bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Media and media freedom
Authors: García-Marín Javier
Published: May 2018

The objective of this chapter is to explore the Arab region’s media systems in order to assess the sources of information available to civil society.
The chapter is divided into four parts, which provide: first, an account of the political and regulatory environment in which the media have to operate; second, a description of traditional media; third, an overview of satellite television, which is paramount in the region; and fourth, an analysis of internet access in the region.
The data analysed in this chapter clearly illustrates that one of the results of the Arab Spring has been the attempt to further control information flows. With the exception of a few countries, especially Tunisia and Algeria, almost all the governments in the region have adopted rules in the hope of controlling information in a more effective way. Of course, this does not mean that citizens are unable to obtain political information through other channels than those accepted by governments. Satellite TV is a first fracture in the closed ecosystem, but events in recent years suggest that it is not entirely free from attempts at regularisation and control. Nonetheless, there are other tools to serve the public that can be treated as sources of information and, therefore, as media: namely the Internet and all its facets.
EU and EU member states’ responses to the Arab Spring1
Authors: Fernández-Molina Irene
Published: May 2018

This chapter argues that the EU’s response(s) to the Arab Spring can be best described as hybrid and is (are) closely reflective of the very hybridity of the EU’s international identity. On the one hand, despite genuine normative impetuses, a largely realist approach and exclusive identities and roles prevailed in crisis management and short-term reactions driven by intergovernmental decision-making. The EU’s crisis management responses are examined in the cases of three different groups of Arab countries – those having witnessed regime change, civil conflict and regime resilience. On the other hand, a more liberal outlook and inclusive identities and roles were embodied in strategic or long-term responses in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, although the latter’s inherent contradictions and lack of innovation in relation to past policies eventually deprived them of the value-based and progressive effect envisaged on paper. Finally, the EU returned to crisis mode in managing the Syrian refugee inflow that was framed as a ‘crisis’ and took the ‘fortress Europe’ identity to its utmost degree from 2015 onwards.
Can Political Participation Become Dangerous for Democracy? Participatory Experiences in Brazil and the Reactions Against Them
Authors: Sobottka Emil A.
Published: May 2018

In Brazil, political participation is a recent phenomenon. In the late 1970s, social movements and some NGOs began to demand what they called a ‘right to participate’ in the control of the state and the decision-making processes of public policy. The Federal Constitution from 1988 created many instruments to involve stakeholders directly in the formulation and management of specific policies by foreseeing direct participation in them. Probably the best known mode of participation is participatory budgeting. It was first implemented in Porto Alegre in 1990 and, then, expanded to many cities in Brazil and the world. New forms of relationship between citizens and the state have been attempted – with success – at the various levels of government and in the treatment of a variety of public issues. But severe difficulties in the political representative system and the problem of social inequality are still subsistent.
Space, Society, Religion: A Short Retrospective and Prospective Note
Authors: de Polignac François
Published: May 2018

It is now a well-established fact in the human and social sciences that the study of the spatial distribution of social life, including religion, is one of the best accesses to the analysis and understanding of societies. But it has not always been so. For quite a long time, in Classical studies, the only approach to space was traditional ‘historical geography’, the scope of which was primarily to identify the places mentioned in the ancient sources or known through archaeological or epigraphic evidence. This was and remains an important contribution to the study of ancient societies. But in these works the study of topography does not sustain a general conception of space as such and as a fundamental aspect of social life; and in fact, space as a category of study was not formalised as such.
Hesiod and the Disgraceful Shepherds: Pastoral Politics in a Panhellenic Dichterweihe?
Authors: González José M.
Published: May 2018

Hesiod’s Dichterweihe famously opens with the following words of censure by the Muses against ‘field-dwelling shepherds’ (Theogony 26–8). Faced with this passage, scholars rarely address the rationale of verse 26, obscured as it is by the celebrated couplet that follows it. To the extent that it has merited attention, the reasons advanced for it are either unsatisfactory or insufficiently developed.2 But the opening words of the Muses are an essential complement of their celebrated anaphoric pronouncement. Their reproach sets the context for it and must be understood in its light.3 With the statement about Muse-inspired truths and lies, the Hesiodic Theogony (and Hesiodic poetry more generally) articulates its aspiration for, and lays claim to, a wider Panhellenic reception than its epichoric competitors.
‘Is Painting a Representation of Visible Things?’ Conceptual Reality in Greek Art: A Preliminary Sketch
Authors: Hölscher Tonio
Published: May 2018

Recent approaches to Greek and Roman art unanimously and emphatically stress the character of images as visual and material ‘constructions’ (Bažant 1985; von den Hoff and Schmidt 2001). This concept is held by the most advanced, thoughtful and serious voices of art history, and it is applied to all kinds of figurative representation, from individual figures to multi-figured scenes, through all genres and periods of ancient art. Thus, Richard Neer sees Archaic statues as ‘signs’ to which the concept of likeness to real persons is fundamentally alien (Neer 2012: 110–12). François Lissarrague interprets scenes of a warrior’s departure on Athenian vases as non-realistic constellations of the Greek oikos (Lissarrague 1990: 35–53). Wolfgang Ehrhardt analyses the Alexander mosaic from Pompeii as a purely fictitious depiction of the historical battle between Alexander and Darius III (Ehrhardt 2008).
Loropéni and Other Large Enclosed Sites in the South-West of Burkina Faso: An Outside Archaeological View
Authors: Hurst Henry
Published: May 2018

