Resilience in intentionally destroyed historic settlements: An examination on Kirkuk Citadel and the old town of Van

Armed conflict is considered a major risk for cultural heritage since the Second World War and guidelines are prepared by international organizations such as UNESCO and ICCROM on risk management and protection of cultural heritage in conflict-affected areas. However, the main concerns are reducing risks prior to the armed conflict by identifying, analyzing, evaluating, treating and monitoring risks and managing them before the risk occurs. The literature is quite narrow in respect to the ways of protecting cultural heritage and sustaining life for both buildings and people in intentionally destroyed historic settlements. Within this context, this study aims to raise the question on how to manage change in the intentionally destroyed historic settlements and how to strengthen resilience in conflict-affected areas. In order to achieve this aim, an examination on two case studies, Kirkuk Citadel and the Old Town of Van, which were both intentionally destroyed as a result of armed conflict is made using comparative analysis method. The cases are chosen to represent different time periods, scales and types of destruction. Depending on the international law and guidelines, the study tries to understand the impact of armed conflict on the historic settlements embracing tangible and intangible cultural heritage, types of risks that threaten them and the ways to strengthen resilience in such areas. It is revealed as a result of the study that for both case study areas, being in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage is seen a primary step to be internationally recognized and to claim help for future actions aiming to reduce risks. Nevertheless, it can be argued that strategies have to be developed depending on the size and level of destruction, and the level of intervention to preserve and to rehabilitate life in such historic settlements, as each intentionally destroyed historic settlement has unique cultural, political and economic characteristics

Circular business model innovation in incumbents: a tool for tactical experimentation

This paper addresses the following question using a design science approach: How to design and integrate a tactical decision-making artifact that facilitates the circular business model experimentation process with the customer in the B2B context of an incumbent company?The paper contributes to the literature in two ways. Firstly, it presents one solution for integrating impact assessments in the decision-making processes of CBM experimentation, addressing the lack of impact assessments in business model research. Secondly, the paper builds upon the micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities (Santa-Maria, Vermeulen & Baumgartner, 2022) and operational management actions needed for experimentation capability (Bocken & Konietzko, 2022b) to make the experimentation discourse more tactical

Relationships among Bone Metabolic Markers, Body Fat Composition and Carotid Intima–Media Thickness in Premenopausal Obese Women

Osteocalcin (OC) is inversely related to body fat distribution and fasting glucose levels. We sought to observe the effect of OC on fat distribution and subclinical atherosclerosis as measured by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in premenopausal obese women. In this prospective observational study, totally, 73 premenopausal obese women (aged 17-55 years) and 53 healthy women (aged 20-50 years) with normal weight were included as controls. Anthropometric measurements, total fat and fat ratio, insulin, fasting blood glucose, and OC levels were estimated. Ultrasonography was used to assess fat distribution, and fat thickness was measured in 4 regions. Subcutaneous fat (SCF), visceral fat (VF), and preperitoneal fat (PPF) thicknesses were considerably higher in obese subjects (p<0.01) than healthy controls, while OC levels were significantly lower. No correlation was observed between OC levels and SCF, VF, or PPF. In a multiple regression analysis, OC was significantly positively associated with SCF (p=0.04, Beta=0.284). No associations were observed between OC levels and VF, PPF, or CIMT. A significant association was observed between parathyroid hormone (PTH) and VF (p=0.021, Beta=0.284), and vitamin D levels were inversely associated with VF (p=0.002, r=−0.366). OC levels were lower in premenopausal obese women than normal-weight healthy controls, but OC exhibited no correlation with VF or PPF, and only a weak positive association with SCF. Additionally, VF was positively correlated with PTH and inversely correlated with vitamin D. These results suggest that OC may be an early indicator of lipid accumulation in te subcutaneous area and development of atherosclerosis

Investigating the antioxidant properties and rutin content of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) leaves and branches

