bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sebald or Gevalt?
Authors: Calderon Nissim
Published: July 2020

W. G. Sebald is one of the most original and significant authors of the twentieth century, but these credentials only make The Rings of Saturn that much more disappointing. In his other novels, Sebald’s drift between landscapes and encyclopedic fragments emerged out of a deep necessity and constituted an ingenious literary innovation. But here this style exists in a void. When an author becomes enslaved to his own style, when form is empty of content, the result is not merely boring. In his previous books, Sebald was a great writer of the German trauma, but in The Rings of Saturn he makes that national trauma banal.
The Bricolage of Words and Images
Authors: Ning He
Published: July 2020

This essay discusses the role of photographs in Sebald’s Austerlitz. The author argues that photographs constitute a crucial paratext to the entire narrative, making possible the representation of traumatic memories through “the bricolage of words and images.” Engaging with Freudian psychoanalysis and Roland Barthes’s theory on photography, the author demonstrates how the process of retrieving memories and recovering from trauma can be achieved through “bricolage.” In doing so, this essay sheds light on the unique narratology conveyed through Sebald’s quasi-realistic lens.
Death from Above
Authors: Rahmani Sina
Published: July 2020

Austro-Afghan journalist and writer Emran Feroz discusses his work on the global drone war currently being waged by the US and its allies. The interview explores the author’s experiences growing up in Austria immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States and the subsequent invasion and occupation of Afghanistan by a US-led coalition. The author also recounts the hidden history surrounding the first known drone attack in Afghanistan and the larger question of drone violence, which has remained invisible to mainstream audiences.
Terrorism Prosecutions, Material Support, and Islamophobia
Authors: Said Wadie E.
Published: July 2020

With Islamophobia rife and the government list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) telling us who is a threat, marginalized populations are being targeted and can expect a hostile and negative prosecutorial outcome. The large majority of terrorism prosecutions center on material support charges, which by their very structure concentrate on FTOs that are largely Islamist in ideology. Attaching a terrorist taint to a population based on its religious affiliation generates a kind of self-perpetuating law enforcement bias and prosecutorial outcome. Such police state tactics and assumptions only assure the adverse results of insisting that an exceptional status applies to those accused of terrorist activity or support for it. That, in the government's eyes, those individuals stem from one of the major monotheistic faiths in large part, seems to be a foregone conclusion that continues to affect the law's development in largely negative ways.
Lex Mercatoria, Legal Pluralism, and the Modern State through the Lens of the East India Company, 1600–1757
Authors: Bose Neilesh , Ramraj Victor V.
Published: July 2020

As the debate over historical antecedents to contemporary forms of lex mercatoria suggests, the nature of legal authority appears to be changing into a less familiar, more pluralistic form, even as states struggle to reassert their power. In seeking to understand this transformation in—and decentering of—the modern state's authority, we consider the multiple sources of legal authority claimed by the East India Company (1600–1757) and the way in which it positioned its legal and political legitimacy in relation to multiple and often competing centers of power in India. This article proposes the notion that the hegemony of a centralized modern state belongs only to a narrow sliver of history, hiding a much deeper pluralism within global history. In so doing, this article sets the stage for a sustained consideration of the plural nature of authority in the waxing and waning phases of the modern state.
Entanglements of Translation
Authors: Khan Razak
Published: July 2020

This article examines literary and cultural translations in the domain of thoughts on education by following the trajectories of intellectual networks among South Asian and German scholars. The main protagonists of this entangled intellectual history are Syed Abid Husain (1896–1978) and his teacher Eduard Spranger (1882–1963) and other actors who thought beyond British imperial educational ideology and practices. Husain engaged with the original writings of German educationists and translated Spranger's canonical text Psychologie des Jugendalters into Urdu as Nafsiyat-i unfuvan-i shabab. This text showcases a deep concern with the subject of youth that simultaneously exhibits immense potential but also shows glimpses of qualities inimical to national development. By drawing attention to how concepts, which are considered to be culturally and historically specific to German history, were translated into Urdu and Muslim cultural contexts in South Asia, this study seeks to arrive at a finer understanding of the entangled nature of Indo-German intellectual history that extends beyond nationalist frames.
Networks of Knowledge Production
Authors: Liebau Heike
Published: July 2020

This essay explores networks of knowledge exchange and practices of knowledge production between South Asian Muslims and academic circles in Germany between 1915 and 1930. It centers on the brothers Abdul Jabbar Kheiri and Abdul Sattar Kheiri and foregrounds their interaction and encounters with German scholars during the First World War and in Weimar Germany until the brothers' return to India. Taking into consideration the asymmetries at play, the article looks at the motivations for the interest in knowledge exchange on the German and on the Indian sides, which changed in accordance with the different political situations and the positionalities and dependencies of the actors. The knowledge exchange went far beyond the newly emerging discipline of Islamic studies and classical Indology to include disciplines like sociology, economy, philosophy, and art.
Novel Anxieties
Authors: Lorenz Beyza
Published: July 2020

