bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
José María Arguedas en Juan Javier Salazar : una llama -inflamada- en una caja de fósforos
Authors: Lima Paolo de
Published: April 2023

Salazar ha abordado de manera recurrente la figura y el estado anímico de la obra arguediana. En ese sentido, algunas preguntas que creemos pertinentes en nuestro análisis están vinculadas con la vigencia de la obra y el pensamiento arguedianos desde su articulación con la producción de uno de nuestros más significativos artistas y, a su vez, con entender y revelar qué ideas de lo nacional están representadas en su trabajo plástico. Un análisis, pues, de la presencia de Arguedas en la obra de Juan Javier Salazar nos permitirá responder estas y otras interrogantes. A cien años del nacimiento del autor de Todas las sangres, el aporte de nuestro trabajo pondrá el acento en esta perspectiva crítica, es decir, en auscultar las formas en las que nuestro narrador más importante del siglo XX es resignificado y repotenciado desde el lenguaje, el discurso artístico y el particular punto de vista de Salazar.
Arguedas o la antropología como intuición. Apuntes para una propuesta de articulación
Authors: Pozo Buleje Erik
Published: April 2023

José María Arguedas fue un mal antropólogo1 . Esta afirmación se puede entender de dos maneras: una anacrónica y otra sincrónica. La anacrónica se descarta rápidamente por ser incorrecta, pues no se trata de hacer un juicio sobre la antropología de Arguedas con los conocimientos de la actualidad. Por ejemplo, haríamos mal en decir que su tesis La evolución de las comunidades indígenas. El Valle del Mantaro y la ciudad de Huancayo: un caso de fusión de culturas no comprometida por la acción de las instituciones de origen colonial, presentada en 1957 para obtener el bachillerato en etnología, contiene muchas imprecisiones, errores históricos; incluso podríamos decir que la idea central —la del mestizaje desarrollista— es obsoleta por ser equivocada de acuerdo a los conocimientos actuales. No se trata, entonces, de hacer un juicio anacrónico.
Un acercamiento a la obra etnográfica de Arguedas a partir de La utopía arcaica
Authors: Merino Solari Renatto
Published: April 2023

Mario Vargas Llosa en La utopía arcaica: José María Arguedas y las ficciones del indigenismo (2008 [1996]; en adelante La utopía arcaica) plantea que en los escritos de Arguedas subyace un proyecto utópico basado en un discurso pasadista que busca reestablecer en el presente un pasado ideal, tradicional, colectivista y mágico. Este discurso, además, fue alimentado con las ideas socialistas y las fantasías del autor. Se ha discutido y cuestionado mucho acerca de las tesis de nuestro ilustre Nobel; sin embargo, la mayor parte de los argumentos han girado en torno a la obra literaria de Arguedas, obviándose su producción etnológica. En términos generales la obra antropológica de Arguedas se encuentra insuficientemente estudiada y no ha logrado la gran difusión de su producción literaria. Se trata de un gran vacío de las ciencias sociales y de manera particular de la antropología que con este pequeño aporte pretendemos ayudar a llenar.
Los héroes y sus utopías en Mario Vargas Llosa y José María Arguedas
Authors: Plasencia Soto Rommel
Published: April 2023

Creemos que son estas las épocas propicias para replantearse en cierto modo la relación «problemática» entre la narrativa denominada cosmopolita y la narrativa andina y su crítica desde las ciencias sociales. Un aspecto importante de esta aparente disociación ha sido la comparación forzada vis-à-vis entre Mario Vargas Llosa y José María Arguedas.
Celebrando el legado andino sobre hilos de trama y urdimbre
Authors: Santisteban-D. Nathalie
Published: April 2023

En los pueblos andinos del sur del Perú las poblaciones realizan complejas ceremonias propiciatorias con las que esperan alcanzar el bienestar y renovar la relación de reciprocidad-dependencia que han establecido con las fuerzas sagradas. Las ceremonias rituales forman parte de un ciclo ritual más amplio. Las ceremonias del Walqanchi1 , Qaqatarpay y Mamachakra se realizan durante el periodo de lluvias y están relacionadas con la celebración del Carnaval en los Andes, en especial en la comunidad de Santa Bárbara del Cusco.
Testimonio del encuentro de José María Arguedas y Andrés Alencastre Gutiérrez, «Kilku Warak'a»
Authors: Alencastre Calderón Andrés
Published: April 2023