The present study focused on the antioxidant properties and rutin content of leaves and branches of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Sea buckthorn) in Turkey. Dried leaves (leaf tea), processed (PB) and unprocessed branches (UB) of Sea buckthorn (SBT) were extracted with ethanol and prepared in forms of aqueous extract (AE). All samples were analyzed for their contents of rutin, total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC) and total antioxidant capacity by using DPPH and CUPRAC methods. TPC of leaves from ethanolic extracts (EE) were significantly higher than UB and PB extracts. The DPPH scavenging activity of extracts ranged from 41.93 ± 3.57 and 132.43 ± 6.57 mg trolox equivalent (TE)/g, and the antioxidant capacity measured with CUPRAC method were in between 129.4 ± 18.1 and 538.5 ± 34.8 mg TE/g. Both EE and AE of leaf samples had significantly higher rutin content compared to the UB and PB samples. Taking the high antioxidant and rutin content of leaves into account and with respect to their positive health effects, consumption of SBT as a herbal tea should be investigated.Keywords: Sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides, leaves, antioxidant, phenolic profile, rutin conten

Online Data Condensation for Digitalised Biopharmaceutical Processes

Efficient control of a bioprocess relies on the ability to systematically capture and represent the process dynamics of critical process parameters. Multivariate monitoring techniques in biopharmaceuticals has resulted in the generation of large amounts of data comprising real-time measurements of critical quality and performance attributes. If exploited efficiently, these can provide an opportunity for developing better control action. For this, it is important to have a comprehensive view of the critical process parameter landscape, which can only be achieved by integrating both online and offline data into a single data matrix that can then be subjected to standard data analysis protocols. However, owing to the difference in the number of readings available for variables recorded online and offline, there is a need for new methods to achieve condensation capability. This paper introduces a novel methodology for condensing online data into an offline data matrix, which performed better when compared to traditionally employed averaging and helped increase the number of variables available for representing the design space of the process. The method was also used to understand how error propagates through online data, so as to identify an interval of tolerance in online monitoring of bioprocesses

Ozonation-Based Decolorization of Food Dyes for Recovery of Fruit Leather Wastes

Commercial manufacture of fruit leathers (FL) usually results in a portion of the product that is out of specification. The disposition of this material poses special challenges in the food industry. Because the material remains edible and contains valuable ingredients (fruit pulp, sugars, acidulates, etc.), an ideal solution would be to recover this material for product rework. A key practical obstacle to such recovery is that compositing of differently colored wastes results in an unsalable gray product. Therefore, a safe and scalable method for decolorization of FL prior to product rework is needed. This research introduces a novel approach utilizing ozonation for color removal. To explore the use of ozonation as a decolorization step, we first applied it to simple solutions of the commonly used food colorants 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid (Red 40), tartrazine (Yellow 5), and erioglaucine (Blue 1). Decolorization was measured by UV/vis spectrometry at visible wavelengths and with a Hunter colorimeter. Volatile and semivolatile byproducts from ozone-based colorant decomposition were identified and quantified with solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Removal of Yellow 5, Red 40 and Blue 1 of about 65%, 80%, and 90%, respectively, was accomplished with 70 g of ozone applied per 1 kg of redissolved and resuspended FL. Carbonyl compounds were identified as major byproducts from ozone-induced decomposition of the food colorants. A conservative risk assessment based on quantification results and published toxicity information of potentially toxic byproducts, determined that ozone-based decolorization of FL before recycling is acceptable from a safety standpoint. A preliminary cost estimate based on recycling of 1000 tons of FL annually suggests a potential of $275,000 annual profit from this practice at one production facility alone

Revealing Individual Neuroanatomical Heterogeneity in Alzheimer Disease Using Neuroanatomical Normative Modeling

