bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Queer Politics of Boycott at the World Social Forum: Free Palestine
Authors: Stelder Mikki
Published: May 2019

In 2012, Palestinian anticolonial-queer activists organized a workshop and conference at the World Social Forum: Free Palestine in Porto Alegre, Brazil, titled “Queer Visions at the World Social Forum: Free Palestine.” Queer Visions brought different activists together who had been organizing against Israel’s state-sponsored pinkwashing campaign and for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS). Since 2010, Palestinian queer activism has publicly engaged with the Palestinian Call for BDS and has urged the Palestinian BDS movement and those in solidarity with it to mobilize around Israel’s pinkwashing campaign and work to better understand Zionism’s underlying settler-colonial sexual politics. Taking the WSF: Free Palestine as a crucial moment in queer engagements with the politics of boycott, this essay reflects on the challenges faced by anticolonial-queer activism in the context of Israel/Palestine and the challenges it poses to Zionist settler colonialism and normative understandings of queer politics and Palestinian liberation.
The Emergence of the BDS Movement through an Israeli Mirror
Authors: Sadeldeen Amro
Published: May 2019

One of the stated goals of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is “equality in Israel.” This might imply a partnership between Palestinians and Israelis in promoting the movement’s goal. Yet core Palestinian BDS activists diverge in their perspectives on the role of dissident Jewish Israelis in the movement. Officially, The Palestinian BDS National Committee considers such Israelis as allies. However, some core BDS activists have repeatedly raised reservations about this partnership, as illustrated by the case of Israeli journalist Amira Hass’s expulsion from a conference at Birzeit University. To understand these divergent viewpoints, this article looks at the spatial trajectories of BDS campaigns, and especially at the movement’s implicit acceptance of the “boomerang model.” This model assumes that pressure exerted in the West will eventually come back to be applied on Israel. To that end, the article focuses on the history and cultural capital of core BDS activists, and particularly on their split habitus and distinction from other actors.
High-Intensity Single-Leg Cycling Improves Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Profile
Authors: GORDON NICOLE , ABBISS CHRIS R. , MAIORANA ANDREW J. , JAMES ANTHONY P. , CLARK KARIN , MARSTON KIERAN J. , PEIFFER JEREMIAH J.
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease through risk factor modification, with high-intensity exercise and more recently small muscle mass training providing alternatives to moderate-intensity exercise.

Methods

This study randomly assigned 53 healthy middle-age adults (age, 62 ± 6 yr) to complete 24 sessions (8 wk; 3 d·wk−1) of exercise training, using either high-intensity double-leg cycling (n = 17; HITDL), high-intensity single-leg cycling (n = 18; HITSL), or moderate-intensity double-leg cycling (n = 18; MCTDL). Biomarkers of cardiovascular risk (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c, LDL-c, apo-B48, and glucose), anthropometry measures (body mass, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio), resting blood pressure, and aerobic capacity were assessed pre- and postintervention.

Results

Total work completed was greater (P < 0.01) in MCTDL (5938 ± 1462 kJ) compared with the HITDL (3462 ± 1063 kJ) and HITSL (4423 ± 1875 kJ). Pre- to posttraining differences were observed for waist-to-hip ratio (0.84 ± 0.09 vs 0.83 ± 0.09; P < 0.01), resting systolic blood pressure (129 ± 11 vs 124 ± 12 mm Hg; P < 0.01), total cholesterol (5.87 ± 1.17 vs 5.55 ± 0.98 mmol·L−1; P < 0.01), and LDL-c (3.70 ± 1.04 vs 3.44 ± 0.84 mmol·L−1; P < 0.01), with no differences between conditions. In addition, aerobic capacity increased after training (22.3 ± 6.4 vs 24.9 ± 7.6 mL·kg−1·min−1; P < 0.01), with no differences between conditions.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that all three modes of exercise can be prescribed to achieve cardiovascular risk reduction in an aging population.
Do Politicians “Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is?” Ideology and Portfolio Choice
Authors: Aiken Adam L. , Ellis Jesse A. , Kang Minjeong
Published: May 2019

We examine the role of political ideology in portfolio formation by studying a unique set of investors whose ideology can be precisely captured by a well-defined, continuous measure and whose personal asset allocation decisions are mandatorily disclosed, namely, the members of the U.S. Congress. As such, we overcome important methodological issues facing previous work in this area. We find that politicians with similar beliefs hold similar portfolios and that more liberal members engage in more socially responsible investing (SRI), even within political parties. Politicians disproportionately favor the SRI categories that reflect their favorite issues, while salience plays an important role in activating their ideologically based preferences for SRI. In addition, more ideological investors are less likely to engage in quid pro quo behavior. We conclude that ideology is a pervasive psychological factor that governs decisions across the domains of politics, investing, and, even, ethics.