The World Heritage site at Loropéni is the best-preserved of about a dozen large quadrangular sites enclosed by stone walls in the southwest of modern Burkina Faso. They are located mostly in the modern Départment of Loropéni a short distance west of the Black Volta river in the Savannah region, roughly midway between the river Niger and the southern edge of the Sahara and the forest belt close to the Atlantic south coast of western Africa (Fig. 15.1). Historically this region is crossed by the major north–south trade routes, linking the trans-Saharan trade of North Africa with the coastal regions. The area close to the sites has been gold-producing, with the mineral extracted from sedimentary deposits mainly by small-scale workings (Kiéthega 1983; Perinbam 1988); and it supports a modest agriculture with millet, sorghum and cotton among its principal products. It is occupied by several ethnic groups, notably the Lobi and the Gan, who, at the start of the colonial period a century ago, and still partly today, could be described as having a village-based social organisation and practising traditional religion (Labouret 1931; Père 1988; 2004).
Anthony in Edinburgh
Authors: Rutter Keith
Published: May 2018

A summary of Anthon’s career in Edinburgh, including not only the academic side but also his walking exploits in the highlands of Scotland.
Anthony McElrea Snodgrass and the Classics Faculty in Cambridge: A Personal Appreciation
Authors: Cartledge Paul
Published: May 2018

An appreciation from a colleague of Anthony’s contribution to the Faculty of Classics at Cambridge during his time as Laurence Professor.
Why Direct Realism Needs Objective Secondary Qualities
Authors: Shrock Christopher A.
Published: May 2018

Which of the three premises of the Problem of Secondary Qualities should we dismiss for the sake of Direct Realism? Surprisingly, the Non-Physicality Thesis. Attempts to reject the Spreading Principle and Observation Claim create more problems than they are worth. This chapter entertains and rejects five approaches to harmonizing Direct Realism and the Non-Physicality Thesis including Behaviourism, Disjunctivism, Adverbialism, and Eliminative Materialism. The Non-Physicality Thesis receives some prima facie justification from scientists, but we should examine the case more deeply before closing the Direct Realism.
Conclusion
Authors: Shrock Christopher A.
Published: May 2018

Direct Realism is worth defending. The Problem of Secondary Qualities is weakest at the Non-Physicality Thesis. This book’s reading of Reid offers an account of primary and secondary qualities that rejects the Non-Physicality Thesis while embracing science. Reid’s theory answers the Problem of Secondary Qualities and remains convincing in the face of objections.
Religion and Religious Diversity Challenges Today
Authors: Triandafyllidou Anna , Modood Tariq
Published: May 2018

This chapter introduces the geopolitical and conceptual framework within which this book is placed. It starts by discussing recent changes in Europe and the world that have framed the governance of religious diversity and then moves on to critically address the concept of secularism and whether it offers the appropriate normative tools to address religion today. It suggests that some European versions of political secularism – specifically, moderate secularism – are designed to be accommodative of religion but are not sufficiently adapted to contemporary diversity. Asia and the Middle East have much experience of accommodating diversity even if the dominant trend at the moment is majoritarian nationalism. The chapter concludes with an outline of the contents of this volume.
Secularism: Public Space and Visible Diversity
Authors: Ramadan Tariq
Published: May 2018

Secularism is in crisis, or at least it has been ‘destabilised’, to put it in Tariq Modood’s words (Modood 2012: 145). At least, we should acknowledge there is a profound tension stemming from our diverse and contradictory understandings of the ultimate objectives of the ‘secular project’. We are no longer clear about what we mean when we speak of ‘secularism’ or, in French, laïcité. Many studies with equally numerous interpretations and even contradictory conclusions have been produced over the last two generations. The outstanding contributions of scholars such as John Rawls (1971), Jürgen Habermas (1997), Charles Taylor (2007), Bhikhu Parekh (2000), Tariq Modood (2011) and, in the French tradition, Jean Baubérot (2004) or Olivier Roy (2007) to name but a few, have been contested at several levels: philosophical, legal and religious. Secularism, from the outset, has been a disputed notion but the passionate debate about its very meaning and significance has become more and more polarised as Muslims have settled in the West and have become increasingly visible. It is as if their presence has laid down a challenge not only to secularism but also to the identity of Western societies themselves.
Freedom of Religion in Europe: Finding the Golden Mean between Too Little and Too Much Protection
Authors: Foblets Marie-Claire
Published: May 2018

Over the course of the past two decades, countless articles, monographs and collective volumes have been devoted to the return of religion to the forefront in contemporary secular democracies. Religion is ‘back in town’, so to speak. This ‘return’ raises the question, among others, of how to govern this new religious diversity, and more particularly whether the existing normative frameworks put into place – whether international, constitutional/domestic or otherwise – are still capable of appropriately addressing some of the intricacies that come with increasing religious diversity and with the unavoidable risk of clashes it entails.
The Governance of Religious Diversity in the Public Space: Indonesia in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Stepan Alfred
Published: May 2018

