Higher-order time-stepping schemes for fluid-structure interaction problems

We consider a recently introduced formulation for fluid-structure interaction problems which makes use of a distributed Lagrange multiplier in the spirit of the fictitious domain method. In this paper we focus on time integration methods of second order based on backward differentiation formulae and on the Crank-Nicolson method. We show the stability properties of the resulting method; numerical tests confirm the theoretical results

Ly6Chi Monocytes Provide a Link between Antibiotic-Induced Changes in Gut Microbiota and Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Antibiotics, though remarkably useful, can also cause certain adverse effects. We detected that treatment of adult mice with antibiotics decreases hippocampal neurogenesis and memory retention. Reconstitution with normal gut flora (SPF) did not completely reverse the deficits in neurogenesis unless the mice also had access to a running wheel or received probiotics. In parallel to an increase in neurogenesis and memory retention, both SPF-reconstituted mice that ran and mice supplemented with probiotics exhibited higher numbers of Ly6Chi monocytes in the brain than antibiotic-treated mice. Elimination of Ly6Chi monocytes by antibody depletion or the use of knockout mice resulted in decreased neurogenesis, whereas adoptive transfer of Ly6Chi monocytes rescued neurogenesis after antibiotic treatment. We propose that the rescue of neurogenesis and behavior deficits in antibiotic-treated mice by exercise and probiotics is partially mediated by Ly6Chi monocytes

ANÁLISE DE POLIÓIS E POLIÁCIDOS CONSTITUINTES DE RESINAS ALQUÍDICAS VISANDO CQ OU DESENVOLVIMENTO DE NOVOS POLÍMEROS PARA TINTAS BASE ÓLEO

A Killing S.A. Indústria de Tintas e Adesivos produz, em Novo Hamburgo, resinas alquídicas obtidasa partir de diferentes óleos vegetais e usadas na produção de tintas óleo. O presente trabalho visou odesenvolvimento de um método de análise qualitativa e quantitativa dos óleos presentes em resinas alquídicas.A metodologia envolveu a transesterificação destas resinas com álcool metílico, em meio ácido, seguida daanálise dos ésteres metílicos formados por cromatografia gasosa em paralelo com a realização de outrosensaios, incluindo índice de iodo. O método, com algumas limitações, permite a determinação dos ácidosgraxos, do comprimento de óleo da resina, dos poliácidos e pode ser aplicado ao controle de qualidade e/ou no aprimoramento e desenvolvimento de novos produtos.Palavras-chave: resina alquídica, óleo, análise CG, polióis, poliácidos

Corporate Security Responsibility: Towards a Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Research Agenda

The political debate about the role of business in armed conflicts has increasingly raised expectations as to governance contributions by private corporations in the fields of conflict prevention, peace-keeping and postconflict peace-building. This political agenda seems far ahead of the research agenda, in which the negative image of business in conflicts, seen as fuelling, prolonging and taking commercial advantage of violent conflicts,still prevails. So far the scientific community has been reluctant to extend the scope of research on ‘corporate social responsibility’ to the area of security in general and to intra-state armed conflicts in particular. As a consequence, there is no basis from which systematic knowledge can be generated about the conditions and the extent to which private corporations can fulfil the role expected of them in the political discourse. The research on positive contributions of private corporations to security amounts to unconnected in-depth case studies of specific corporations in specific conflict settings. Given this state of research, we develop a framework for a comparative research agenda to address the question: Under which circumstances and to what extent can private corporations be expected to contribute to public security

