bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Feasibility Tests to Path Planners for Multi-Agent Pathfinding
Authors: Krontiris Athanasios , Luna Ryan , Bekris Kostas
Published: November 2022

Multi-agent pathfinding is an important challenge that relates to combinatorial search and has many applications, such as warehouse management, robotics and computer games. Finding an optimal solution is NP-hard and raises scalability issues for optimal solvers. Interestingly, however, it takes linear time to check the feasibility of an instance. These linear-time feasibility tests can be extended to provide path planners but to the best of the authors’ knowledge no such solver has been provided for general graphs. This work first describes a path planner that is inspired by a linear-time feasibility test for multi-agent pathfinding on general graphs. Initial experiments indicated reasonable scalability but worse path quality relative to existing suboptimal solutions. This led to the development of an algorithm that achieves both efficient running time and path quality relative to the alternatives and which finds a solution on available benchmarks. The paper outlines the relation of the final method to the feasibility tests and existing suboptimal planners. Experimental results evaluate the different algorithms, including an optimal solver.
Fast Detection of Unsolvable Planning Instances Using Local Consistency
Authors: Bäckström Christer , Jonsson Peter , Ståhlberg Simon
Published: November 2022

There has been a tremendous advance in domain-independent planning over the past decades, and planners have become increasingly efficient at finding plans. However, this has not been paired by any corresponding improvement in detecting unsolvable instances. Such instances are obviously important but largely neglected in planning. In other areas, such as constraint solving and model checking, much effort has been spent on devising methods for detecting unsolvability. We introduce a method for detecting unsolvable planning instances that is loosely based on consistency checking in constraint programming. Our method balances completeness against efficiency through a parameter k: the algorithm identifies more unsolvable instances but takes more time for increasing values of k. We present empirical data for our algorithm and some standard planners on a number of unsolvable instances, demonstrating that our method can be very efficient where the planners fail to detect unsolvability within reasonable resource bounds. We observe that planners based on the h^m heuristic or pattern databases are better than other planners for detecting unsolvability. This is not a coincidence since there are similarities (but also significant differences) between our algorithm and these two heuristic methods.
Anytime Truncated D* : Anytime Replanning with Truncation
Authors: Aine Sandip , Likhachev Maxim
Published: November 2022

Incremental heuristic searches reuse their previous search efforts to speed up the current search. Anytime search algorithms iteratively tune the solutions based on available search time. Anytime D* (AD*) is an incremental anytime search algorithm that combines these two approaches. AD* uses an inflated heuristic to produce bounded suboptimal solutions and improves the solution by iteratively decreasing the inflation factor. If the environment changes, AD* recomputes a new solution by propagating the new costs. Recently, a different approach to speed up replanning (TLPA*/TD* Lite) was proposed that relies on selective truncation of cost propagations instead of heuristic inflation. In this work, we present an algorithm called Anytime Truncated D* (ATD*) that combines heuristic inflation with truncation in an anytime fashion. We develop truncation rules that can work with an inflated heuristic without violating the completeness/suboptimality guarantees, and show how these rules can be applied in conjunction with heuristic inflation to iteratively refine the replanning solutions with minimal reexpansions. We explain ATD*, discuss its analytical properties and present experimental results for 2D and 3D (x, y, heading) path planning demonstrating its efficacy for anytime replanning.
Exponential Deepening A* for Real-Time Agent-Centered Search
Authors: Sharon Guni , Felner Ariel , Sturtevant Nathan
Published: November 2022

This paper introduces Exponential Deepening A* (EDA*), an Iterative Deepening (ID) algorithm where the threshold between successive Depth-First calls is increased exponentially. EDA* can be viewed as a Real-Time Agent-Centered (RTACS) algorithm. Unlike most existing RTACS algorithms, EDA* is proven to hold a worst case bound that is linear in the state space. Experimental results demonstrate up to 5x reduction over existing RTACS solvers wrt distance traveled, states expanded and CPU runtime. A full version of this paper appears in AAAI-14.
Extended Framework for Target Oriented Network Intelligence Collection
Authors: Samama-Kachko Liron , Puzis Rami , Stern Roni , Felner Ariel
Published: November 2022

The Target Oriented Network Intelligence Collection (TONIC) problem is the problem of finding profiles in a social network that contain publicly available information about a given target profile via automated crawling. Such profiles are called leads. Leads can be found by crawling the network using the profiles' friend lists (immediate neighborhood) in order to decide which profile will be crawled next. Assuming that leads tend to cluster together, prior work limited the search for new leads only to immediate neighbors of the leads previously found. In this paper we relax this limitation, and extend the scope of the search to a wider neighborhood, including the possibility of crawling to non-leads, i.e., profiles that have no publicly available information about the target. We propose a set of heuristics that guide this search. Experimental results show that with the new setting more leads can be found and leads are found faster. In addition, we perform a cost benefit analysis of the search, weighing the reward of finding leads with the costs of the search.
A Hybrid Quantum-Classical Approach to Solving Scheduling Problems
Authors: Tran Tony , Do Minh , Rieffel Eleanor , Frank Jeremy , Wang Zhihui , O'Gorman Bryan , Venturelli Davide , Beck J.
Published: November 2022

