When Academia Met Politics: The Balkans’ Imagology

Beyond Balkanism: The Scholarly Politics of Region Making ist nicht nur ein weiteres Buch über den weit verbreiteten, stereotypen Diskurs über den Balkan. Vielmehr handelt es sich um eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit dem geistigen Interesse an der Region ab dem 19. Jahrhundert. Diese umfangreiche Studie konzentriert sich darauf, wie verschiedene Generationen von Wissenschaftlern den Balkan definierten, um daraufhin die politische Nutzung von akademischen Projekten zu untersuchen. Durch die Konzentration auf intraregionale geopolitische Interessen und grenzüberschreitende Interaktionen, verändert Mishkova die übliche Wahrnehmung des Balkans als postkolonialen Raum. Mit einem neuen Ansatz für den komplizierten Begriff des Balkanismus und einem großen Korpus kritischer Literatur bildet diese Forschung die Grundlage für die weitere Entwicklung der Area Studies.The historical textbook Beyond Balkanism: The Scholarly Politics of Region Making isn‘t just another book on the popular stereotypical discourse about the Balkans. Rather, it is a critical examination of the intellectual interest in the region from the 19th century onward. Diana Mishkova‘s extensive study concentrates on the ways various generations of scholars defined the Balkans, in order to inspect political usage of academic projects. By focusing on intra-regional geopolitical stakes and cross-border interactions, Mishkova changes the usual perception of the Balkans as a postcolonial space. With a fresh approach to the complicated notion of balkanism and a more than respectable corpus of critical literature, this research builds a basis for the further development of Area Studies in general

Research of influence of different shaped charge liner materials on penetration depth using numerical simulations

Numerical simulations, using the Ansys AUTODYN program, of Panzerfaust 30 (klein) anti-tank warhead were performed to determine the influence of different liner materials on the penetration depth into a steel target. It has been shown that the choice of liner material can significantly affect the performance of the ammunition. Along with other methods of optimizing shaped charge ammunition (ie. optimization of the shape, thickness and angle of the tip of the liner, use of more potent explosive and deviator, optimization of casing thickness and stand-off distance, etc.), the use of appropriate liner material is certainly one of the most important parameters of shaped charge warheads to consider. Together with analytical calculations and experimental tests, simulations are valuable tool. Using data obtained from numerical simulations, researchers can save both time and resources during the process of munition design and optimization

Network lifetime extension, power conservation and interference suppression for next generation mobile wireless networks

Two major focus research areas related to the design of the next generation multihop wireless networks are network lifetime extension and interference suppression. In this dissertation, these two issues are addressed. In the area of interference suppression, a new family of projection multiuser detectors, based on a generalized, two-stage design is proposed. Projection multiuser detectors provide efficient protection against undesired interference of unknown power, while preserving simple design, with closed-form solution for error probabilities. It is shown that these detectors are linearly optimal, if the interference power is unknown. In the area of network lifetime extension, a new approach to minimum energy routing for multihop wireless networks in Rayleigh fading channels is proposed. It is based on the concept of power combining, whereby two users transmit same signal to the destination user, emulating transmit diversity with two transmit antennas. Analytical framework for the evaluation of the benefits of power combining, in terms of the total transmit power reduction, is defined. Simulation results, which match closely the analytical results, indicate that significant improvements, in terms of transmit power reduction and network lifetime extension, are achievable. The messaging load, generated by the new scheme, is moderate, and can be further optimized

Review of the estimation methods for external blast loads on structures

A review of external blast loads on structures modeling methods is presented in the paper. Also, numerical simulations of explosions in an urban scenario were done in software Ansys AUTODYN, and compared to experimental data. Recommendations were given regarding the use of numerical simulations in blast wave parameter calculations for the urban environment, as well as suggestions for further research

Universal Media Strategy: Us vs. Them

Mit Media Representations of the Cultural Other in Turkey bietet Alparslan Nas eine Analyse neuester Medieninhalte (Werbung, Zeichentrickfilme, Filme und Fernsehserien) und versucht herauszuarbeiten, inwiefern das Verhältnis zwischen Zentrum und Peripherie in diesen zeitgenössischen Inhalten ausgenutzt wird. Trotz einiger grober Aussagen und schwachen Verbindungen zu vorhandenen Theorien beweist der Autor anhand narrativer Analyse deutlich die Interdependenz dieser zwei Kategorien. Diese kurze und überschaubare Studie enthüllt die Paradoxe einer turbulenten Zeit in der Türkei und beweist vielfach, dass die kulturelle Dichotomie zwischen Zentrum und Peripherie vielen Akteuren als strategisches Instrument dient, ihre Position in Medienrepräsentationen zu verstärken.Alparslan Nas’ Media Representations of the Cultural Other in Turkey offers up-to-date analysis of recent media content (advertisements, cartoons, films and TV shows) with the aim to answer whether a center-periphery binary is exploited in contemporary production. Despite some broad statements and weak ties with existing theoretical work, the author clearly demonstrates the interdependence of these two ‚imaginative categories’ through narrative analysis. By elucidating paradoxes of an incredibly turbulent period in Turkey, this short and comprehensible study brings a host of evidence that the center-periphery cultural dichotomy is a strategic instrument for different subjects to strengthen their position in media representations