Building on recent scholarship on postcolonial theory and the history of the modern Middle East, this article analyzes the viewpoints of late nineteenth-century Ottoman novelists on the modernization projects of the Tanzimat and post-Tanzimat periods. It argues that the Ottoman novelists Ahmet Midhat, Fatma Aliye, and Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem developed a counter-discourse against rapid modernization projects in Istanbul. Through a depiction of everyday life experiences related to the latest inventions of modern technology, Ottoman novelists thematize individual anxieties on a range of topics, which included a criticism of productivity, changing gender roles for men and women, and the new order of time and space. Keeping in mind that drastic changes in technology introduced distinctive modes of experiencing time and space in the nineteenth century, this article suggests that criticism by Ottoman intellectuals can be better understood within the context of the reaction to shifting time-space schemes and the proliferation of new technologies across the globe.
Trail-pheromone modulates subjective reward evaluation in Argentine ants
Authors: Rossi Natacha , Pereyra Muriel , Moauro Mariel Alejandra , Giurfa Martin , d'Ettorre Patrizia , Josens Roxana
Published: July 2020

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is native from South America but has become one of the most invasive species in the world. These ants heavily rely on trail pheromones for foraging and previous studies have focused on this signal to develop a strategy of chemical control. Here, we studied the effect of pre-exposure to the trail pheromone on sugar acceptance and olfactory learning in Argentine ants. We used the synthetic trail pheromone component (Z)-9-hexadecenal, which triggers the same attraction and trail following behavior than the natural trail pheromone. We found that pre-exposure to (Z)-9-hexadecenal increases the acceptance of sucrose solutions of different concentrations, thus changing the antś subjective evaluation of a food reward. On the other hand, although ants learned to associate an odor with a sucrose reward, pheromone pre-exposure did neither affect the learning nor the mid-term memory of the odor-reward association. Taking into account the importance of the Argentine ant as a pest and invasive organism, our results highlight the importance of pheromonal cues in resource evaluation, a fact that could be useful in control strategies implemented for this species.
Occurrence of black spot disease induced by Posthodiplostomum cuticola (Nordmann, 1832) (Digenea: Diplostomatidae) in endemic and native fish of Turkey: seven new host records
Authors: INNAL D. , ÖZDEMIR F. , STAVRESCU-BEDIVAN M.M. , OZMEN O. , ÖZTURK M.O.
Published: July 2020

This study was conducted to determine parasite infection with Posthodiplostomum cuticola in eight fish species collected from five Rivers Basins of Turkey (Aras, Çoruh, Sakarya, Marmara and Susurluk River Basins). Five of eight fish species are endemic to Turkey. The highest values of prevalence and mean intensity (60.87%; 4.86) of cysts with metacercaria of P. cuticola were recorded in Alburnus filippii, a native fish species in Ağıl Creek. At the gross examination numerous black lesions were observed at the skin of the fishes. Microscopically black-spot disease was revealed by melanin pigmentation and atrophy of fish muscles in lesioned areas. Parasites were covered by thing connective tissue capsule. Alburnus escherichii, Alburnus filippii, Capoeta tinca, Chondrostoma angorense, Chondrostoma colchicum, Squalius pursakensis and Squalius turcicus were found as new host records for P. cuticola.
Identification of 6-(piperazin-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine as a chemical scaffold with broad anti-schistosomal activities
Authors: Padalino Gilda , Chalmers Iain W. , Brancale Andrea , Hoffmann Karl F.
Published: July 2020

Background: Schistosomiasis, caused by infection with blood fluke schistosomes, is a neglected tropical disease of considerable importance in resource-poor communities throughout the developing world. In the absence of an immunoprophylactic vaccine and due to over-reliance on a single chemotherapy (praziquantel), schistosomiasis control is at risk should drug insensitive schistosomes develop. In this context, application of in silico virtual screening on validated schistosome targets has proven successful in the identification of novel small molecules with anti-schistosomal activity.  

Methods: Focusing on the Schistosoma mansoni histone methylation machinery, we herein have used RNA interference (RNAi), ELISA-mediated detection of H3K4 methylation, homology modelling and in silico virtual screening to identify a small collection of small molecules for anti-schistosomal testing. A combination of low to high-throughput whole organism assays were subsequently used to assess these compounds’ activities on miracidia to sporocyst transformation, schistosomula phenotype/motility metrics and adult worm motility/oviposition readouts.

Results: RNAi-mediated knockdown of smp_138030/smmll-1 (encoding a histone methyltransferase, HMT) in adult worms (~60%) reduced parasite motility and egg production. Moreover, in silico docking of compounds into Smp_138030/SmMLL-1’s homology model highlighted competitive substrate pocket inhibitors, some of which demonstrated significant activity on miracidia, schistosomula and adult worm lifecycle stages together with variable effects on HepG2 cells. Particularly, the effect of compounds containing a 6-(piperazin-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine core on adult schistosomes recapitulated the results of the smp_138030/smmll-1 RNAi screens.

