bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
H2215−086 / Fo Aqr: The “King” of Intermediate Polars Spins Down
Authors: Pakull M.W. , Beuermann K.
Published: July 2016

Our 5-color photometric observations of the intermediate polar H2215−086/FO Aqr which were collected between 1982 and the end of 1985 reveal that the 20.9 min rotational period increases with a spin-down rate of (1.0±0.2) 10−10 ss−1. This is in marked contrast to the spin-up behaviour of other well studied DQ Her systems.

The pulse profile of the optical modulation as a function of wavelength changes drastically across the Balmer jump suggesting the presence of two distinct components of pulsed optical emission which furthermore are shifted in phase with respect to the X-ray maxima observed with EXOSAT.

The UV, optical and IR flux distribution can adequately be accounted for by an accretion disc model with a mass-flow rate Ṁ = 1017 g s−1 and an inner boundary which is ≈10 times larger than the radius of the white dwarf. Our results support the magnetic accretion torque theory worked out by Ghosh and Lamb which can account for both spin-up and spin-down of the accreting star depending on the value of the fastness parameter ωs.

We derive a magnetic moment μ ≈ 1.0 1033 G cm3 which will allow H2215−086 to evolve into an AM Her system once it has crossed the 2–3 h period gap.
The Ancients’ Criterion of Earliest Visibility of the Lunar Crescent: How Good is it?
Authors: Ilyas M.
Published: July 2016

Earliest visibility of the lunar crescent is an important calendrical element. It was needed in all early calendars and remains in use in some lunar calendars today. An astronomical criterion of earliest lunar visibility was therefore evolved quite early, using observations, right from the Babylonian era. In subsequent periods the Babylonian single factor ‘moonset lag’ criterion was used extensively, although gradually it was realized that it was rather simple. Recently, an improved and comprehensive global criterion of earliest visibility, developed by the author, has been used to generate an extensive inverted moonset lag data set. These data, as a function of latitude and season, all for the tirst time provide a useful comparison with the simple ancient criterion. It is found that the simple criterion is remarkably good for the latitude region where the Ancients collected their observational data, illustrating the care with which their data was gathered. At other latitudes, there are significant differences, as may be expected. Although the simple criterion may now be replaced by an accurate season and latitude dependent criterion, the former will continue to provide a useful basis. The paper discusses various related historical developments.
An Unknown Arabic Source for Star Names
Authors: Kunitzsch Paul
Published: July 2016

Arabic star names are well known in two areas: in the Orient itself, i.e. in the Arabic-Islamic civilization, and in the West where many of them were adopted since mediaeval times and continued to be used until today.

The complex known in modern Western astronomy as “Arabic star names” is the result of a historical development of almost exactly one thousand years. In mediaeval times, those names were introduced into Western use by Latin translations of Arabic astronomical and astrological works. Afterwards, since Humanist and Renaissance times, and until this present century, Western astronomers used to pick up more “Arabic” names from philological studies of orientalists who tried to describe and explain the stellar nomenclature of the Arabs and other Oriental peoples. As outstanding examples, I mention the studies of Joseph Scaliger and his follower Hugo Grotius (both printed in 1600) whose nomenclature was borrowed by Johannes Bayer into his star atlas Uranometria of 1603; Thomas Hyde’s commentary to his edition of Ulugh Bēg’s star catalogue (Oxford, 1665) from which Giuseppe Piazzi borrowed a great number of names into the second edition of his Palermo Catalogue, 1814; German studies by F.W.V. Lach (1796) and Ludwig Ideler (1809) which were used by continental astronomers such as J.E.Bode and many others; and still the book on star names by R.H. Allen (1899) from which several new names appear in astronomical books and atlases of our times.
Mādhava’s Rule for Finding Angle Between the Ecliptic and the Horizon and Āryabhata’s Knowledge of it
Authors: Gupta R.C.
Published: July 2016

In Fig.1, let U be the rising point of the ecliptic (udayalagna), T be the nonagesimal (tribhona-lagna) and M be the meridianecliptic point (madhya-lagna). Since T is at a distance of one quadrant from U along the ecliptic, the complement of the zenith distance of, that is the arc TK, will be the required angle between the ecliptic UTM and the horizon NUEKS. The equivalent problem in Indian astronomy is therefore to find what is called ‘dṛkkṣepa-jyā’ or the sine of the zenith distance of the nonagesimal.
La Theorie Astronomique Selon Jabir IBN Aflah (English Abstract)
Authors: Hugonnard-Roche H.
Published: July 2016

Ptolemy’s Almagest has been criticized by Islamic astronomers in two different ways: criticisms of Ptolemaic parameters and criticisms, like those of the Maragha school, of the geometrical models used as they contradicted certain basic principles like the principle of uniform motion.