This paper was accepted by Lauren Cohen, finance.
Making the Wait Worthwhile: Experiments on the Effect of Queueing on Consumption
Authors: Ülkü Sezer , Hydock Chris , Cui Shiliang
Published: May 2019

This paper investigates the relationship between waiting time and subsequent purchase decisions. The prior literature assumes that purchase decisions are independent from the waiting time. By contrast, we find that when people spend a longer time waiting in a line, they tend to consume more. We identify mental accounting for sunk costs as the underlying mechanism that drives this behavior; a larger purchase allows customers to offset the long wait suffered. Finally, we explore the effect of managerial practices commonly employed by firms to improve customers’ waiting experience. We find that although these practices indeed result in improved customer experience, they can actually result in lower consumption at the individual level.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.
Safe or Profitable? The Pursuit of Conflicting Goals
Authors: Gaba Vibha , Greve Henrich R.
Published: May 2019

In this study, we examine how multiple and sometimes conflicting goals are prioritized and pursued in organizations. Theories of coalitions and political behavior address prioritization among goals and changes in goal emphasis over time but cannot accurately predict the behavior of organizations that pursue conflicting goals. By linking theories of performance feedback theory and variable risk preferences, we show that performance shortfalls relative to aspirations on multiple goals can trigger managerial concerns for organizational failure. In such situations, the goal perceived as more important for survival gets priority and triggers stronger reactions. Empirically, we examine how airlines’ dual focus on safety and profitability affects decisions regarding fleet changes. In the airline industry, safety and profitability have clear conflicts (at least in the short term) owing to the costs of replacing aircraft models with poor safety records. We find evidence that airlines pursue fleet safety goals, but the nature and extent of that pursuit depend on whether the firm’s profitability goals are being met. As predicted, the responsiveness to safety goals is strengthened by low profitability because safety is associated more closely with survival. The study augments existing research on multiple goals by emphasizing the nature of goal interdependencies and its implications for behavior in organizations.
A Progressive Motion-Planning Algorithm and Traffic Flow Analysis for High-Density 2D Traffic
Authors: Liu Yanchao
Published: May 2019

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are a promising new mode of transportation for cargo delivery. Although control, navigation, and communication technologies are becoming available on individual flight units, system-level motion management for dense UAS traffic remains an open question. This paper presents a motion-planning model based on nonlinear optimization techniques to centrally coordinate paths for all vehicles traversing a shared two-dimensional (2D) space. An exact bound is derived to characterize the discrete-time separation constraints, and a set of new metrics is proposed to measure 2D traffic flow efficiency. The grand goal is to make all vehicles that come under dispatch reach their respective destinations quickly and efficiently while maintaining a safe intervehicle separation at all times. This infinite-horizon operational problem is formulated as a nonlinear nonconvex optimization model that must be solved in a progressive, receding-horizon fashion. To ensure feasibility and overcome path deadlocks attributed to local optima, a series of heuristic measures are developed. By pivoting on artfully coined intermediate feasibility, the algorithm is able to circumvent imminent deadlocks in a predictive manner and progressively construct the solution with guaranteed feasibility. Simulation experiments are performed at various traffic density levels to generate useful insights for airspace regulators and traffic managers.
Multi-Decadal Trends and Variability in Temperature and Salinity in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, Georges Bank, and Gulf of Maine
Authors: Wallace Elizabeth J. , Looney Lev B. , Gong Donglai
Published: May 2019

Increasing attention is being placed on the regional impact of climate change. This study focuses on the decadal scale variabilities of temperature and salinity in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), Georges Bank (GB), and Gulf of Maine (GOM) from 1977 to 2016 using hydrographic survey data
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Center. The MAB (as defined by the shelf regions from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod) experienced warming rates of 0.57 °C per decade during the Winter/Spring season (Jan–Apr) and 0.47 °C per
decade during the Fall/Winter season (Sep–Dec). The GOM and GB, on the other hand, warmed at approximately half the rate of the MAB over the same time span (1977–2016). We found that rates of warming vary on decadal time scales. From 1977 to 1999, significant temperature increases
(> 0.6 °C/decade) were found in the southern regions of the MAB during the Winter/Spring season. During the same period, significant freshening (stronger than– 0.2/decade) was found in GB and the northern regions of the MAB during the Winter/Spring and Summer
seasons. From 1999 to 2016, on the other hand, we found no significant trends in temperature and few significant trends in salinity with the exceptions of some northern MAB regions showing significant salting. Interannual variability in shelf salinity can in part be attributed to river discharge
variability in the Hudson River and Chesapeake Bay. However, decadal scale change in shelf salinity cannot be attributed to changes in river discharge as there were no significant decadal scale changes in river outflow. Variability in along-shelf freshwater transport and saline intrusions
from offshore were the likely drivers of long-term changes in MAB shelf-salinity.
Lagrangian Dispersion Characteristics in The Western Mediterranean
Authors: Bouzaiene Maher , Menna Milena , Poulain Pierre-Marie , Elhmaidi Dalila
Published: May 2019

Dispersion characteristics in the Western Mediterranean are analyzed using data from Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (CODE) and Surface Velocity Program (SVP) surface drifters deployed in the period 1986–2017. Results are presented in terms of absolute dispersion A2
(mean-squared displacement of drifter individuals) and of relative dispersion (D2; mean square separation distance of drifter pairs). Moreover, the dispersion characteristics are estimated for different initial separation distances (D0) between particles: smaller, larger,
or comparable with the internal Rossby radius of deformation. Results show the presence of a quasiballistic regime for absolute dispersion at small time scales and the nonlocal relative dispersion regime related to the submesoscale activities for scales smaller than the internal Rossby radius.
At intermediate times, two anomalous absolute dispersion regimes (elliptic and hyperbolic regimes) related with the flow topology are observed, although the relative dispersion involves the Richardson and shear/ballistic regimes only for D0 smaller than the Rossby radius. During
the subsequent 20–30 days, absolute dispersion shows quasirandom walk regime and relative dispersion follows the diffusive regime for scales larger than 100 km for which pair velocities are uncorrelated.
PERBEDAAN KADAR HEMOGLOBIN PADA SANTRIWATI DENGAN PUASA DAUD, NGROWOT DAN TIDAK BERPUASA DI PONDOK PESANTREN TEMANGGUNG JAWA TENGAH
Authors: Chairunnisa Otty , Nuryanto Nuryanto , Probosari Enny
Published: May 2019