Conclusions: The biological data and the structure-activity relationship presented in this study define the 6-(piperazin-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine core as a promising starting point in ongoing efforts to develop new urgently needed schistosomicides.
Cost Center "Accounting" As an Object of Rationing and Evaluating the Quality of Information
Authors: Vakhorina Marina , Grishina Svetlana
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we propose a set of tools for analyzing the effectiveness of accounting, which is based on the normalization of accounting processes. This study is based on the recommended regulatory documents that allow complex use of a fairly extensive methodological tools for analyzing the effective use of working time and budget of cost centers of financial responsibility, in particular, such a structural division as accounting. The paper analyzes the value of financial accounting, which is responsible for the quality of accounting information provided. Owners always want to save money spent on accounting. As part of this task, we propose a solution to optimize costs by using electronic document management, reallocation and delegation of functions, as well as through an outsourcing system. The issues of rationing the working time of accounting employees, both in Soviet times and at the present stage of economic development, are also disclosed. The methods of rationing used to determine the number and time of accounting processes of accountants are considered. The authors have made a proposal to include in the schedule of document flow the complexity of a specific document to justify the time of the accounting process. Thus, the approach to the use of the proposed tools to assess the accounting burden on accounting through the rationing system makes it possible to ensure quality control of accounting information.
Mniejszość węgierska w polityce rządu Republiki Słowackiej w latach 1993‑1998
Authors: Żarna Krzysztof
Published: July 2020

The Hungarian Minority in the Policy of the Government of the Slovak Republic in 1993‑1998

The article deals with the analysis of the policy of the Slovak Republic government towards the Hungarian minority in 1993‑1998. This is the period of the first five years of the country’s existence on the political map of Europe. During this period, Vladimír Mečiar (twice) and Jozef Moravčík served as prime ministers. The study is based on the assumption that in the analyzed period the policy of the Slovak authorities towards the Hungarian minority affected the tense relations between the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Hungary. In addition, it had a decisive impact on slowing down the process of Slovakia’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union. The method of decision analysis found its application in the study, which allowed the presentation of situations and processes that are the culmination of decisions taken by representatives of the Slovak authorities. The institutional and legal method allowed to analyze multilateral and bilateral agreements to which the Slovak Republic was a party, and legal acts.
Conèixer l’altre: una mirada intercultural des de l’aula de música.
Authors: Escoda Domènech Joan , González-Martín Cristina
Published: July 2020

This article presents the results of research on a secondary school located on the outskirts of the Catalan city of Terrassa. The school serves a diverse local community of low and middle income owners who lack knowledge of the cultural diversity in the classroom. The article considers the role of music in providing an education fostering recognition of diversity, avoiding stereotypes and notions of inalterable difference, and prioritising students’ and families’ common ground. Among other questions, the article asks whether students’ and their families’ knowledge of life and life experiences are given importance in the classroom; it also considers how the findings of the research can be used to rethink and improve classroom models.
“Hiding” a low-intensity 50  Gbit/s QPSK free-space OAM beam using an orthogonal coaxial high-intensity 50  Gbit/s QPSK beam
Authors: Song Haoqian , Almaiman Ahmed , Song Hao , Zhao Zhe , Zhang Runzhou , Pang Kai , Liu Cong , Li Long , Manukyan Karapet , Zach Shlomo , Cohen Nadav , Tur Moshe , Willner Alan E.
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate an approach that “hides” a low-intensity 50 Gbit/s quadrature-phase-keying (QPSK) free-space optical beam when it coaxially propagates on the same wavelength with an orthogonal high-intensity 50 Gbit/s QPSK optical beam. Our approach is to coaxially transmit the strong and weak beams carrying different orthogonal spatial modes within a modal basis set, e.g., orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. Although the weak beam has much lower power than that of the strong beam, and the beams are in the same frequency band and on the same polarization, the two beams can still be effectively demultiplexed with little inherent crosstalk at the intended receiver due to their spatial orthogonality. However, an eavesdropper may not readily identify the weak beam when simply analyzing the spatial intensity profile. The correlation coefficient between the intensity profiles of the strong beam and the combined strong and weak beams is measured to characterize the potential for “hiding” a weak beam when measuring intensity profiles. Such a correlation coefficient is demonstrated to be higher than 0.997 when the power difference between the strong fundamental Gaussian beam and the weak OAM beam is

∼

8

,
∼

10

, and

∼

10

d
B

for the weak OAM

−

1

,
−

2

, and

−

3

beams, respectively. Moreover, a 50 Gbit/s QPSK data link having its

Q

factor above the 7% forward error correction limit is realized when the power of the weak OAM

