bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AMARANTHUS AS A SOURCE OF POLYPHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND FLAVONOIDS FOR USE IN MEDICINE
Authors:   Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine, Hutsko K.I.
Published: May 2024

Amaranth is used as a medicinal plant with antioxidant, hemostatic, and wound-healing properties. The aim of the research is the quantitative determination of polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids in ethanolic extracts of amaranth seeds of the "Lera" and "Ultra" varieties and leaves Amaranthus retroflexus. Methods. Extracts were obtained by infusion for 7 days in 70% and 80% ethanol. Quantitative determination of secondary metabolites was conducted by spectrophotometric methods. Results. The largest amount of polyphenolic compounds was found in the ethanolic extract of Amaranthus retroflexus leaves - 0.228 mg/ml. More polyphenols were found in the ethanolic extract of amaranth seeds of the "Lera" variety than in the extract of amaranth seeds of the "Ultra" variety. In the extract of leaves of Amaranthus retroflexus, 2.1 x 10-4 mg/ml of flavonoids were found, in extracts of amaranth seeds were found from 0.7 x 10-5 mg/ml to 1.55 x 10-5 mg/ml of flavonoids. Conclusion. The ethanolic extract of the leaves of Amaranthus retroflexus contains a greater number of investigated secondary metabolites than the extracts of amaranth seeds of the "Lera" and "Ultra" varieties. The ethanol extract of amaranth seeds of the "Lera" variety contains more polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids than the ethanol extract of amaranth seeds of the "Ultra" variety.
USE OF SUMO-EXPRESSION SYSTEM AND SUMO-PROTEASE FOR PRODUCTION OF ACTIVE INTERFERON α-2b
Authors:   Educational and Scientific Center “Institute of Biology and Medicine” of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine, Klymkovych I-M.M. ,   Department of Research and Development, JSC “Farmak”, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

Recombinant proteins production in prokaryotic expression systems is often complicated by need of native, N-terminal formylmethionine free molecule extraction, refolding, and processing. To facilitate these stages, alternative expression systems and fusion of target proteins are being used, in particular the SUMO system. Aim. This research aimed to verify a feasibility of SUMO-protease and SUMO-expression system using to produce active interferon α-2b. The goal was to increase both expression and total yield of the target protein and enhance its quality characteristics, particularly its purity and medical safety, for potential application in acute respiratory diseases treating. Methods. The obtained SUMO-protease and SUMO-interferon hybrid protein, as well as the proteolytic reaction were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and HPLC techniques. The results confirmed that SUMO system appliance enhanced protein expression level, refolding efficiency; as well, it was useful for purification costs reduction. Conclusion. The proteolytic reaction efficiency was close to 100 %.
THE IMPACT OF GRAPHENE OXIDE NANOPARTICLES ON THE EXPRESSION OF ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM STRESS-DEPENDENT GENES IS MORE PRONOUNCED IN NORMAL HUMAN ASTROCYTES THAN GLIOBLASTOMA CELLS
Authors:   Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Rudnytska O.V.
Published: May 2024

Aim. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of graphene oxide nanoparticles on the expression of a subset of ER stress-dependent genes in normal human astrocytes in comparison with glioblastoma cells depending on the knockdown of ERN1. Material and Methods. The culture plates with normal human astrocytes (NHA/TS) and glioblastoma cells (sublines of U87MG) were exposed to two doses of GO nanoparticles (1 and 4 ng/ml of medium) for 24 h. Total RNA was extracted from normal human astrocytes and glioblastoma cells using the TRIzol reagent. The expression level of genes related to cell proliferation was studied by real-time qPCR. Statistical analysis of the results was performed according to the widely accepted methods of variational statistics. Results. GO nanoparticles strongly upregulated the expression level of ATF3, ATF4 and TOB1 mRNA in both normal human astrocytes and glioblastoma cells, but normal cells were more sensitive to the genotoxic action of GO nanoparticles than glioblastoma cells. That changes in studied gene expressions possibly reflect the genotoxic and neurotoxic effects of these unique carbon nanoparticles. Conclusion. GO nanoparticles demonstrate a more pronounced dose-dependent effect on the expression of genes responsible for ER stress, cell proliferation, and cancerogenesis in normal human astrocytes than glioblastoma cells.
THE BIOCHEMICAL RESPONSES OF BIVALVE MOLLUSCS TO NEUROLEPTIC CHLORPROMAZINE ARE COMPARABLE WITH THE RESPONSES OF HIGHER VERTEBRATES
Authors:   Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ukraine, Yunko K.
Published: May 2024