Trajectory estimation model for a solid body with an irregular shape undergoing extremely high aerodynamic forces

A generalized (6DOF) model for evaluating fragment trajectory elements is defined, which incorporates a novel model for estimating the projected surface of the body and novel model for estimating aerodynamic force and moment. This 6DOF model is developed on the basis of differential equations of the center of mass motion and movement around the center of mass (currently no known model incorporates movement of the body around its center of mass), and can model the parameters that play an essential role in movement of the bodies with irregular shape through the atmosphere. In our model the basic parameters (i.e. body dimensions) can be arbitrarily changed in the initial part of the analysis, and based on their values and values of initial kinematic parameters (initial velocity, position, orientation), trajectories can be determined (as well as other parameters: velocities, orientation) in a relatively short amount of time. The calculation of the complete trajectory of the fragments can be used in a number of applications: the analysis of the effects of the fragments (i.e. the safety analysis of the location of the ammunition depots, due to the potential explosion of the projectile) or in the estimation of a danger zones when demining larger quantities of the munition. Also, from the point of view of the parameters of the lethal zone of HE projectiles, it is generally important to estimate the trajectory of the fragments in the range up to 50m, so this model can be used to model such a scenario also. This model could also be potentially used wherever there is a need to calculate flight mechanics parameters of irregularly shaped bodies. Generalized (6DOF) model for estimation of an irregularly shaped body trajectory is implemented in a computer program, written in MatLab. Based on the model, the trajectory calculations were performed for the complete trajectory and for shorter distances to the center of the explosion, with varied geometric-inertial parameters and initial kinematic conditions for the given fragment

Review of methods for prediction of internal blast loading

A review of internal blast loads on structures modeling methods is presented in the paper. Also, numerical simulations of the internal explosion were done in software Ansys Autodyn. Critical areas of confined spaces were identified for this type of explosion event. Recommendations were given regarding the use of numerical simulations in blast wave parameter prediction, as well as suggestions for further research

Essays on Decision Making Over Risk

I make several contributions to the literature on decision making over risk-bearing products. Summarily, my research highlights the importance of non-distributional factors in the decision-making process for products bearing risk. I demonstrate that the majoritarian consumer behavior of the multi-billion-dollar Mega Millions lottery game is not rationalizable by existing preference-based models. Non-preference-based explanations are also unable to account for the observed behavior. I identify factors likely influencing choice behavior and incorporate them into a new model, which can account for the majoritarian choice behavior. In a separate project, I explore the relationship between risk preferences and preferences over winning number selection in games of chance. I provide novel experimental and empirical evidence of an interdependence of these preferences. Specifically, I find that at relatively reasonable odds, self-selection of winning numbers is most preferred. However, when odds worsen, allocation of selection to a random mechanism becomes most preferred. In a third project, I explore consumer preferences over Prize Linked Savings (PLS) products, which have the principal guarantee of standard savings products coupled with the positive return skewness of games of chance. I provide experimental evidence that designing PLS products with gaming features, like those found in games of chance, increases the appeal of PLS and the creation of savings. Furthermore, PLS products so designed may serve as better substitutes for games of chance than PLS products without such features

Deformation and stress analysis of a U-shaped pipe compensator using a 3D scanner

The paper shows a comparison of the three different methods to determine stress and strain in a U-shaped pipe compensator which is used to decrease stress in long pipes due to the constrained temperature dilatations. The stress and strain are analyzed analytically first with some parts of the analytical solution obtained numerically, such as integrals with no analytical solution in a closed form, i.e., functional series can be involved as a tool to solve those integrals. The pipe is analyzed as a beam or a planar frame using the Castigliano's method to determine displacements. Since there are curved parts of the U compensator, the curved beam theory is applied. The alternative method to determine the strains and stresses along the pipe is shown using the numerical simulations in SolidWorks. The results are compared with the analytical solution. Finally, the experimental method using a 3D scanner is involved for a comparison to check the applied conditions in the analytical and the simulation model