Latar belakang: Anemia adalah keadaan kadar hemoglobin dalam darah kurang dari angka normal. Kadar hemoglobin dapat dipengaruhi oleh asupan dan pola makan salah satunya adalah puasa. Jenis puasa Daud, Ngrowot, dan tidak puasa memiliki aturan makan yang berbeda. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui perbedaan kadar hemoglobin pada santriwati dengan puasa Daud, Ngrowot, dan Tidak berpuasa.Metode: Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian observational dengan desain cross sectional. Subjek penelitian adalah santriwati berusia 15-19 tahun di pondok pesantren Temanggung Jawa Tengah. Subjek terbagi atas kelompok puasa Daud (n = 16), kelompok Ngrowot (n = 11), dan kelompok tidak puasa (n=16). Kadar hemoglobin diuji dengan metode cyanmethemoglobin. Uji One way ANOVA untuk mengetahui perbedaan kadar hemoglobin.Hasil: Kadar hemoglobin pada kelompok puasa Daud sebesar 12.58 ± 1.22 g/dl, Ngrowot sebesar 12.31 ± 1.19 g/dl, dan tidak puasa sebesar 12.78 ± 1.34 g/dl. Kelompok Ngrowot memiliki rerata kadar hemoglobin lebih rendah dibanding dengan puasa Daud dan tidak puasa.  Tidak terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan antar kelompok.Simpulan: Tidak terdapat perbedaan kadar hemoglobin antar kelompok dengan puasa daud, ngrowot dan tidak berpuasa.
HUBUNGAN ANTARA DURASI PENGGUNAAN ALAT ELEKTRONIK (GADGET), AKTIVITAS FISIK DAN POLA MAKAN DENGAN STATUS GIZI PADA REMAJA USIA 13-15 TAHUN
Authors: Kumala Anandita Mega , Margawati Ani , Rahadiyanti Ayu
Published: May 2019

Latar belakang: Beberapa studi menunjukkan terdapat hubungan antara screen-time viewing, aktivitas fisik dan pola makan dengan status gizi pada remaja. Penggunaan gadget yang berlebihan pada remaja berkaitan dengan status gizi. Screen-time yang tinggi, tingkat aktivitas fisik rendah, dan pola makan menjadi tidak sesuai dengan rekomendasi sehingga dalam jangka panjang dapat mempengaruhi status gizi.Metode: Desain studi observasional dengan rancangan cross-sectional yang melibatkan remaja usia 13-15 tahun di Kendal. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan simple random sampling dengan 61 responden. Status gizi ditentukan berdasarkan z-score indeks massa tubuh terhadap umur (IMT/U). Data durasi penggunaan alat elektronik (gadget) diperoleh dari kuesioner terstruktur yang telah divalidasi, data aktivitas fisik diperoleh dari kuesioner International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) dan data pola makan diperoleh melalui wawancara dan kuesioner Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnare (SQ-FFQ) yang ditentukan berdasarkan Pedoman Gizi Seimbang (PGS). Analisis data menggunakan uji Chi-Square serta Fisher Exact.Hasil: Hasil penelitian menunjukkan 72,1% responden memiliki durasi penggunaan alat elektronik (gadget) yang tinggi. Selain itu, ditemukan 14,8% responden dengan aktivitas fisik rendah. Pola makan pada 80,3% responden sudah sesuai dengan anjuran PGS, tetapi 96,7% responden tidak memenuhi anjuran konsumsi sayur. Status gizi pada responden berdasarkan Z-score IMT/U ditemukan sebanyak 6,6% responden dengan kategori kurus dan 14,8% gemuk. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat hubungan antara durasi penggunaan alat elektronik (gadget), aktivitas fisik dan pola makan dengan status gizi (p<0,05).Simpulan: Terdapat hubungan antara durasi penggunaan alat elektronik (gadget), aktivitas fisik dan pola makan dengan status Gizi pada remaja usia 13-15 tahun (p<0,05).
HUBUNGAN ASUPAN ZAT BESI HEME, ZAT BESI NON-HEME DAN FASE MENSTRUASI DENGAN SERUM FERITIN REMAJA PUTRI
Authors: Arima Lia Andriani Titik , Murbawani Etisa Adi , Wijayanti Hartanti Sandi
Published: May 2019