Jabir ibn Aflah’s Islah al-Majisti seems to be outside the two aforementioned ways of criticizing the Almagest for he gives an excellent and faithful qualitative account of his kinematical models. He pretends, on one side, to give a complement to the mathematical basis of the Almagest and, on the other, he seems to consider this work as having, in his time, only a theoretical value; due to the modifications of parameters introduced by Islamic astronomers, the Almagest itself has lost, in Jabir’s opinion, all practical value for computation. He also gives a list of mistakes he thinks Ptolemy made, but I will limit myself here to analyse what Jabir seems to consider a methodological lack of which I will give only one example: Jabir criticizes Ptolemy’s determination of the relative positions of the centre of the equant, the centre of the deferent and the centre of the universe in the case of the models for the superior planets, for he considers that Ptolemy did not give any proof of the fact that the centre of the deferent is the midpoint between the two others.
Reduction Techniques – ESO Facilities
Authors: Crane Philippe
Published: July 2016

This paper describes the facilities available at the ESO headquarters in Munich for scanning photographic plates and for extracting information from these plates. ESO has an integrated system of three microdensitometers, a PDS 1010A, an Optronics S3000 and a Grant 800. Data analysis facilities include an HP 1000 series computer supporting an interactive data analysis system and two Vax 11/780 computers supporting general purpose computing and data analysis. Application areas currently active are: techniques for identifying objects in images and for classifying these objects, methods of analyzing extended images, and a package to reduce echelle spectra.
Visual and Automatic Classification of Galaxy Images
Authors: Wirth Allan
Published: July 2016

The requirements for a classification system for galaxy images are discussed and the advantages and disadvantages of both visual and automatic classification techniques are assessed. The results of some preliminary experiments in the automatic classification of images are also presented.
The Schmidt Telescope on Calar Alto
Authors: Birkle K.
Published: July 2016

During the last ten years the Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie (MPIA) has installed four large telescopes at its observatory on Calar Alto, Spain, which is operated jointly with the Spanish National Commission for Astronomy as the German-Spanish Astronomical Center. Figure 1 shows the domes of the 1.2 m, 2.2 m, and 3.5 m telescopes of Ritchey-Chrétien type and the dome of the Schmidt Telescope. They all are Zeiss telescopes, the former three coming from Oberkochen, the latter one from Jena.
Small Bodies of the Solar System
Authors: Kowal Charles T.
Published: July 2016

Schmidt telescopes are ideal for many types of survey work, and this includes surveying the solar system. Schmidt cameras have the advantages of speed and wide fields for rapid coverage of large areas of the sky, and good image quality over the entire field. The small focal ratios also have the effect of enhancing low surface-brightness features. This is an advantage for studying cornetary tails and comae.

Current work in the field of small solar system objects can be divided into three different areas: searching for new objects, recovering lost objects, and astrornetry of known objects. Each of these areas requires its own techniques.
A Survey For 0-B Stars in the Puppis Window
Authors: Westpfahl David J.
Published: July 2016

In the 1950’s Haro (Haro and Luyten 1962) developed a survey method in which three images, roughly corresponding to U,B, and V, are exposed on one plate. The images are separated by several arc seconds by moving the telescope between exposures. Exposure times are chosen so an unreddened star of spectral type AO to A5 shows three images roughly equal in size and density. The plates are examined by eye to find stars by their colors. A red star shows a strong central image flanked by two weaker images, while a blue star shows a weak central image flanked by two stronger ones. This method allows surveys for stars and galaxies with very red or very blue colors to be carried out with any telescope, and in particular with the Schmidt telescopes at Tonantzintla and at Palomar which were not equipped with objective prisms.
The Magellanic Clouds
Authors: Westerlund B.E.
Published: July 2016

Contributions to our present knowledge of the Magellanic Clouds based on observations with Schmidt telescopes are discussed.
The Cerro El Roble Sample of Faint Ultraviolet Excess Objects in the South Galactic Pole
Authors: Campusano Luis E. , Torres Carlos
Published: July 2016

The idea to develop selected regions of the sky for extragalactic research in the Galactic Polar areas is emphasized. One such region, centered at α=00h 53m (1950) δ=-28°03', has been examined by several authors for surveys of QSO candidates. We have also searched 44-deg2 of this region, containing the South Galactic Pole (SGP), for relative ultraviolet excess objects (UVXs) in 5 partially overlapping fields of the 70/100 cm Maksutov telescope of Cerro El Roble. The search was found to be extremely incomplete at B>19 mag, while the completeness for B ≲ 19 was estimated to be approximately 30% in non overlapping regions and 50% in overlapping regions. Only the central overlapping region was used for the comparison of the surface densities of different UVX samples. The surface density in this region is 7.2 UVX/deg2 at B∼19 mag and approximately a factor 2 larger than the one found by Savage and Bolton (1979) in two 25 deg2 fields near the SGP. In addition, our surface density value is a factor 3/2 larger than the density found by Braccesi, Formiggini and Gandolfi (1970) near the North Galactic Pole. Twenty-seven new QSOs have been already identified in our UVX sample from spectroscopic data collected on the Las Campanas 2.5 meter telescope. A statistical test applied to the surface distribution of our UVXs in the central 25 deg2 region, gave a slight suggestion of non-uniformity.
Atomic Physics for Hot Plasmas
Authors: Vainshtein L.A.
Published: July 2016

This report treats some aspects of how to obtain and apply main atomic characteristics responsible for the intensities and satellite structures of spectral lines in hot plasmas.

The experimental test, of theoretical methods and calculated cross- sections σ is often possible only in a plasma, especially for highly charged ions. In this case the rates < υσ >, rather than σ, are measured for different temperature values. Another difficulty is linked to the analysis of a large number of processes which have to be taken into account simultaneously.