This chapter investigates whether there should be more or less secularism in Indonesia and particularly, since religions can be neither wholly privatised nor allowed to dominate political life, what are the best ways of accommodating it in a democratic society, in line with this volume’s overall focus. Indeed, it should be pointed out that Indonesia lived under a military dictatorship from 1965 till 1998 so the question needs to be addressed first by asking if Indonesia is a democracy now; and if it is, what types of accommodations about religion Indonesians have made and why. I come at these questions as a specialist in subjects such as authoritarian regimes, military governments, the breakdown of democracies, failed and successful democratic transitions, and recently the role of religion and politics. My writing is normally comparative, and has often been based on field research in Brazil, Chile, Spain, India, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Senegal and Indonesia.
Literary Autobiography and Arab National Struggles
Authors: Nasser Tahia Abdel
Published: May 2018

In memoirs, Arab writers have invoked solitude in moments of deep public involvement. Focusing on Taha Hussein, Sonallah Ibrahim, Assia Djebar, Latifa al-Zayyat, Mahmoud Darwish, Mourid Barghouti, Edward Said, Haifa Zangana, and Radwa Ashour, this book reads a range of autobiographical forms, sources, and affinities with other literatures.
Taking a comparative approach, the book shows the local sources of contemporary Arab autobiography, adaptations of a global genre, and cultural exchange. It also examines different aspects of the contemporary autobiography as it has evolved in the Arab world during the past half-century, focusing on the particularity of the genre written in different languages but pertaining to one overarching Arab culture. Drawing on memoirs, testimonies, autobiographical novels, poetic autobiography, journals, and diaries, it examines solitude and national struggles in contemporary Arab autobiography.
Introduction Literary Solitude: Autobiography, Modernity, and Independence
Authors: Nasser Tahia Abdel
Published: May 2018

The introduction provides a new assessment of autobiographical works in Arab literature within discussions of postcolonialism. It traces the effects of anticolonial and anti-imperialist movements on Arab autobiographical production in Arabic, English, and French in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries.
Dreaming of Solitude: Haifa Zangana and Alia Mamdouh
Authors: Nasser Tahia Abdel
Published: May 2018

This chapter concentrates on new areas of exploration of testimony and memory in unconventional forms such as the prison diary by focusing on the narration of torture in Dreaming of Baghdad (1990) by Iraqi writer Haifa Zangana and the prevalence of fear in The Foreigner (2013) by Iraqi novelist Alia Mamdouh. Dreaming of Baghdad, written in London during the 1980s, revisits Zangana’s experience of imprisonment in 1970s Iraq in complex ways. While Dreaming of Baghdad offers new forms for the exploration of the
subjectivity of Iraqi revolutionary women by exploring the precariousness of memory and challenging taboos on testimony, The Foreigner explores the subjectivity and trajectory of Iraqis in the diaspora, focusing on the effects of violence and the infringement of taboos.
Mood (Stimmung)/Blandness (Fadeur): On Temporality and Affectivity
Authors: Ionescu Vlad
Published: May 2018

The paper shows how modern art history integrated speculative aesthetic concepts in its attempt to describe art historical styles. Mood (Stimmung) is such a concept and it appears at the core of Riegl’s and Wölfflin’s art histories. Further, it examines the experience of the landscape and the ruin while relating it to François Jullien’s debate on the notion “blandness” in Chinese aesthetics.
From Étienne Souriau’s The Shadow of God to Mats Ek’s Shadow of Carmen
Authors: ’Heureux Fleur Courtois-l
Published: May 2018

The way Mats Ek revives dramatization process in dance can help to explore another path to "choreographic instauration". While acknowledging the aesthetical paradigm of contemporary dance, how could we play again with a dancing dramatization, without falling in the trap of the classical regime of illustration? French philosopher Etienne Souriau is required here to tackle these issues which are at stake in Mats Ek’s Carmen. In his book "L’ombre de Dieu" (1955), loving beings are set up through Nietzsche’s dramatic formula: “If I love you, does it concern you?” Between an always uncertain amorous reciprocity and the wishes we have for it, we have to experience a mediation, which must be shaped beyond the one we love. More than our loved one, it is its capacity to mediate the shadow of love that we must invigorate – while this capacity is always in danger of dying in indifference.
The Ecstatic Realism of the Late Schelling
Authors: McGrath Sean J.
Published: May 2018

This chapter extracts from the philosophy of the late Schelling, a form of realism called ‘ecstatic realism’. After providing an overview of Schelling’s role in the rise and fall of German idealism, it turns to Schelling’s interpretation of kenosis and its corresponding ontology. It shows that the presupposition of Schelling’s ecstatic realism is an idealism that renounces itself, and can only do so because it necessarily asserts itself at the expense of the real. This dynamic defines the paradoxical relation of negative and positive philosophy in Schelling’s late writings and offers an alternative to the either/or of idealism or realism gripping contemporary debates about correlationism.
Pessimism, or The Importance of Indifference, Time and Suffering in Realist Ontologies
Authors: Elmore Rick
Published: May 2018