An effective approach to solving complex problems is to decompose them and integrate dedicated solvers for those subproblems. We introduce a hybrid decomposition that incorporates: (1) a quantum annealer that samples from the configuration space of a relaxed problem to obtain strong candidate solutions, and (2) a classical processor that maintains a global search tree and enforces constraints on the relaxed components of the problem. Our framework is the first to use quantum annealing as part of a complete search. We consider variants of our approach with differing amounts of guidance from the quantum annealer. We empirically test our algorithm and compare the variants on problems from three scheduling domains: graph-coloring-type scheduling, simplified Mars Lander task scheduling, and airport runway scheduling. While we were only able to test on problems of small sizes, due to the limitation of currently available quantum annealing hardware, the empirical results show that results obtained from the quantum annealer can be used for more effective search node pruning and to improve node selection heuristics when compared to a standard classical approach.
Partial Delete Relaxation, Unchained: On Intractable Red-Black Planning and Its Applications
Authors: Gnad Daniel , Steinmetz Marcel , Jany Mathäus , Hoffmann Jörg , Serina Ivan , Gerevini Alfonso
Published: November 2022

Partial delete relaxation methods, like red-black planning, are extremely powerful, allowing in principle to force relaxed plans to behave like real plans in the limit. Alas, that power has so far been chained down by the computational overhead of the use as heuristic functions, necessitating to compute a relaxed plan on every search state. For red-black planning in particular, this has entailed an exclusive focus on tractable fragments. We herein unleash the power of red-black planning on two applications not necessitating such a restriction: (i) generating seed plans for plan repair, and (ii) proving planning task unsolvability. We introduce a method allowing to generate red-black plans for arbitrary inputs — intractable red-black planning — and we evaluate its use for (i) and (ii). With (i), our results show promise and outperform standard baselines in several domains. With (ii), we obtain substantial, in some domains dramatic, improvements over the state of the art.
Feasibility Study: Subgoal Graphs on State Lattices
Authors: Uras Tansel , Koenig Sven
Published: November 2022

Search using subgoal graphs is a recent preprocessing-based path-planning algorithm that can find shortest paths on 8-neighbor grids several orders of magnitude faster than A*, while requiring little preprocessing time and memory overhead. In this paper, we first generalize the ideas behind subgoal graphs to a framework that can be specialized to different types of environments (represented as weighted directed graphs) through the choice of a reachability relation. Intuitively, a reachability relation identifies pairs of vertices for which a shortest path can be found quickly. A subgoal graph can then be constructed as an overlay graph that is guaranteed to have edges only between vertices that satisfy the reachability relation, which allows one to find shortest paths on the original graph quickly. In the context of this general framework, subgoal graphs on grids use freespace-reachability (originally called h-reachability) as the reachability relation, which holds for pairs of vertices if and only if their distance on the grid with blocked cells is equal to their distance on the grid without blocked cells (freespace assumption). We apply this framework to state lattices by using variants of freespace-reachability as the reachability relation. We provide preliminary results on (x,y,theta)-state lattices, which shows that subgoal graphs can be used to speed up path planning on state lattices as well, although the speed-up is not as significant as it is on grids.
Benchmarks for Pathfinding in 3D Voxel Space
Authors: Brewer Daniel , Sturtevant Nathan
Published: November 2022

The problem of finding optimal paths in 3D space is computationally more complex than in a 2D plane. While a range of different approaches have been developed across different fields, there has been relatively little work studying the complexities and tradeoffs of implementations for path planning in 3D space. This paper describes the 3D path planning problem faced in the game Warframe. The solution used by industry was tuned for their own constraints, but little is known about the applicability of other approaches to solving this problem. Thus, the makers of this game have made their underlying planning data available for researchers to use. This paper describes this new data set which is publicly available for study and dissemination.
A SIMPLE STUDY OF JOULE HEATING EFFECT IN ARGON DBD REACTOR
Authors: Benmoussa Amar , Larouci Barkahoum , Belasri Ahmed
Published: November 2022

Study of the gas heating phenomenon due to the heat joule effect in plasma created by an argon dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor operating under treatment surface and medical sterilization conditions is essential to find the optimum of DBD discharge functioning. The present investigation of the influence of gas heating on argon discharge characteristics was executed by a one-dimensional fluid model. The gas temperature development in the DBD discharge was determined by the heat conduction equation. To consider the joule heating effect, the heat transport equation was solved along the gap distance of discharge. The results obtained from the coupling of a 1D fluid model with the heat conduction equation allowed us to calculate the gas temperature profile of argon in the DBD and plasma physical characteristics such as the densities of charged particles, the voltages, the electric field, and the coefficient rate of the ionization, attachment, and recombination in order to analyze the gas temperature development in argon DBD.
Effect of loss of bond on the behaviour of RC beams under service load conditions
Authors: Vougioukas Emmanouil , Kotsovos Gerasimos , Roulias Apostolos , Kotsovos Michael D.
Published: November 2022