Latar Belakang : Remaja putri di Indonesia memiliki asupan zat besi tergolong kurang dimana sumber zat besi didominasi asupan non heme. Biovailabilitas besi non heme dipengaruhi oleh zat yang menghambat penyerapan sehingga berisiko mengalami defisiensi besi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis hubungan asupan zat besi heme, zat besi non-heme dan fase menstruasi dengan serum feritin remaja putri.Metode : Penelitian ini menggunakan desain cross-sectional dengan 50 remaja putri berusia 12-16 tahun yang dipilih dengan metode random sampling. Data yang diambil yaitu asupan zat besi heme dan non heme, fase menstruasi dan serum feritin. Data asupan zat besi diperoleh dari kuesioner Semi Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). Data fase menstruasi adalah rata-rata fase menstruasi selama tiga bulan. Serum feritin dan Kadar C-Reactive Protein (CRP) diukur menggunakan metode Immunosorbent Enzyme-Linked). Analisis data menggunakan  uji korelasi rank spearman.Hasil : Prevalensi defisiensi besi ditemukan sebanyak 28%. Rata-rata asupan besi total 16,43 ± 5,63 mg. Rata-rata asupan zat besi heme dan non heme sebesar 5,16 ± 2,23 mg dan 11,27 ± 4,1 mg. Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara asupan zat besi heme (p<0,001), zat besi non heme (p<0,001), zat besi total (p<0,001) dan fase menstruasi (p=0,012) dengan serum feritin remaja putri. Simpulan : Terdapat hubungan signifikan antara asupan zat besi heme, zat besi non heme dan fase menstruasi dengan serum feritin remaja putri.
Manufacturing strategies for scalable high-precision 3D printing of structures from the micro to the macro range
Authors: Stender Benedikt , Hilbert Fabian , Dupuis Yannick , Krupp Alexander , Mantei Willi , Houbertz Ruth
Published: May 2019

Industrial high-precision 3D Printing (HP3DP) via two-photon absorption (TPA) provides freedom in design for the fabrication of novel products that are not feasible with conventional techniques. Up to now, 2PP-fabrication has only been used for structures on the micrometer scale due to limited traveling ranges of the translation stages and the field-of-view (FoV) of microscope objectives (diameters below 0.5 mm). For industrial applications, not only high throughput but also scalability in size is essential. For this purpose, this contribution gives insights into different manufacturing strategies composed of varying exposure modes, fabrication modes, and structuring modes, which enable the generation of large-scale optical elements without relying on stitching. With strategies like stage-only mode or synchronized movement of galvoscanners and translation stages, optical elements with several millimeters in diameter and freeform shape can be fabricated with optical surface quality.
Regression analysis for detecting epileptic seizure with different feature extracting strategies
Authors: Hussain Lal , Saeed Sharjil , Idris Adnan , Awan Imtiaz Ahmed , Shah Saeed Arif , Majid Abdul , Ahmed Bilal , Chaudhary Quratul-Ain
Published: May 2019

Due to the excitability of neurons in the brain, a neurological disorder is produced known as epilepsy. The brain activity of patients suffering from epilepsy is monitored through electroencephalography (EEG). The multivariate nature of features from time domain, frequency domain, complexity and wavelet entropy based, and the statistical features were extracted from healthy and epileptic subjects using the Bonn University database and seizure and non-seizure intervals using the CHB MIT database. The robust machine learning regression methods based on regression, support vector regression (SVR), regression tree (RT), ensemble regression, Gaussian process regression (GPR) were employed for detecting and predicting epileptic seizures. Performance was measured in terms of root mean square error (RMSE), squared error, mean square error (MSE) and mean absolute error (MAE). Moreover, detailed optimization was performed using a RT to predict the selected features from each feature category. A deeper analysis was conducted on features and tree regression methods where optimal RMSE and MSE results were obtained. The best optimal performance was obtained using the ensemble boosted regression tree (BRT) and exponential GPR with an RMSE of 0.47, an MSE (0.22), an R Square (RS) (0.25) and an MAE (0.30) using the Bonn University database and support vector machine (SVM) fine Gaussian with RMSE (0.63634), RS (0.03), MSE (0.40493) and MAE (0.31744); squared exponential GPR and rational quadratic GPR with an RMSE of 0.63841, an RS (0.03), an MSE (0.40757) and an MAE (0.3472) was obtained using the CHB MIT database. A further deeper analysis for the prediction of selected features was performed on an RT to compute the optimal feasible point, observed and estimated function values, function evaluation time, objective function evaluation time and overall elapsed time.
Nonlinear response of axially functionally graded Timoshenko beams on elastic foundation under harmonic excitation
Authors: Lohar Hareram , Mitra Anirban , Sahoo Sarmila
Published: May 2019

Forced vibration of non-uniform axially functionally graded (AFG) Timoshenko beam on elastic foundation is performed under harmonic excitation. A linear elastic foundation is considered with three different classical boundary conditions. AFG materials are an advanced class of materials that have potential for application in various engineering fields. In the present work, variation of material properties along the longitudinal axis of the beam are considered according to power-law forms. Five values of material gradation parameter provides different functional variation and their effect on the frequency response of the system is studied. The present approximate method is displacement based and Von-Karman type of geometric nonlinearity is considered with rotational component to incorporate transverse shear. Hamilton’s principle is used to derive nonlinear set of governing equation and Broyden method is implemented to solve the nonlinear equations numerically. The results are successfully validated with previously published article. Frequency vs. amplitude curve corresponding to different combinations of system parameters are presented and are capable of serving as benchmark results. A separate free vibration analysis is undertaken to include backbone curves with the frequency response curves in the non-dimensional plane.
An analytical solution for static problems of curved composite beams
Authors: Ecsedi István , Lengyel Ákos József
Published: May 2019