There is a growing body of work that reclaims pessimism as a robust philosophical position central to the development of modern philosophy and, as this chapter argues, to the re-emergence of realism within continental philosophy. Specially, this chapter contends that pessimism is best understood as an anti-correlationist realism, its concern for the unhappy and suffer-laden character of human life emerging from an ontological commitment to a world indifferent to and independent from human life. In addition, pessimism connects the assertion of a realist ontology to questions of suffering, violence, and time, highlighting the dangerously ideological character of optimistic or anti-realist metaphysics. This emphasis on realism as ideology critique marks pessimism’s key contribution to our understanding of realism.
The Realist Challenge: Thinking the Reality of Language after Deconstruction
Authors: Gratton Peter
Published: May 2018

This chapter shows that realism and linguisticism are but two sides of the same medal. Naïve realism takes an entity, such as ‘matter’, ‘objects’, or ‘numbers’, to be simply given, thus constituting a kind of origin. While linguisticism presents an updated version of Kant’s critique of realism, it also asserts either that we cannot speak to an extra-linguistic real or that language is determined by the real, of which it cannot speak but toward which it nevertheless tends. While the first option seals us within linguistic idealism, the second tends to think of language in terms of a medieval semiology and a negative theology of the real. This chapter shows how speculative realists share in this negative theology and then turns to deconstruction and to Derrida’s engagement with Pierce’s semiology to develop a thinking of the reality of the sign.
Pure Potentiality and Actuality
Authors: Debaise Didier
Published: May 2018

In the chapter titled ‘The Categorial Scheme’, Whitehead introduces a new distinction, doubtless the most important in Processand Reality as well as the most difficult to understand: actual entities are distinct from what he terms ‘eternal objects’. This unequivocally expresses the importance of eternal objects. They are placed on the same plane as actual entities, with which they share a common characteristic of being the ‘fundamental types of entities’: ‘actual entities and eternal objects stand out with a certain extreme finality’ (PR, 22). We are now at a point where there can be no doubt as to the place occupied by actual entities in Process and Reality. They form the centrepiece of the entire speculative construction. When Whitehead writes in the preface that the ‘positive doctrine of these lectures is concerned with the becoming, the being, and the relatedness of “actual entities”’, it is now clear that he was literally expressing the project of the book.
Morals and Medicines
Authors: Webber David M.
Published: May 2018

The second case study, explored here in chapter 6, addresses the commitment of the New Labour government to increase the availability of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs needed to combat HIV and AIDS in the developing world. This chapter extends the analysis that appears in chapter 3 concerning New Labour’s claim to be the ‘party of business’ and its special relationship with the UK pharmaceutical industry. In doing so, it reveals a clear tension between the priority that New Labour afforded to these drug companies, and the commitment that Brown and other government officials made concerning the delivery of ARV medicines. Despite the urgent need to roll-out these drugs to stem the rising tide of AIDS-related deaths in the global South, New Labour’s policies – again designed principally by Brown – appeared to prioritise the preferences of these firms and their shareholders. Although Brown was amongst a number of government officials concerned at the prohibitively high price of these drugs, this chapter finds that he was also instrumental in introducing a number of measures that incentivised rather than forced the industry into meeting its wider obligations towards addressing HIV and AIDS, and the other so-called ‘diseases of poverty’ in the global South.
Cinematic Nihilism
Authors: Marmysz John
Published: May 2018

Exposing and illustrating how an ongoing engagement with nihilistic alienation may contribute to – rather than detract from – the value of life, this book both challenges and builds upon past scholarship that has strutinised nihilism in the media, but which has generally over-emphasised its negative and destructive aspects. The book is divided into three sections that explore an international variety of films in which encounters, confrontations and overcomings of nihilism are depicted. Drawing on insights from Plato, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Marin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre and Sigmund Freud, it’s nine chapters include case studies of films such as The Wicker Man, Breaking the Waves, NEDs, Under the Skin, The Human Centipede, Nymphomaniac, Videodrome, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Rollerball, Fight Club, Avatar and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, among others. The overall trajectory of the book illustrates the potentially negative consequences involved in overcoming nihilism, while highlighting the potentially liberating and creative consequences of remaining entangled in an ongoing battle with nihilistic distress. The book’s main thesis is that cinematic nihilism is a potentially beneficial phenomenon that offers audiences the opportunity to explore and reflect on their mortal condition while remaining safely detached from real-life dangers.
Political Participation
Authors: Finlay Robin , Hopkins Peter , Sanghera Gurchathen
Published: May 2018