In laboratory plasmas (usually during an ionization stage) the ionization, excitation and dielectronic recombination rates are measured for numerous ions with Z ≤ 25. They are discussed in the report by H. Griem at this Colloquium. Unfortunately, in some cases the results are not consistent along the isoelectronic sequence and deviate considerably (up to a factor of 1.5 - 2) from those yielded by cross-beam methods, or calculations.
Some Applications of Photon Correlation Spectroscopy in Plasma Diagnostics
Authors: Serapinas P.
Published: July 2016

Excess radiation noise spectra of a pulse discharge due to the cathode spot miorostructure and that of a high frequency discharge due to the aerosol particles were observed and analyzed. Densities and relaxation times of the cathode microspots and the aerosol particles were measured.
XUV Spectroscopy in Jet
Authors: Behringer K. , Denne B. , Magyar G. , Mattioli M. , Peacock N.J. , Ramette J. , Saoutic B. , Schwob J.L.
Published: July 2016

The 2m extreme grazing incidence XUV Schwob-Fraenkel spectrometer has been described in detail [1]. Its use on the TFR tokamak is presented in a parallel paper [2], The instrument installed on JET differs in that it has two microchannel plates scanning independently two portions of the spectral range from 10 to 335Å. A full scan takes 164ms, due to the low number of photons. 127 spectra may be taken during a 20s tokamak discharge. The calculated and measured spectral resolution (FWHM) with a 600g/mm Bausch and Lomb grating and 20µm entrance slit is shown in Fig. 1 for detector positions, y, between 200 and 390mm (corresponding wavelengths of the central pixels are 85 and 310 Å, respectively).
Steps Towards 8m Honeycomb Mirrors V: a Method for Polishing Aspheres as Fast as F/1
Authors: Angel J. R. P.
Published: July 2016

A method is proposed for polishing fast aspherics with a lap whose shape is continuously changed under computer control as it moves over a rigid mirror blank. The required changes of radius, astigmatism and coma in a circular lap are made with edge bending levers and tensioning members with screw actuators. This method of bending has been demonstrated in the laboratory.
Sundai's 75cm Alt-Az Telescope with an E6 Honeycomb Mirror
Authors: Isobe Syuzo , Seo Hideaki , Osawa Hiroshi , Konno Masahiko , Shinohara Nobuo , Norizuki Sojiro
Published: July 2016

A 75cm alt-az telescope with a primary mirror made from the Ohara E6 glass was completed in December, 1983, at Kitakaruizawa, Japan. We describe the surface accuracy of mirror during its polishing and in a telescope cell, and also discuss some new technical points developed for this telescope.
Adaptive Optics
Authors: Woolf N.J.
Published: July 2016

Adaptive optics is a technique for correcting atmospheric wavefront disturbances to yield diffraction limited imaging. It is a technique whose advantages are most apparent in the 2-5µ spectral region, where wavefront corrections are derived from study of visible objects. Graphs are presented to show performance needs of adaptive optics systems.
Interferometry with Large Telescopes
Authors: Léna Pierre
Published: July 2016

1. Introduction. A popular - often textbook supported- view is that the diffraction limit of large telescopes is out of reach from ground-based observatories.

We summarize on Fig.1 the scope of angular resolving power, in the range lOOnm to 10. nm, as it appears today.

A quick look reveals, expressed in absolute angular terms, a number of stimulating points :

(i) recent advances in speckle techniques allow to reach the diffraction limit of large ground-based telescopes, notwithstanding the seeing effects. Initially devised to measure double bright stars separation in the visible, these techniques have been extended to weak visible stars (mv ~ 14 to 16), to infrared sources (l-5µm), to full image reconstruction, and even to diffraction limited images obtained with optics suffering from residual aberrations (Faint Object Camera on the Space Telescope);
Infrared Speckle Methods
Authors: Chelli A.
Published: July 2016

I-INTRODUCTION The speckle interferometry method has been introduced in 1970 by A. Labeyrie who showed in the visible dcmain that it was possible to reach the limiting spatial resolution of large telescopes. From 1977, the method is extended to the near infrared between 2 and 5ym (Lena, 1977; Wade and Selby, 1978) ,7 years later infrared speckle systems are operating on several large telescopes (ESO, KPNO, AAT, UKIRT, CFHT... ).

The speckle interferometry method has allowed to better understanding the optical properties of the atmosphere, especially owing to the work of F.Roddier (Roddier, 1981). It has raised new problems like the phase restitution of the object spectrum and has largely contributed to the development of image reconstruction methods.
Cost Scaling Laws and Their Origin: Design Strategy for an Optical Array Telescope
Authors: Humphries C.M. , Reddish V.C. , Walshaw D.J.
Published: July 2016

Power law relationships between cost and aperture of optical telescopes are shown to be approximations to polynomial expressions. These polynomials, which are derived for telescopes of traditional and cost-reduced design, have implications for the cost-effective design of an optical array telescope.
A Simultaneous Five Colour Three Channel Photometer with Fiber Optics - Design and First Results
Authors: Barwig H. , Schoembs R.
Published: July 2016

Accurate photometry of fast variable objects requires simultaneous measurements of object, sky and comparison star with high time resolution. Additionally, if reliable colours of short time variations are of interest each light source has also to be measured simultaneously in several wavelength regions.