Pharmaceuticals such as chlorpromazine (Cpz) are emerging aquatic pollutants with potential effects on non-target organisms. However, its effects on aquatic organisms remain limited and inconclusive. The aim of this study was to compare the responses to Cpz in marine and freshwater bivalve molluscs. Methods. Mytilus galloprovincialis and Unio tumidus were exposed to pM and nM concentrations of Cpz for 14 days and analysed 16 parameters, including cytotoxicity, oxidative/reductive stress responses, metallothionein concentration and biotransformation enzymes in the digestive gland. Results. In both species, Cpz increased EROD activity, possibly leading to the formation of reactive metabolites. Marine mussels exposed to Cpz I and II showed increased GST activity, suggesting detoxification, whereas freshwater mussels showed decreased GST activity, suggesting higher Cpz toxicity. Activation of the GTPase dynamin in U. tumidus exposed to Cpz I confirmed the effect of Cpz on endocytosis. Oxidative stress responses were observed in both species, with changes in oxidative/reductive stress responses, suggesting toxic effects of Cpz. GSH and metallothionein concentrations increased in all exposures, while the NADH/NAD+ ratio increased significantly in U. tumidus. Loss of lysosomal membrane stability was observed in all exposed groups, with CtD efflux detected only in mussels. Differences in caspase-3 activity were also observed between species. Conclusion. Cpz showed adverse effects on vertebrates at μM concentrations, while mussels were affected at pM to nM concentrations, indicating concentration-dependent interspecies effects. Stress responses were similar between species, suggesting that marine molluscs are a potential model for assessing the adverse effects of Cpz on higher vertebrates.
COMMUTATING VOLTAGE OF THREE-PHASE DOUBLE-BRIDGE COMPENSATING CONVERTER
Authors:   National Technical University of Ukraine Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute,  Beresteiskyi Ave., 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine, Boiko V.S.
Published: May 2024

The results of a study of electromagnetic processes in a three-phase two-bridge compensation converter, which is one of the options for the circuit implementation of new generation compensation converters, are presented. The commutating link of the converter contains a three-phase capacitor battery and a three-phase group of fully controlled devices. This technical solution makes it possible to make the process of recharging capacitors controllable. Moreover, it becomes possible to change not only the magnitude of the capacitor voltage, but also its shape. It was noted that in the previous generation of compensation converters there was no ability to change the shape of the commutating voltage. The latter is a significant advantage of new generation devices, since it allows for high energy characteristics of the converter. This is confirmed by the results of a study of the energy capabilities of the converter under study in nine operating modes presented in the publication and the conclusion on the most effective modes. References 9, figures 10.
GENERALIZATION OF THE MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE DECOMPOSITION OF TRANSFORMER-AND-SWITCHES EXECUTIVE STRUCTURES OF VOLTAGE REGULATORS WITH DISCRETE TIME CONTROL OF SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENTS
Authors:   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Beresteiskyi Ave., 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Lypkivskyi K.O. , Mozharovskyi A.G. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Beresteiskyi Ave., 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

Executive structures of a significant part of voltage regulators in systems of conversion of electricity parameters are based on the integration of semiconductor switch and transforming elements (SE and TE, respectively). In particular, these are transformer-and-switches executive structure (TSES), in which the TE windings are sectioned in a certain way or have intermediate taps with key elements connected to them. Discrete-time control of these KEs makes it possible to realize the operation of TSES in a set of operating states with corresponding voltage transfer coefficients. The purpose of the work was to generalize the main provisions of improving TSES voltage regulators through their decomposition (separation into separate control units) in order to ensure high efficiency of semiconductor devices and reduce their losses. The peculiarities of the decomposition of TSES during the regulation of alternating and rectified current voltage are analyzed. Expedient depths of decomposition are determined. It has been proven the operation of reformatting sec-tions in control units, subject to compliance with the optimal laws of sectioning of the winding, ensures the necessary efficiency of the use of SE. Recommendations are given on the areas of implementation of rectified current voltage regulators. References 7, tables 3, figures 3.
FEATURES OF CONSTRUCTION OF IMPEDANSOMETRIC CHANNELS FOR WORK AT LOW AND INFRARED FREQUENCIES
Authors:   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Beresteiskyi Ave., 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Borchshov P.I. , Brahynets I.O. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Beresteiskyi Ave., 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Masiurenko Yu.O. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Beresteiskyi Ave., 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine, Melnyk V.G. ,   Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Beresteiskyi Ave., 56, Kyiv, 03057, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

The features of the low and infra-low frequency ranges of harmonic measurement signals, as well as the properties of the investigated objects, which must be taken into account during the construction of impedance measuring channels, are determined. To combine the necessary metrological characteristics of such channels (accuracy, speed, immunity), an approach is used, consisting in analog-to-digital conversion of signals received from sensors, and subsequent application of digital methods of their processing. Options for implementing this approach using digital methods for determining the amplitude of sinusoidal signals were considered and analyzed, among which the most promising ones were selected for metrological support of impedance measurements at low and infra-low frequencies. The perspective of using parallel-serial analog-digital conversion of an informative signal with its continuous integration at these frequencies is shown. Conclusions were made and recommendations were given regarding the use of the considered methods taking into account the properties of the measurement objects. References 16.
Calculation of Energy Levels B(E2) and B(M1) for 58,59Cu Isotopes by Using NushellX@MSU Code
Authors: Hasan A.K. , Abed H.H.
Published: May 2024