At the time of writing, politics within Scotland and the UK is experiencing a period of uncertainty, with issues such as Brexit, Scottish nationalism, the ‘refugee crisis’ and continued economic insecurity creating a complicated and unprecedented political climate. Scotland, for many, is considered to be expressing a distinctive politics to the rest ofthe UK (Mooney, 2013; McAngus, 2015), with the Scottish National Party (SNP) having strong representation in both the Scottish and UK Parliaments. With regard to the electorate, there is a sense that youngpeople in Scotland have recently become more politicised (Baxter et al., 2015; Hopkins, 2015), with sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds having been given the right to vote in the Scottish parliamentary elections and the 2014 independence referendum. This contests the frequent narrative that young people are politically apathetic (Kimberlee, 2002), and adds to a growing body of work that seeks to examine and unearth the varied and complex ways in which young people engage with political issues (Brookes and Hodkinson, 2008; O’Toole and Gale, 2013; Pilkington and Pollock, 2015).
Acceptability of Dry Dog Food Visual Characteristics by Consumer Segments Based on Overall Liking: a Case Study in Poland
Authors: Gomez Baquero David , Koppel Kadri , Chambers Delores , Hołda Karolina , Głogowski Robert , Chambers Edgar
Published: May 2018

Sensory analysis of pet foods has been emerging as an important field of study for the pet food industry over the last few decades. Few studies have been conducted on understanding the pet owners’ perception of pet foods. The objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding on the perception of the visual characteristics of dry dog foods by dog owners in different consumer segments. A total of 120 consumers evaluated the appearance of 30 dry dog food samples with varying visual characteristics. The consumers rated the acceptance of the samples and associated each one with a list of positive and negative beliefs. Cluster Analysis, ANOVA and Correspondence Analysis were used to analyze the consumer responses. The acceptability of the appearance of dry dog foods was affected by the number of different kibbles present, color(s), shape(s), and size(s) of the kibbles in the product. Three consumer clusters were identified. Consumers rated highest single-kibble samples of medium sizes, traditional shapes, and brown colors. Participants disliked extra-small or extra-large kibble sizes, shapes with high-dimensional contrast, and kibbles of light brown color. These findings can help dry dog food manufacturers to meet consumers’ needs with increasing benefits to the pet food and commodity industries.
Valorization of Olive Mill Wastewater by Membrane Processes to Recover Natural Antioxidant Compounds for Cosmeceutical and Nutraceutical Applications or Functional Foods
Authors: Alfano Alberto , Corsuto Luisana , Finamore Rosario , Savarese Maria , Ferrara Filomena , Falco Salvatore , Santabarbara Giuseppe , De Rosa Mario , Schiraldi Chiara
Published: May 2018

Olive oil boasts numerous health benefits due to the high content of the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and functional bioactives including tocopherols, carotenoids, phospholipids, and polyphenolics with multiple biological activities. Polyphenolic components present antioxidant properties by scavenging free radicals and eliminating metabolic byproducts of metabolism. The objective of this research project was to recover the biologically active components rich in polyphenols, which include treatment of olive oil mills wastewater, and, at the same time, to remove the pollutant waste component resulting from the olive oil manufacturing processes. With specific focus on using technologies based on the application of ultra and nanofiltration membranes, the polyphenols fraction was extracted after an initial flocculation step. The nano-filtration permeate showed a reduction of about 95% of the organic load. The polyphenols recovery after two filtration steps was about 65% w/v. The nanofiltration retentate, dried using the spray dryer technique, was tested for cell viability after oxidative stress induction on human keratinocytes model in vitro and an improved cell reparation in the presence of this polyphenolic compound was demonstrated in scratch assays assisted through time lapse video-microscopy. The polyphenols recovered from these treatments may be suitable ingredients in cosmeceuticals and possibly nutraceutical preparations or functional foods.
Dioxygen Activation by Laccases: Green Chemistry for Fine Chemical Synthesis
Authors: Romero-Guido Cynthia , Baez Antonino , Torres Eduardo
Published: May 2018

Laccases are enzymes with attractive features for the synthesis of fine chemicals. The friendly reaction conditions of laccases and their high conversion and selectivity make them particularly suitable for green methods of synthesis. In addition, laccases are enzymes with broad substrate variability, ease of production, and no need of cofactors or aggressive oxidizing agents. Among molecules oxidized by laccases are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, azo dyes, pesticides, phenols, and pharmaceuticals. This article reviews the laccase-mediated oxidation of fine chemicals for the production of biologically active compounds. The main aspects of the enzymatic oxidation are summarized; potentials and limitations are identified and proposals to develop more robust catalysts are analyzed.
Comment on Thigpen D. et al. The Role of Ultrasound in Screening Dense Breasts—A Review of the Literature and Practical Solutions for Implementation. Diagnostics 2018, 8, 20
Authors: Berg Wendie A. , Pushkin JoAnn
Published: May 2018

We read with interest the article by Thigpen et al. [1]. With 34 states now having some form of density inform legislation[...]
Landscape of Transposable Elements Focusing on the B Chromosome of the Cichlid Fish Astatotilapia latifasciata
Authors: Coan Rafael L. B. , Martins Cesar
Published: May 2018

