with the evolution of codes of corporate governance across Europe, and with the 2014 Recommendation. The idea put forwards is that regulators, at both EU and national level, should mainly improve the environment where the comply or explain approach is applied and introduce a system of self-monitoring through online feedbacks only. Arguably, this proposal might offer Member States a light-touch way to comply with Art. 11 of the 2014 Recommendation laying down that “[i]n order to motivate companies to comply with the relevant corporate governance code or to better explain departures from it, efficient monitoring needs to be carried out at national level.”
(BR)EXIT from the EU
Authors: Told Julia
Published: January 2018

The United Kingdom (UK) has voted to leave the European Union (EU). Ever since the deficiencies of Art. 50 TEU allowing for an exit from the EU (‘Exit’) have caused legal uncertainty. This article intends to shade light on the main questions causing this uncertainty: In a first main part it elaborates on the requirements to be met in order to invoke Art. 50 TEU. As of now, it is discussed highly controversially if a notification pursuant to Art. 50 TEU is conditional upon the compliance with national constitutional requirements and if such a notification can be unilaterally revoked. It is found that national constitutional requirements have to be met before Art. 50 TEU can be invoked and that a notification is not unilaterally revocable. Furthermore, this part elaborates on the requirements for the conclusion of an Exit-agreement as well as the consequences of an Exit without an Exit-agreement. The second main part of the article shifts perspective to potential future legal relations between a former Member State and the EU. It structures possible legal consequences by classifying four different scenarios: (1) No Exit, (2) Exit and the former Member State remaining member of the EEA on the side of EFTA, (3) Exit and bilateral approach compared e. g. to Switzerland, Turkey or Canada (4) Exit and no more direct legal connections between the EU and the former Member State besides multilateral international treaties. In a third part these scenarios are tested on their legal consequences in certain areas of law most of them relating to European business law. Of course, this article can by no means address all affected areas of law and had to make a choice.
LHC@Home: a BOINC-based volunteer computing infrastructure for physics studies at CERN
Authors: Barranco Javier , Cai Yunhai , Cameron David , Crouch Matthew , Maria Riccardo De , Field Laurence , Giovannozzi Massimo , Hermes Pascal , Høimyr Nils , Kaltchev Dobrin , Karastathis Nikos , Luzzi Cinzia , Maclean Ewen , McIntosh Eric , Mereghetti Alessio , Molson James , Nosochkov Yuri , Pieloni Tatiana , Reid Ivan D. , Rivkin Lenny , Segal Ben , Sjobak Kyrre , Skands Peter , Tambasco Claudia , Veken Frederik Van der , Zacharov Igor
Published: January 2018

The LHC@Home BOINC project has provided computing capacity for numerical simulations to researchers at CERN since 2004, and has since 2011 been expanded with a wider range of applications. The traditional CERN accelerator physics simulation code SixTrack enjoys continuing volunteers support, and thanks to virtualisation a number of applications from the LHC experiment collaborations and particle theory groups have joined the consolidated LHC@Home BOINC project. This paper addresses the challenges related to traditional and virtualized applications in the BOINC environment, and how volunteer computing has been integrated into the overall computing strategy of the laboratory through the consolidated LHC@Home service. Thanks to the computing power provided by volunteers joining LHC@Home, numerous accelerator beam physics studies have been carried out, yielding an improved understanding of charged particle dynamics in the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its future upgrades. The main results are highlighted in this paper.
Molecular determinants ofDrosophilaimmunophilin FKBP39 nuclear localization
Authors: Orłowski Marek , Popławska Katarzyna , Pieprzyk Joanna , Szczygieł-Sommer Aleksandra , Więch Anna , Zarębski Mirosław , Tarczewska Aneta , Dobrucki Jurek , Ożyhar Andrzej
Published: January 2018

FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) belong to a distinct class of immunophilins that interact with immunosuppressants. They use their peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) activity to catalyze thecis-transconversion of prolyl bonds in proteins during protein-folding events. FKBPs also act as a unique group of chaperones. TheDrosophila melanogasterpeptidyl-prolylcis-transisomerase FK506-binding protein of 39 kDa (FKBP39) is thought to act as a transcriptional modulator of gene expression in 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone signal transduction. The aim of this study was to analyze the molecular determinants responsible for the subcellular distribution of an FKBP39-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) fusion construct (YFP-FKBP39). We found that YFP-FKBP39 was predominantly nucleolar. To identify the nuclear localization signal (NLS), a series of YFP-tagged FKBP39 deletion mutants were prepared and examinedin vivo. The identified NLS signal is located in a basic domain. Detailed mutagenesis studies revealed that residues K188 and K191 are crucial for the nuclear targeting of FKBP39 and its nucleoplasmin-like (NPL) domain contains the sequence that controls the nucleolar-specific translocation of the protein. These results show that FKBP39 possesses a specific NLS in close proximity to a putative helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif and FKBP39 may bind DNAin vivoandin vitro.
Diskurse über induzierte pluripotente Stammzellforschung und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Gestaltung sozialkompatibler Lösungen – eine interdisziplinäre Bestandsaufnahme
Authors: Rolfes Vasilija , Gerhards Helene , Opper Janet , Bittner Uta , Roth Phillip H. , Fangerau Heiner , Gassner Ulrich M. , Martinsen Renate
Published: January 2018