In this study, the NushellX@MSU code was applied to compute energy levels, B(E2) and B(M1), values for 58Cu and 59Cu isotopes, using the jj44pn shell and the jun45pn effective interaction. The model space encompassed all possible nucleon configurations within the (f5/2, p3/2, p1/2, and g9/2) orbits. Overall, the computed probabilities of electromagnetic transitions and energy levels for the 58Cu and 59Cu isotopes demonstrate a reasonable consistency with available experimental data.
Glutathione-Capped Quaternary Ag–(In,Ga)–S Quantum Dots Obtained by Colloidal Synthesis in Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Azhniuk Y.M. , Selyshchev O.V. , Havryliuk Ye.O. , Lopushanska B.V. , Ehm A. , Lopushansky V.V. , Gomonnai A.V. , Studenyak I.P. , Zahn D.R.T.
Published: May 2024

Ag–(In,Ga)–S quantum dots (QDs) were obtained by colloidal synthesis from aqueous solutions with different [In]/[Ga] precursor ratios in the presence of glutathione ligands under mild conditions. Size-selected fractions of the colloidal solutions were separated by the repeated centrifuging with addition of 2-propanol. The QD chemical composition determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is noticeably In-enriched with respect to the precursor ratio. The QD size estimated from the halfwidth of X-ray diffraction peaks for the non-fractioned colloidal solutions is about 2 nm. The synthesized QDs reveal a shift of the absorption edge and the photoluminescence (PL) peak maximum toward higher energies with decreasing the QD size. Experimentally measured Raman spectra of the Ag–(In,Ga)–S QDs are noticeably affected by size-related factors.
The Role of E-Learning, It’s Advantages And Disadvantages of Adoption In Higher-Education
Authors:   Chitkara Business School, Chitkara University, Punjab, India, Mohan Rahul , Sharma Himesh ,   Chitkara Business School, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
Published: May 2024

This study looks into the efficiency of e-learning as a teaching tool in post-secondary settings. It involves connecting contemporary information and communication through technology for teaching and learning in higher education institutions. By analyzing significant contributions made by various academics and institutions on the notion of e-learning, particularly its use in teaching and learning in higher educational institutions, this study evaluates the literature and provides a scholarly backdrop to the study. Through surveys and other observations, it reveals some opinions that individuals and institutions around the world have shared regarding the adoption and integration of e-learning technology in education. It examines various researchers’ views of what e-learning is, what role it plays in higher educational institutions with regard to teaching and learning processes, and the advantages and disadvantages of its adoption and implementation.
Clinical and biochemical assessment of a probiotic feed supplement application on calves
Authors: Lytvynenko V. , Ushkalov V. , Romanko M. , Melnyk V. , Orobchenko O.
Published: May 2024

The intensification of animal husbandry prompts producers to use modern technologies that are safe for humans and promote the welfare and health of animals. Despite the long time spent studying the effectiveness of probiotics, questions regarding the optimal composition and period of rational use of probiotic feed additives (PFA) for young animals, in particular as alternative to the use of antibiotics remain relevant. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of a probiotic feed additive on clinical and biochemical parameters in healthy calves (Black-and-white breed, 1 day to 1 year of age) from different physiological groups and preventive efficiency. The use of PFA (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis) at all stages of growing calves had a positive effect on growth indicators, increased live weight of animals and average daily weight gain, allowing for more efficient use of feed, mitigation of the production stress and obtaining greater profits from intensive animal breeding, sales of ecological products, and the reduction of costs for veterinary services. Thus, it is advised to feed PFA in the neonatal period for the formation of intestinal microbiocenosis; at the age of 1-2 months: in order to correct the immune reactivity; at the age of 3 months - to improve the processes of rumen formation. The PFA, additionally supplemented with Sacharomyces serevisiae, can correct the immune reactivity of 1-2 months old calves; improved the processes of rumen formation at the age of 3 months; and prepared heifers for mating at the age of 12 months. The obtained results experimentally substantiated the use of probiotics within the framework of the WHO Global Action Plan on Anti­microbial Resistance - it has been proven that the prevention of diarrhoea and/or bronchopneumonia as a result of the use of probiotics, even in one calf, allowed avoiding at least 4-6 days of antibacterial therapy that reduced the risks of formation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial clones, in particular zoonotic agents.
Generalized fractional calculus and some models of generalized counting processes
Authors: Buchak Khrystyna , Sakhno Lyudmyla
Published: May 2024

Models of generalized counting processes time-changed by a general inverse subordinator are considered, their distributions are characterized, and governing equations for them are presented. The equations are given in terms of the generalized fractional derivatives, namely, convolution-type derivatives with respect to Bernštein functions. Some particular examples are presented.
Modes of Presence in Scottish Healthcare Chaplaincy
Authors: Adams Rebecca
Published: May 2024

This article finds the subject of how to articulate the promotion of spiritual well-being by chaplains to be one of complementary, not competing, forms of presence. Chaplains are called upon to be attentive to another’s story and, crucially, to their own, but this study also argues for the use of presence in other forms, such as to challenge a pervading narrative of organizational culture or to provide a formational learning opportunity. These need not be opposite sides of a coin; they are perhaps more like diverse limbs of a growing tree. This article articulates each area as attentive presence, transformational presence, formational presence and informed presence. It outlines a critical reflection on what the author is beginning to understand of her own nascent role in Scottish healthcare chaplaincy and concludes by wondering what is required to nourish its roots.
The Kāhea to Return Home: Diasporic Kānaka ʻŌiwi and Higher Education
Authors: Reyes Alicia Nani , Keller Sarah Victoria Kahilo Hanakahi Kahalewai Ke
Published: May 2024