Entre los años 1939 y 1941 se produce el primer encuentro entre José María Arguedas y Andrés Alencastre Gutiérrez en la ciudad de Sicuani. Este encuentro marcará, a su manera, a ambos personajes. Mi intención, a propósito de las actividades del centenario del nacimiento de José María Arguedas, es dar un testimonio y aproximación de ese encuentro y sus repercusiones en la vida de ambos; testimonio que quizá signifique un aporte para la comprensión de sus respectivas producciones literario-intelectuales.
Corpus Christi y tauromaquia : una fiesta bajo el signo de la muerte sacrificial
Authors: Romero de Solís Pedro
Published: April 2023

Los historiadores de la Iglesia, en general, y de la liturgia católica, en particular, afirman que la fiesta del Corpus Christi fue instaurada en 1264, por el papa Urbano IV, bajo la denominación de Faestum sacratissimi corporis D. N. Jesu Christi. En el Concilio de Vienne (Francia), convocado en 1311 por el papa Clemente V, fue confirmada dicha fiesta. A partir de entonces, se propagó con notable rapidez por todo el Occidente cristiano. Urbano IV situó, en el centro de la fiesta, un culto popular con la intención de que las «piadosas muchedumbres» acudieran a las iglesias para enfervorizarse con la «entonación de alegres himnos».
¿Qué es la sociedad de la información?
Authors: Torres Asdrad
Published: April 2023

Al evocar los conceptos de ciudadanía y sociedad de la información, podríamos tomarlos a ambos como adquiridos: el primero simbolizaría la ambición democrática, el segundo poseería el sentido de las mayores transformaciones societales, es decir, de la sociedad en su conjunto, las ya comenzadas y las que vendrán. Si bien ambos conceptos ameritan un cuestionamiento, nuestro propósito aquí es el de cuestionar sólo el segundo. ¿Qué es la sociedad de la información?
Información y ciudadanía en el Perú
Authors: López Sinesio
Published: April 2023

Al estudiar el tema de la información y la ciudadanía en el Perú de 1998, en una época de profundos cambios culturales y tecnológicos en los medios de comunicación social, es indispensable levantar algunas preguntas sobre la vigencia o no de las ideas de Schutz sobre la cuestión del ciudadano bien informado. ¿Sigue existiendo el ciudadano bien informado como una entidad intermedia entre el experto y hombre común y corriente o ha sido destronado de su pedestal por la revolución de los medios? ¿Es sólo el interés el que define la distribución social del conocimiento y las diversas significatividades? ¿Siguen siendo típicas y crecientemente anónimas las interacciones comunicativas de hoy, marcadas por las imágenes crecientemente interactivas? Si el ciudadano informado ha logrado sobrevivir a la batahola aparentemente aplanadora de la revolución comunicativa, ¿en qué medida sigue siendo válido el esquema de Schutz para analizarlo?
Más allá de Miami : religión y migración en Florida
Authors: Williams Philip J.
Published: April 2023

En este capítulo, presentamos algunas conclusiones de un proyecto más amplio sobre migración transnacional en Florida. En el proyecto, exploramos los procesos de formación de identidades y comunidades entre inmigrantes brasileños, guatemaltecos y mexicanos en «los nuevos destinos» y destinos más tradicionales de migración en el estado de Florida. Fue un proyecto de investigaciones transnacionales llevado a cabo por antropólogos, politólogos, psicólogos y sociólogos de religión de Latinoamérica y Estados Unidos; en él, se combinaron metodologías cualitativas y cuantitativas.
El impacto macroeconómico de las remesas del exterior
Authors: Espejo Nelly
Published: April 2023

De acuerdo con el Banco Mundial (2006b), la afluencia de los migrantes en el mundo se ha venido acelerando en los últimos treinta años. De una tasa de crecimiento de alrededor de 2,4% en la década de 1970, el número de personas que dejaron sus países de origen para buscar oportunidades en otras regiones se elevó a 3% por año en la década de 1990. A este ritmo, la población de migrantes en el mundo se duplicaría en los siguientes veinticinco años.
Los inmigrantes salen a la calle. La primavera de 2006
Authors: Durand Jorge
Published: April 2023