An analytical solution is presented for the determination of deformation of curved composite beams. Each cross-section is assumed to be symmetrical and the applied loads are acted in the plane of symmetry of curved beam. In-plane deformations are considered of composite curved beams. Assumed form of the displacement field assures the fulfillment of the classical Bernoulli-Euler beam theory. The curvature of beam is constant and the internal forces in a cross-section is replaced by an equivalent forcecouple system at the origin of the cylindrical coordinate system used. The internal forces are expressed in terms of two kinematical variables, which are the radial displacement and the rotation of the cross-sections. The determination of the analytical solutions of the considered static problems are based on the fundamental solutions. Linear combination of the fundamental solutions which are filling to the given loading and boundary conditions, gives the total solution. Closed form formulae are derived for the radial displacement, cross-sectional rotation, nomral and shear forces and bending moments. The circumferential and radial normal stresses and shear stresses are obtained by the integration of equilibrium equations. Examples illustrate the developed method.
History and Future of KALIS: Towards Computer-assisted Decision Making in Prescriptive Medicine
Authors: Friedrichs Marcel , Shoshi Alban
Published: May 2019

With an increasing older population in Germany and the need for polypharmacy to treat multimorbid patients computer-assisted decision making on an individual level is increasingly important to reduce prescription errors and adverse drug reactions. While current systems focus on guidelines and prescribing information, molecular information is equally important for explanation and discovery of drug-related problems. Based on the existing KALIS system and newer projects like PIMBase, a new concept for the KALIS-2 system is presented. Improvements to the modularisation of components enable future extension and greater maintainability. Interoperability with available electronic health records standards and protocols allows the integration and communication with existing workflows for healthcare professionals. Finally, new visualisation modes empower the user to explore and analyze the patient situation in an individual patient subgraph. For offline use and dialogue between patient and general practitioner, the results can be printed out using a new reporting tool. The adherence to findings from previous decision support systems and reasons for their failed adoption is an important task in the development of KALIS-2.
Research on CLIB Routing and Spectrum Allocation Algorithm in Elastic Optical Networks
Authors: Li Li , Ya-Fang Zhai , Hong-Jie Li
Published: May 2019

With the rapid development of mobile Internet, high-definition video and cloud computing, users’ bandwidth demands are not only larger and larger but also more and more diverse. To solve this problem, there searchers put forward the concept of elastic optical network (EON). EON adopts the transmission mode of elastic grid, which can allocate spectrum resources flexibly and meet high bandwidth and diversity requirements at the same time. Routing and spectrum allocation (RSA) is an important issue in EON. In this paper, we present a heuristic algorithm named constrained-lower-indexed-block (CLIB) allocation algorithm for the RSA problem. The algorithm is based on the K candidate paths. When there are available spectrum blocks on multiple candidate paths, if the increase of the path length does not exceed a given threshold, the lower index spectrum would be selected for the connection request on a longer path. The aim of the algorithm is to concentrate the occupied frequency slices on one side of the spectrum and leave another side of the spectrum to the later arrived connection requests as much as possible, to reduce the blocking probability of connection requests. Simulation results show that comparing with the first-last-fit and hybrid grouping algorithms, the CLIB algorithm can reduce the blocking probability of connection requests.
Optical trapping in vivo: theory, practice, and applications
Authors: Favre-Bulle Itia A. , Stilgoe Alexander B. , Scott Ethan K. , Rubinsztein-Dunlop Halina
Published: May 2019

Since the time of their introduction, optical tweezers (OTs) have grown to be a powerful tool in the hands of biologists. OTs use highly focused laser light to guide, manipulate, or sort target objects, typically in the nanoscale to microscale range. OTs have been particularly useful in making quantitative measurements of forces acting in cellular systems; they can reach inside living cells and be used to study the mechanical properties of the fluids and structures that they contain. As all the measurements are conducted without physically contacting the system under study, they also avoid complications related to contamination and tissue damage. From the manipulation of fluorescent nanodiamonds to chromosomes, cells, and free-swimming bacteria, OTs have now been extended to challenging biological systems such as the vestibular system in zebrafish. Here, we will give an overview of OTs, the complications that arise in carrying out OTs in vivo, and specific OT methods that have been used to address a range of otherwise inaccessible biological questions.
Military Non-State Actors in Syrien und im Irak – Eine Bestandsaufnahme
Authors: Sahin Kaan
Published: May 2019

Seit dem Arabischen Frühling 2011 und der damit zusammenhängenden fragilen Staatlichkeit in den Ländern des Nahen Osten ist die Anzahl der militärischen nichtstaatlichen Akteure in der Region stark angewachsen. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht der folgende Beitrag die politische Bedeutung dieser Akteure in den ausgewählten Ländern Syrien und Irak. Unter dem Terminus „Military Non-State Actors“ (MNSA) wird eine Kategorisierung und Bestandsaufnahme aller relevanten Akteure vorgenommen. Nach der Darstellung ihrer Relevanz und im Anschluss an die Verortung mithilfe der zuvor aufgestellten Kategorisierung werden die Probleme und Konsequenzen für die Staaten Iran, Russland, die Türkei und die USA aufgezeigt. Am Schluss wird unter Einbeziehung der Interessen der MNSA und der relevanten Staaten eine Analyse der zukünftigen großen Konfliktpunkte und Herausforderungen vorgenommen, die sich in diesem Zusammenhang abzeichnen.
Optimal growth in the Robinson-Shinkai-Leontief model: the case of capital-intensive consumption goods
Authors: Deng Liuchun , Fujio Minako , Khan M. Ali
Published: May 2019