Deviation of the flexural reinforcement spacing from code specifications appears to underly the cause of the loss of bond (LoB) between concrete and steel that preceded the unexpected collapse of the top-floor balcony of a building under service load conditions on 15 October 2021 in Athens. Although rare, LoB has also been identified as the cause of collapse of buildings under similar conditions in the UK and Canada. However, the codes of practice for reinforced concrete (RC) design neither make reference to the effect of LoB on structural behaviour, nor include LoB in the parameters that the formulae currently used for assessing load-carrying capacity are dependent on. In view of this, a description of the effect of LoB on the function of RC beams is provided in this paper and this description is used as the basis for the derivation of a formula linking LoB with load-carrying capacity. The validity of the proposed formula is verified using published experimental information on the subject. The proposed formula is used for the structural assessment of the collapsed balcony, taking into account the design details, physical state and loading conditions of structural members similar to the one that collapsed.
Changing Menstrual Habits in Late 20th- and Early 21st-Century Russia
Authors: Vasilyev Pavel , Konovalova Alexandra
Published: November 2022

Emerging literature in Critical Menstrual Studies seeks to contextualize and decentralize the modern Western experience of the menstrual cycle, by paying closer attention to its various historical and cultural specificities (especially in the Global South). This paper extends the discussion by focusing on Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. The post-Soviet case is distinctive because, despite the USSR being a ‘developed’ country by international standards, Soviet menstruators relied on do-it-yourself substitutes and improvisational bodily techniques instead of industrially produced disposable tampons and sanitary pads. However, the seismic shifts in Russian politics, the economy, society, and culture that accompanied the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of a new capitalist economy also resulted in profound changes in the politics of menstruation.Drawing on the transcripts of recorded interviews with 80 participants, we enquire into the connections to and discrepancies between socialist ideology, scientific expertise, popular knowledge, and personal experiences of menstruation in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia. In tracing the evolution from cloths and chunks of cotton to sanitary pads and tampons, we remain attentive to the materiality of menstruation, but also approach the topic in terms of the history of the body: going beyond medical discourses of menstruation, we explore menstrual lived experience on a more visceral level.
Emerging Forms of Sociotechnical Organisation: The Case of the Fediverse
Authors: Anderlini Jacopo , Milani Carlo
Published: November 2022

Recently, following events at Cambridge Analytica that put commercial social media under scrutiny, a public debate emerged around corporate digital platforms focused not only on critically analysing their social, economic, political impact but on the creation of alternative spaces of digital communication, organisation and conviviality. The key focus of this chapter is the reappropriation of technology intended as a way to conceive ‘appropriate’ social and technical organisation in opposition to the forms of exploitation and capture put in place by digital platforms. How do practices of reappropriation occur to prefigure new sociotechnical imaginaries and to shape digital spaces and infrastructures, social interactions and relations? In which ways does they engender forms of mutualism? What are the conditions required for the emergence of practices for the reappropriation of technology? What are the configurations, representations and encounters that constitute emerging digital communities? In this chapter, these questions will be examined taking into account the constitution and development of the ‘Fediverse’ – more than a social network, a network of networks – focusing on a digital community that has been at the centre of the authors’ digital ethnographical work since 2018. This case study will be analysed through different standing points and dichotomic tensions: infrastructure (de-centralisation/distribution), design (mutual conditioning/mutual aid), governance (heteronomy/autonomy).
Desarrollo y derechos humanos: incidencias, aproximaciones y tendencias
Authors: Munévar-Quintero Claudia Alexandra , Giraldo-Quintero Rodrigo
Published: November 2022

El presente artículo de revisión derivado de investigación, esboza algunas aproximaciones teóricas y conceptuales de dos categorías problemáticas: el desarrollo y los derechos humanos. Estas categorías se presentan en un escenario de interrelación entre los actuales modelos de desarrollo y la vulneración de derechos humanos, así como en la generación de conflictos y confrontaciones por causa de estos. La primera categoría aborda la conceptualización de los antecedentes y tendencias del desarrollo como modelo económico y sostenible; se presentan las principales críticas y discusiones en torno al concepto y su evolución. Así mismo, se cuestiona sobre el alcance y la finalidad del desarrollo desde la generación de conflictos, luchas y tensiones; al igual que en la incidencia, afectación o vulneración de los derechos humanos. En segundo lugar se conceptualiza sobre los derechos humanos, su referencia histórica y las tendencias actuales, y se discute sobre el escenario presente de vulneraciones por causas asociadas al desarrollo. Finalmente, se analizan las interconexiones de estas categorías a la luz de los conflictos generados a partir de modelos de desarrollo y la vulneración de los derechos humanos derivados de ellos.
La influencia de la constitución en la regulación de la publicidad comercial. Los problemas del constitucionalismo
Authors: Quintana-C Anamaría , Benítez-R. Vicente  F.
Published: November 2022