−

3

beam is 30 dB lower than that of the strong fundamental Gaussian beam.
Method of signal processing in a time-division LWIR image polarimetric sensor
Authors: Gogler Slawomir , Bieszczad Grzegorz , Swiderski Jacek
Published: July 2020

We report on the method of signal processing in a passive long-wave infrared (LWIR) image polarimetric sensor. The method enables the detection of natural and manmade targets. It includes the error related to the rotation of the polarizing element during an image reading as well as permits the polarimeter operation without a classical phase synchronization loop. In addition, to verify the proposed method, a prototype of a time-division polarimetric system that operates in the 8–12 µm band and is based on an uncooled microbolometric detector array was designed and developed. The entire system enabled us to successfully detect a few types of artificial objects from the distance of several tens of meters. The maximum image refresh rate was 5.45 Hz and could be further increased.
Reduction of thermal-stress-induced birefringence in a Faraday rotator based on a crystal with a negative optical anisotropy parameter
Authors: Mironov E. A.
Published: July 2020

Thermally induced polarization distortions in a Faraday rotator based on a crystal with a negative value of the optical anisotropy parameter was investigated in experiments. A terbium-containing cubic zirconia crystal was taken as a magneto-active medium. A crystal was cut in the orientation in which the axes of thermal-stress-induced birefringence are oriented in one direction. It was demonstrated that the distortions in such a Faraday rotator were reduced by an order of magnitude compared to the minimum possible depolarization arising with the use of a magneto-optical element with the standard [001] orientation, but were still higher than the calculated values. It was shown that for successful development of Faraday isolators based on crystals with a negative optical anisotropy parameter, the theoretical model describing thermal-stress-induced birefringence needs improvement.
Multi-wavelength microresonator based on notched-elliptical polymer microdisks with unidirectional emission
Authors: Ma Xiaoming , Wei Heming , Fan Shuzhen , Amrithanath Abhishek Kottaram , Fang Jiaxiong , Krishnaswamy Sridhar
Published: July 2020

A three-dimensional notched-elliptical microdisk with a wavelength-size notch on the boundary is proposed as a multi-wavelength and unidirectional emission lasing source. The device contains multiple properly designed two-dimensional whispering gallery mode-based polymer notched microdisks with different dimensions for use as a multi-wavelength source. It can have a relatively high optical quality factor of 4000, unidirectional emission with low far-field divergence ∼4°, and the efficiency of emission is as high as 84.2%. The effect of the notch size on the far-field divergence is analyzed, and the multi-wavelength lasing performance is characterized, demonstrating that the resonator is robust and reliable. This work paves a unique but generic way for the design of compact multi-wavelength microlasers.
Pulsed light time-of-flight measurement based on a differential hysteresis timing discrimination method
Authors: Yang Jinqing , Gu Guohua , Qian Weixian , Ren Kan , Lu Dongming , Zhang Jun , Guo Pingping , Gao Qingsong , Wan Minjie , Chen Qian
Published: July 2020

In the pulsed light time-of-flight (ToF) measurement, the timing point generated in the receiver channel is very important to the measurement accuracy. Therefore, a differential hysteresis timing discrimination method is proposed to generate timing points of the receiver channel. This method is based on utilizing the unbalanced characteristics of the fully differential operational amplifier circuit as well as introducing extra hysteresis levels to achieve the stable generation of timing points. With this method, fewer circuit components are consumed and the dynamic range of the receiver channel is not limited by its linear range. The experiments demonstrate that a receiver channel applying the proposed discrimination reaches better single shot accuracy compared to that using leading-edge timing discrimination. This method is also suitable for the timing walk error compensation by means of pulse width. Finally, these results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method in pulsed light ToF measurement.
High-NA achromatic diffractive lensing for arbitrary dual-wavelengths enabled by hybridized metal-insulator-metal cavities
Authors: Dai Chenjie , Wan Shuai , Yang Rui , Wang Zejing , Wan Chengwei , Shi YangYang , Zhang Jian , Li Zhongyang
Published: July 2020

A new type of diffractive lens based on hybridized Fabry−Perot (FP) cavities with high-NA and achromatic features for arbitrary dual-wavelengths is theoretically proposed and demonstrated. We utilize the subwavelength-scale metal−insulator−metal nanocavity to form a Fresnel zone plate (MIM-FZP) that benefits from both spectral selectivity and high numerical aperture (NA > 0.9) to enable lensing functionality. By taking advantage of the different transmission orders from MIM, any arbitrary dual-wavelength achromatic focusing design is achieved. Using this approach, we merge two independent MIM-FZP designs and realize achromatic focusing performance at the selected dual-wavelength of 400/600 nm. Furthermore, the achromatic lens also exhibits a crucial potential for dynamically tuning of the operation wavelengths and focusing lengths as actively scaling the core layer thickness of MIM. The unique MIM-FZP design can be practically fabricated using a grayscale lithography technique. We believe such high-NA and achromatic optical devices enjoy great simplicity for structural design and can easily find applications including high-resolution imaging, new-generation integrated optoelectronic devices, confocal collimation, and achromatic lens, etc.
Faithful reconstruction in orthogonal elliptical polarization holography read by different polarized waves
Authors: Huang Zhiyun , Wu Chenhao , Chen Yuxin , Lin Xiao , Tan Xiaodi
Published: July 2020