Non-western contexts: the invisible half

Like many other disciplines within the broad area of social sciences (e.g., anthropology, gender studies, psychology, sociology, etc.), consumer research is also highly navigated by scholars from Western countries. This, however, does not mean, by any means, that consumer research is devoted to studying Western contexts only. As evident from the ever-increasing number of regional conferences (e.g., Asia-Pacific and Latin American conferences of the Association for Consumer Research) and non-Western students' enrolment in doctoral programs at Western universities, there are many more researchers (from non-Western countries) who are entering the field and enriching it by their colourful contributions. Yet, given the low number of publications on consumer research in non-Western contexts, it seems that our current knowledge in these societies has a long way to go to flourish. More specifically, and in the domain of consumption culture research, this gap is even further widened by the fact that the culture of consumption in such contexts is largely interpreted with reference to the 'grand narratives' of Western scholars (e.g., Foucault, Mafessoli, Bourdieu, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Nietzsche, Durkheim, Derrida, etc.). Therefore, from an ontological perspective, it seems that our existing knowledge about non-Western societies lies heavily on the 'theoretical structures' that are 'constructed' by Western philosophy as a set of ideas, beliefs, and practices (Said, 1978). As Belk (1995) reminds us, consumption culture always existed in all human societies. What makes contemporary societies different from that of our predecessors' is not the fact that consumption culture did not exist in those societies, but that consumption culture has become a prevailing feature in modern society (Slater, 1997; Lury, 1996; Fırat and Venkatesh, 1995; McCracken, 1988). Therefore, the nature and dynamics of consumption culture in each society should be studied not only against the sociocultural, historical, and economic background of a given context (Western or non-Western) but also with reference to the philosophical and epistemological viewpoints that analyse and interpret cultural practices of that society from within that culture. Addressing such issues, this paper discusses some of the key reasons for lack of theory development in the field from non-western contexts. The paper invites scholars in non-Western contexts to introduce the less articulated, and sometime hidden, body of knowledge from their own contexts into the field of marketing in general and consumer research in particular

The Third wave in globalization theory

This essay examines a proposition made in the literature that there are three waves in globalization theory—the globalist, skeptical, and postskeptical or transformational waves—and argues that this division requires a new look. The essay is a critique of the third of these waves and its relationship with the second wave. Contributors to the third wave not only defend the idea of globalization from criticism by the skeptics but also try to construct a more complex and qualified theory of globalization than provided by first-wave accounts. The argument made here is that third-wave authors come to conclusions that try to defend globalization yet include qualifications that in practice reaffirm skeptical claims. This feature of the literature has been overlooked in debates and the aim of this essay is to revisit the literature and identify as well as discuss this problem. Such a presentation has political implications. Third wavers propose globalist cosmopolitan democracy when the substance of their arguments does more in practice to bolster the skeptical view of politics based on inequality and conflict, nation-states and regional blocs, and alliances of common interest or ideology rather than cosmopolitan global structures

Investigation of thermal effects of radiofrequency ablation mediated with iron oxide nanoparticles dispersed in agarose and chitosan solvents

Thermal ablation (TA) is known as an alternative therapy to surgery to treat tumors. However, TA-based therapy requires advanced approaches in order to prevent causing damage to healthy tissue around the tumor and selectively target the desired area. Nanoparticles are considered as a promising tool in biomedicine to fulfill these requirements. This study was carried out in order to analyze the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles on the temperature increment during radiofrequency ablation therapy of porcine liver. In addition, this research aimed to experimentally evaluate the impact of two solvents such as agarose and chitosan on the temperature change, when magnetic nanoparticles were dispersed in them. The iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by the solvothermal method demonstrating the magnetic properties by acting to the external magnetic field. To increase the local heat superparamagnetic nanoparticles (iron oxide magnetic nanoparticle (IONPs)) of the average size of 20 nm in size and the concentrations from 1 to 10 mg/mL of MNPs with a step size of 1 mg/mL were tested in 10 replicates for each concentration and solvent. Moreover, the temperature changes for dry liver, and 0 mg/mL concentration was checked for calibration and reference purposes. As a sensing system, advanced 16-FBG optical fiber sensors connected to an interrogator were employed allowing the temperature change to be monitored accurately in real time. A maximum temperature of about 142 °C was recorded by a 5 mg/mL concentration of iron oxide nanoparticles dispersed in the agarose solvent