En este artículo se presenta el proceso de constitucionalización del derecho de la publicidad comercial en Colombia el cual ha sido construido por medios judiciales, más específicamente por la Corte Constitucional, cuando ha analizado la constitucionalidad de las normas en esta materia. Se pretende determinar en qué derecho constitucional es posible encuadrar el derecho de la publicidad de los anunciantes. Esto con el objeto de identificar el ámbito de actuación del legislador para imponer limitaciones, restricciones o prohibiciones al derecho, las cuales ciertamente variarán si se concluye que el derecho a la publicidad es una expresión de un derecho de rango fundamental o si se establece que es un desarrollo de un derecho de contenido económico.
Recognizing the rights of nature in Colombia : the Atrato river case.
Authors: Vargas Chaves Iván , Rodríguez Gloria Amparo , Cumbe Figueroa Alexandra , Mora Garzón Sandra Estefanía
Published: November 2022

This article studies the recognition of Río Atrato as a subject of rights through Judgment T-622-16 of the Constitutional Court, in a case without precedent in Colombian Law. To contextualize this jurisprudential milestone, the authors argue that the current regulations failed to protect the biodiversity and related rights of the inhabitants of the areas near the Atrato River. The methodology involved an analysis of the jurisprudential line of the judgments that preceded the case analyzed, as well as the study of theoretical postulates and current environmental regulations from an analytical-deductive approach. As results, the authors present the first jurisprudential line of the Río Atrato judgment, supported by their own reflections that demonstrate the birth of a new stage of environmental law in Colombia.
Los conflictos socio-ambientales en Colombia en el contexto de las licencias ambientales y el acceso a la justicia.
Authors: Munévar Quintero Claudia Alexandra , Valencia Hernández Javier Gonzaga
Published: November 2022

Los conflictos socio-ambientales representan un panorama problemático en el contexto colombiano desde diferentes escenarios asociados al daño y degradación del ambiente, la vulneración de derechos, la legalidad de la norma y el papel del Estado. Estos conflictos exponen dinámicas culturales, perceptuales, físicas, inmateriales y territoriales de interés ambiental y a su vez evidencian y cuestionan el rol del derecho en la función regulatoria de los escenarios que componen el conflicto socio-ambiental. Ese papel del derecho se analiza en este artículo desde el origen del conflicto por causas lícitas, asociadas al otorgamiento de Licencias Ambientales como instrumentos de planificación de los recursos naturales y se exponen sentidos emergentes relacionados con el acceso a la justicia.
El carácter dispositivo de la convención de Viena de 1980 : ¿un factor de incertidumbre en la determinación de la ley aplicable al contrato de compraventa internacional?
Authors: Martínez Luna William Fernando
Published: November 2022

La Convención de Viena de 1980 nació con el objetivo de establecer normas uniformes para regular algunas de las cuestiones más importantes de la compraventa internacional de mercaderías. Sin embargo, esta convención otorga a las partes la posibilidad de excluir su clausulado para regular el caso concreto. Este artículo tiene por objeto establecer si dicha posibilidad de exclusión constituye un factor de incertidumbre en la determinación de la ley aplicable al contrato de compraventa internacional, y por tanto, se puede considerar como un obstáculo a la aplicación de la norma material uniforme.
The effect of radiation dose on CBCT measurements of maxillary gingival thickness
Authors: Hiba Khateeb , Eli E Machtei , Jacob Horwitz
Published: November 2022

Purposes: 1. to measure Gingival Thickness (GT) both directly and with CBCT using various exposure times, and compare them. 2. to compare hard tissue measurements between different exposure times within each CBCT system. The study hypothesis was that accuracy of CBCT GT measurement is impaired when reducing exposure time. Methods: 8 fresh pig maxillae were utilized for each of two CBCT scan systems (SysA and SysB). Eight disposable dental needles were inserted into the gingival tissue of each jaw until reaching resistance from the underlying bone. A mark on each needle at its entrance point into the soft tissue was created using a permanent marker. Jaws were scanned twice, using low (RadL) and high (RadH) exposure times. The needles were extruded, and an electronic caliper was used to measure the length of the penetrated portion of the needle in mm (Cli). Radiographic GT was measured on cross sectional images, produced in the axial direcion of the 3D location of the needles (Rad) in two software systems (R and I). Descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA were performed. Significance was set at 5%. Results: Software I mean Cli was 2.22mm ± 0.54mm, RadL and RadH were 2.34mm ± 0.47mm and 2.34mm ± 0.52mm. Software R RadL and RadH were 2.16mm ± 0.50mm and 2.23mm ± 0.49mm, respectively. Using pairwise comparisons, both soft and hard tissue RadL and RadH were not statistically different. There was a good correlation between clinical and radiographic measurements of gingival thickness and essentially no significant difference between higher and lower radiation doses. Conclusions: Reducing CBCT radiation may be possible without affecting accuracy of radiographic gingival thickness measurements , thus opening the way to a wider utilization of CBCT in dentistry. Clinical relevance: Reducing radiation dose may enable a wider utilization of CBCT in dentistry.
Comparison of Gleason score of Prostate Cancer at Ultrasound/MRI Fusion Target Biopsy vs. Systematic Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Biopsy with Final Gleason score at Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Jinxing Yu , Ugo Falagario , Sarah G Winks , Kendal Angell , Ann S Fulcher , Mary A Turner , Sterling Jones , Rohan Kankaria , Steven C Smith
Published: November 2022