The prototyp of a 3 channel 5 colour photometer fitting these requirements was constructed at the Universitats-Sternwarte Miinchen in 1983 and shall be described in the following. The development of this instrument was carried out in two steps: At first a 3 channel photometer had been designed for observations in integral light. It was successfully tested at Calar Alto Observatory (Mitt. Astron. Ges. 60, p. 474, 1983)
The 6-Meter Optical Telescope of the USSR: Instrumentation and Observational Possibilities
Authors: Kopylov I.M. , Fomenko A.f.
Published: July 2016

This report offers a short description of observational facilities used at the 6-meter optical telescope BTA of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

The purposes of the report:

-

to give an idea on the general strategics for the development of the observational facilities of the BTA;

-

to present the principle information on the achieved observational possibilities. The first point may prove to be useful for the projects of Very Large Telescopes (VLT), that are discussed at this meeting.
Fundamental Parameters of Cepheids
Authors: Pel J. W.
Published: July 2016

In the two centuries since the discovery of δ Cephei and η Aquilae, the study of Cepheids, and of pulsating stars in general, has become a very important field in astronomy. The usefulness of Cepheids, both as distance indicators and as test objects for stellar astrophysics, has been amply demonstrated, and if one just looks at the flood of papers on Cepheids that appears each year, it is clear that the subject is not only old and respectable, but also still very much alive. This twohundredth anniversary is therefore an appropriate occasion to evaluate what we have learnt about Cepheids, and where the remaining problems lie.
Radial Velocities of Classical Cepheids
Authors: Barnes T. G. , Moffett T. J.
Published: July 2016

Approximately 2000 radial velocities of 88 classical Cepheids have been observed using a photoelectric radial velocity meter. During the same time interval, these same Cepheids were intensively observed in the BVRI bandpasses, as reported elsewhere in these proceedings. This provides a homogeneous set of phase-locked radial velocity and photometric data which are useful in several contexts. We present here a sample of these results which will be published in their entirety elsewhere.
Surface Brightness Radii and Distances of Cepheids and the Period-Radius Relationship
Authors: Gieren W. P.
Published: July 2016

Recently Gieren (1984) has derived accurate radii and distances of a sample of short-period classical Cepheids using the surface brightness (SB) method introduced by Barnes & Evans (1976). The results indicated that the period-radius (P-R) relationship obtained from SB radii might possess a slope close to the value of 0.82 defined by the Cepheids in clusters and associations (Fernie, 1983) and in conflict with the values obtained from Baade-Wesselink radii and from theoretical models (see Fernie, 1983). Since this finding would lend considerable support to the presently accepted absolute magnitudes of the cluster Cepheids, it was decided to obtain SB radii and distances of well-observed long-period Cepheids in order to strengthen the P-R relationship obtained from the SB technique.
A Generalization of the Cors Method to Determine Cepheid Radii: Theory and Application
Authors: Caccin B. , Buonaura B. , Onnembo A. , Russo G. , Sambuco A. M. , Sollazzo C.
Published: July 2016

The CORS method for the empirical determination of the radii of pulsating variables (Caccin et al., 1981; Sollazzo et al., 1981) is discussed in the framework of the quasistatlc approximation to the variations of the atmospheric parameters (Unno, 1965) and reformulated in a way that does not make direct use of theoretical calibrations of the photometric system in terms of model atmospheres. The radii calculated with this approach are in good agreement with those previously obtained by means of Pel's calibrations of the VBLUW system (Sollazzo et al.,1981) which lead to a period-radius relation coinciding, within the errors, with the theoretical one (Cogan, 1978) and, consequently, mass determinations consistent with pulsational masses (Cox, 1979). The method can be immediately applied to any other multicolour system, and very promising preliminary results are obtained by using recent UBV data by Gieren (1982).
Non-Cepheids in the Instability Strip
Authors: Bidelman William P.
Published: July 2016

The question of whether non-Cepheids populate the cepheid instability strip has been the subject of much recent interest. Several investigators (see especially Fernie and Hube 1971 and Fernie 1976) have concluded that indeed there are an appreciable number of objects not presently recognized as Cepheids within the strip, though both the size and position of the strip and the placement of supergiants in the H-R diagram are subject to considerable uncertainty. In view of the interest in this matter, I have attempted to shed some light on this situation by simply considering the nature of the stars spectroscopically classified as of high luminosity in spectral classes F and G. For this one needs, of course, a complete sample of the relevant stars, which fortunately is now to some extent available.
Nonadiabatic, Nonlinear Pulsations of Bump Cepheids – A New Approach
Authors: Buchler J. R. , Goupil M. J. , Klapp J.
Published: July 2016

Finite amplitude pulsations of realistic stellar models are analyzed within the framework of a promising asymptotic perturbation approach and the results are compared with those of numerical hydrodynamic studies.
The Cepheid Luminosity Scale
Authors: Schmidt Edward G.
Published: July 2016

The distances of clusters containing classical Cepheids are central to the calibration of the period-luminosity relation. As a step in improving the reliability of the calibration, uvbys photometry was obtained for B stars in eight of these clusters. These data were then used to determine the distances of the clusters and, thus, the absolute magnitudes of the Cepheids and the zero point of the PLC relation (See Schmidt 1984 for details).
Population II Cepheids
Authors: Harris H. C.
Published: July 2016