This paper explores the perspectives of two Kānaka ʻŌiwi wāhine (Native Hawaiian women) born and raised in the diaspora and their journeys in navigating their way back home to Hawaiʻi. The modern usage of the term diaspora, in the context of Kānaka ʻŌiwi, is used to describe Native Hawaiians who were born or who have spent significant time outside of Hawaiʻi. However, from a Hawaiian worldview, our kūpuna (ancestors) made us Kānaka ʻŌiwi. We share our stories of being born and raised in the diaspora and what that meant for us as Kānaka ʻŌiwi. In telling our story, we center our shared experience of utilizing the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) as a means to make our way home. We share the development of our shared kuleana (responsibility and privileges) to address a need to create a space and form a hui for haumāna with shared experiences of diaspora. With the help of Native Hawaiian Student Services (NHSS), we had the privilege to connect with our fellow diasporic Kānaka ʻŌiwi haumāna (students) to establish the Native Hawaiian Diaspora Association. We hope to bring more awareness to the increasing amount of diasporic Kānaka ʻŌiwi at UH Mānoa and the importance of a space like the Native Hawaiian Diaspora Association in serving the unique needs of our students. For UH Mānoa to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, it must recognize, honor, and support the many diasporic Kānaka ʻŌiwi haumāna who receive the kāhea to return home.
E kolo ana nō ke ēwe i ke ēwe: Our genealogy of building Pōpolo & Kānaka ʻŌiwi sisterhood through the Sister Circle at Mānoa
Authors: Shelly LaJoya Reed , McAdoo Niya Denise
Published: May 2024

Traditionally, “sister circles are support groups that build upon existing friendships, fictive kin networks, and the sense of community found among Black women” (Neal-Barnett et al., 2018). The context of attending an Indigenous-serving institution grounded in Native Hawaiian culture, values, and knowledge, coupled with the dearth of Black women attending the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, causes us to reimagine what a traditional sister circle might look like. Hence, we describe the importance of Black and Indigenous women's solidarities and how they are shaped and informed by place. Within this reflection, we describe how ʻike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiʻi centered knowledge) and ʻāina (land) inform the ways in which we create and sustain community for ourselves and other women of color attending UH Mānoa.
Socio-Onomastics of Distorted Names: Nicknaming Practices among Punjabi Speakers in Pakistan
Authors:   University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, Riaz Mehvish
Published: May 2024

Due to hierarchical power relations and the difficulty of confronting others or expressing disdain explicitly in small rural communities, nicknames and spoiled names can be an overt avenue for venting displeasure, ridiculing, expressing social inequality, asserting superiority, conveying judgment, or warning against improper behaviour. The study focuses on how native Punjabi speakers in rural Punjab, Pakistan, distort names to express disdain, rage, affection, or frankness towards people in their presence or absence. Distorted names used both overtly (in the person’s presence) or secretly have been collected through a questionnaire filled in by 22 participants belonging to 22 villages in Punjab, Pakistan. Socio-cultural implications of those names have also been investigated and discussed. The author shows that the boundary between distorted names and nicknames is indistinct. This applies to both their formal features, semantic and pragmatic properties. Speakers not only morphologically distort the formal names but also use the names of castes, animals, physical attributes, and professional titles as address forms or referential expressions. Although distorted names generally offend the referent, they, like nicknames, can be used in both positive and negative contexts. The article describes the main motivational patterns of distorted names, similar to those usually pointed out for nicknames, and focuses mainly on their pragmatic features as noted in the metalinguistic comments of the respondents. Though the use of such naming labels may display quite universal regularities, the socio-cultural situation of the caste-based traditional rural communities of Punjab brings its own specifics to the way distorted names and nicknames are used in the area under study.
Double Surnames among Circassians in Homeland and Diaspora Communities: A Comparative Study
Authors:   Karachay-Cherkessian Institute for Humanities, Cherkessk, Russia, Ionov Zaual Kh.-M. ,   Erciyes University, Talas / Kayseri, Turkey
Published: May 2024

The study comparatively examines the extralinguistic factors influencing the prevalence of double surnames among Circassians residing in their ancestral territory and within the Turkish diaspora. Drawing from scholarly literature on Adyghe anthroponymy, as well as fieldwork conducted by the author between 2019 and 2022 in the Turkish city of Kayseri and surrounding villages inhabited by a dense Circassian population, the research explores the phenomenon of double surnames, defined as the simultaneous or consecutive use of two surnames within a single family or clan. The author contends that while the evolution of double Circassian surnames is rooted in historical narratives transmitted across generations, the rationales behind their emergence differ between the homeland and the Turkish diaspora. In their native land, secondary surnames typically arise from commonplace or social occurrences (such as family incidents, redemption from captors, or the acquisition of surnames from noble or affluent families). Conversely, in Turkey, the adoption of parallel surnames among Circassian families is exclusively linked to state policies aimed at integrating and assimilating immigrants into the Turkic milieu.
Planning Domain Simulation: An Interactive System for Plan Visualisation
Authors: De Pellegrin Emanuele , Petrick Ronald P. A.
Published: May 2024