Purpose: To compare accuracy in predicting final Gleason Grade Group (GGG) of Prostate Cancer (PCa) of US/MRI fusion guided target (fBx) vs. systematic Transrectal Ultrasound-Guided (TRUS) biopsy, using histopathologic analysis at prostatectomy as the gold standard. Materials and methods: After obtaining IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed records of patients who underwent Radical Prostatectomy (RP) from January 2014 through May 2019 with prior US/MRI fusion guided target or TRUS biopsy. The rates of upgrading (RP GGG > BX GGG), downgrading (RP GGG < BX GGG), and concordance (RP GGG = BX GGG) were compared between the fBx and TRUS groups. Age, PSA, PSA density, and prostate volume were also noted for all patients. Statistical analysis was utilized to assess the data. Results: A total of 348 men with complete clinical data were included in this study. The rate of downgrading and upgrading in the fBx group was less than in the TRUS biopsy group (14% vs. 19.6%, and 13.2% vs. 19.6%, respectively). The concordance rate was higher in the US-MR fBx group (72.9% vs. 60.7%, p < 0.05)) across all GGG. Notably, lower rates of concordance were found for GGG 1 (24.1%) and GGG 4 (3.6%) in the TRUS Bx group. Patients who underwent US-MR fBx had higher average PSA (9.4 vs. 6.5 ng/ml), higher PSA density (0.3 vs. 0.2 ng/ml2), and lower prostate volume (31 vs. 42 cc). Additionally, biopsy results showed a lower rate of GGG 1 (3.1% vs. 13.2%) and a higher rate of GGG 5 (14.7% vs. 5.5%) in the US-MR fBx group. Conclusions: Target biopsy has a higher GGG concordance compared to TRUS biopsy (72.9% vs. 60.7%, p < 0.05). In addition, there was less downgrading or upgrading of final PCa GGG in the fBx groups compared to TRUS Bx (14% vs. 19.6%, 13.2% vs. 19.6%, respectively). This finding may have important implications for treatment decisions.
The Effect of Communicative Language Teaching in Test Preparation Course on TOEIC Score of EFL Business English Students
Authors: Lertcharoenwanich Pallapa
Published: November 2022

A high-stake standardized test (e.g., TOEFL, TOEIC, and IELTS) is one of essential indicators in determining students’ English proficiency especially in the context of English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).  Direct test preparation method is prevalent in test preparation course; however, negative washback could occur. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) can be effective teaching method which can diminish the negative washback and also increase both proficiency and test score. The purposes of this study were 1) to examine the effect of CLT on students’ TOEIC score and 2) to explore students’ attitude towards the use CLT in test preparation course. The sample was 68 Business English students selected by purposive sampling divided into experimental group and control group. The instruments were pre-test, the official TOEIC score and semi-structured interview. The data were analysed by using mean, standard deviation, t-test and content analysis. The results revealed that the official TOEIC score of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group which indicated that CLT in test preparation course yielded a positive effect on improving students’ TOEIC score.
Assistive Technology in the English Language Classroom: Reality and Perspectives
Authors: Siyabi Jamila Al , Tuzlukova Victoria , Kaabi Khalid Al , Hadra Mohhamad
Published: November 2022

The Oman Vision 2040 Policy aims to create a system of high-quality education where human capabilities are empowered and where learners of a wide range of ability feel welcome and their learning is invigorated. However, research reveals that educators still need to improve their knowledge of how to access valuable insights into such education practice, and there are many ideas that need to be sharpened and elaborated in academic and public discussions. In the context of Oman’s higher education, besides English language learning and communicative skills’ enhancement, there is inclusive language education as one of strategic directions and priorities. Suggesting that foreign language acquisition understood as a complex cognitive and social process can be facilitated by assistive technology used for enhancing English language achievement of the learners who lack some of its essential aspects, this paper explores the reality of integrating assistive technology in the English language classroom that includes students with visual impairments. It also outlines future perspectives involving the authors’ understanding of assistive technology as practice that has the capacity for increasing language learners’ autonomy, participation, and, simultaneously, advancing their academic standing. The shared insights will provide language educators with ideas on how using assistive technology can enable more efficient language teaching and learning experiences of visually impaired students, empower them and, consequently, strengthen their academic success.
Study of biocompatibility in vitro of ultrafine-grained Zn-based bioresorbable alloys
Authors: Martynenko N. S. , Anisimova N. Yu. , Kiselevskiy M. V. , Rybalchenko O. V. , Temralieva D. R. , Prosvirnin D. V. , Pivovarchik S. V. , Filonenko D. V. , Dobatkin S. V.
Published: November 2022