Sobre la actitud o el carácter político de los inmigrantes se había dicho muy poco, casi nada. Se los considera políticamente apáticos, individualistas por excelencia y que enfrentan los problemas sociales y económicos de la población de origen con opciones personales. Se decía de ellos que «votaban con los pies», que abandonaban el país. Por añadidura, se consideraba que los migrantes eran la «válvula de escape» de los problemas sociales, económicos y políticos del país. Se decía que su escapismo, pesimismo, individualismo y oportunismo permitían que se mantuviera el orden de las cosas, que no cambiara el régimen, que no se rebelara el pueblo, que, en fin de cuentas, no explosionara.
Inmigración y política migratoria en España. Líneas maestras y su evolución en el marco de la Unión Europea
Authors: Blanco Cristina
Published: April 2023

En apenas dos décadas, España se ha consolidado como uno de los principales polos de atracción de migración internacional. Tal ha sido la dimensión y rapidez del fenómeno que España es considerada el país comunitario donde más ha crecido la inmigración en menos tiempo. De hecho, tan solo en los últimos diez años, el volumen de la inmigración extranjera se ha multiplicado por seis: de 540.000 habitantes en 1996 han pasado a registrarse en España más de 3.000.000 de personas extranjeras (cifra vigente hasta el primero de enero de 2006). El nivel de desarrollo político, social y económico del país, así como su ubicación estratégica en el seno de la Unión Europea, lo han situado como lugar privilegiado para el asentamiento de los migrantes internacionales o como lugar de paso hacia otros países europeos.
La política consular y de protección a los peruanos en el exterior : una visión renovada
Authors: Lázaro Geldres Jorge
Published: April 2023

El fenómeno migratorio internacional ha adquirido características singulares en las relaciones internacionales contemporáneas. El Perú no ha permanecido ajeno a esta tendencia global del movimiento poblacional. En efecto, nuestro país, en las últimas décadas, ha acelerado su ritmo de emigración; se ha llegado a estimar que, en la actualidad, aproximadamente un 7% de la población peruana reside fuera del territorio nacional. Este porcentaje, de acuerdo con cifras estimadas de la Cancillería hasta el mes de diciembre del año pasado, equivale a casi dos millones de peruanos.
La política general de gobierno, perspectiva de conjunto
Authors: Abugattás Javier
Published: April 2023

Para lograr un verdadero desarrollo, armonioso y sostenible, las políticas públicas requieren esfuerzos de concertación que permitan lidiar con una complejidad e incertidumbre crecientes.¿Es posible lograr un desarrollo armonioso si aún no podemos acordar políticas nacionales serias?, ¿qué elementos mínimos debería incluir la política general de gobierno para darnos orientaciones de conjunto?.
Políticas públicas en educación : la calidad educativa desde las personas y el aula
Authors: Abugattás Javier
Published: April 2023

Desde el punto de vista de las políticas públicas en educación, el impacto se mide por el resultado que se puede constatar en cada aula del país. ¿Prestamos la atención debida para que todas las personas desarrollen su potencial desde la primera infancia? ¿Están todas las condiciones mínimas en la familia, la comunidad y el aula? En este artículo planteo una reflexión sobre algunos de los elementos indispensables para obtener logros en un aula, como aspectos concretos de asuntos que no podemos seguir eludiendo como sociedad y como Estado.
Response of Sweet Sudan Grass to Graded Levels of Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilization
Authors: . Satpal , Gangaiah B. , Bhardwaj K.K. , Kharor N. , Tokas J. , Devi S.
Published: April 2023

Background: Green fodder yield potential of the landmark multi-cut sweet sudan grass (SSG) variety SSG 59-3 was influenced due to the poor fertility status at many places in Haryana. The performance of sweet sudan grass under different P and K treatments was assessed by measuring fodder yield, agronomic efficiency, physiological efficiency and net income. Methods: A two-year (2018 and 2019) field study was conducted at Hisar, Haryana to assess the effect of four P levels (0, 6.6, 13.2 and 19.8 kg/ha P) and four K levels (0, 12.5, 25.0 and 37.5 kg/ha K) on growth, yield and quality of sweet sudan grass (SSG-59-3). The sixteen treatment combinations were replicated thrice in a factorial RBD. The sandy-loam soils of the experimental field was low in organic carbon (0.47%) and available nitrogen (141 kg/ha) and medium in available P (12.9 kg/ha) and K (225 kg/ha). The nutrients P and K were applied through di-ammonium phosphate and muriate of potash just before sowing. Result: The graded levels of P and K gave significantly better results up to 13.2 kg/ha P and 37.5 kg/ha K. The agronomic efficiency, physiological effecicency and apparent nutrient recovery (%) of nutrients were highest with lower levels of P and K (6.6 and 12.5 kg). The application of K had complementary effect on the uptake of P as appropriate ratios of N, P and K fertilizer improved absorption and utilization of nutrients.Therefore, farmers can apply 13.2 kg P/ha plus 37.5 kg K/ha along with recommend N for increased dry fodder yield and net income in sweet sudan grass.
Monitoring airborne movement of crop insect pests and beneficials
Authors:   University of Canberra, Australia, Drake V. Alistair ,   University of New South Wales, Australia
Published: April 2023