Representing and manipulating domain knowledge is essential for developing systems that can visualize plans. This paper presents a novel plan visualisation system called Planning Domain Simulation (PDSim) that employs knowledge representation and manipulation techniques to support the plan visualization process. PDSim can use PDDL or the Unified Planning Library's Python representation as the underlying language for modelling planning problems and provides an interface for users to manipulate this representation through interaction with the Unity game engine and a set of planners. The system’s features include visualising plan components, and their relationships, identifying plan conflicts, and examples applied to real-world problems.
The benefits and limitations of PDSim are also discussed, highlighting future research directions in the area.
Safe Explicable Planning
Authors: Hanni Akkamahadevi , Boateng Andrew , Zhang Yu
Published: May 2024

Human expectations arise from their understanding of others and the world. In the context of human-AI interaction, this understanding may not align with reality, leading to the AI agent failing to meet expectations and compromising team performance. Explicable planning, introduced as a method to bridge this gap, aims to reconcile human expectations with the agent's optimal behavior, facilitating interpretable decision-making. However, an unresolved critical issue is ensuring safety in explicable planning, as it could result in explicable behaviors that are unsafe. To address this, we propose Safe Explicable Planning (SEP), which extends the prior work to support the specification of a safety bound. The goal of SEP is to find behaviors that align with human expectations while adhering to the specified safety criterion. Our approach generalizes the consideration of multiple objectives stemming from multiple models rather than a single model, yielding a Pareto set of safe explicable policies. We present both an exact method, guaranteeing finding the Pareto set, and a more efficient greedy method that finds one of the policies in the Pareto set. Additionally, we offer approximate solutions based on state aggregation to improve scalability. We provide formal proofs that validate the desired theoretical properties of these methods. Evaluation through simulations and physical robot experiments confirms the effectiveness of our approach for safe explicable planning.
Rethinking Mutual Information for Language Conditioned Skill Discovery on Imitation Learning
Authors: Ju Zhaoxun , Yang Chao , Sun Fuchun , Wang Hongbo , Qiao Yu
Published: May 2024

Language-conditioned robot behavior plays a vital role in executing complex tasks by associating human commands or instructions with perception and actions. The ability to compose long-horizon tasks based on unconstrained language instructions necessitates the acquisition of a diverse set of general-purpose skills.However, acquiring inherent primitive skills in a coupled and long-horizon environment without external rewards or human supervision presents significant challenges. In this paper, we evaluate the relationship between skills and language instructions from a mathematical perspective, employing two forms of mutual information within the framework of language-conditioned policy learning.To maximize the mutual information between language and skills in an unsupervised manner, we propose an end-to-end imitation learning approach known as Language Conditioned Skill Discovery (LCSD). Specifically, we utilize vector quantization to learn discrete latent skills and leverage skill sequences of trajectories to reconstruct high-level semantic instructions.Through extensive experiments on language-conditioned robotic navigation and manipulation tasks, encompassing BabyAI, LORel, and Calvin, we demonstrate the superiority of our method over prior works. Our approach exhibits enhanced generalization capabilities towards unseen tasks, improved skill interpretability, and notably higher rates of task completion success.
Explaining Plan Quality Differences
Authors: Krarup Benjamin , Coles Amanda , Long Derek , Smith David E.
Published: May 2024

We describe a method for explaining the differences between the quality of plans produced for similar planning problems. The method exploits a process of abstracting away details of the planning problems until the difference in solution quality they support has been minimised. We give a general definition of a valid abstraction of a planning problem. We then give the details of the implementation of a number of useful abstractions. Finally, we present a breadth-first search algorithm for finding suitable abstractions for explanations; and detail the results of an evaluation of the approach.
Planning with a Learned Policy Basis to Optimally Solve Complex Tasks
Authors: Kuric David , Infante Guillermo , Gómez Vicenç , Jonsson Anders , Van Hoof Herke
Published: May 2024

Conventional reinforcement learning (RL) methods can successfully solve a wide range of sequential decision problems. However, learning policies that can generalize predictably across multiple tasks in a setting with non-Markovian reward specifications is a challenging problem. We propose to use successor features to learn a set of local policies that each solves a well-defined subproblem. In a task described by a finite state automaton (FSA) that involves the same set of subproblems, the combination of these local policies can then be used to generate an optimal solution without additional learning. In contrast to other methods that combine local policies via planning, our method asymptotically attains global optimality, even in stochastic environments.
Map Connectivity and Empirical Hardness of Grid-based Multi-Agent Pathfinding Problem
Authors: Ren Jingyao , Ewing Eric , Kumar T. K. Satish , Koenig Sven , Ayanian Nora
Published: May 2024

We present an empirical study of the relationship between map connectivity and the empirical hardness of the multi-agent pathfinding (MAPF) problem. By analyzing the second smallest eigenvalue (commonly known as lambda2) of the normalized Laplacian matrix of different maps, our initial study indicates that maps with smaller lambda2 tend to create more challenging instances when agents are generated uniformly randomly. Additionally, we introduce a map generator based on Quality Diversity (QD) that is capable of producing maps with specified lambda2 ranges, offering a possible way for generating challenging MAPF instances. Despite the absence of a strict monotonic correlation with lambda2 and the empirical hardness of MAPF, this study serves as a valuable initial investigation for gaining a deeper understanding of what makes a MAPF instance hard to solve.
Robust Multi-Agent Pathfinding with Continuous Time
Authors: Tan Wen Jun , Tang Xueyan , Cai Wentong
Published: May 2024

