171 research outputs found
Institutionalization of Imported Rules in the European Union's New Member States: Bringing Politics Back in the Research Agenda
No full textThis paper sets out to explore the puzzle of possible institutionalization or reversal of rules 'imported' by new member states from Central and Eastern Europe during their preparation for accession to the EU. It argues that the institutionalization of formal rules adopted as part of enlargement requirements is not automatic post accession. New formal rules can be reversed, supported by secondary rules and institutionalized or ignored and not implemented. The paper proposes a politics framework that suggests that these different outcomes will be influenced by the environment of weak post communist states and will depend on the area specific configuration of formal and informal veto players and on the EU's ability to impose sanctions. In the case of non acquis imported rules, reversal of formal rules would be possible without sanctions whereas in the case of acquis rules, the likely outcomes are institutionalization or 'empty shells'. Another outcome, 'capture' of the new rules is likely in areas with distributive implications.enlargement; East-Central Europe; acquis communautaire; institutionalisation; administrative adaptation
Metabolomics profiling, bio-pharmaceutical properties of Hypericum lanuginosum extracts by in vitro and in silico approaches
No full textHypericum species are important as a source of natural-bioactive compounds in the Turkish folk medicine. Among them, Hypericum lanuginosum has not been explored so far for its biological properties. The current study aimed to determine the antioxidant activity, enzyme inhibitory potential, and phenolic content (spectrophotometric and liquid chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analysis) of different solvent extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous) of H. lanuginosum aerial parts. Twenty one phenolic compounds including phenolic acids, acylquinic acids, flavonoids and bioflavonoids were identified by LC-HRMS profiles. Quinic acid was the dominant compound in all H. lanuginosum extracts. The highest total phenolic (168.56 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)) and flavonoid (53.22 mg rutin equivalent (RE)) contents were observed in the aqueous extract. Also, the aqueous extract was the best antioxidant, showing the highest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and activity in the phosphomolybdenum assay. The methanol extract exhibited the strongest metal chelating and inhibitory effect on alpha-amylase and tyrosinase. In contrast, the most efficient inhibitor of cholinesterases and alpha-glucosidase was the ethyl acetate extract. Docking showed that the selected compounds are all possible inhibitor candidates of tyrosinase. To conclude, each solvent extract of H. lanuginosum varied in its chemical and biological profile but overall, possess a good source of many natural agents which can be used to manage ailments inked with oxidative stress
Uncovering chemical profiles, biological potentials, and protection effect against ECM destruction in H2O2-treated HDF cells of the extracts of Stachys tundjeliensis
No full textThe genus Stachys L., one of the largest genera of the Lamiaceae family, is highly represented in Turkey. This study was conducted to determine the bio-pharmaceutical potential and phenolic contents of six different extracts from aerial parts of Stachys tundjeliensis. The obtained results showed that the ethanol extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in the antioxidant assays. Meanwhile, the ethanol extract displayed strong inhibitory activity against α-tyrosinase, the dichloromethane extract exhibited potent inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase, and the n-hexane extract against α-amylase. Based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis, more than 90 secondary metabolites, including hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, and their glycosides, acylquinic acids, phenylethanoid glycosides, and various flavonoids were identified or tentatively annotated in the studied S. tundjeliensis extracts. It was observed that the application of S. tundjeliensis eliminated H2O2-induced oxidative stress. It was determined that protein levels of phospho-nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), receptor for advanced glycation endproducts, and activator protein-1, which are activated in the nucleus, decreased, and the synthesis of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 also decreased to basal levels. Overall, these findings suggest that S. tundjeliensis contains diverse bioactive compounds for the development of nutraceuticals or functional foods with potent biological properties
The telework mosaic: how people telework
No full textCareful research on what teleworkers do and how is still rare. This study focuses on the work practices of teleworkers and places them in the context of work process and interpersonal relations. The results illuminate the quality and viability of telework and contribute to our understanding of two issues: the transformation of the work and remote collaboration and communication.
The thesis is a qualitative case study of managerial and sales teleworkers of a large telecommunications company. The analysis examined teleworking practices in four different work processes: provisioning, forecasting, low-end and high-end sales. Twenty respondents, 12 of which teleworkers, provided in semi-structured interviews rich data on what they did, how they used technology, worked with coworkers, and restructured time and space. Differences in tasks and their organization, networks, and technology fostered variation in telework.
Three major findings emerged in the analysis. First, teleworking practices and outcomes varied across contexts to the point of individualization. Second, there was a strong continuity between traditional work and telework, attesting to a shift of traditional work towards remote work. Third, the changes telework brought to the workplace were small and contradictory.
Telework reproduced pre-existing control relations. Formal control procedures remain untouched while changes in the informal practices for control were minimal. The significant change was greater temporal and spatial flexibility but the gains were not dramatic and were often countered by longer working hours. The potential of telework to improve the workplace was contingent on structural and individual conditions.