This chapter explores monitoring airborne movement of crop insect pests and beneficials. The chapter begins by highlighting the importance of trapping methods when it comes to monitoring specimens. This is then followed by a review of the visual observation of insects and a discussion of various forms of radar that can be used, such as scanning entomological radars, vertical-looking and weather surveillance radars. A section on optoelectronics is also provided, focusing specifically on short-range and long-range monitoring as well as imagers and the strengths, limitations and prospects of these devices. The chapter also provides a review of radiotelemetry and harmonic radar as well as a case study on moths over a cotton crop.
Advances in insect pest monitoring using pest population growth and geospatial data for pest risk assessment
Authors:   Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA, Brewer Michael J. , Esquivel Isaac L. ,   North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, USA, Gordy John W. ,   Syngenta Crop Protection, USA
Published: April 2023

Insect pest monitoring serves to evaluate pest severity over time and space. Special attention is given to acquiring and estimating pest population levels and affiliated variables that may influence trajectory of pest severity within and across crops and other habitat. The chapter reviews approaches and provides case studies of current advances that are in development or have been applied in operational integrated pest management (IPM) systems. We first review incorporating knowledge of expected pest population growth to adjust economic thresholds for use in applying remedial IPM tactics to individual fields. The chapter then turns to principles and advancements in using spatial data, including spatially-referenced pest, crop, and remote sensing data. Spatial data linked to insect pest monitoring may improve strategic use of remedial IPM tactics at the field level and use of preventive IPM tactics at larger scales.
Mitigating invasive insect species: eradication, long-term management, and the importance of sampling and monitoring
Authors:   University of Minnesota, USA, Morey Amy , Venette Robert ,   USDA Forest Service, USA
Published: April 2023

In this chapter, we introduce major concepts associated with the management of invasive insects. We then focus more deeply on eradication and long-term management, especially integrated pest management, describing common factors associated with successful programs and potential challenges of each strategy. Brief case studies are provided to illustrate applications of eradication and IPM to various invasive insects in different regions. Lastly, we summarize recent research and technology that have progressed effective management of invasive insects and highlight areas where further research is needed.
Prognostic Factors for Cardiotoxicity Among Children With Cancer: Definition, Causes and Diagnosis With Omics Technologies
Authors: Antoniadi Kondylia , Thomaidis Nikolaos S. , Nihoyannopoulos Petros , Toutouzas Konstantinos , Gikas Evagelos , Kelaidi Charikleia , Polychronopoulou Sophia
Published: April 2023

Improvements in the treatment of childhood cancer have considerably enhanced survival rates over the last decades, to over 80% as per today. However, this great achievement has been accompanied by the occurrence of several early and long-term treatment-related complications major of which is the cardiotoxicity. The chemotherapeutic agents that have been implicated as a cause of cardiotoxicity, are mostly anthracyclines and mitoxantrone, alkylating agents, proteasome inhibitors and to a lesser extent anti-microtubule agents, cisplatin, monoclonal antibodies, small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and nucleotide synthesis inhibitors. Routine diagnosis and monitoring of cardiotoxicity rely on electrocardiography and echocardiography. For the early detection of cardiotoxicity, in recent years, major studies have been conducted using biomarkers such as troponin, N-terminal pro b-natriuretic peptide, etc. Despite refinements in diagnostics still severe limitations exist, due to the increase of the above-mentioned biomarkers, only after significant cardiac damage has occurred. Lately, research has been expanded by introducing new technologies and finding new markers by omics approach. These new markers could be used not only for early detection, but also for early prevention of cardiotoxicity. The omics science, which includes genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, offers new opportunities for biomarker discovery in cardiotoxicity and may provide understanding of mechanisms of cardiotoxicity, beyond traditional technologies. This article reviews the contemporary definition of cardiotoxicity, older and newer chemotherapeutic agents mainly involved in cardiotoxicity and the methods of early and preventive diagnosis, using omics technology.
Design Recommendation of Care Center to Overcome the Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Infectious Diseases on Humans
Authors: Kaafil Shifana Fatima , Khan Shamim Shaukat
Published: April 2023