We study the two-sector Robinson-Shinkai-Leontief (RSL) model of discrete-time optimal economic growth for the case of capital-intensive consumption goods. We frame the model in the context of Nishimura’s oeuvre, and more specifically, relate it to its neoclassical cousin: the Uzawa-Srinivasan continuous-time version studied in Haque, W. 1970. “Sceptical Notes on Uzawa’s ‘Optimal Growth in a Two-Sector Model of Capital Accumulation’, and a Precise Characterization of the Optimal Path.” The Review of Economic Studies 37: 377–394. We take Fujio’s identification of the marginal rate of transformation ζ of capital goods today into capital goods tomorrow (Fujio, M. 2006. Optimal Transition Dynamics in the Leontief Two-Sector Growth Model. Ph.D. thesis, The Johns Hopkins University), and using a mix of the Bellman-Blackwell methods of dynamic programming and the value-loss approach of Brock-Mitra, pin down the optimal policy for a specific subset of the parameter space. We discern a bifurcation pattern with respect to the discount factor that echoes the results of Benhabib, J., and K. Nishimura. 1979. “The Hopf Bifurcation and the Structure and Stability of Closed Orbits with Heterogeneous Steady States in Multi-Sector Models of Optimal Growth.” Journal of Economic Theory 21: 421–444 for the neoclassical model, and Khan, M. A., and T. Mitra. 2005. “On Choice of Technique in the Robinson-Solow-Srinivasan Model.” International Journal of Economic Theory 1: 83–110 for the RSS model. We also study the optimal policy correspondence for a general parameter set.
The impact of language contact on Hinuq
Authors: Forker Diana
Published: May 2019

This paper investigates the impact of language contact on the Nakh-Daghestanian language Hinuq. Hinuq is a rather small language that has been in contact with larger languages for several centuries; among them the traces of Avar and Russian are particularly visible. The paper provides an overview about all observable influences on the phonology, morphology and syntax of Hinuq as well as on the lexicon. Avar is the main source for borrowed morphology and loan words. The influence of Russian on the Hinuq lexicon is growing, especially among the young speakers, but it is still smaller compared to Avar. With respect to the syntax no Avar impact can be detected since the languages belong to the same language family and large parts of the syntactic features and rules bear strong resemblances in the two languages. By contrast, Russian, which is genetically unrelated and typologically different from Hinuq, has some influence on the Hinuq constituent order.
Putting student partnership and collaboration centre-stage in a research-led context
Authors: Huijser Henk , Wilson James , Wu Yao , Qiu Shuang , Wang Kangxin , Li Shun , Chen Wenye , Kouwenhoven M.B.N.
Published: May 2019

In this case study, we evaluated the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) initiative at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), an extracurricular programme that focuses on academic staff-student partnerships and collaborations. While not directly integrated into university degree programmes, SURF provides students with the opportunity to develop practical research skills related to knowledge they have acquired in class. Participating students receive an authentic research experience, which involves collaboration on research projects with academic staff. All students are required to present results of their projects at a public poster presentation event organised by the university. This case study is a partnership between Academic Enhancement Centre (AEC) staff, who organize and run SURF, SURF students, and a lecturer (M.B.N. Kouwenhoven), and it presents a reflection on their experiences of the SURF programme, and in particular on the notions of partnership and collaboration and the potential tension between those two concepts.
At the threshold: A case study of a partnership between a student organization and an educational development center
Authors: Doktor Stephanie DeLane , Bach Dorothe , Abbot Sophia , Hardin Jacob
Published: May 2019

This article offers a case study about the collaboration between a student-led organization and an academic development unit dedicated to improving teaching and learning at [Institution 2]. We describe the genesis of our collaboration, how we nurtured and developed it over time into a substantive program, and what we learned in the process. While most existing case studies focus on partnerships between students and faculty, we turn the lens inward and investigate the challenges involved in enacting an “ethic of reciprocity” (Cook-Sather and Felten, 2017) in a partnership between an academic development center and a student organization.  Using the analytical framework of threshold concepts, we explore the rocky navigating of issues of trust, vulnerability, role confusion, the notion of expertise, and pre-existing power inequalities to move towards a more collaborative and equitable partnership.
Historical and Social Considerations of Strength Training for Female Athletes
Authors: Shurley Jason , Felkar Victoria , Greviskes Lindsey , Todd Jan
Published: May 2019

Female athletes may be hesitant to fully engage in the weight room. Common concerns include violating social norms through their muscularity, or a lack of competence in strength training. These concerns are rooted in historical efforts to constrain the intensity of female competition and traditional societal assumptions about the attributes of femininity. This work seeks to help strength coaches understand the historical and social background of female concerns about strength training and provides a psychological framework that may be useful in helping female athletes overcome their trepidation about the weight room.
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Behavioral Group Support Intervention Among Transgender Women: A Sexual and Mental Health Mixed-Methods Pilot Study in Beirut, Lebanon
Authors: Kaplan Rachel L. , El Khoury Cynthia , Lize Norma , Wehbe Sara , Mokhbat Jacques
Published: May 2019