A review of Cepheids in globular clusters finds 46 stars that are highly probable members of 21 clusters, all of intermediate to low metallicity with blue horizontal branches. In order to separate Type II Cepheids in the field from classical Cepheids, an analysis is made of the distribution of all Cepheids: 144 are sufficiently far from the galactic plane to be considered Type II. Their properties are compared with the cluster Cepheids. Some recent studies are reviewed that are improving our understanding of low-mass Cepheids.
Irradiation Effects on Comets and Cometary Debris
Authors: Strazzulla G. , Johnson R.E.
Published: July 2016

For the last 10 years, many experimental results have been obtained on the chemical and physical changes induced by ion and electron irradiation of materials relevant to comets. Those results are reviewed here, together with their physical interpretation and their relevance for cometary astrophysics. Cometary material is, from the time of its origin, altered by the large amount of energy deposited by energetic ions. Four phases of the irradiation history are considered: the pre-cometary phase, during which interstellar dust is bombarded by cosmic-ray ions; the accretion phase, during which comets are built up, possibly in an environment rich in fast ions (T-Tau phase); the cometary phase, during which the outer layers of the comets are irradiated by galactic ions in the Oort cloud; and the post-cometary phase, during which dust, lost from the comet, is bombarded by solar ions.

The relevant applications of laboratory results are reviewed. In particular, the ability of ion irradiation of simple carbon-containing ices to produce complex refractory organic materials is discussed. In the Oort cloud, this process can occur several meters into the surface, so that the buildup of a stable organic crust may occur. A comparison of ion irradiation at various stages is also made with other models for the production of organics.
Laboratory Simulation of Cometary Structures
Authors: Ibadinov KH.I. , Rahmonov A.A. , Bjasso A.SH.
Published: July 2016

The properties of a porous mineral crust on the surface of an icy cometary nucleus and the crust's influence on the thermal regime and gas production in the nucleus have been studied by laboratory simulation experiments. A nucleus model of H2O ice with the impurity of graphite particles has been shown to display the same temperature and surface albedo as those determined for Comet Halley’s nucleus by the VEGA 1, VEGA 2, and Giotto spacecraft. The effective thermal conductivity of a crust with a density of 0.5 × 102 kg m−3 to 0.7 × 102 kg m−3 is less than 10−1 W m−1 K−1, while the crust’s strength (103 to 104 Pa) is not sufficient to withstand its erosion by the sublimating gases. A crust that is 1 cm thick lowers the gas production of the nucleus model by one order of magnitude. The destruction of the crust, and the gas and dust production of Comet Halley’s nucleus can be explained either by a spotty surface on the nucleus or, more likely, by the presence of volatile impurities such as CO2 with concentrations of 1 × 10−2 to 3 × 10−2 in the H2O ice under the crust.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Paruresis or “Shy Bladder Syndrome”: A Case Study
Authors: Hambrook David , Taylor Tracey , Bream Victoria
Published: July 2016

Background: Paruresis, or “shy bladder syndrome”, is a relatively common anxiety disorder, yet little is known about the causes of, and effective treatments for this disabling condition. Aim: This report describes a case study in which a man (Peter) presenting with paruresis was treated using formulation-driven CBT, which aimed to address the idiosyncratic processes that were maintaining his anxiety and avoidance of urinating in public. Method: Peter attended 12 sessions of CBT including one follow-up session a month after treatment had ended. Treatment involved collaboratively developing an idiosyncratic case conceptualization (identifying longitudinal and cross-sectional factors involved in the development and maintenance of his difficulties), followed by a number of standard cognitive and behavioural interventions commonly used in evidence-based CBT protocols for other anxiety disorders. Peter completed sessional outcome measures of paruresis symptomatology, anxiety, depression, social anxiety and functional impairment. Results: Peter subjectively found the intervention helpful and his scores on all of the outcome measures reduced over the course of his therapy, and were maintained at one month follow-up. Conclusions: This report adds to the scarce literature regarding effective treatments for individuals suffering with paruresis. Limitations of the design are acknowledged and ideas for further research in this area are discussed.
Women, Peace, and Security and the DRC: Time to Rethink Wartime Sexual Violence as Gender-Based Violence?
Authors: Aroussi Sahla
Published: July 2016

During armed conflicts, women experience extensive gender harm of a physical, sexual, legal, economic, social, cultural, and political nature. Recently, however, we have witnessed unprecedented attention in international law and policy-making arenas to the specific issue of sexual violence as a strategy of warfare. This has been particularly obvious in the agenda on women, peace, and security. Since 2008, the United Nations agenda has increasingly and repeatedly focused on sexual violence in armed conflicts in several Security Council resolutions, calling on and pressuring member states and international agencies to address this issue using militaristic and legalistic strategies. In this article, looking particularly at the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), I argue that the prioritization of sexual harm over other forms of gender harm has had a detrimental impact on women living in aid-dependent societies, and the international obsession with sexual harm has delivered neither justice nor security for victims in the DRC. The article concludes that in order to effectively address sexual violence, we have to rethink sexual harm as gender harm and start listening and responding to women's actual needs and priorities on the ground.
Dietary Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Alter Fatty Acid Composition of Lipids and CYP2E1 Expression in Rat Liver Tissue
Authors: Maksymchuk Oksana , Shysh Angela , Chashchyn Mykola , Moibenko Olexiy
Published: July 2016