The Covid 19 pandemic threaten the life of individuals and there was a lack of information in treatment, handling of patients and disposal of waste. The psychological and behavioral impact on Humans due to outbreak of Covid is studied and based on that a person-centered care center is suggested. The research methodology used are surveys, interviews among stake holders and design details of person-centered care center. Based on the surveys and interviews conducted during pandemic, it is found that 94% of the respondents prefer to use private vehicles with at least one member to ac-company them. People prefer to use 3 ply facemasks, followed by cotton masks and N95. Existing literature discusses the physical effects on the individual, but this paper focuses more on pros and cons on human life during the pandemic and lock down period. Based on the study, care center with facilities to treat patients with different levels of infections and counselling center for the persons suffered from Covid and other infectious diseases to overcome their psycho-logical and behavior changes are recommended.
Grinding Media in Ball Mills-A Review
Authors: Matsanga Nyasha , Nheta Willie , Chimwani Ngonidzashe
Published: April 2023

Comminution is a very important and result-determining step in mineral processing. This is because further downstream processes in the beneficiation chain depend entirely on it. Comminution includes the blasting, crushing, and grinding of ore to liberate valuable mineral particles. It consumes most of the energy used in mineral processing plants with grinding using up to 50% of the provided energy. Tumbling mills are an old technology that is still commonly used for grinding. One of the most used tumbling mills is the ball mill. This paper reviews different types of grinding media that have been developed and improved over the years and their properties. Also reviewed are the effects of grinding media on various aspects such as energy consumption, mill efficiency, minerals liberation and grinding rate. A comparison of the grinding media is given together with the knowledge gaps that still need to be bridged to improve the quality and performance of grinding media used in ball mills. Despite various research conducted on ball mills, the grinding process is still a very energy inefficient process. This creates a great opportunity for further research to improve the process because just a slight improvement in the process efficiency significantly reduces the production costs and provides a lot of environmental benefits.
Automatic Detection and Association Analysis of Multiple Surface Defects for Shield Subway Tunnel
Authors: Yin Zi-Ren , Lei Zhanzhan , Zheng Ao , Zhu Jiasong , Liu Xiao-Zhou
Published: April 2023

The surface defects of shield subway tunnel can significantly affect the serviceability of the tunnel structure and may compromise the operation safety. To effectively detect the multiple surface defects, this research employs a tunnel inspection trolley (TIT) based on the mobile laser scanning technique. By conducting the inspection of the shield tunnel on a metro line section, various surface defects are identified by the TIT, including water leakage defect, dislocation, spalling, cross-section deformation, etc. To explore the root causes of the surface defects, the association rules between different defects are calculated via an improved Apriori algorithm. Results show that: i) there are significant differences in different association rules of various surface defects of the shield tunnel; ii) the average confidence of the association rule “dislocation & spalling → water leakage” is as high as 57.78%, indicating that most of the water leakage defects are caused by dislocation and spalling of the shield tunnel in the sections being inspected; iii) the weakest rule appears at “water leakage → spalling”, with the average confidence of 13%. The association analysis can be used in predicting the critical defects influencing the structural reliability and operation safety, such as water leakage, and optimizing the construction and maintenance work for the shield subway tunnel.
Countering Biothreats from Low-Effort Toxins: Some Highlights from the Chemical and Biological Investigation, Evidence, and Countermeasures Training
Authors: Bhore Subhash Janardhan
Published: April 2023