A potential technology applied in optical storage, the polarization holography has attracted much attention. In polarization holography, not only the amplitude and phase but also the polarization state is applied to record the information. What is meant by faithful reconstruction is that the reconstructed wave is identical to the signal wave. In the previously reported experiments about faithful reconstruction in orthogonal polarization holography, all the reading waves are identical to the reference waves of recording stage. It may result in a misunderstanding that the reading wave being identical to the reference wave of recording stage is the prerequisite for faithful reconstruction. We designed the experiments to observe the faithful reconstruction read by different polarized waves, where two orthogonal elliptically polarized waves are applied in the recording stage and phenanthrenequinone-doped poly methyl methacrylate (PQ/PMMA) is used as the recording material. By controlling the exposure time of recording material, the faithful reconstruction may be observed when the reading wave is the linearly polarized wave and the elliptically polarized wave, where neither reading wave is the same as the reference wave. The result may be of help for us to understand the reconstructed characteristics of orthogonal polarization holography.
Demonstrating the use of OAM modes to facilitate the networking functions of carrying channel header information and orthogonal channel coding
Authors: Almaiman Ahmed , Song Haoqian , Pang Kai , Zhang Runzhou , Li Long , Zhao Zhe , Song Hao , Liu Cong , Manukyan Karapet , Zou Kaiheng , Zach Shlomo , Cohen Nadav , Tur Moshe , Willner Alan E.
Published: July 2020

We experimentally demonstrate the use of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes as a degree of freedom to facilitate the networking functions of carrying header information and orthogonal channel coding. First, for carrying channel header information, we transmit a 10 Gb/s on–off keying (OOK) data channel as a Gaussian beam and add to it a 10 Mb/s OOK header carried by an OAM beam with the mode order

ℓ
=

3

. We recover the header and use it to drive a switch and select the output port. Secondly, for orthogonal channel coding, we configure transmitters to generate orthogonal spatial codes (orthogonal spatial beam profiles of OAM modes), each carrying an independent data stream. We measure the correlation between the OAM codes and demonstrate their use in a multiple access system carrying two 10 Gb/s OOK data channels. At the end of this Letter, we combine the concepts of using OAM modes for carrying channel header information and orthogonal channel coding in one experiment. We transmit a 10 Gb/s OOK data channel as a Gaussian beam and add to it two 10 Mb/s OOK header waveforms carried by different OAM codes. In the routing node, we recover one of the headers to drive the switch.
Efficient adjustable light couplers of integrated III–V nanowire emitters on silicon waveguides based on ring resonators
Authors: Aghaeipour Mahtab , Kasper Laura , Herranz Jesus , Geelhaar Lutz , Bruns Juergen
Published: July 2020

The development of integrated vertical III–V nanowire (NW) stimulated emitters in silicon photonics while achieving an efficient light coupling through vertical III–V NW lasers into horizontal optical silicon waveguides is demanding. This is mainly due to the directionality and contradiction of the simultaneously satisfied low threshold stimulated emission conditions of the vertical NWs and efficient light coupling from the NW emitters into the horizontal silicon waveguide. However, we propose a new, to the best of our knowledge, design by taking advantage of resonating features of ring structures and theoretically demonstrate that an interfacial ring resonator between GaAs NW emitters and the silicon waveguide achieves a coupling efficiency up to about 70% at a given wavelength. We also show that the interfacial resonator enables us to adjust the coupling efficiency from about 10% to over 70%. The adjustable coupling efficiency might also be a solution to compromise between the low threshold stimulated emission of NWs and efficient light coupling for realizing efficient silicon couplers based on integrated III–V NW lasers in silicon photonics. Besides the simple fabrication process compared to counterparts, we believe that the novel structure is promising for future optical on-chip data communication in silicon photonics, and the results are expandable to varying wavelengths and materials.
Passive elimination of correlated amplitude fluctuations in ultrabroadband supercontinua from highly nonlinear fibers by three-wave mixing
Authors: Sulzer Philipp , Beckh Cornelius , Liehl Andreas , Huster Jeldrik , Keller Kilian R. , Cimander Moritz , Henzler Philipp , Traum Christian , Riek Claudius , Seletskiy Denis V. , Leitenstorfer Alfred
Published: July 2020