Background. Zinc alloys have advantages for use as biodegradable implantable orthopedic metal structures due to the absence of gas formation in comparison with magnesium alloys. But their mechanical properties are often has lower values.Aim. Investigation of effect of high-pressure torsion (HPT) on strength, ductility, corrosion resistance, antimicrobial properties, surface cell colonization and biocompatibility of Zn-based alloys.Materials and methods. The alloys of the Zn-x%Mg system (where x = 0; 1 and 1.7 %) in the initial undeformed state and after HPT were investigated in this work. Mechanical properties were studied on an Instron 3382 testing machine at room temperature. The biocompatibility of the alloys was evaluated by hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity assesment. We also studied the stimulation of colonization of the surface of the samples by mesenchymal multipotent stromal cells, as well as the presence of antimicrobial properties relative to the Escherichia coli culture. To study the degradation rate, the alloy samples were incubated in a standard nutrient medium for 8 days, assessing the change in their mass relative to the initial value.Results. It has been established that HPT leads to an increase in the strength of pure Zn 2 times, and of Zn-1%Mg and Zn-1.7%Mg alloys by 3 and 5.5 times, respectively, with an increase in their ductility. At the same time, deformation treatment has practically no effect on the corrosion resistance of the initial materials. No significant increase in the hemolytic activity and bactericidal activity of the alloys was revealed during studies. However, a significant decrease in the ability of cells to colonize the surface of pure zinc was observed after HPT.Conclusion. HPT leads to a significant increase in the strength and ductility of studied materials. At the same time, a decrease in the biocompatibility of zinc-based alloys after HPT did not observed. It was found that the discovered cytotoxic effect was obviously caused not so much by the alloy processing method as by its chemical composition. This makes it possible to evaluate the studied alloys of the Zn-x%Mg system treated by HPT (and, in particular, the Zn-1.7%Mg alloy) as a promising structure for the development of biodegradable orthopedic products.
Situs inversus totalis in combination with hiatal hernia and hereditary hemolytic anemia in a 4-year-old child: A case report
Authors: Sharipov Aslamhon M. , Mukhiddinov Nuriddin D. , Rahmatova Rukhshona A. , Mazabshoev Salomatsho A.
Published: November 2022

Situs inversus totalis is an extremely rare anomaly in which the organs of the chest and abdominal cavity lie in the opposite direction. With complete transposition, clinical manifestations may be absent, and diagnostic and therapeutic problems may arise in the presence of other malformations or diseases.
A 4-year-old girl was admitted for treatment in the hematology department of the National Medical Center of the Republic of Tajikistan, with complaints of nausea, periodic vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite, malaise, and skin pallor. Owing to the ineffectiveness of conservative therapy, surgical treatment was recommended, i.e., splenectomy. During the preoperative examination, radiography and radiopaque examination of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract with barium sulfate revealed that the fundus and body of the stomach were located in the left half of the chest, and the heart was symmetrically deployed to the right. An ultrasound examination revealed signs of displacement of the liver to the left half of the abdomen, the spleen to the right, and the heart in the right half of the chest. The diagnosis was hiatal hernia on the left, situs inversus totalis, hereditary hemolytic anemia, fermentopathy, and G-6-PD deficiency. Laparoscopic surgery was performed, which included splenectomy, elimination of a hiatal hernia, chiatoplasty, and esophagogastrofundoplication with the creation of a Nissen cuff. The girl was discharged on day 10. On control examination after 6 and 12 months, she had no complaints and has grown and developed according to age.
This clinical case is the first in the Russian literature to describe the treatment of a child with a hiatal hernia against the background of complete transposition of internal organs. This case highlights the need for imaging techniques for any unclear symptoms, especially in children with hereditary diseases. Minimally invasive intervention could contribute to a favorable outcome.
Intraoperative methods for assessing blood loss: A review
Authors: Mezhevikina Valentina M. , Lazarev Vladimir V. , Zhirkova Yulia V.
Published: November 2022