Various species of plants, bacteria, fungi, insects, invertebrates, and vertebrate animals produce unique small molecules, peptides, or proteins (biomolecules) for their defensive purposes. These biomolecules, also known as toxins, are poisonous (toxic) to humans and could be misused due to relatively easy accessibility and affordability. Toxins are not contagious and replicative; their effect or symptoms depend on their concentration (dose), which can take hours to days after exposure. Furthermore, for nefarious actors, preparing low-effort homemade explosives (HMEs) using household items or easily accessible chemical precursors is not difficult. To mitigate the biosecurity risks, biological scientists, law enforcement investigators, and public health response professionals should be aware of the new threats and challenges posed by low-effort toxins and HMEs. The chemical and biological investigation, evidence, and countermeasures training program was aimed at preparing biological scientists, law enforcement investigators, and public health representatives to mitigate the biosecurity risks from low-effort toxins and HMEs. The tailor-made eight-day training program containing lectures, round table discussions, immersion scenarios, practical exercises, practical assessment, and tabletop exercises helped participants to understand and close their skill gaps. The training also covered various elements associated with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats from nefarious individuals and groups. Some highlights of the training are reported in this report.
Characterization of Positive Invariance of Quadratic Convex Sets for Discrete Systems Using Optimization Approaches
Authors: Lei Yuyao , Yang Hongli , Ivanov Ivan Ganchev
Published: April 2023

Positive invariant set is an important concept of dynamic systems. The purpose of this paper is to study the sufficient and necessary conditions that the set of ellipsoids and the Lorenz cone are positive invariant sets of discrete time systems. By means of nonlinear programming and induced norm, the problem of positive invariance is formulated as an optimization problem, and the equivalent dual form optimization is also presented using the dual optimization method. Our results provide more alternative methods for determining the positive invariance of quadratic form convex sets from the point of view of optimization and dual optimization. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by numerical examples.
Digital Agriculture Policies and Strategies for Innovations in the Agrifood Systems: Cases of five West African Countries
Authors: DEGILA Jules , SODEDJI Frejus Ariel Kpedetin , AVAKOUDJO Hospice Gerard Gracias , TAHI Souand Peace Gloria , HOUETOHOSSOU Sèton Calmette Ariane , HONFOGA Anne-Carole , TOGNISSE Ida Sèmévo , ASSOGBADJO Achille Ephrem
Published: April 2023

Digital transformation of agriculture can support economic growth and food and nutri-tion security in Africa. This study provides an overview of the status of digital agriculture in five west African countries, analyzing their efforts in developing the enabling environment and inno-vations while formulating recommendations based on the identified gaps for the effective trans-formation of the sector. Information was retrieved through a literature search from various sources, including web pages and databases of national agricultural and digital transformation institutions and start-ups of the five target countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria) and regional/international institutions. There have been increasing agri-digital initia-tives in the five countries, which were grouped into seven categories based on their objectives. Steady progress was also observed in mobile internet adoption, despite the differences in deploy-ing crucial infrastructure to promote digital agriculture. The mobile connectivity index (MCI) in all five countries is below 60. Nonetheless, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire demonstrated more efforts in internet and electricity access, especially in rural areas. Benin and Nigeria have developed sep-arate documents depicting the roadmap for Digital Agriculture, while the other countries are working to create one or have it embedded in their national development plans. Similarities and specificities exist among countries for laws and processes protecting Agri-digital innovators. To be competitive and self-reliant in the global e-economy, these countries must reposition them-selves to accelerate changes in digital agriculture through effective governance and synergy of actions in different sectors and across nations.
Pro-tumor Bystander Effects of Nitric Oxide in Anti-tumor Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Girotti Albert W. , Bazak Jerzy , Korytowski Witold
Published: April 2023

Recent studies have revealed that several cancer cell types can upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and iNOS-derived nitric oxide (NO) after a moderate photodynamic challenge sensitized by 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin-IX. The NO signaled for cell resistance to photokilling as well as greater growth and migration/invasion aggressiveness of surviving cells. On this basis, it was predicted that diffusible NO from PDT-targeted cells in a tumor might enhance growth, migration, and invasiveness of non- or poorly PDT-targeted bystander cells. This was tested using a novel approach in which ALA-PDT targeted cancer cells on a culture dish were initially segregated from non-targeted bystander cells of the same type via impermeable silicone-rimmed rings. Several hours after LED irradiation, the rings were removed, and both cell populations analyzed in the dark for various responses. After a moderate extent of targeted cell killing (~25%), bystander proliferation and migration were evaluated, and both were found to be significantly enhanced. Enhancement corelated with iNOS/NO upregulation in surviving PDT-targeted cancer cells in the following cell type order: PC3 > MDA-MB-231 >U87 > BLM. If occurring in an actual PDT-challenged tumor, such bystander effects might compromise treatment efficacy by stimulating tumor growth and/or metastatic dissemination. Possible mitigation of these negative effects by using pharmacologic inhibitors of iNOS expression or activity as PDT adjuvants will be discussed.
Development of a Cost-Effective Process for the Heterologous Production of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) Using Pichia pastoris in Stirred-Tank Bioreactor
Authors: Noseda Diego , D’Alessio Cecilia , Santos Javier , Idrovo-Hidalgo Tommy , Pignataro Maria Florencia , Wetzler Diana E , Gentilli Hernán , Nadra Alejandro D , Roman Ernesto , Paván Carlos , Ruberto Lucas AM
Published: April 2023

SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the pathogenic agent causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the proteins codified by this virus, the Spike is one of the most external and exposed. A fragment of the Spike protein, named the Receptor Binding Protein (RBD) interacts with the ACE2 receptors of human cells, allowing the entrance of the viruses. RBD has been proposed as an interesting protein for the development of diagnosis tools, treatment and prevention of the disease. In this work, a method for recombinant RBD production using Pichia pastoris as a cell factory in a Stirred Tank Bioreactor (SRTB) up to 7 L was developed. Using a basal saline medium with glycerol, methanol and compressed air in a four stages procedure, around 500 mg/L of raw yRBD (RBD produced by yeasts) and 206 mg/L of purified (>95%) RBD were obtained. Thereby, the proposed method represents a feasible, simple, scalable and cheap procedure for the obtention of RBD for diagnosis kits and vaccines formulation
Integration of Multicriteria Decision Analysis and GIS for Evaluating the Site Suitability for the Landfill in Hargeisa City and its Environs, Somaliland
Authors: Mohamed Nimcan Abdi , Asfaha Yemane G. , Wachemo Akiber Chufo
Published: April 2023

Environmental degradation is one of the most visible problems in Hargeisa. Currently, solid waste is disposed of at two dumping sites within the city limits causing nuisance and unsanitary conditions. Moreover, the existing dumpsites are on the verge of closure, therefore necessitating a dire need to be addressed. This research paper is aimed to integrate multicriteria decision analysis and GIS for evaluating the site suitability for the landfill in Hargeisa, Somaliland. For this purpose, eleven significant parameters were selected: proximity from built-up areas, surface water, groundwater well points, sensitive sites (Airports), land use/land cover, geology, soil type, elevation, slopes, roads, and distance to existing dumpsites. These were then integrated using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Subsequently, restriction buffer analysis was performed on the seven parameters to obtain better and more accurate results, and restricted zones were omitted. Furthermore, the pair-wise comparison used to obtain priorities between the selected criteria showed that the land uses land cover is the most significant criterion in the model with a relative weight of 0.1829, followed by the habitations, 0.1506. The overall result reveals that about 68.96% (21060.9 ha) of the study area is unsuitable, while 24.36% (7441.53 ha) and 6.68% accounted for the less and highly appropriate zone, respectively. Following the results of this study, Hargeisa City's municipal council must reconsider the waste management and landfill sites to solve the problems observed in the area before it is overdue. Furthermore, this systematic research approach will assist regional and global researchers, policymakers, and municipal governments.
A Survey on Digital Agriculture in Five West African Countries
Authors: DEGILA Jules , TOGNISSE Ida , HONFOGA Anne-Carole , HOUETOHOSSOU Ariane , SODEDJI Fréjus , AVAKOUDJO Gracias , ASSOGBADJO Achille , TAHI Souand
Published: April 2023

Agriculture is the primary source of economic growth in many countries in West Africa. It provides food and livelihoods for the population. The purpose of this study is to review the digital agriculture status in five countries, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Coˆte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. The study consisted of a bibliometric analysis using a database exported from the web of science through a well-defined search string. Additionally, the cases of digital technology deployment in the countries were assessed through a systematic review approach comparing the technologies used in the target countries. Representative articles from the bibliometric review published in the last five years were selected for the comparative analysis. The bibliometric analysis based on 3,249 publications revealed that the research interests have significantly increased since 2014. The top two countries in terms of authors’ nationality were Nigeria and Ghana, respectively. Climate change, Machine Learning (ML) and adoption were the hot topics of discussion. The digital agriculture survey showed that publications in Nigeria were focused on Internet of Things (IoT), Wireless Sensors Networks, blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence (IA) technologies. Ghana also has a strong interest in blockchain, AI, and big data, while Burkina Faso focused on IoT and AI. Cote d’Ivoire and Benin focused only on AI.
Age of Onset Moderates the Association Between Total Antioxi-Dant Capacity and Cognitive Deficits in Patients With Drug-Naïve Schizophrenia
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Li Deyang , Guo Junru , Wang Dongmei , Zhang Xiangyang
Published: April 2023