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is highly heterogeneous, with marked individual differences in clinical presentation and neurobiology. To explore this, we employed neuroanatomical normative modelling to index regional patterns of variability in cortical thickness. We aimed to characterise individual differences and outliers in cortical thickness in patients with AD, people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and controls. Furthermore, we assessed the relationships between cortical thickness heterogeneity and cognitive function, amyloid-beta, phosphor-tau, ApoE genotype. Finally, we examined whether cortical thickness heterogeneity was predictive of conversion from MCI to AD. METHODS: Cortical thickness measurements across 148 brain regions were obtained from T1-weighted MRI scans from 62 sites of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. AD was determined by clinical and neuropsychological examination with no comorbidities present. MCI participants had reported memory complaints, and controls were cognitively normal. A neuroanatomical normative model indexed cortical thickness distributions using a separate healthy reference dataset (n= 33,072), employing hierarchical Bayesian regression to predict cortical thickness per region using age and sex, whilst adjusting for site noise. Z-scores per region were calculated, resulting in a z-score 'brain map' per participant. Regions with z-scores <-1.96 were classified as outliers. RESULTS: Patients with AD (n=206) had a median of 12 outlier regions (out of a possible 148), with the highest proportion of outliers (47%) in the parahippocampal gyrus. For 62 regions, over 90% of these patients had cortical thicknesses within the normal range. Patients with AD had more outlier regions than people with MCI (n=662) or controls (n=159) [F(2, 1022) = 95.39), P = 2.0×10-16]. They were also more dissimilar to each other than people with MCI or controls [F(2, 1024) = 209.42, P = 2.2×10-16]. A greater number of outlier regions was associated with worse cognitive function, CSF protein concentrations and an increased risk of converting from MCI to AD within three years (HR = 1.028, 95% CI[1.016,1.039], P =1.8×10-16). DISCUSSION: Individualised normative maps of cortical thickness highlight the heterogeneous impact of AD on the brain. Regional outlier estimates have the potential to be a marker of disease and could be used to track an individual's disease progression or treatment response in clinical trials

Phase transitions in contagion processes mediated by recurrent mobility patterns

Human mobility and activity patterns mediate contagion on many levels, including the spatial spread of infectious diseases, diffusion of rumors, and emergence of consensus. These patterns however are often dominated by specific locations and recurrent flows and poorly modeled by the random diffusive dynamics generally used to study them. Here we develop a theoretical framework to analyze contagion within a network of locations where individuals recall their geographic origins. We find a phase transition between a regime in which the contagion affects a large fraction of the system and one in which only a small fraction is affected. This transition cannot be uncovered by continuous deterministic models due to the stochastic features of the contagion process and defines an invasion threshold that depends on mobility parameters, providing guidance for controlling contagion spread by constraining mobility processes. We recover the threshold behavior by analyzing diffusion processes mediated by real human commuting data.Comment: 20 pages of Main Text including 4 figures, 7 pages of Supplementary Information; Nature Physics (2011

Deficits in mitochondrial TCA cycle and OXPHOS precede rod photoreceptor degeneration during chronic HIF activation

Background: Major retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment, are associated with a local decrease in oxygen availability causing the formation of hypoxic areas affecting the photoreceptor (PR) cells. Here, we addressed the underlying pathological mechanisms of PR degeneration by focusing on energy metabolism during chronic activation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in rod PR. Methods: We used two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) of genetically encoded biosensors delivered by adeno-associated viruses (AAV) to determine lactate and glucose dynamics in PR and inner retinal cells. Retinal layer-specific proteomics, in situ enzymatic assays and immunofluorescence studies were used to analyse mitochondrial metabolism in rod PRs during chronic HIF activation. Results: PRs exhibited remarkably higher glycolytic flux through the hexokinases than neurons of the inner retina. Chronic HIF activation in rods did not cause overt change in glucose dynamics but an increase in lactate production nonetheless. Furthermore, dysregulation of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway (OXPHOS) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in rods with an activated hypoxic response decelerated cellular anabolism causing shortening of rod photoreceptor outer segments (OS) before onset of cell degeneration. Interestingly, rods with deficient OXPHOS but an intact TCA cycle did not exhibit these early signs of anabolic dysregulation and showed a slower course of degeneration. Conclusion: Together, these data indicate an exceeding high glycolytic flux in rods and highlight the importance of mitochondrial metabolism and especially of the TCA cycle for PR survival in conditions of increased HIF activity