Multi-Agent Pathfinding (MAPF) is the problem of finding plans for multiple agents such that every agent moves from its start location to its goal location without collisions.
If unexpected events delay some agents during plan execution, it may not be possible for the agents to continue following their plans without causing any collision.
We define and solve a T-robust MAPF problem that seeks plans that can be followed even if some delays occur, under the generalized MAPFR setting with continuous time notions.
The proposed approach is complete and provides provably optimal solutions.
We also develop an exact method for collision detection among agents that can be delayed.
We experimentally evaluate our proposed approach in terms of efficiency and plan cost.
Improving Learnt Local MAPF Policies with Heuristic Search
Authors: Veerapaneni Rishi , Wang Qian , Ren Kevin , Jakobsson Arthur , Li Jiaoyang , Likhachev Maxim
Published: May 2024

Multi-agent path finding (MAPF) is the problem of finding collision-free paths for a team of agents to reach their goal locations. State-of-the-art classical MAPF solvers typically employ heuristic search to find solutions for hundreds of agents but are typically centralized and can struggle to scale when run with short timeouts. Machine learning (ML) approaches that learn policies for each agent are appealing as these could enable decentralized systems and scale well while maintaining good solution quality. Current ML approaches to MAPF have proposed methods that have started to scratch the surface of this potential. However, state-of-the-art ML approaches produce ``local" policies that only plan for a single timestep and have poor success rates and scalability. Our main idea is that we can improve a ML local policy by using heuristic search methods on the output probability distribution to resolve deadlocks and enable full horizon planning. We show several model-agnostic ways to use heuristic search with learnt policies that significantly improve the policies' success rates and scalability. To our best knowledge, we demonstrate the first time ML-based MAPF approaches have scaled to high congestion scenarios (e.g. 20% agent density).
Contrastive Explanations of Centralized Multi-agent Optimization Solutions
Authors: Zehtabi Parisa , Pozanco Alberto , Bolch Ayala , Borrajo Daniel , Kraus Sarit
Published: May 2024

In many real-world scenarios, agents are involved in optimization problems. Since most of these scenarios are over-constrained, optimal solutions do not always satisfy all agents. Some agents might be unhappy and ask questions of the form “Why does solution S not satisfy property P ?”. We propose CMAOE, a domain-independent approach to obtain contrastive explanations by: (i) generating a new solution S′ where property P is enforced, while also minimizing the differences between S and S′; and (ii) highlighting the differences between the two solutions, with respect to the features of the objective function of the multi-agent system. Such explanations aim to help agents understanding why the initial solution is better in the context of the multi-agent system than what they expected. We have carried out a computational evaluation that shows that CMAOE can generate contrastive explanations for large multi-agent optimization problems. We
have also performed an extensive user study in four different domains that shows that: (i) after being presented with these explanations, humans’ satisfaction with the original solution increases; and (ii) the constrastive explanations generated by CMAOE are preferred or equally preferred by humans over the ones generated by state of the art approaches.
Bounded-Suboptimal Weight-Constrained Shortest-Path Search via Efficient Representation of Paths
Authors: Zhang Han , Salzman Oren , Felner Ariel , Kumar T. K. Satish , Koenig Sven
Published: May 2024

In the Weight-Constrained Shortest-Path (WCSP) problem, given a graph in which each edge is annotated with a cost and a weight, a start state, and a goal state, the task is to compute a minimum-cost path from the start state to the goal state with weight no larger than a given weight limit. While most existing works have focused on solving the WCSP problem optimally, many real-world situations admit a trade-off between efficiency and a suboptimality bound for the path cost. In this paper, we propose the bounded-suboptimal WCSP algorithm WC-A*pex, which is built on the state-of-the-art approximate bi-objective search algorithm A*pex. WC-A*pex uses an approximate representation of paths with similar costs and weights to compute a (1+ε)-suboptimal path, for a given ε. During its search, WC-A*pex avoids storing all paths explicitly and thereby reduces the search effort while still retaining its (1 + ε)-suboptimality bound. On benchmark road networks, our experimental results show that WC-A*pex with ε = 0.01 (i.e., with a guaranteed suboptimality of at most 1%) achieves a speed-up of up to an order of magnitude over WC-A*, a state-of-the-art WCSP algorithm, and its bounded-suboptimal variant.
Distribución de neoplasias malignas de órganos digestivos en el Ecuador en 2020-2022
Authors:   Universidad UTE, Quentin Emmanuelle
Published: May 2024