Die Herstellung induzierter pluripotenter Stammzellen (iPS-Zellen) hat wahre Begeisterungsstürme in der Biomedizin, ihren bereichsethischen Reflexionen sowie der sie begleitenden Medienberichterstattung ausgelöst. Die Forschung an und (potentielle) klinische Nutzung von iPS-Zellen versprechen, ethische Kontroversen zu umgehen, welche durch die verbrauchende Forschung an humanen embryonalen Stammzellen (hES-Zellen) aufgeworfen und in Bioethik, Sozial- und Rechtswissenschaft sowie der bundesdeutschen Öffentlichkeit problematisiert worden waren. Die Induzierung pluripotenter Stammzellen macht jedoch nicht nur Hoffnung auf Heilung von Krankheiten, neue reproduktionsmedizinische Möglichkeiten und andere innovative biomedizinische Verfahren, sondern birgt erneut Unsicherheiten und wirft teilweise noch unbekannte Risiken auf, mit denen sich insbesondere die rechtliche Beurteilung und Gesetzgebung konfrontiert sehen. Dieser Beitrag versammelt Betrachtungen aus ethischer, politikwissenschaftlicher und juristischer Perspektive, um einem transparenten Umgang mit der Regulierung der iPS-Zellforschung und ihren Anwendungen den Weg zu ebnen. Sollen sozialkompatible und demokratisch erzeugte legitime Lösungen für den Einsatz von iPS-Zellen in Medizin und Forschung gefunden werden, so muss die ethische Legitimität des Einsatzes, ihr rechtlicher Status und die diesbezüglichen gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen untersucht und in politische Entscheidungsprozesse miteinbezogen werden.
Ein ethischer Konflikt, mehrere angemessene Lösungen?
Authors: Rüther Markus
Published: January 2018

In der Psychiatrie sind wir häufig mit Konflikten konfrontiert, in denen zwischen dem Willen des Patienten und anderen normativen Faktoren, etwa dem Wohlergehen des Patienten oder dem Schutz Dritter, abgewogen wird. Bei der Diskussion dieser Konflikte wird zumeist ein Standardmodell unterstellt. Dieses besagt, dass sich Meinungsverschiedenheiten grundsätzlich auflösen lassen - und zwar so, dass es in einer Entscheidungssituation genau eine richtige Lösung gibt. In diesem Beitrag wird diese Annahme einer kritischen Prüfung unterzogen. Daran anschließend wird ein alternatives Modell, der relativistische Pluralismus, präsentiert. Dessen Kernthese lautet, dass zwar sowohl die Autonomie des Patienten als auch die konkurrierenden Faktoren berechtigterweise normative Geltung besitzen, sich aber keine universellen Vorrangregeln formulieren lassen. Vielmehr müssen relative Priorisierungen angenommen werden, die je nach Person, Gesellschaft und Kultur variieren können. Der Aufsatz liefert eine Darstellung des relativistischen Pluralismus, betont seine Attraktivität - insbesondere gegenüber dem Standardmodell - und zeigt einige Konsequenzen auf, die sich aus ihm für den Umgang mit psychiatrischen Konfliktsituationen ergeben.
Ziele und Methoden der Partizipation von Kindern und Jugendlichen in der Psychiatrie
Authors: Wedemeyer Friederike , Wiesemann Claudia
Published: January 2018

Das Konzept der Partizipation von Kindern und Jugendlichen in der Medizin ermöglicht es, die negativen Auswirkungen eines dichotom verstandenen Selbstbestimmungskonzepts zu vermeiden und Minderjährige aktiv in den Behandlungsprozess einzubeziehen. Das trifft besonders auf die Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie zu. Teilhabe an Behandlungsentscheidungen ist ein menschenrechtlich verbriefter Anspruch der Kinder und Jugendlichen und leistet einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur Genesung, indem im Sinne des Salutogenese- Konzepts das Gefühl der Verstehbarkeit, Handhabbarkeit und Sinnhaftigkeit im Umgang mit der Krankheit gefördert und damit die Selbstwirksamkeit des Kindes gestärkt werden. Wir erläutern, was man unter Partizipation versteht und stellen Partizipationsmethoden vor. Wir untersuchen, welche Möglichkeiten der Partizipation in der Kinderheilkunde und Jugendmedizin erprobt wurden, welche Wünsche Kinder und Jugendliche in dieser Hinsicht hegen und welche Vorteile sich durch eine Umsetzung von Partizipation in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie ergeben können. Schließlich erörtern wir, wie die Behandlungsabsprache als eine besondere Partizipationsmethode in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie umgesetzt werden könnte.
On θ-commutators and the corresponding non-commuting graphs
Authors: Shalchi S. , Erfanian A. , Farrokhi DG M.
Published: January 2018

