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Protean power Europe in the southern neighbourhood? EU in the face of migration and political crises
No full textThe European Union (EU) has recently faced consecutive, sudden and unexpected challenges of a large magnitude, such as the migration crisis, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine. Through an analysis of two key, sudden and unexpected relatively recent crises in the EU’s immediate southern neighbourhood—namely the 2015 migration crisis and the 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey—this paper sheds light on whether the EU has generated protean power in response to key emergencies in its wider neighbourhood, and if so, how. Our analysis shows that when high uncertainty pertains to domestic governance of third countries in the neighbourhood, i.e. the military coup in Turkey, where the overall perceived risks are relatively low, the EU employs no form of protean power or resorts to limited forms of control power. In contrast, we see that protean power is generated in the more specific policy field of migration, where we observe radical uncertainty combined with high perceived risks to the EU. We also propose that control and protean power need to be seen as different, yet increasingly intertwined modes of governing unexpected emergencies by the EU
Development and characterization of DHA-integrated nanostructured lipid carrier formulations for enhanced cellular binding and uptake
No full textIn the present study, the effect of the variations in lipid and emulsifier composition of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) designed for drug delivery on cancer treatment, related with their physicochemical properties and cellular interactions, was explored. Stearic acid was used as the solid lipid matrix, combined with either oleic acid or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as the liquid lipid. The resulting NLCs were characterized using dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry, revealing uniform dispersion and particle size within the 100–200 nm range which is suitable for overcoming biological barriers. Cellular studies were performed using R18-labeled NLCs on ECV304 (carcinoma) and U87 (glioblastoma) cell lines to assess cytotoxicity and uptake. No significant toxicity was observed up to 5 µg/mL. Among the formulations, NLCs containing DHA (NLC-4DHA) demonstrated markedly enhanced cellular binding and uptake, particularly in ECV304 cells, as confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. These findings indicate that DHA-based NLCs possess favorable biocompatibility and interaction profiles, positioning them as promising candidates for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy
Generalized numerical semigroups up to isomorphism
No full textA generalized numerical semigroup is a submonoid S of (Formula presented.) with finite complement in it. We characterize isomorphisms between these monoids in terms of permutation of coordinates. Considering the equivalence relation that identifies the monoids obtained by the action of a permutation and establishing a criterion to select a representative from each equivalence class, we define some procedures for generating the set of all generalized numerical semigroups of given genus up to isomorphism. Finally, we present computational data and explore properties related to the number of generalized numerical semigroups of a given genus up to isomorphism
From frontlines to online: examining target preferences in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
No full textDistributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks have become a prominent threat in the digital landscape, with their frequency and impact magnifying during geopolitical conflicts. The Ukraine-Russia conflict, which commenced in February 2022, witnessed a surge in DDoS attacks, becoming the most common type of cyber assault during this period. This study examines the frequency and patterns of DDoS attacks throughout the Russo-Ukraine cyberwarfare, identifying the sectors most affected. By analyzing messages from Telegram channels containing IP addresses and URLs, we identified 4,612 unique victim domain names, with 3,090 targeted by Ukrainian hacktivist groups (pro-Ukrainian) and 1,522 by Russian hacktivist groups (pro-Russian). We observed distinct DDoS attack patterns between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian collectives. Ukrainian groups exhibited peak activity during May, June, and July, with a noticeable decline towards the end of 2022. In contrast, the pro-Russian group’s activities intensified in late 2022. Our investigation highlights that pro-Ukrainian collectives, particularly ‘IT Army of Ukraine 2022’, were the most active in conducting DDoS attacks and operated with higher synchronicity. Our findings also indicate that crucial portals for information and services, particularly those related to news, government, business, finance, and travel, were consistently targeted by DDoS attacks. The majority of these victim domains lacked adequate DDoS protection during the assaults, with few improving their security measures post-attack. The study also reveals that DDoS attacks predominantly occurred on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Our results underscore the necessity for enhanced cybersecurity measures in vulnerable sectors to mitigate the impact of DDoS attacks during times of conflict
Antibacterials exert toxic effects on aquatic organisms by inhibiting respiration, inducing oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy
No full textAlthough bactericidal antibiotics are an integral part of infectious disease medicine, the uncontrolled use of these drugs in recent years is beginning to affect the environment, especially water resources. With the exception of a few well-documented toxic effects, antimicrobials are thought to act mainly on bacteria and, at low doses, have no deleterious effects on eukaryotic organisms. However, since mitochondria are direct ancient relatives of prokaryotes, mitochondrial dysfunction induced by antibiotic exposure can also occur in higher eukaryotes. In this work, we used the microcrustacean Artemia salina to show how some known antibacterial drugs exert toxic effects on mitochondria, suppressing cellular and organismal respiration in aquatic organisms. We have demonstrated that exposure to antimicrobials of different classes, namely kanamycin A, tetracycline hydrochloride, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol, leads to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and is accompanied by autophagy. Our results suggest that the emergence of antibactericidal drugs, increasingly appearing in wastewater, may have far-reaching consequences for aquatic areas adjacent to large cities
Comprehensive numerical study on the behavior of floating structures under challenging ocean conditions using WCSPH