Introducción: Las neoplasias malignas de los órganos digestivos representan un desafío significativo para la salud pública a nivel mundial. En el contexto de Ecuador, la falta de estudios actualizados que proporcionen datos sobre la distribución de estas neoplasias en la población es evidente. Objetivo: El propósito de esta investigación es analizar la distribución de los casos hospitalarios y las defunciones generales relacionadas con neoplasias malignas de órganos digestivos (CIE-10: C15-C26) durante los años pandémicos (2020-2022) en Ecuador. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo un estudio ecológico utilizando la base de datos de egresos hospitalarios del Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos del Ecuador (INEC). Se procedió a unir las bases anuales por la cuestión de registros extratemporáneos y la extracción de datos se realizó en función de las fechas de ingreso de los pacientes. El análisis estadístico se efectuó utilizando el software RStudio. Las variables consideradas fueron el sexo, la edad y el tipo de cáncer. Resultados: Se registró una media anual de 11,537 casos hospitalarios y 4,528 defunciones relacionadas. El grupo de 60-69 años representó el 29% de los egresos hospitalarios, mientras que el grupo de 70-79 años constituyó el 27% de las defunciones. Las tasas más altas de morbilidad y mortalidad se observaron en las provincias de la sierra y la costa. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos revelan una distribución de neoplasias malignas de órganos digestivos que varía en función del sexo, edad y provincias de Ecuador. Estos resultados enfatizan la importancia de implementar medidas específicas de prevención y concienciación dirigidas a las áreas y grupos más afectados.
Haçlı Seferlerinde Şap ve Şap Ticareti
Authors: Karakuş Nadir
Published: May 2024

1095-1291 yılları arasında Mısır ve Suriye’de ve daha sonra Osmanlı coğrafyasında süregiden Haçlı seferleri, Mısır şapını da Haçlıların malumu kılmış ve özellikle İtalyanlar, bunun ticareti ile ilgilenip Avrupa yününün boyanması için hammadde taşımaya başlamışlardır. Selahaddin-i Eyyûbî’nin Haçlılarla mücadelesinin sürüp gittiği yıllarda bile Cenevizli tacirler, Mısır şapını İskenderiye’den Avrupa’ya naklederek büyük gelirler elde etmişlerdir. XIII. yüzyıl ortalarına doğru Anadolu şap madenlerinin keşfedilmesi ile İtalyan tüccarlar yönlerini Foça, Gediz ve Şebinkarahisar gibi maden kaynakları olan yerlere çevirmişlerdir. Bu süreç de onları iktidar mücadelelerinden iç karışıklara kadar bir dizi olayın içine çekmiştir. Bu dönemde Bizans’tan Osmanlılara kadar Anadolu’da hüküm süren iktidarlara yakın olmaya çalışan İtalyanlar, kendi aralarında da şap üzerinden rekabete girişmişlerdir. Bu olaylar esnasında Osmanlılar, Bizans ve hanedan içi mücadelelerde yardımcı olarak kazançlarını artırmışlar, hatta borçlarını dahi sildirmeyi başarmışlardır. XV. asrın ortalarında Avrupa şapının bulunması ile yeni kırılmalar yaşanmıştır. Bu değerli madenin gelirleri ile papalar, Osmanlılara karşı yeni bir Haçlı seferi başlatmaya kalkışmışlar, şap gelirlerini de silah olarak kullanmışlardır. Papaların bu madeni işletmeleri için yetki verdiği İtalyan ve Napolili soylular ise Haçlı seferlerinin menfaat ve çıkar ilişkilerini devam ettirmişlerdir. Bu yeni süreç aynı zamanda Osmanlıların önemli bir gelir kaynağından gereği gibi yararlanmalarına engel olmuştur.
Saberes para la interculturalidad educativa y comunitaria. Memorias del IV Congreso Internacional de Interculturalidad
Authors:   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (Ecuador),   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (Ecuador)
Published: May 2024

Es un honor presentar la cuarta edición de Congreso Internacional de Interculturalidad: saberes para la interculturalidad educativa y comunitaria en Abya Yala, convocada por la Red de Organización de las Universidades Católicas de América Latina y el Caribe (ODUCAL). Este evento, al igual que sus predecesores, reúne a destacadas/os académicos, expertas/os y profesionales de diversas disciplinas, provenientes de diferentes países, con el objetivo de promover el diálogo y la reflexión en torno a la interculturalidad. La interculturalidad se ha convertido en un componente central en nuestra sociedad diversa, permitiendo el reconocimiento, la comunicación y el respeto mutuo entre culturas. Además, fomenta la convivencia en armonía y promueve el desarrollo humanamente sostenible en un mundo cada vez más globalizado. En este cuarto Congreso, se abordaron temas fundamentales que son de vital importancia en sociedades donde la diversidad cultural es cada vez más evidente y donde las buenas relaciones humanas se vuelve un desafío constante.
Sustentación filosófico-espiritual del concepto de interculturalidad
Authors:   Investigadora independiente, Paz y Miño María Eugenia
Published: May 2024

Interculturalidad significa “entre culturas”. Esto debe entenderse como la aceptación de la cultura del otro o de los otros, en los mismos términos de respeto que mi propia cultura merece. Por supuesto, para entender la interculturalidad, vale aclarar, además, el significado de “cultura”, de donde proviene dicho término. Para ello, brevemente resumimos que, en su desenvolvimiento histórico, esta palabra tiene su eje de partida en las reflexiones filosóficas de griegos y romanos, en el sentido de “cultivo”, y es reflexionada en la teología del Medioevo, en el Renacimiento, en el Iluminismo y en el Humanismo.
Filosofía, epistemología y política
Authors:   Universidad Católica de Temuco-Chile, Salas Astrain Ricardo
Published: May 2024