Transgender women are among the most at risk of populations for HIV infection and transmission globally. Feasible and acceptable intervention strategies that are culturally and contextually appropriate are urgently needed to address the burden of disease worldwide. The first study to address the unique health needs of transgender women in the Middle East and North Africa, this mixed-methods pilot (N = 16) demonstrated high levels of feasibility and acceptability among adult transgender women in Lebanon as measured quantitatively and qualitatively in the domains of: time allotment, venue, group dynamics, facilitation, content, and retention. The intervention, adapted from an existing trans-facilitated group support intervention, addresses the sexual and mental health of transgender women with mixed HIV status. Next steps should include scale-up, randomization, and testing to determine larger-scale feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy for mitigating sexual and mental health risk and promoting community connectedness and social cohesion.
Community-Based Care in the ANRS-IPERGAY Trial: The Challenges of Combination Prevention
Authors: Puppo Costanza , Mabire Xavier , Cotte Laurent , Castro Daniela Rojas , Spire Bruno , Cua Eric , Pialoux Gilles , Monti Marie Suzan , Pasquet Armelle , Raffi François , Molina Jean-Michel , Préau Marie ,   ANRS-Ipergay Study Group
Published: May 2019

ANRS-IPERGAY was a community-based randomized trial investigating the efficacy of sexual activity-based HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in a population of males and transgender females who had sex with men and were at high risk of HIV infection. We qualitatively analyzed the support provided to participants by community-based health workers (CBHW) throughout the trial's double-blind and open-label extension phases. In particular, we showed that the relationship between participants and CBHW strongly influenced self-managed pill intake. The delicate construction of this relationship, balanced between trust and dependence, played an important role in PrEP adherence. CBHW had to deal with various issues surrounding participants' feelings of empowerment regarding their role in the trial, as well as related tensions between various logics and rationalities. They were essential to participants' continued involvement.
THE LEVEL OF 3-MCPD FATTY ACID ESTERS IN VEGETABLE OILS AND MARGARINES COLLECTED FROM TURKISH MARKET
Authors: DENİZ ŞİRİNYILDIZ Derya , AYDIN Ecem , ÖZTÜRK Yeliz , AVCI Tuğçe , YILDIRIM Aslı , YORULMAZ Aslı
Published: May 2019

The aim of the present research
was to investigate the content of 3-MCPD esters in vegetable oils (hazelnut,
sunflower, rapeseed and corn oil) and margarines sold out in Turkish local
markets. A series of 27 margarines and vegetable edible oil collected from
markets were analyzed in the study according to DGF C VI 18 (10) method. Among
vegetable oils, corn oil presented highest amount of 3-MCPD esters (2.49 mg/kg)
followed by rapeseed oil (0.95 mg/kg), sunflower oil (0.79 mg/kg) and hazelnut
oil (0.45 mg/kg), respectively. Highest amount of 3-MCPD esters was detected
for margarines (4.54 mg/kg) among analyzed samples. The results demonstrate
that 3-MCPD esters can occur at different levels in various vegetable oils and
margarines available on Turkish markets.
The Poetics of Food
Authors: Gigot Jessica
Published: May 2019

Sitting down at a table to a home-cooked, local meal gives me the same sensation as sitting down at my desk to write a new poem: a pause and then a surge of gratitude, followed by the slow digestion of truth, honesty, and love. As our food system evolves, we need to look at food as the poetry of our lives. A new food language, a poetics of food, is needed to fully understand the shifts in value and daily practices that are inherent to developing an enduring and inclusive food system. As more people think daily about what they eat, where it comes from and why, the closer we will be to our food supply and the people and land that grew it. The poetics of food, rooted in both art and science, is an area of inquiry that should be considered in future food studies as well as novel forums and modes of expression for capturing the farmer's perspective.
Markets and the Making of Muslim Space in Urban China: Street Portraits from Xi'an's Huimin Jie
Authors: Halpern Rick
Published: May 2019

This photo essay explores the Muslim Quarter, or Huimin Jie, in the central Chinese city of Xi'an located in Shaanxi Province. It focuses on street life and the vendors who sell a variety of foodstuffs from open-air stalls and shop fronts. The ten black and white street portraits included in the piece convey the Muslim character of this neighborhood as well as its youthful vibrancy.
Mitochondrial mutation m.3243A>G associates with insulin resistance in non-diabetic carriers
Authors: Langdahl Jakob Høgild , Frederiksen Anja Lisbeth , Vissing John , Frost Morten , Yderstræde Knud Bonnet , Andersen Per Heden
Published: May 2019

Aim

This case–control study aimed to examine impairments in glucose metabolism in non-diabetic carriers of the mitochondrial mutation m.3243A>G by evaluating insulin secretion capacity and sensitivity.

Methods

Glucose metabolism was investigated in 23 non-diabetic m.3243A>G carriers and age-, sex- and BMI-matched healthy controls with an extended 4-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Insulin sensitivity index and acute insulin response were estimated on the basis of the OGTT. This was accompanied by examination of body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), maximum aerobic capacity and a Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ).

Results

Fasting p-glucose, s-insulin and s-c-peptide levels did not differ between m.3243A>G carriers and controls. Insulin sensitivity index (BIGTT-S1) was significantly lower in the m.3243A>G carriers, but there was no difference in the acute insulin response between groups. P-lactate levels were higher in carriers throughout the OGTT. VO2max, but not BMI, waist and hip circumferences, lean and fat body mass%, MET or grip strength, was lower in mutation carriers. BIGTT-S1 remained lower in mutation carriers after adjustment for multiple confounding factors including VO2max in regression analyses.