Teleworkers continued to rely on mediated and face-to-face communication although their balance changed. Strong sociable relations and collaborative practices survived the change of interactions, helped by stable interpersonal relations and formal procedures. Telework truly disrupted only spontaneous face-to-face contacts. This raised concerns about the viability of the workplace processes, based on such interactions, and the opportunities for development of new strong relations in telework.
The study calls for re-conceptulizing of telework: from a uniform phenomenon to a mosaic of different experiences; from independent work to collaborative work embedded in interpersonal relations; from an antipode to a complementary option of the traditional workplace.Ph.D
Venture Labor, Media Work, and the Communicative Construction of Economic Value: Agendas for the Field and Critical Commentary
No full textAt the International Communication Association’s 2014 conference in Seattle, Washington, along with other panelists, Laura Robinson, Jeremy Schulz, Alice E. Marwick, Nicole S. Cohen, C. W. Anderson, Michelle Rodino-Colocino, Enda Brophy, and Gina Neff presented their work across two panels, respectively entitled “Venture Labor: Work and ‘The Good Life’” and “Laboring for the ‘Good (Part of Your) Life.’” After the conference, panelists synthesized their conclusions. Critical commentary was invited from a range of prominent international scholars: Paul Hirsch, Sarah Banet-Weiser, Ofer Sharone, Barry Wellman, Dimitrina Dimitrova, Tsahi Hayat, Guang Ying Mo, Beverly Wellman, and Antonio Casilli
Venture Labor| Foreword to Critical Commentary on Venture Labor
No full textAt the International Communication Association’s 2014 conference in Seattle, Washington, along with other panelists, Laura Robinson, Jeremy Schulz, Alice E. Marwick, Nicole S. Cohen, C. W. Anderson, Michelle Rodino-Colocino, Enda Brophy, and Gina Neff presented their work across two panels, respectively entitled “Venture Labor: Work and ‘The Good Life’” and “Laboring for the ‘Good (Part of Your) Life.’” After the conference, panelists synthesized their conclusions. Critical commentary was invited from a range of prominent international scholars: Paul Hirsch, Sarah Banet-Weiser, Ofer Sharone, Barry Wellman, Dimitrina Dimitrova, Tsahi Hayat, Guang Ying Mo, Beverly Wellman, and Antonio Casilli
A Fluid Inclusion and Critical/Rare Metal Study of Epithermal Quartz-Stibnite Veins Associated with the Gerakario Porphyry Deposit, Northern Greece
No full textThe Gerakario Cu-Au porphyry deposit in the Kilkis ore district, northern Greece, contains epithermal quartz-stibnite veins on the eastern side of the deposit, which crosscut a two-mica gneiss. Metallic mineralization in these veins consists of stibnite + berthierite + native antimony + pyrite + arsenopyrite, and minor marcasite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, löllingite, and native gold. Bulk geochemical analyses of the ore reveal an enrichment in critical and rare metals, including Ag, Au, Bi, Ce, Co, Ga, La, and Sb. Analysis of stibnite with LA-ICP-MS showed an enrichment in base metals (As, Cu, Pb), as well as weak to moderate contents of critical and rare metals (Ag, Bi, Ce, La, Re, Sm, Th, Ti, Tl). A statistical analysis of the trace elements show a positive correlation for the elemental pairs Ce-La, Ce-Sb, and La-Sb, and a negative correlation for the pair Bi-Sb. Fluid inclusions in the A-type veins of the porphyry-style mineralization show the presence of fluid boiling, resulting in a highly saline aqueous fluid phase (35.7 to 45.6 wt.% NaCl equiv.) and a moderately saline gas phase (14 to 22 wt.% NaCl equiv.) in the system H2O-NaCl-KCl at temperatures varying between 380° and 460 °C and pressures from 100 to 580 bar. Mixing of the moderate saline fluid with meteoric water produced less saline fluids (8 to 10 wt.% NaCl equiv.), which are associated with the epithermal quartz-stibnite vein mineralization. This process took place under hydrostatic pressures ranging from 65 to 116 bar at a depth between 600 and 1000 m, and at temperatures mainly from 280° to 320 °C.This article is published as Stergiou, Christos L., Vasilios Melfos, Panagiotis Voudouris, Lambrini Papadopoulou, Paul G. Spry, Irena Peytcheva, Dimitrina Dimitrova, and Elitsa Stefanova. "A Fluid Inclusion and Critical/Rare Metal Study of Epithermal Quartz-Stibnite Veins Associated with the Gerakario Porphyry Deposit, Northern Greece." Applied Sciences 12, no. 2 (2022): 909. doi:10.3390/app12020909. © 2022 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
- …