Abstract. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are used for the treatment and prevention of numerous pathologies in humans. As recently found, PUFAs play significantly protective roles in liver, cardiovascular system and kidney. They also are widely used in total parenteral nutrition. We evaluated the effect of omega-3 PUFA consumption on liver fatty acid composition and the expression of CYP2E1, one of the key enzymes in detoxification and prooxidant systems of liver cells. To estimate the oxidative stress in liver tissue, the antioxidant status and the level of lipid peroxidation were determined in a rodent model. Animals were divided into two groups: control (n = 10) and experimental (n = 10). Epadol-containing omega-3 PUFA fish oil capsules were administered to Wistar rats within 4 weeks (0.1 mL/100 g b.w./day). The consumption of omega-3 PUFAs resulted in changes of fatty acid composition of liver tissue. A significant increase was detected in the α-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid content (5.1-, 16-, and 1.3-fold, respectively, p < 0.05), while the content of linoleic and arachidonic acid was reduced (1.7- and 3.2-fold, respectively, p < 0.05). This caused significant increases in the omega-3:omega-6 ratio. Consumption of omega-3 PUFAs led to a 3-fold (p < 0.05) increase in CYP2E1 content, which could entail enhanced Nrf2 expression levels and increases in the HO-1 content in rat liver. The alteration in CYP2E1 expression did not have an impact on the level of lipid peroxidation and on the prooxidant/antioxidant balance.
Ferroptosis is induced following siramesine and lapatinib treatment of breast cancer cells
Authors: Ma S , Henson E S , Chen Y , Gibson S B
Published: July 2016

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, oxidative cell death, and is distinct from apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy. In this study, we demonstrated that lysosome disrupting agent, siramesine and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, lapatinib synergistically induced cell death and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MDA MB 231, MCF-7, ZR-75 and SKBr3 breast cancer cells over a 24 h time course. Furthermore, the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) significantly reduced cytosolic ROS and cell death following treatment with siramesine and lapatinib. Furthermore, we determined that FeCl3 levels were elevated in cells treated with siramesine and lapatinib indicating an iron-dependent cell death, ferroptosis. To confirm this, we treated cells with a potent inhibitor of ferroptosis, ferrastatin-1 that effectively inhibited cell death following siramesine and lapatinib treatment. The increase levels of iron could be due to changes in iron transport. We found that the expression of transferrin, which is responsible for the transport of iron into cells, is increased following treatment with lapatinib alone or in combination with siramesine. Knocking down of transferrin resulted in decreased cell death and ROS after treatment. In addition, ferroportin-1 (FPN) is an iron transport protein, responsible for removal of iron from cells. We found its expression is decreased after treatment with siramesine alone or in combination with lapatinib. Overexpression FPN resulted in decreased ROS and cell death whereas knockdown of FPN increased cell death after siramesine and lapatinib treatment. This indicates a novel induction of ferroptosis through altered iron regulation by treating breast cancer cells with a lysosome disruptor and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
Novel adjuvant Alum-TLR7 significantly potentiates immune response to glycoconjugate vaccines
Authors: Buonsanti Cecilia , Balocchi Cristiana , Harfouche Carole , Corrente Federica , Galli Stampino Luisa , Mancini Francesca , Tontini Marta , Malyala Padma , Bufali Simone , Baudner Barbara , De Gregorio Ennio , Valiante Nicholas M. , O’Hagan Derek T. , Rappuoli Rino , D’Oro Ugo
Published: July 2016

Although glycoconjugate vaccines are generally very efficacious, there is still a need to improve their efficacy, especially in eliciting a strong primary antibody response. We have recently described a new type of vaccine adjuvant based on a TLR7 agonist adsorbed to alum (Alum-TLR7), which is highly efficacious at enhancing immunogenicity of protein based vaccines. Since no adjuvant has been shown to potentiate the immune response to glycoconjugate vaccines in humans, we investigated if Alum-TLR7 is able to improve immunogenicity of this class of vaccines. We found that in a mouse model Alum-TLR7 greatly improved potency of a CRM197-MenC vaccine increasing anti-MenC antibody titers and serum bactericidal activity (SBA) against MenC compared to alum adjuvanted vaccine, especially with a low dose of antigen and already after a single immunization. Alum-TLR7 also drives antibody response towards Th1 isotypes. This adjuvant was also able to increase immunogenicity of all polysaccharides of a multicomponent glycoconjugate vaccine CRM197-MenACWY. Furthermore, we found that Alum-TLR7 increases anti-polysaccharide immune response even in the presence of a prior immune response against the carrier protein. Finally, we demonstrate that Alum-TLR7 adjuvant effect requires a functional TLR7. Taken together, our data support the use of Alum-TLR7 as adjuvant for glycoconjugate vaccines.
Universal diffusion-limited injection and the hook effect in organic thin-film transistors
Authors: Liu Chuan , Huseynova Gunel , Xu Yong , Long Dang Xuan , Park Won-Tae , Liu Xuying , Minari Takeo , Noh Yong-Young
Published: July 2016

