Не робіть мені розтин серця після смерті (Do not dissect my heart after i die)

Авторка есе в надзвичайно особистісній перспективі розмірковуєпро статус меж та ідентичності, беручи до уваги особливо інтенсивну міграцію та низку політичних змін у сучасному світі. Текст складає запис власного досвіду і рефлексій авторки про польсько-російське коріння, зв’язок з Китаєм, а також багато розмов, що були нею проведені в Шанхаї у 2012–2014 роках з особами різного походження. Текст зосереджується передусім на питаннях стратегії ідентифікації з місцем, а також проблемах транскультурності, як у стосунку до Центрально-Східної Європи, так і Шанхаю. (Author of the essay tries to rethink the status of borders and identity in a very personal perspective. She is focusing particularly on growing migration and certain political changes of the contemporary world. This text records own experiences and reflections of the Polish-Russian author who is strongly attached to China since childhood, as well as many conversations she held in Shanghai in 2012-2014 with people of different origins. It is mostly focused on strategies of identification with a place and issues of transculturality, concerning both East-Central Europe and Shanghai.

Liquid crystal hyperbolic metamaterial for wide-angle negative-positive refraction and reflection

We show that nanosphere dispersed liquid crystal (NDLC) metamaterial can be characterized in near IR spectral region as an indefinite medium whose real parts of effective ordinary and extraordinary permittivities are opposite in signs. Based on this fact we design a novel electrooptic effect: external electric field driven switch between normal refraction, negative refraction and reflection of TM incident electromagnetic wave from the boundary vacuum/NDLC. A detailed analysis of its functionality is given based on effective medium theory combined with a study of negative refraction in anisotropic metamaterials, and Finite Elements simulations

Therapy sculpts the complex interplay between cancer and the immune system during tumour evolution

Cancer development is an evolutionary process. A key selection pressure is exerted by therapy, one of the few players in cancer evolution that can be controlled. As such, an understanding of how treatment acts to sculpt the tumour and its microenvironment and how this influences a tumour’s subsequent evolutionary trajectory is critical. In this review, we examine cancer evolution and intra-tumour heterogeneity in the context of therapy. We focus on how radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy shape both tumour development and the environment in which tumours evolve and how resistance can develop or be selected for during treatment

Spontaneous formation of liquid crystalline phases and phase transitions in highly concentrated plasmid DNA

The liquid crystalline (LC) properties of two supercoiled plasmid DNA samples, pBSK (2958 bp) and pGEM (3000 bp), have been studied using polarised light microscopy (PLM), circular dichroism (CD) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The influence of methods of isolation on plasmid LC behaviour is described, and using PLM we have demonstrated the spontaneous formation of cholesteric fingerprint-like textures. Preliminary studies of LC phase transitions in pGEM show the irreversibility of LC phase formation, as a consequence of changes in the tertiary structure of supercoiled plasmids. Using UV-Vis spectroscopy a hyperchromic effect was observed with increasing temperature. The CD spectra clearly showed structural changes, and probably mismatching of DNA bases, during cooling. Finally, we have observed an irreversible phase transition in plasmid DNA which is very different from that previously reported in linear DNA

Block Ramps in Curved Rivers: Morphology Analysis and Prototype Data Supported Design Criteria for Mild Bed Slopes

Eco-friendly river restoration structures are a valid solution for river training projects. Among this structure typology, block ramps have been successfully tested to solve problems related to river sediment control, bed stabilization and energy dissipation. Despite the conspicuous literature dealing with block ramps design in straight rivers, there are no studies analysing the erosive process occurring in the stilling basin downstream of a block ramp in a curved river bend. Therefore, this paper represents the first systematic analysis of their behaviour and of the resulting downstream equilibrium morphology in such geometric configuration. A dedicated model was built to simulate a wide range of hydraulic conditions. Experimental data analysis allowed describing the erosion dynamics occurring in the stilling basin and, at the same time, to derive a useful design relationship by which it is possible to estimate the maximum scour depth. Furthermore, the model results were successfully validated by using field measurements collected in the Porebianka River (Poland). Both field data and laboratory experimental results allowed furnishing a comprehensive description of the scour phenomenon. The proposed relationship represents the first trustable and valid tool for hydraulic design of such structure typology in curved rivers

Proposing Thematic Mapping for Integrated Risk Communication: A study of British & Japanese perspectives in flood-prone communities

Modern flood risk communication continues to lack the input of different stakeholder levels and as a result, there has been an insufficiency to construct communication that is inclusive of all stakeholders. There is also still an absence of consideration of context-specific information that helps to shape the communication crafting process. This study sought to establish the above through the creation of a thematic map (a visual display based on themes), merging top-down and bottom-up approaches to create a clearer picture of important factors for risk communication within the specific contexts being observed. The research team conducted 16 semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 4 different types of stakeholders at 2 rural sites in the UK and 2 rural sites in Japan. The results outlined five key themes that underpin integrated risk communication, establishing the thematic map – Individual Circumstances, Community Structure, Impact Scale, Response Capacity, and Social Barriers. These findings are important in beginning to help conceptualise how current DRR efforts can be enhanced and in presenting an integrated approach to risk communication that helps to reduce unnecessary complexity and inaccessibility. However, further replications of the study are needed at other sites across the world to test the robustness and adaptability of this kind of modelling

Magnetization Reversal Processes in the Nanocrystalline Fe-Co-Zr-Ti-Pr-B Magnets

Magnetization reversal processes in the magnets derived from the Fe 60 Co 13 Zr 1 Ti 3 Pr 9 B 14 alloy were investigated. It was shown that the processing technique affects the magnetization reversal processes. For the nanocrystalline ribbon samples pinning of the domain walls arises at low external magnetic fields while nucleation of reversed domains occurs at higher fields. However, the nucleation fields are lower than the pinning fields for the nanocrystalline rod and tube samples produced by suction-casting technique

Deep Submicron III-V on Si-Based Esaki Diode

Esaki tunneling diodes are reemerging as a viable technology option in helping to improve speed and performance of many high speed device applications. The revival of this technology may be linked to the development of new substrates available to research that allows for the fabrication of a device comparable to current silicon technology. Using a 111-V on Silicon Substrate, it was demonstrated that it is possible to create working Esaki Tunneling Diodes