The nonlinear transformation of fluctuations by frequency broadening is found to produce strong anti-correlations in the spectral output. This effect is investigated by dispersive Fourier transform measurements. We exploit the anti-correlations in order to cancel the intensity noise in a subsequent sum-frequency mixing step. This principle allows for the generation of tunable visible pulses by cascaded nonlinear mixing whilst maintaining the same intensity noise performance as the input pulses. In addition, we demonstrate that the power fluctuations occurring in the process of passive stabilization of the carrier-envelope phase locking via difference frequency generation may be cancelled by an analogous strategy.
Microfiber-assisted gigahertz harmonic mode-locking in ultrafast fiber laser
Authors: Huang Lin , Zhang Yusheng , Cui Yudong , Qiu Jiangrong , Liu Xueming
Published: July 2020

Optoacoustic interaction can be strongly enhanced in tiny core fibers, and it holds significant potential for stable harmonic mode-locking at gigahertz (GHz) and higher repetition rate. In this Letter, we propose and demonstrate a microfiber-assisted GHz harmonic mode-locking fiber laser, which is achieved by the enhanced optomechanical coupling between cavity modes in microfiber with the waist length of

∼

16

c
m

and the waist diameter of

∼

1.56

µ

m

. The repetition rates can be stably locked at 2.3828 GHz and predominately locked at 1.7852 GHz, corresponding to the frequencies of radial

R

01

and torsional-radial

T
R

21

acoustic modes, respectively. Our results provide novel insight into the design of a high-repetition-rate laser source and the application of microfibers in the optomechanical field.
A Forensics Analysis of ICMP Flooded DDoS Attack using WireShark
Authors: Tun Thazin
Published: July 2020

The usage of Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) packets by the assailant may change and dependent on various sorts of administrations and protocols. A flooding DDoS attack depends on an immense volume of assault traffic which is named as a Flooding based DDoS packet. Flooding-based DDoS packet endeavors to block the injured individual's system transfer speed with genuine-looking however undesirable IP information. Because of which Legitimate IP packets can’t arrive at the unfortunate casualty in view of the absence of data transfer capacity asset. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Flood started by sending countless ICMP packets to a remote host. Thus, the deceived framework's assets will be devoured by taking care of the assaulting packets, which in the long run makes the framework be inaccessible by different customers. In this paper, we distinguish of ICMP Flood DDoS packet by utilizing WireShark.
Potential of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to overcome the interference of hemoglobin variants on HbA1c measurement
Authors: Xu Anping , Xie Weijie , Wang Yajun , Ji Ling
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Hemoglobin (Hb) variants remain an important cause of erroneous HbA1c results. We present an approach to overcome the interference of Hb variants on HbA1c measurements using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

Methods

Samples containing or not containing Hb variants were analyzed for HbA1c using an MALDI-TOF MS system (QuanTOF) and a boronate affinity comparative method (Ultra2). For QuanTOF, two sets of HbA1c values were obtained through α- and β-chain glycation.

Results

A robust correlation between the glycation degrees of the α- and β-chains was found, and HbA1c values derived from α- and β-chain glycation correlated well with the Ultra2 results. Statistically significant differences (p<0.01) were found for all the Hb variants tested. When using the conventional β-chain glycation to determine HbA1c, clinically significant differences were only found among samples containing β-chain variants detected by QuanTOF (i.e., Hb J-Bangkok, Hb G-Coushatta, and Hb G-Taipei). In contrast, based on α-chain glycation, no clinically significant differences were found for these three variants.

Conclusions

In addition to conventional β-chain glycation, α-chain glycation can be used to calculate HbA1c values. The interference of Hb variants on HbA1c quantification can be overcome by employing the glycation of the globin chain without a genetic variant to estimate HbA1c values.
Mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) multi-period multi-objective optimization of advanced power plant through gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW)
Authors: Syauqi Ahmad , Purwanto Widodo Wahyu
Published: July 2020

Multi-objective optimization is one of the most effective tools for the decision support system. This study aims to optimize the gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW) for advanced power plant. MSW gasifier is simulated using Aspen Plus v11 to produce syngas, to be fed into power generation technologies. Four power generation technologies are selected, solid oxide fuel cell, gas turbine, gas engine, and steam turbine. Mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) multi-objective optimization is developed to provide an optimal solution for minimum levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and minimum CO2eq emissions. The optimization is conducted with a ε-constraint method using GAMS through time periods of 2020–2050. Decision variables include gasifier temperature, steam to carbon ratio, and power generation technologies. The optimization result demonstrates that the lower steam to carbon ratio gives lower LCOE and higher CO2eq emissions, and temperature variation gives no significant impact on LCOE and as it increases, CO2eq emission is reduced. It demonstrates that a gas turbine is the best option for generating electricity from 2020 to 2040 and beyond 2040 SOFC is the best option.
High-mobility group box 3 (HMGB3) silencing inhibits non-small cell lung cancer development through regulating Wnt/β-catenin pathway
Authors: Li Yunjing , Ma Yongfu , Zhang Tong , Feng Changjiang , Liu Yang
Published: July 2020