The θ-commutators of elements of a group with respect to an automorphism are introduced and their properties are investigated. Also, corresponding to θ-commutators, we define the θ-non-commuting graphs of groups and study their correlations with other notions. Furthermore, we study independent sets in θ-non-commuting graphs, which enable us to evaluate the chromatic number of such graphs.
Enumeration of spanning trees in the sequence of Dürer graphs
Authors: Li Shixing
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we calculate the number of spanning trees in the sequence of Dürer graphs with a special feature that it has two alternate states. Using the electrically equivalent transformations, we obtain the weights of corresponding equivalent graphs and further derive relationships for spanning trees between the Dürer graphs and transformed graphs. By algebraic calculations, we obtain a closed-form formula for the number of spanning trees with regard to iteration step. Finally we compare the entropy of our graph with other studied graphs and see that its value of entropy lies in the interval of those of graphs with average degree being 3 and 4.
Sacrifice, Metaphor, and Evolution: Towards a Cognitive Linguistic Theology of Sacrifice
Authors: Schlesinger Eugene R.
Published: January 2018

This article lays the groundwork for articulating a Christian theology of sacrifice within the framework of cognitive linguistics. I demonstrate the affinity and potential for mutual enrichment between three disparate fields of discourse. Beginning with Jonathan Klawans’s methodological proposals for understanding sacrifice as a meaningful phenomenon for those who engage(d) in it, I suggest that the double-scope conceptual blending described by Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner provides a helpful resource for Klawans to clarify his thought and answer objections to his proposals. Fauconnier and Turner’s account of double-scope blends is set within an evolutionary account of human development and is the condition of possibility for language, art, science, and religion. I then put Fauconnier and Turner into dialogue with Sarah Coakley’s recent attempts to locate sacrifice within the evolutionary spectrum, and suggest that they provide a more helpful theory of language than Chomsky’s purely formal account.
Theology that Emerges from Cognitive Science: Applied to African Development
Authors: Harries Jim
Published: January 2018

Recent developments in cognitive science are here interpreted as an apologetic for Christian theology. Naturalistic faiths are suggested to be dependent on the invention of ‘religion’, and domestication of the foreign through translation. A refusal to accept that a relationship with God is something that develops in the course of reflection, has added to his apparent invisibility. Advocates of embodied thinking who effectively undermine Descartes’ philosophy, open the door to theological reflection. A gender-based exploration reveals that means of predicting the embodied nature of thinking also point to the significance of God. Because human thinking is embodied, God also is perceived by people through his embodied impact - much as is the wind. That correct understanding of God brings human wellbeing, is here suggested to be as true for Africa as for Europe.
Okkasionalität: Zur Operationalisierung eines zentralen definitorischen Merkmals phraseologischer Modifikationen
Authors: Pfeiffer Christian
Published: January 2018

From a theoretical point of view, most researchers agree that phraseological modifications are characterized by three key features: 1. occasionality, 2. intentional deviance from conventional use, and 3. context-boundedness. The present paper deals with the feature of occasionality and its operationalization in the context of text-based phraseological research. In text-based studies to date, occasionality has been identified with an absence of lexicographic codification. Phraseological structures and meanings registered in dictionaries have been regarded as conventional, uncodified structures and meanings, as occasional and, eventually, as modifications unless there is clear evidence of an unacceptable and incorrect use of the phraseme. In this paper, however, it is argued that a simple identification of lexicographic codification and conventionality on the one hand and non-codification and occasionality on the other does not permit an adequate distinction between conventional and occasional uses of phraseological units. Instead, in the approach proposed here, it is the relative frequency of the particular phraseological form in the DeReKo corpus (Deutsches Referenzkorpus) that is used as the distinctive criterion to decide upon its status as conventional or occasional.
Idiom variation and decomposability Part I: Verbal variation
Authors: Cserép Attila
Published: January 2018

Variant forms of idioms have been retrieved from an American English corpus of 450 million words to test the idiom decomposition hypothesis. The central claim of the hypothesis concerns the relationship between the degree of decomposability and the flexibility of idiomatic expressions: the more decomposable the idiom is, the more variable it is assumed to be. While Part I of the study is concerned with variation in the verb, Part II focuses on operations in the noun phrase constituent of the idiom. Part I compares flexibility data based on syntactic alternations pertaining to the expression as a whole and morphological variations of the verb (number, person, tense, aspect, mood, voice, negation) with one categorical and two scalar decomposability rankings. For the vast majority of verb-related variations, flexibility is not correlated with decomposability. The morphological category of voice has been found dependent on categorical decomposability, but it is not the highest decomposability class that exhibits the highest degree of variability.