No full textThe main objective of this study is to investigate the dynamic motions of floating bodies under different wave conditions. A particle-based numerical method, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), is used due to its capabilities in modeling violent free surface flows. This work is based on five sub-steps. The first step focuses on ensuring the accuracy of the generated wave characteristics. Then, the heave motion of a point-absorber wave energy converter is examined under regular wave conditions with different power take-off (PTO) damping coefficients. After validating the proposed SPH scheme in a single degree of freedom motion, the roll decay of a rectangular floating body is investigated in the third step by comparing natural frequencies and damping coefficients with available literature data. Subsequently, the roll motion of a fixed floating structure under a wide-range regular wave system is simulated to obtain the corresponding Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs). Finally, the free body motion of a floating body under regular wave excitation is simulated and validated by experimental measurements, considering all rotational and translational motion characteristics. In the light of all simulation results, the proposed SPH numerical scheme can be considered as a useful tool for the design of effective and sustainable offshore structures
Learning modern art as a foreign language: Turkey's culture revolution, the d group and André Lhote
No full textThe Turkish War of Independence resulted with the official end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, and dismantled the traditional, religious culture of Islam in Turkey. The ensuing secularist and modernist Atatürk Reforms are considered a cultural revolution that aimed to transform the cultural fabric of Turkish society. All aspects of life literally changed within the span of a decade from the 1920s to the 1930s, from the calendar-time-metric system to a new alphabet, from the dress code to architectural programmes. Art and culture was an integral part of this process as a typical vehicle of propaganda. A young generation of Turkish artists internalized the revolution; like nationalist missionaries, they sought to find a new visual language to express this new, nationalist spirit. I’m interested in how they set about doing this. In the late 1920s when Cubism as an artistic style was percieved as the only appropriate visual language that could signify the futurist idealism of the new Turkish nation, young artists discovered a Parisian artist and teacher who they believed could teach them that visual language. This artist was André Lhote (1885-1962), a Salon Cubist considered to be one of the leading artistic figures to represent a “return to order” in the 1930s. 1928, which was the year of the Alphabet Revolution in Turkey was the year that Académie Lhote became a popular destination for modern Turkish artists. A group of these artists later came together to form the modern art group “d” which looked very much like a monogram of Lhote’s teachings of rectangles and circles. The d group were revolutionaries in Turkey, seeking new forms to visualize their ideals, very much like the nation adapting to the Latin alphabet rather than the Arabic script to write the Turkish language. It is obvious that Turkish artists believed in a vocabulary of modernist form and colour that had universal validity, and could be translated, like language
Ultrathin carbon biphenylene network as an anisotropic thermoelectric material with high temperature stability under mechanical strain
No full textCarbon biphenylene network (C-BPN), which is an ultrathin material consisting of carbon atoms arranged in square-hexagonal-octagonal (4-6-8) periodic rings, has intriguing properties for nano-scale device design due to its unique crystal structure. Here, using the Landauer formalism in combination with first-principles calculations, we show that C-BPN is a highly stable thermoelectric material at elevated temperatures under mechanical strain, where its thermoelectric efficiency can be anisotropically engineered. Transport calculations reveal that C-BPN's transmission spectrum has significant degrees of directional anisotropy and it undergoes a metal-insulator transition under strain, which leads to an increase in its Seebeck coefficient. C-BPN's lattice thermal conductance can be selectively tuned up to 35% bidirectionally at room temperature by strain engineering. Enhancement in its power factor and the suppression of its lattice thermal conductance improves the p-type figure of merit up to 0.31 and 0.46 at 300 and 500 K, respectively. Our findings reveal that C-BPN has high potency to be used in thermoelectric nanodevices with selective anisotropic properties at elevated temperatures
Extraction and applications of oakmoss absolute extract as a functional ingredient in alginate-guar gum composite films for food packaging
No full textOakmoss absolute extract (OME) is a potential source for active antimicrobial and antioxidant components that can be used to develop an active packaging material. Active films were developed by impregnation of OME in sodium alginate (SA) and guar gum (GG)-based films. The effects of 0.5%–1.5% OME (w/v) over the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of SA-GG films were assessed. The mechanical properties (TS, EAB), water permeability, thickness, and opacity increased; however, moisture content decreased with the increase in the concentration of OME. SEM analysis represents that incorporation of OME resulted into heterogenous structure with pores and cracks. FTIR analysis showed that the addition of OME into SA-GG triggered interactions between SA-GG and OME. The color attributes of SA-GG films were significantly affected by the incorporation of OME. The XRD analysis revealed that the amorphous nature of the film remained unchanged after impregnation with OME. The films loaded with OME demonstrated higher antioxidant activity (measured by DPPH as well as ABTS radical scavenging) than control film. Thus, the addition of OME into SA-GG film was a valuable approach to synthesize active, bio-functional, and eco-friendly packing for the food industry
Equidistribution of zeros of random polynomials and random polynomial mappings on ℂm
No full textWe study the equidistribution problem of zeros in relation to a sequence of Z-asymptotically Chebyshev polynomials on Cm. We use certain results obtained in a very recent work by Bayraktar, Bloom and Levenberg and obtain an equidistribution result in a more general probabilistic setting than what the paper of Bayraktar, Bloom and Levenberg considers, even though the basis polynomials they use are more general than Z-asymptotically Chebyshev polynomials. Our equidistribution result is based on the expected distribution and the variance estimate of random zero currents corresponding to the zero sets (zero divisors) of polynomials. This equidistribution result of general nature shows that equidistribution turns out to be true without the random coefficients being independent and identically distributed, which also means that there is no need to use any specific probability distribution function for these random coefficients. In § 3, unlike in the 1-codimensional case, we study the basis of polynomials orthogonal with respect to the L2-inner product defined by the weighted asymptotically Bernstein–Markov measures on a given locally regular compact set, and with a probability distribution studied well by Bayraktar and including the (standard) Gaussian and the Fubini–Study probability distributions as special cases we have an equidistribution result for codimensions larger than 1