It has been reported that high-mobility group box 3 is overexpressed in various cancers. This study aimed to explore its function in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A546 and H460 cell lines were used for in vivo experiments, scratch healing tests, transwell migration and invasion experiments. It was first found that HMGB3 was highly expressed in tumor tissues in the patients and associated with NSCLC stage. Silencing of HMGB3 significantly slowed the growth, proliferation and invasion of NSCLC in vitro, and repressed cell growth in vivo. Mechanistic studies suggest that the observed effects were mediated by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin/MMP7/c-Myc in Wnt pathway. Our study highlights the role of HMGB3 in NSCLC, which may provide a therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.
Phoenix dactylifera Linn fruit based-diets palliate hyperglycemia in alloxan-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Ajiboye Basiru Olaitan , Oloyede Hussein Oyelola Bukoye , Salawu Musa Oyewole
Published: July 2020

Objectives

This study was designed to examine the in vitro inhibitory activities of vital enzymes related to diabetes mellitus and different biochemical parameters of Phoenix dactylifera fruit based-diet in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Methods

The aqueous extract of P. dactylifera fruit based-diet was prepared and used for determination of in vitro antioxidants as well as α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities using standard procedures. Also, 30 albino rats were induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg body weight of alloxan and grouped into A–D as normal rats placed on Dioscorea rotundata based-diet, diabetic control rats placed on D. rotundata based-diet, diabetic rats placed on D. rotundata based-diet and administered metformin orally per day, and diabetic rats placed on P. dactylifera fruit based-diet respectively. The animals were sacrificed on the fourth week of the experiment, and different biochemical parameters were evaluated.

Results

The P. dactylifera fruit based-diet extract demonstrated antioxidative potentials and inhibition against α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, diabetic rats placed on the P. dactylifera fruit based-diet revealed significant (p<0.05) increase in body weight, insulin and glycogen levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, GLUT 2 and high density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations when compared with the diabetic control group. Also, diabetic rats placed on P. dactylifera fruit based-diet indicate significant (p<0.05) reduction in fasting blood glucose, lipid peroxidation, cytokines levels, some gluconeogenesis enzyme activities, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins and very low-density lipoproteins concentrations compared to the diabetic control animals.

Conclusion

This diet could be an alternative nutraceutical means of managing diabetes mellitus and its complications.
The continuum between neurodegeneration, brain plasticity, and movement: a critical appraisal
Authors: Schirinzi Tommaso , Canevelli Marco , Suppa Antonio , Bologna Matteo , Marsili Luca
Published: July 2020

While the “physiological” aging process is associated with declines in motor and cognitive features, these changes do not significantly impair functions and activities of daily living. Differently, motor and cognitive impairment constitute the most common phenotypic expressions of neurodegeneration. Both manifestations frequently coexist in the same disease, thus making difficult to detect “pure” motor or cognitive conditions. Movement disorders are often characterized by cognitive disturbances, and neurodegenerative dementias often exhibit the occurrence of movement disorders. Such a phenotypic overlap suggests approaching these conditions by highlighting the commonalities of entities traditionally considered distinct. In the present review, we critically reappraised the common clinical and pathophysiological aspects of neurodegeneration in both animal models and patients, looking at motricity as a trait d’union over the spectrum of neurodegeneration and focusing on synaptopathy and oscillopathy as the common pathogenic background. Finally, we discussed the possible role of movement as neuroprotective intervention in neurodegenerative conditions, regardless of the etiology. The identification of commonalities is critical to drive future research and develop novel possible disease-modifying interventions.
Deviant cortical sulcation related to schizophrenia and cognitive deficits in the second trimester
Authors: MacKinley Michael Lloyd , Sabesan Priyadharshini , Palaniyappan Lena
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Aberrant cortical development, inferred from cortical folding, is linked to the risk of schizophrenia. Cortical folds develop in a time-locked fashion during fetal growth. We leveraged this temporal specificity of sulcation to investigate the timing of the prenatal insult linked to schizophrenia and the cognitive impairment seen in this illness.

Methods

Anatomical MRI scans from 68 patients with schizophrenia and 72 controls were used to evaluate the sulcal depth of five major invariable primary sulci representing lobar development (calcarine sulcus, superior temporal sulcus, superior frontal sulcus, intraparietal sulcus and inferior frontal sulcus) with formation representing the distinct developmental periods.