The general form of interfacial contact resistance was derived for organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) covering various injection mechanisms. Devices with a broad range of materials for contacts, semiconductors, and dielectrics were investigated and the charge injections in staggered OTFTs was found to universally follow the proposed form in the diffusion-limited case, which is signified by the mobility-dependent injection at the metal-semiconductor interfaces. Hence, real ohmic contact can hardly ever be achieved in OTFTs with low carrier concentrations and mobility, and the injection mechanisms include thermionic emission, diffusion, and surface recombination. The non-ohmic injection in OTFTs is manifested by the generally observed hook shape of the output conductance as a function of the drain field. The combined theoretical and experimental results show that interfacial contact resistance generally decreases with carrier mobility, and the injection current is probably determined by the surface recombination rate, which can be promoted by bulk-doping, contact modifications with charge injection layers and dopant layers, and dielectric engineering with high-k dielectric materials.
Bats: Body mass index, forearm mass index, blood glucose levels and SLC2A2 genes for diabetes
Authors: Meng Fanxing , Zhu Lei , Huang Wenjie , Irwin David M. , Zhang Shuyi
Published: July 2016

Bats have an unusually large volume of endocrine tissue, with a large population of beta cells and an elevated sensitivity to glucose and insulin. This makes them excellent animal models for studying diabetes mellitus. We evaluated bats as models for diabetes in terms of lifestyle and genetic factors. For lifestyle factors, we generated data sets of 149 body mass index (BMI) and 860 forearm mass index (FMI) measurements for different species of bats. Both showed negative inter-species correlations with blood glucose levels in sixteen bats examined. The negative inter-species correlations may reflect adaptation of a small insectivorous ancestor to a larger frugivore. We identified an 11 bp deletion in the proximal promoter of SLC2A2 that we predicted would disrupt binding sites for the transcription repressor ZNF354C. In frugivorous bats this could explain the relatively high expression of this gene, resulting in a better capacity to absorb glucose and decrease blood glucose levels.
Functional and modular analyses of diverse endoglucanases from Ruminococcus albus 8, a specialist plant cell wall degrading bacterium
Authors: Iakiviak Michael , Devendran Saravanan , Skorupski Anna , Moon Young Hwan , Mackie Roderick I. , Cann Isaac
Published: July 2016

Ruminococcus albus 8 is a specialist plant cell wall degrading ruminal bacterium capable of utilizing hemicellulose and cellulose. Cellulose degradation requires a suite of enzymes including endoglucanases, exoglucanases and β-glucosidases. The enzymes employed by R. albus 8 in degrading cellulose are yet to be completely elucidated. Through bioinformatic analysis of a draft genome sequence of R. albus 8, seventeen putatively cellulolytic genes were identified. The genes were heterologously expressed in E. coli and purified to near homogeneity. On biochemical analysis with cellulosic substrates, seven of the gene products (Ra0185, Ra0259, Ra0325, Ra0903, Ra1831, Ra2461 and Ra2535) were identified as endoglucanases, releasing predominantly cellobiose and cellotriose. Each of the R. albus 8 endoglucanases, except for Ra0259 and Ra0325, bound to the model crystalline cellulose Avicel, confirming functional carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs). The polypeptides for Ra1831 and Ra2535 were found to contain distantly related homologs of CBM65. Mutational analysis of residues within the CBM65 of Ra1831 identified key residues required for binding. Phylogenetic analysis of the endoglucanases revealed three distinct subfamilies of glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5). Our results demonstrate that this fibrolytic bacterium uses diverse GH5 catalytic domains appended with different CBMs, including novel forms of CBM65, to degrade cellulose.
Tunable angle-independent refractive index sensor based on Fano resonance in integrated metal and graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Pan Meiyan , Liang Zhaoxing , Wang Yu , Chen Yihang
Published: July 2016

We propose a novel mechanism to construct a tunable and ultracompact refractive index sensor by using the Fano resonance in metal-graphene hybrid nanostructure. Plasmon modes in graphene nanoribbons and waveguide resonance modes in the slits of metal strip array coexist in this system. Strong interference between the two different modes occurs when they are spectrally overlapped, resulting in a Fano-type asymmetrically spectral lineshape which can be used for detecting the variations of ambient refractive index. The proposed sensor has a relatively high figure of merit (FOM) over 20 and its sensing performance shows a good tolerance to roughness. In addition to the wide range measurement enabled by the electrical tuning of graphene plasmon modes, such ultracompact system also provides an angle-independent operation and therefore, it can efficiently work for the detection of gas, liquid, or solids. Such optical nanostructure may also be applied to diverse fields such as temperature/pressure metering, medical detection and mechanical precision measurement.
Identification of a diazinon-metabolizing glutathione S-transferase in the silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Yamamoto Kohji , Yamada Naotaka
Published: July 2016

The glutathione S-transferase superfamily play key roles in the metabolism of numerous xenobiotics. We report herein the identification and characterization of a novel glutathione S-transferase in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The enzyme (bmGSTu2) conjugates glutathione to 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, as well as metabolizing diazinon, one of the organophosphate insecticides. Quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction analysis of transcripts demonstrated that bmGSTu2 expression was induced 1.7-fold in a resistant strain of B. mori. Mutagenesis of putative amino acid residues in the glutathione-binding site revealed that Ile54, Glu66, Ser67 and Asn68 are crucial for enzymatic function. These results provide insights into the catalysis of glutathione conjugation in silkworm by bmGSTu2 and into the detoxification of organophosphate insecticides.
New Magnetic Resonance Imaging Index for Renal Fibrosis Assessment: A Comparison between Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and T1 Mapping with Histological Validation
Authors: Friedli I. , Crowe L. A. , Berchtold L. , Moll S. , Hadaya K. , de Perrot T. , Vesin C. , Martin P.-Y. , de Seigneux S. , Vallée J.-P.
Published: July 2016