Massive blood loss that develops during surgery is a common cause of life-threatening conditions and deaths in patients of any age.
This study aimed to analyze domestic and foreign publications that present methods for determining the volume of intraoperative blood loss.
The literature sources were searched in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, eLibrary, and Russian Science Citation Index databases. The search was conducted in Russian and English using the following keywords: intraoperative blood loss, severity of blood loss, methods for assessing blood loss, direct methods, and indirect methods. The literature review included five articles from PubMed, nine from Scopus, six from Web of Science, two from MEDLINE, six from eLibrary, and four from Russian Science Citation Index.
Massive blood loss is understood as a one-time loss according to some authors of 30% and according to others of 50% of the volume of the circulating blood or blood loss equal in volume to 23 mL/kg/min. Risk factors for the development of intraoperative complications such as massive blood loss are, in addition to surgical interventions, the features of surgical intervention, i.e., size of the incision, surgical duration, and anesthesia, which can increase blood loss. The intensity and degree of blood loss are very important in determining the indications for transfusion of blood components, replenishing the volume of circulating blood, and determining indications for intraoperative hemostasis, both medical and surgical. In neonates and young children, the risk of dangerous intraoperative blood loss is associated with anatomical and physiological features, i.e., a small volume of circulating blood and insufficiently mature compensatory mechanisms. In older children, a high risk of massive blood loss is associated with comorbidities, features of hemostasis, and use of drugs that slow down the blood coagulation process.
To date, several methods are available for assessing intraoperative blood loss, but only a few are used in routine clinical practice. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages is the complexity of the mechanisms for assessing blood loss, for example, weighing surgical materials or the patient before and after surgery, determining hemoglobin in the liquid after soaking the used surgical materials, and calculating indices using formulas. Most often, the assessment of blood loss is conducted according to the clinical picture (pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, weak pulse, lowering blood pressure, etc.).
The results of the literature analysis showed insufficient research on determining the volume of intraoperative blood loss in pediatric practice, as evidenced by the small number of published scientific papers and the complete absence of randomized trials. Thus, further study of this problem is necessary.
Fernando Pessoa e José Pacheco: Entre uma polémica e uma carta sem resposta/ Fernando Pessoa e José Pacheco: entre uma polémica e uma carta sem resposta
Authors: Pizarro Jeronimo
Published: November 2022

Resumo: Enquadrado no centenário da Contemporânea, este contributo apresenta e dá a conhecer uma longa carta não enviada de Fernando Pessoa para José Pacheco, director da revista. A carta surgiu depois de uma polémica que envolveu o livro de António Botto, Canções, e da qual a revista não se manteve à margem.Palavras-chave: Fernando Pessoa; José Pacheco; Contemporânea; correspondência; António Botto; Canções.Abstract: As part of the centenary of Contemporânea, this contribution presents and makes known a long unsent letter from Fernando Pessoa to José Pacheco, director of the magazine. The letter arose after a controversy involving António Botto’s book, Canções, and from which the magazine did not remain on the sidelines.Keywords: Fernando Pessoa; José Pacheco; Contemporânea; correspondence; António Botto; Canções.
Jornalismo e Engajamento Literário. O caso do Free Goa/ Journalism and Literary Engagement. The Case of Free Goa
Authors: Festino Cielo
Published: November 2022

Resumo: O objetivo deste artigo é discutir a rede de narrativas literárias anticoloniais, em particular, contos e poemas, de escritores indianos, goeses e portugueses que apareceram no jornal de esquerda goês, Free Goa, publicado em Bombaim [Mumbai] nas décadas de 1950 e 1960, em um momento em que os Freedom Fighters de Goa procuravam o apoio da Índia para alcançar a sua independência da dominação colonial portuguesa. Seguindo Jean Paul Sartre (1949) e Benôit Denis (2000), afirmamos que essas obras literárias podem ser lidas como literatura engajada, já que em estilos literários elaborados ou simples e direitos encorajam os goeses a buscar inspiração na Independência da Índia de dominação britânica (1947), assim como libertar-se do regime salazarista.Palavras-chave: rede literária; Free Goa; contos; poemas; literatura engajadaAbstract: The aim of this paper is to consider the web of anticolonial literary narratives, short stories and poems, by Indian, Goan and Portuguese writers which appeared in the left-wing Goan journal, Free Goa, in the 1950s and 1960s, published in Bombay [Mumbai] at a time when Goa´s Freedom Fighters were seeking India´s support in order to attain their independence from Portuguese colonial domination. Following Jean Paul Sartre (1949) and Benôit Denis (2000), we claim that these literary works can be read as engaged literature since in elaborate or straightforward literary styles they urge Goans to look for inspiration in India´s independence from British domination (1947) and free themselves from the Salazarist regime.Keywords: literary web; Free Goa; short story; poetry; engaged literature
Imprensa e literatura: texto, contexto e intertexto na Goa colonial (1930-1945)/ Press and literature: text, context and intertext in colonial Goa (1930-1945)
Authors: Machado Adelaide Maria
Published: November 2022

Resumo: Na importante ligação entre imprensa e literatura procuramos salientar em contexto colonial a forma como o texto literário influencia e é influenciado pelos lugares em que surge e as formas de leitura que promove. Destacamos em termos teórico e metodológicos qual o impacto dessa ligação na emancipação dos povos que a história conectou. O caso goês surge como paradigmático da complexidade destes cruzamentos culturais.Palavras-chave: Goa; Cultura; Colonialismo; Laicismo; Texto literário; Literatura; Crítica anticolonial; Leituras e formas de escritaAbstract: In the important connection between the press and literature, we try to highlight in a colonial context how the literary text influences and is influenced by the places in which it appears and the forms of reading that promotes. We highlight in theoretical and methodological terms what the impact of this connection on the emancipation of the peoples that history connected. The Goan case emerges as a paradigm of the complexity of these cultural intersections.Keywords: Goa; Culture; Colonialism; Secularism; Literary text; Literature; Anticolonial criticism; Reading and writing forms
Crioulidade no circuito transatlântico: Modernismo e modernidade caboverdiana no Boletim da Sociedade Luso-Africana do Rio de Janeiro (1931-1939)/ Creoleity in the transatlantic circuit: Cape Verdean modernism and modernity in the Bulletin of the Luso-African Society of Rio de Janeiro (1931-1939)
Authors: De Assuncao Marcello
Published: November 2022