B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary elements found in many taxonomic groups. Most B chromosomes are rich in heterochromatin and composed of abundant repetitive sequences, especially transposable elements (TEs). B origin is generally linked to the A-chromosome complement (A). The first report of a B chromosome in African cichlids was in Astatotilapia latifasciata, which can harbor 0, 1, or 2 Bs Classical cytogenetic studies found high a TE content on this B chromosome. In this study, we aimed to understand TE composition and expression in the A. latifasciata genome and its relation to the B chromosome. We used bioinformatics analysis to explore the genomic organization of TEs and their composition on the B chromosome. The bioinformatics findings were validated by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and real-time PCR (qPCR). A. latifasciata has a TE content similar to that of other cichlid fishes and several expanded elements on its B chromosome. With RNA sequencing data (RNA-seq), we showed that all major TE classes are transcribed in the brain, muscle, and male and female gonads. An evaluation of TE transcription levels between B- and B+ individuals showed that few elements are differentially expressed between these groups and that the expanded B elements are not highly transcribed. Putative silencing mechanisms may act on the B chromosome of A. latifasciata to prevent the adverse consequences of repeat transcription and mobilization in the genome.
Genetic Association with Subgingival Bacterial Colonization in Chronic Periodontitis
Authors: Cavalla Franco , Biguetti Claudia , Lima Melchiades Jessica , Tabanez Andre , De Campos Soriani Azevedo Michelle , Favaro Trombone Ana , Faveri Marcelo , Feres Magda , Pompermaier Garlet Gustavo
Published: May 2018

Chronic periodontitis is the most prevalent form of inflammatory destructive bone disease and has been affecting humans since antiquity. Evidence suggest that genetic factors can highly influence periodontitis risk, modulating disease elements such as the susceptibility to microbial colonization and the nature of subsequent host-microbe interaction. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with the occurrence of periodontitis, but the full range of genetic influence in periodontitis outcomes remains to be determined. In this context, this study comprises an analysis of possible correlation between periodontitis-related genetic variants with changes in the subgingival microbiological pattern performed in a Brazilian population (n = 167, comprising 76 chronic periodontitis patients and 91 healthy subjects). For the genetic characterization, 19 candidate SNPs were selected based on the top hits of previous large genome wide association studies (GWAS), while the subgingival microbiota was characterized for the presence and relative quantity of 40 bacterial species by DNA-DNA checkerboard. The case/control association test did not demonstrate a significant effect of the target SNPs with the disease phenotype. The polymorphism rs2521634 proved significantly associated with Tannerella. forsythia, Actinomyces gerencseriae, Fusobacterium periodonticum, and Prevotella nigrescens; rs10010758 and rs6667202 were associated with increased counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis; and rs10043775 proved significantly associated with decreased counts of Prevotella intermedia. In conclusion, we present strong evidence supporting a direct connection between the host’s genetic profile, specifically rs2521634, rs10010758, rs6667202, and rs10043775 polymorphisms, and the occurrence of chronic periodontitis-associated bacteria.
Reorganization of the Y Chromosomes Enhances Divergence in Israeli Mole Rats Nannospalax ehrenbergi (Spalacidae, Rodentia): Comparative Analysis of Meiotic and Mitotic Chromosomes
Authors: Matveevsky Sergey , Ivanitskaya Elena , Spangenberg Victor , Bakloushinskaya Irina , Kolomiets Oxana
Published: May 2018

The Y chromosome in mammals is variable, even in closely related species. Middle East blind mole rats Nannospalax ehrenbergi demonstrate autosomal variability, which probably leads to speciation. Here, we compare the mitotic and meiotic chromosomes of mole rats. For the first time, we studied the behavior of their sex chromosomes in the meiotic prophase I using electron microscopy and immunocytochemical analysis. Unexpectedly, the sex chromosomes of the 52- and 60-chromosome forms of mole rats showed different synaptic and recombination patterns due to distinct locations of the centromeres on the Y chromosomes. The absence of recombination in the 60-chromosome form, the asymmetric synapsis, and the short-term disturbance in the synaptic co-orientation of the telomeric regions of the X and Y chromosomes were revealed as specific features of mole rat sex bivalents. We suggest several scenarios of Y chromosome alteration in connection with species differentiation in mole rats.
Evaluation of Dose Dependent Maternal Exposure to Bisphenol A on Thyroid Functions in Newborns
Authors: Sanlidag Burcin , Dalkan Ceyhun , Yetkin Osman , Bahçeciler Nerin
Published: May 2018

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical compound that is mainly used in industrial products as packaging and plastics. It usually transmits to humans via oral route from food-contact material. BPA has demonstrated to be found in body fluids with a higher amount of fetal tissues due to bio-accumulation. Although it has been reported to affect the endocrine system, results on thyroid functions of newborns are conflicting. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the effect of different levels of BPA in cord blood on the thyroid functions of newborns, according to gender. Methods: The study population included 88 newborns. The BPA levels, Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels of cord blood were measured. In addition, SPINA-GT (thyroid’ incretory capasity), TSH Index (TSHI), standardized TSHI (sTSHI) were calculated and demographic characteristics of participants were noted. Results: The mean of cord blood BPA was 4.934 ± 2.33 ng/mL. When evaluated according to quantiles of BPA, no association was found between BPA and thyroid hormone levels, as well as, SPINA-GT, TSHI, sTSHI in both genders. Conclusion: Although BPA has been shown to contaminate cord blood, no significant effect was detected on thyroid hormones, SPINA-GT, TSHI and sTSHI. Further investigations with larger study populations are warranted.
Null Subject Occurrence in Monolingual Spanish SLI: A Discriminant Function Analysis
Authors: Grinstead John , Lintz Paij , Pratt Amy , Vega-Mendoza Mariana , De la Mora Juliana , Cantú-Sánchez Myriam , Flores-Avalos Blanca
Published: May 2018