En el marco del círculo fuego quiero exponer una hipótesis acerca del papel que asumen los estudios interculturales-decoloniales en nuestras universidades y centros de investigación en las últimas décadas en América Latina. Nos encontramos hoy con varios hitos distintos a lo que aconteció hace un par de décadas, cuando irrumpía con fuerza la cuestión intercultural en las universidades. En el título propuesto quiero dar cuenta de una conciencia naciente en estos últimos años; seguimos haciendo frente a un conjunto de nuevas “vicisitudes” teóricas y prácticas que no solo refieren al contexto pandémico y la polarización creciente que aflige a todo el planeta, sino que también. refieren a presupuestos, problemas y discusiones que hablan de un largo despliegue de los estudios interculturales y decoloniales en múltiples mundos de vida; en las luchas de los movimientos étnico, sociales y en especial, en el proceso de descolonización de los pueblos indígenas, que han permitido aflorar la relevancia de los contextos sociohistóricos para pensar las interacciones y fricciones culturales.
Entre la politique de standardisation linguistique des Etats et la polynomie constitutive des langues
Authors: FAYE Babacar
Published: May 2024

Les États en général ont la propension à suivre une politique linguistique qui se donne l’homogène pour objet en vue d’unifier culturellement les sujets, car la langue est l’élément d’identité par excellence. Mais l’idée de l’homogène est-elle pertinente quand une langue est pratiquée dans des contextes culturels différents ? Le français ne devrait-il pas être considéré comme une langue polynomique ? La polynomie est définie par le fait que les utilisateurs d’une langue donnée lui « reconnaissent plusieurs modalités d’existence, toutes également tolérées sans qu’il y ait entre elles hiérarchisation ou spécialisation de fonction » (Marcellesi, 1987). Et au-delà de cette polynomie interne liée à une langue avec ses variantes, l’on peut considérer qu’il y a également une polynomie externe dans le cadre du plurilinguisme que les États cherchent toujours à réduire pour des raisons idéologiques ou de gouvernance. Au Sénégal, malgré la multitude de langues qui s’y parlent, certaines seulement sont reconnues sous la notion floue de « langues nationales ».
Malgré cette tendance des États à réduire les possibilités linguistiques, il faut dire que toute langue est engendrée par une variation qui en constitue, d’une manière permanente, le principe organisateur. Cette polynomie constitutive, qu’elle soit interne ou externe, peut-elle être source de développement ? Les langues entrant en jeu dans tous les processus économiques, sociaux et culturels qui sont à la base du développement, l’objectif de cet article est de montrer que la compétence plurilingue est source de développement notamment dans le cadre du système éducatif et de celui de la santé.
Ile de Sakhaline
Authors: DJORDJEVIC LÉONARD Ksenija
Published: May 2024

Dans cette contribution, nous nous intéresserons au marketing environnemental des industries pétrolières et gazières qui exploitent les territoires peuplés par les populations autochtones de l’Extrême-Orient russe. Nous partirons sur l’île de Sakhaline où les projets d’exploration et de production Sakhaline I et Sakhaline II ont investi, ces dernières années, le domaine de la sauvegarde des cultures et des langues autochtones (celle des Nivkhs, des Oroks, des Évenks et des Nanaïs notamment). Nos réflexions se baseront sur un corpus diversifié (scientifique, littéraire, médiatique) que nous analyserons en adoptant un point de vue sociolinguistique, à la lumière des acquis de la linguistique du développement social. Nous nous interrogerons de savoir si, dans cette situation où les cultures autochtones sont davantage visibles, les populations tirent réellement profit du développement industriel de leur territoire.
Décoloniser a travers la performance
Authors: BRUCE Marcelle
Published: May 2024

Cet article traite de la relation entre l'art et les perspectives du groupe Modernité/Colonialité, formé en Amérique latine à la fin des années 1990. L'accent est mis sur le concept de l'art en tant que construction fondamentalement moderne. L'article met en lumière trois artistes d'Amérique centrale : Lukas Avendaño de la communauté zapotèque, Benvenuto Chavajay de la communauté maya-tz'utujil et Scheherazade Zambrano du Mexique. L'argument central est que leurs pratiques artistiques contribuent à une décolonisation de la performance en abordant des aspects clés tels que l'énonciation située, la distinction entre performance et rituel, et l'interaction du temps et de l'espace dans le contexte de la modernité.
Pour une traduction performative
Authors: RICHARD Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2024

John Edgar Wideman a commencé à être publié en 1967, l’année même où paraissait L’écriture et la différence de Jacques Derrida, ouvrage qui marque une coupure épistémologique dans le champ littéraire, la littérature étant désormais définie comme performance : production, et non plus représentation ou expression (de la vérité, d’intentions, d’émotions ou du « réel »). À la fois comme théorie (avec les travaux d’Henri Meschonnic notamment) et comme pratique (avec Pierre Klossowski, par exemple), la traduction a joué un rôle central dans cette révolution car elle a pour tâche de re-produire la dramaturgie du sens constitutive de toute oeuvre littéraire. Traduire la poétique de John Edgar Wideman en français a été l’occasion de pratiquer la traduction en tant qu’art performatif.