A need exists to noninvasively assess renal interstitial fibrosis, a common process to all kidney diseases and predictive of renal prognosis. In this translational study, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) T1 mapping and a new segmented Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) technique, for Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC), were first compared to renal fibrosis in two well-controlled animal models to assess detection limits. Validation against biopsy was then performed in 33 kidney allograft recipients (KARs). Predictive MRI indices, ΔT1 and ΔADC (defined as the cortico-medullary differences), were compared to histology. In rats, both T1 and ADC correlated well with fibrosis and inflammation showing a difference between normal and diseased kidneys. In KARs, MRI indices were not sensitive to interstitial inflammation. By contrast, ΔADC outperformed ΔT1 with a stronger negative correlation to fibrosis (R2 = 0.64 against R2 = 0.29 p < 0.001). ΔADC tends to negative values in KARs harboring cortical fibrosis of more than 40%. Using a discriminant analysis method, the ΔADC, as a marker to detect such level of fibrosis or higher, led to a specificity and sensitivity of 100% and 71%, respectively. This new index has potential for noninvasive assessment of fibrosis in the clinical setting.
Playing the role of weak clique property in link prediction: A friend recommendation model
Authors: Ma Chuang , Zhou Tao , Zhang Hai-Feng
Published: July 2016

An important fact in studying link prediction is that the structural properties of networks have significant impacts on the performance of algorithms. Therefore, how to improve the performance of link prediction with the aid of structural properties of networks is an essential problem. By analyzing many real networks, we find a typical structural property: nodes are preferentially linked to the nodes with the weak clique structure (abbreviated as PWCS to simplify descriptions). Based on this PWCS phenomenon, we propose a local friend recommendation (FR) index to facilitate link prediction. Our experiments show that the performance of FR index is better than some famous local similarity indices, such as Common Neighbor (CN) index, Adamic-Adar (AA) index and Resource Allocation (RA) index. We then explain why PWCS can give rise to the better performance of FR index in link prediction. Finally, a mixed friend recommendation index (labelled MFR) is proposed by utilizing the PWCS phenomenon, which further improves the accuracy of link prediction.
Caloric restriction of db/db mice reverts hepatic steatosis and body weight with divergent hepatic metabolism
Authors: Kim Kyung Eun , Jung Youngae , Min Soonki , Nam Miso , Heo Rok Won , Jeon Byeong Tak , Song Dae Hyun , Yi Chin-ok , Jeong Eun Ae , Kim Hwajin , Kim Jeonghyun , Jeong Seon-Yong , Kwak Woori , Ryu Do Hyun , Horvath Tamas L. , Roh Gu Seob , Hwang Geum-Sook
Published: July 2016

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most frequent causes of liver disease and its prevalence is a serious and growing clinical problem. Caloric restriction (CR) is commonly recommended for improvement of obesity-related diseases such as NAFLD. However, the effects of CR on hepatic metabolism remain unknown. We investigated the effects of CR on metabolic dysfunction in the liver of obese diabetic db/db mice. We found that CR of db/db mice reverted insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, body weight and adiposity to those of db/m mice. 1H-NMR- and UPLC-QTOF-MS-based metabolite profiling data showed significant metabolic alterations related to lipogenesis, ketogenesis, and inflammation in db/db mice. Moreover, western blot analysis showed that lipogenesis pathway enzymes in the liver of db/db mice were reduced by CR. In addition, CR reversed ketogenesis pathway enzymes and the enhanced autophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, collagen deposition and endoplasmic reticulum stress in db/db mice. In particular, hepatic inflammation-related proteins including lipocalin-2 in db/db mice were attenuated by CR. Hepatic metabolomic studies yielded multiple pathological mechanisms of NAFLD. Also, these findings showed that CR has a therapeutic effect by attenuating the deleterious effects of obesity and diabetes-induced multiple complications.
In vivo blockade of acetylcholinesterase increases intraovarian acetylcholine and enhances follicular development and fertility in the rat
Authors: Urra Javier , Blohberger Jan , Tiszavari Michelle , Mayerhofer Artur , Lara Hernan E.
Published: July 2016

Growth and differentiation of ovarian follicles are regulated by systemic and local factors, which may include acetylcholine (ACh). Granulosa cells (GCs) of growing follicles and luteal cells produce ACh and in cultured GCs it exerts trophic actions via muscarinic receptors. However, such actions were not studied in vivo. After having established that rat ovarian GCs and luteal cells express the ACh-metabolizing enzyme ACh esterase (AChE), we examined the consequences of local application of an AChE inhibitor, huperzine A (HupA), by osmotic minipump delivery into the ovarian bursa of hemiovariectomized rats. Saline was used in the control group. Local delivery of HupA for 4 weeks increased ovarian ACh content. Estrus cyclicity was not changed indicating a locally restricted range of HupA action. The number of primordial and primary follicles was unaffected, but small secondary follicles significantly increased in the HupA group. Furthermore, a significant increase in the number of corpora lutea suggested increased ovulatory events. In support, as shown upon mating, HupA-treated females had significantly increased implantation sites and more pups. Thus the data are in support of a trophic role of ACh in follicular development and ovulation and point to an important role of ACh in female fertility.