Conclusions

Glucose metabolism in m.3243A>G carriers was characterized by reduced insulin sensitivity, which could represent the earliest phase in the pathogenesis of m.3243A>G-associated diabetes.
The sperm-associated antigen 6 interactome and its role in spermatogenesis
Authors: Liu Yunhao , Zhang Ling , Li Wei , Huang Qian , Yuan Shuo , Li Yuhong , Liu Junpin , Zhang Shiyang , Pin Guanglun , Song Shizhen , Ray Pierre F , Arnoult Christophe , Cho Chunghee , Garcia-Reyes Balbina , Knippschild Uwe , Strauss Jerome F , Zhang Zhibing
Published: May 2019

Mammalian SPAG6, the orthologue of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii PF16, is a component of the central apparatus of the ‘9 + 2’ axoneme that controls ciliary/flagellar motility, including sperm motility. Recent studies revealed that SPAG6 has functions beyond its role in the central apparatus. Hence, we reexamined the role of SPAG6 in male fertility. In wild-type mice, SPAG6 was present in cytoplasmic vesicles in spermatocytes, the acrosome of round and elongating spermatids and the manchette of elongating spermatids. Spag6-deficient testes showed abnormal spermatogenesis, with abnormalities in male germ cell morphology consistent with the multi-compartment pattern of SPAG6 localization. The armadillo repeat domain of mouse SPAG6 was used as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen, and several proteins with diverse functions appeared multiple times, including Snapin, SPINK2 and COPS5. Snapin has a similar localization to SPAG6 in male germ cells, and SPINK2, a key protein in acrosome biogenesis, was dramatically reduced in Spag6-deficient mice which have defective acrosomes. SPAG16L, another SPAG6-binding partner, lost its localization to the manchette in Spag6-deficient mice. Our findings demonstrate that SPAG6 is a multi-functional protein that not only regulates sperm motility, but also plays roles in spermatogenesis in multiple cellular compartments involving multiple protein partners.
Dynamic Grating Recording by a Light-Induced Modification of the Order Parameter in Dye-Doped Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystals
Authors: Iljin A. , Wei D. , Bortolozzo U. , Residori S.
Published: May 2019

The dynamic grating recording in dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals is studied. It is shown that the mechanism responsible for the grating recording can be ascribed to a photoinduced modification of the order parameter of a liquid crystal within the range of optical intensities, for which the orientational nonlinearity remains quenched by the structural order of the chiral structure. The two-wave mixing dynamic behavior is analyzed for different intensities of the recording beams, by comparing the self-diffraction regime with the probe diffraction. This allows us to distinguish a particular mechanism of optical nonlinearity. The photo-induced modulation of the order parameter and the respective changes of medium’s refractive indices determine the relatively fast response times, local nonlinear response, and quite high diffraction efficiency within an extremely wide intensity range (more than three orders of magnitude) The chiral helical structure hinders the nematic director reorientation, prevents the appearance of surface effects, and is very favorable for the manipulation of a nonlinear polarization. Such new mechanism could also be extended to the recording of arbitrary phase profiles as requested in several applications for the manipulation of a light-beam.
Influence of Open-Porous System on the Solid-State Phase Transition in 1-Octadecene
Authors: Alekseev O. M. , Alekseev S. O. , Zabashta Yu. F. , Lazarenko M. M. , Hnatiuk K. I. , Lazarenko M. V. , Dinzhos R. V. , Simeonov M. S.
Published: May 2019

The solid-state phase transition in the silica gel–1-octadecene system has been studied at various temperatures with the help of differential scanning calorimetry and FTIR spectroscopy. Silica gels KSK-2.5, KSS-4, and Silica Gel 60 with different surface parameters are used. The temperature of the solid-state phase transition in the silica gel–1-octadecene system is shown to linearly depend on the ratio between the pore surface area and the pore volume. The energy characteristics of 1-octadecene nanocrystals in the surface layer are calculated in the framework of a thermodynamical model of crystal melting in pores.
Hybrid Silica Based Materials as New Solid Phase
Extractants.
Authors: Bourg Stéphane , Broudic Jean-Charles , Conocar Olivier , Moreau Joël J.E. , Meyer Daniel , Wong Chi Man Michel
Published: May 2019

Organic-inorganic hybrids exhibiting specific properties are easily prepared
by incorporation of organic fragments in an inorganic network. Increasing
attention is being paid to hybrid silsesquioxane gels, which are prepared by
sol-gel hydrolysis condensation of organic molecules containing two or more
trialkoxysilyl substituents. These hybrids consist of a mixed
three-dimensional network, where the organic fragment, cross-linking
siloxane chains, is part of the framework. Owing to the presence of a strong
Si-C bond between the organic and the inorganic fragments, highly stable
hybrid network are produced in this way. A variety of materials can be
produced according to the intrinsic properties of the organic. We report
here the preparation of hybrid materials with complexing properties upon
hydrolysis-condensation of ligands functionalized by Si (OR)3
groups. New hybrid silica based materials containing malonamide ligands have
been prepared by sol-gel hydrolysis condensation of functionalized
precursors and have been used as solid phase extractants for the
complexation of actinides. This approach is quite different from the
classical immobilization procedure of complexing agents. The sol-gel
approach allows one to adjust the ligand loading and to achieve some control
and some tuning of the ligand environment since the oxide matrix is built
around the complexing moieties. These hybrids proved to be highly efficient
extracting solids.