Resumo: Pretendemos neste artigo explorar as múltiplas conexões transatlânticas entre intelectuais portugueses, brasileiros e caboverdeanos em torno do debate sobre nação, modernidade e raça. Exploraremos estas interlocuções por meio de textos do Boletim da Sociedade Luso-Africana do Rio de Janeiro, espaço de amplo diálogo entre intelectuais nos anos 1930 por uma noção panlusa de nação que antecipa diversos elementos do lusotropicalismo freyriano dos anos 1950-1970 a partir da imagem de Cabo Verde (e do Brasil) como os filhos pródigos da diáspora lusitana. Estes trânsitos evidenciam como apesar do estatuto marginal desses debates (principalmente a transição de uma noção biológica para antropológica da raça) havia uma ampla gama de leituras sobre o “moderno” em circulação naquela conjuntura.Palavras-chave: Crioulidade; Modernismo; Atlântico Sul; Cabo Verde; Boletim da Sociedade Luso-Africana do Rio de Janeiro.Abstract: In this article, we intend to explore the multiple transatlantic connections between Portuguese, Brazilian and Cape Verdean intellectuals around the debate on nation, modernity and race. We will explore these interlocutions through texts from the Boletim da Sociedade Luso-Africana do Rio de Janeiro, a space for broad dialogue between intellectuals in the 1930s for a panlusitana notion of nation that anticipates several elements of Freyrian Lusotropicalism of the 1950s-1970s from the image of Cape Verde (and Brazil) as the prodigal children of the Lusitanian diaspora. These transits show how despite the marginal status of these debates (mainly the transition from a biological to an anthropological notion of race) there was a wide range of readings on the “modern” in circulation at that conjuncture.Keywords: Creoleity; Modernism; South Atlantic; Verdean Cape; Luso-African Buletin of Rio de Janeiro.
Entre o esforço de lucidez e o escrever em não: espaço-tempo de resistência em Argumento e Almanaque - revistas culturais brasileiras dos anos 1970/ Between the effort of lucidity and writing in no: space-time of resistance in Argumento e Almanaque - Brazilian cultural magazines of the 1970s
Authors: Fonseca Claudia Lorena
Published: November 2022

Resumo: Neste estudo, que tem por objeto as revistas culturais brasileiras da década de 1970, nos dedicamos a analisar duas das mais conhecidas publicações periódicas que surgiram e circularam no período: Argumento – revista mensal de cultura e Almanaque – cadernos de literatura e ensaio, pelos vínculos que se evidenciam entre elas e pela situação particular de cada uma dessas publicações no que concerne a seus projetos editorias e a relação com os mecanismos de censura. Nosso objetivo é, a partir desses elementos, verificar como se posicionaram e de que forma as opções que fizeram foram determinantes para possibilitar ou impedir sua circulação. Além disso, nos interessa observar  de que maneira se colocavam frente à repressão e como puderam, a exemplo de muitas outras antes delas, mesmo em conjuntura adversa - ou mesmo por conta disso, estabelecer redes e fomentar um diálogo intelectual que transcende o âmbito do território nacional, contribuindo à integração latino-americana. Para tanto, fundamentamos nossa análise nos estudos de teóricos tais como Beatriz Sarlo; Horacio Tarcus; Pablo Rocca e Maria Lucia Camargo.Palavras-chave: Revistas culturais brasileiras; Anos 1970; Argumento; Almanaque.Abstract: In this study, which has as its object the Brazilian cultural magazines of the 1970s, we are dedicated to analyzing two of the best-known periodicals that emerged and circulated during the period: Argumento – revista mensal de cultura, and Almanaque – cadernos de literatura e ensaio, by the links that are evident among them and by the particular situation of each of these publications with regard to their editorial projects and their relationship with censorship mechanisms. Our objective is, based on these elements, to verify how they positioned themselves and how the choices they made were decisive in enabling or preventing their circulation. In addition, we are interested in observing how they position themselves in the face of repression and how they could, like many others before them, even in adverse circumstances - or even because of that, establish networks and foster an intellectual dialogue that transcends the scope of national territory, contributing to Latin American integration. Therefore, we base our analysis on the studies of theorists such as Beatriz Sarlo; Horacio Tarcus; Pablo Rocca and Maria Lucia Camargo.Keywords: Brazilian cultural magazines; 1970s; Argumento; Almanaque.