Background: Child Spanish-speakers appear to use more null subjects than do adults. Null subject use, like the use of tense marking, is sensitive to discourse-pragmatics. Because tense marking has been used to identify child Spanish-speakers with specific language impairment (SLI) with near good sensitivity and specificity (89%), null subject use may as well, following the predictions of the Interface Deficit Hypothesis. We investigate the possibility that null subject occurrence may form part of a useful discriminant function for the identification of monolingual child Spanish-speakers diagnosed with specific language impairment. Methods: We evaluate the rate of null subject expression from spontaneous production data, together with results from independent measures of another discourse-sensitive construction, verb finiteness, in child Spanish. We perform a discriminant function analysis, using null subject expression as a target variable, among others, to classify monolingual child Spanish-speakers (N = 40) as SLI or as typically-developing (TD). Results: The SLI group is shown to have significantly higher scores than the TD group on null subject expression. Multiple discriminant functions, including the null subject variable with tense measures, and in combination with mean length of utterance in words (MLUw), are shown to provide good sensitivity and specificity (<90%) in the classification of children as SLI vs. TD. Conclusion: Our findings support the contention that null subject occurrence is a plausible reflection of the Interface Deficit of SLI for Spanish-speaking children.
Control of the Nucleation Density of Molybdenum Disulfide in Large-Scale Synthesis Using Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Xu Haitao , Zhou Weipeng , Zheng Xiaowu , Huang Jiayao , Feng Xiliang , Ye Li , Xu Guanjin , Lin Fang
Published: May 2018

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is presently a promising approach for preparing two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 crystals at high temperatures on SiO2/Si substrates. In this work, we propose an improved CVD method without hydrogen, which can increase formula flexibility by controlling the heating temperature of MoO3 powder and sulfur powder. The results show that the size and coverage of MoS2 domains vary largely, from discrete triangles to continuous film, on substrate. We find that the formation of MoS2 domains is dependent on the nucleation density of MoS2. Laminar flow theory is employed to elucidate the cause of the different shapes of MoS2 domains. The distribution of carrier gas speeds at the substrate surface leads to a change of nucleation density and a variation of domain morphology. Thus, nucleation density and domain morphology can be actively controlled by adjusting the carrier gas flow rate in the experimental system. These results are of significance for understanding the growth regulation of 2D MoS2 crystals.
Nitrogen Oxides Mitigation Efficiency of Cementitious Materials Incorporated with TiO2
Authors: Rhee Inkyu , Lee Jun-Seok , Kim Jong Beom , Kim Jong-Ho
Published: May 2018

We explored the photocatalytic capacities of cementitious materials (cement paste and mortar) incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2). P-25 is a commercial TiO2 preparation which, if incorporated into large civil buildings, is extremely expensive. It is essential to produce low-cost TiO2. A cheap anatase form of TiO2 powder, NP-400, manufactured under relatively low burning temperature, was considered in this paper. Addition of NP-400 to 0, 5, 10, and 20 wt % did not significantly affect the compressive strengths of mortar or cement paste. However, the compressive strengths of P-25-containing specimens were more consistent than those of NP-400-containing materials. The nitrogen oxide (NO) removal efficiencies by mortar with 5 and 10 wt % TiO2 were similar at ca. 14–16%; the removal efficiency by mortar with 20 wt % NP-400 was ca. 70%. Although the NP-400 cluster size was almost halved by ultrasonication, NO removal efficiency was not enhanced. Removal was enhanced by the presence of accessible surface area: NP-400 dispersed in these surfaces readily adsorbed NO, aided by the large surface areas of the top and bottom faces. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX) confirmed that NP-400 tended to sink when added to cement, fine aggregates, and water because the true densities of P-25, NP-400, and cement powder differed (3.41, 3.70, and 3.15 g/mL). The true density of NP-400 was thus the highest of all ingredients. The relatively low apparent density of P-25 compared to that of NP-400 was associated with a more bulky distribution of P-25 within cementitious materials. Nevertheless, NP-400 could be a viable alternative to the definitive product, P-25.
Experimental Investigation of Principal Residual Stress and Fatigue Performance for Turned Nickel-Based Superalloy Inconel 718
Authors: Hua Yang , Liu Zhanqiang
Published: May 2018