Results

A repeated-measure ANOVA with five sulci and two hemispheres as the within-subject factors and gender, age and intracranial volume as covariates revealed a significant effect of diagnosis (F[1,134] = 14.8, p = 0.0002). Control subjects had deeper bilateral superior temporal, right inferior frontal and left calcarine sulci. A deeper superior frontal sulcus predicted better cognitive scores among patients.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the gestational disruption underlying schizophrenia is likely to predate, if not coincide with the appearance of calcarine sulcus (early second trimester). Nevertheless, the burden of cognitive deficits may relate specifically to the aberrant superior frontal development apparent in late second trimester.
Tensions at the boundary: Rearticulating ‘organic’ plant breeding in the age of gene editing
Authors: Nawaz Sara , Klassen Susanna , Lyon Alexandra
Published: July 2020

A host of technologies is rapidly entering agriculture. These new technologies—particularly gene editing—represent multifaceted shifts beyond “genetic modification” (GM), and are outpacing both public understanding and the capacity of regulatory regimes. This paper employs the case of the organic sectors in Canada and the United States, strongholds of GM resistance, to examine conversations about gene-editing technologies unfolding within the organic community, and elucidate their implications for the sector. We employ the concept of “boundary work” to illuminate how key actors and institutions delineate the concept of organic breeding in the face of emerging technologies. We draw upon semi-structured interviews with organic sector representatives, a review of documents published by organic organizations, and data from participant observation. We find that the organic community is reaffirming and deepening boundaries in response to arguments made by proponents of gene editing. Both internal and external pressures on the sector are facilitating a dampening effect on conversations about the boundaries between gene editing and organic agriculture, as the sector is compelled to present a united voice against the affront of new genetic technologies. The sector is also redrawing existing boundaries, as the advent of gene editing has forced conversations about the compatibility of both new and established breeding methods with organic. The resulting questions about what distinguishes acceptable levels of human intervention in plant genomes are highlighting some differences within the diverse organic community. We also argue that debates about gene editing and organic breeding may be “bounding out” important actors from deliberation processes, and note initial attempts to reckon with this exclusion.
Cultural/Political Activism and Ethnic Studies (1969–2019)
Authors: Wong Victoria
Published: July 2020

The author reflects on her decades of cultural and political activism in the fight for Ethnic Studies—from her role in the 1969 Third World Strike at UC Berkeley, to her community activism after her graduation, to her participation in the fiftieth anniversary of the strike, including a transcription of her speech at the event.
Epistemic Decolonization
Authors: Lo Bao
Published: July 2020

This article extends critical discussions on decolonization and settler colonialism specifically as it relates to Asian American Studies. The author argues for a centering of settler colonialism in Asian Americans Studies as epistemic decolonization of the imperial practices of the university. Focusing on the curriculum and pedagogy in courses she teaches in Asian American Studies, the author offers meaningful suggestions for engaging settler colonialism in the implementation of Asian American Studies and Ethnic Studies in higher education.
Rev. Dr. Trinity Ordona, A Queer Filipina American Activist Scholar
Authors: Bañales Xamuel
Published: July 2020

This essay includes an interview with Rev. Dr. Trinity A. Ordona, a recognized revolutionary political activist, community organizer, college teacher, and spiritual adviser. The interview highlights the political, academic, and spiritual paths of her journey as it relates to Ethnic Studies—past, present, and future.
Who Are Vera and Tatiana? The Female Russian Nihilist in the Fin de Siècle Imagination
Authors: Holekamp Abby
Published: July 2020

Focusing on a close, contextualized reading of a single case of invented identity from 1906, this article illustrates how, in fin de siècle Europe, a mutually generative relationship between the real, the imagined, and the rapidly proliferating mass media transformed the female “nihilist” from an apocryphal Russian figure into a durable Russian archetype—an archetype that had significant consequences in the shaping of European public opinion about Russia.
Pluripotent stem cells are insensitive to the cytotoxicity of TNFα and IFNγ
Authors: Chen Bohan , Gurung Chandan , Guo Jason , Kwon Chulan , Guo Yan-Lin
Published: July 2020

Recent studies have demonstrated that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have an underdeveloped innate immune system, but the biological implications of this finding are poorly understood. In this study, we compared the responses of mouse ESCs (mESCs) and mESC differentiated fibroblasts (mESC-FBs) to tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interferons (IFNs). Our data revealed that TNFα, IFNα, IFNβ, or IFNγ alone do not cause apparent effects on mESCs and mESC-FBs, but the combination of TNFα and IFNγ (TNFα/IFNγ) showed toxicity to mESC-FBs as indicated by cell cycle inhibition and reduced cell viability, correlating with the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). However, none of these effects were observed in mESCs that were treated with TNFα/IFNγ. Furthermore, mESC-FBs, but not mESCs, are vulnerable to cytotoxicity resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages. The insensitivity of mESCs to cytotoxicity in all cases is correlated with their lack of responses to TNFα and IFNγ. Similar to mESCs, human ESCs (hESCs) and iPSCs (hiPSCs) do not respond to TNFα and are not susceptible to the cytotoxicity of TNFα, IFNβ, or IFNγ alone or in combination that significantly affects human foreskin fibroblast (hFBs) and Hela cells. However, unlike mESCs, hESCs and hiPSCs can respond to IFNγ, but this does not cause significant cytotoxicity in hESCs and hiPSCs. Our findings in both mouse and human PSCs together support the hypothesis that attenuated innate immune responses could be a protective mechanism that limits immunologic cytotoxicity resulting from inflammatory and immune responses.