Residual stresses of turned Inconel 718 surface along its axial and circumferential directions affect the fatigue performance of machined components. However, it has not been clear that the axial and circumferential directions are the principle residual stress direction. The direction of the maximum principal residual stress is crucial for the machined component service life. The present work aims to focuses on determining the direction and magnitude of principal residual stress and investigating its influence on fatigue performance of turned Inconel 718. The turning experimental results show that the principal residual stress magnitude is much higher than surface residual stress. In addition, both the principal residual stress and surface residual stress increase significantly as the feed rate increases. The fatigue test results show that the direction of the maximum principal residual stress increased by 7.4%, while the fatigue life decreased by 39.4%. The maximum principal residual stress magnitude diminished by 17.9%, whereas the fatigue life increased by 83.6%. The maximum principal residual stress has a preponderant influence on fatigue performance as compared to the surface residual stress. The maximum principal residual stress can be considered as a prime indicator for evaluation of the residual stress influence on fatigue performance of turned Inconel 718.
Detection of Intracellular Gold Nanoparticles: An Overview
Authors: D’Acunto Mario
Published: May 2018

Photothermal therapy (PTT) takes advantage of unique properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) (nanospheres, nanoshells (AuNSs), nanorods (AuNRs)) to destroy cancer cells or tumor tissues. This is made possible thanks principally to both to the so-called near-infrared biological transparency window, characterized by wavelengths falling in the range 700–1100 nm, where light has its maximum depth of penetration in tissue, and to the efficiency of cellular uptake mechanisms of AuNPs. Consequently, the possible identification of intracellular AuNPs plays a key role for estimating the effectiveness of PTT treatments. Here, we review the recognized detection techniques of such intracellular probes with a special emphasis to the exploitation of near-infrared biological transparency window.
Die Defects and Die Corrections in Metal Extrusion
Authors: Qamar Sayyad Zahid , Pervez Tasneem , Chekotu Josiah Cherian
Published: May 2018

Extrusion is a very popular and multi-faceted manufacturing process. A large number of products for the automotive, aerospace, and construction sectors are produced through aluminum extrusion. Many defects in the extruded products occur because of the conditions of the dies and tooling. The problems in dies can be due to material issues, design and manufacturing, or severe usage. They can be avoided by maintaining the billet quality, by controlling the extrusion process parameters, and through routine maintenance. Die problems that occur on a day-to-day basis are mostly repairable and are rectified through various types of die correction operations. These defects and repair operations have not been reported in detail in the published literature. The current paper presents an in-depth description of repairable die defects and related die correction operations in metal extrusion. All major die defects are defined and classified, and their causes, preventive measures, and die correction operations are described. A brief frequency-based statistical study of die defects is also carried out to identify the most frequent die corrections. This work can be of direct benefit to plant engineers and operators and to researchers and academics in the field of metal extrusion.
Self-Assembly Behavior and pH-Stimuli-Responsive Property of POSS-Based Amphiphilic Block Copolymers in Solution
Authors: Xu Yiting , He Kaiwei , Wang Hongchao , Li Meng , Shen Tong , Liu Xinyu , Yuan Conghui , Dai Lizong
Published: May 2018

Stimuli-responsive polymeric systems containing special responsive moieties can undergo alteration of chemical structures and physical properties in response to external stimulus. We synthesized a hybrid amphiphilic block copolymer containing methoxy polyethylene glycol (MePEG), methacrylate isobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (MAPOSS) and 2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DPA) named MePEG-b-P(MAPOSS-co-DPA) via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Spherical micelles with a core-shell structure were obtained by a self-assembly process based on MePEG-b-P(MAPOSS-co-DPA), which showed a pH-responsive property. The influence of hydrophobic chain length on the self-assembly behavior was also studied. The pyrene release properties of micelles and their ability of antifouling were further studied.
Enhanced Tribological and Bacterial Resistance of Carbon Nanotube with Ceria- and Silver-Incorporated Hydroxyapatite Biocoating
Authors: Pandey Aditi , Patel Anup Kumar , S. Ariharan , Kumar Vikram , Sharma Rajeev Kumar , Kanhed Satish , Nigam Vinod Kumar , Keshri Anup , Agarwal Arvind , Balani Kantesh
Published: May 2018

Pertaining to real-life applications (by scaling up) of hydroxyapatite (HA)-based materials, herein is a study illustrating the role of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforcement with ceria (CeO2) and silver (Ag) in HA on titanium alloy (TiAl6V4) substrate, utilizing the plasma-spraying processing technique, is presented. When compared with pure HA coating enhanced hardness (from 2.5 to 5.8 GPa), elastic modulus (from 110 to 171 GPa), and fracture toughness (from 0.7 to 2.2 MPa·m1/2) elicited a reduced wear rate from 55.3 × 10−5 mm3·N−1·m−1 to 2.1 × 10−5 mm3·N−1·m−1 in HA-CNT-CeO2-Ag. Besides, an order of magnitude lower Archard’s wear constant and a 41% decreased shear stress by for HA-CNT-CeO2-Ag coating depicted the effect of higher hardness and modulus of a material to control its wear phenomenon. Antibacterial property of 46% (bactericidal) is ascribed to Ag in addition to CNT-CeO2 in HA. Nonetheless, the composite coating also portrayed exaggerated L929 fibroblast cell growth (4.8 times more than HA), which was visualized as flat and elongated cells with multiple filopodial protrusions. Hence, synthesis of a material with enhanced mechanical integrity resulting in tribological resistance and cytocompatible efficacy was achieved, thereupon making HA-CNT-CeO2-Ag a scalable potent material for real-life load-bearing implantable bio-coating.