Schizophrenia patients with an earlier age of onset have been found to have more serious negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. Oxidative stress is thought to be implicated in cognitive impair-ment in schizophrenia. Total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) is an essential indicator of oxidative stress. However, the association between age of onset, TAOC, and cognitive performance in schizophrenia is still unexplored. In this study, 201 patients (age: 26.5±9.6 years, male: 53.2%) with drug naïve schizophrenia were recruited. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Plasma TAOC levels were an-alyzed using established procedures. Results showed that early-onset (EO) patients had higher TAOC levels, more severe negative symptoms and performed worse on Visuospatial/Constructional, Language and RBANS total score compared with non-EO patients. After Bonferroni correction, only non-EO patients showed a significant inverse relationship between TAOC levels and RBANS language, attention, and total scores. Our findings suggest that early /late age of onset may be correlated with psychopathological symptoms, cognitive impairment and oxidative responses in schizophrenia. Furthermore, the age of onset may moderate the relationship between TAOC and cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia. These findings suggest that improving oxidative stress status in non-EO schizophrenia patients may enhance their cognitive function.
Pattern Recognition In Hybrid Dynamical Systems Using Fibonacci Theorem: Jeffcott Rotors
Authors: Outa Roberto , Chavarette Fábio Roberto , Gonçalves³ Aparecido Carlos , Pinto Sandro da Silva , Muzzi Fernando Augusto Garcia
Published: April 2023

Considering the current needs of industry 4.0, especially in the condition of systems linked to artificial intelligence, this multidisciplinary concept work and difficult to execute, proposes the main idea of recognizing patterns using mathematical concepts of simple access and logical resolution of great potential. The objective of this work is to demonstrate a process for pattern recognition by applying the Fibonacci concept to vibration signals of hybrid dynamical systems. For this to be possible, it was necessary to use the concepts of preprocessing in a vector for pattern recognition, together with the concepts of the golden rule of Fibonacci, finally, all applied in the theorem of Jeffcott Rotors. The general result, from a technical point of view, demonstrates positivity and relationship of patterns, because, considering the aspect of the location between the values of the experimental and numerical result, both signs have similarities.
Phase Field Modeling of Crack Growth with Viscoplasticity
Authors: Shi Qianyu , Yu Hongjun , Wang Xiangyuhan , Guo Licheng , Huang Kai , Han Jian
Published: April 2023

Fracture of viscoplastic materials is a complex process due to its time-dependent and plastic responses. Numerical simulation for fracture plays a significant role in crack prediction and failure analysis. In recent years, the phase field model is becoming a competitive approach to predict crack growth and has been extended to inelastic materials such as elasto-plastic, viscoelastic and viscoplastic materials, etc. However, the contribution of inelastic energy to crack growth is seldom studied. For this reason, we implement the phase field model coupled with a viscoplastic constitutive in finite element framework, in which the elastic energy and inelastic energy are used as crack driving energy. The implicit algorithm for a viscoplastic constitutive is presented, this procedure is suitable for other viscoplastic constitutive relations. The strain rate effect, creep effect, stress relaxation effect and cyclic loading responses are tested using a single element model with different inelastic energy contributions; A titanium alloy plate specimen and a stainless-steel plate specimen under tension are studied compared with the experimental observations in existing literature. The results show that the above typical damage phenomenon and fracture process can be well reproduced; The inelastic energy significantly affects the force-displacement responses but has slight effect on the crack paths.
Zanubrutinib: Coming of Age for BTK Inhibitors in the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia?
Authors: Molica Stefano , Tam Constantine , Allsup David , Polliack Aaron
Published: April 2023

Ibrutinib, a first-in-class Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor (BTKi), is a commonly deployed therapeutic option for previously untreated, relapsed and refractory (R/R) patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The use of ibrutinib is, however, partially limited by significant off-target side effects. Zanubrutinib (zanu) is a second-generation BTKi with enhanced target selectivity and occupancy of the kinase binding site. The SEQUOIA study showed that zanu significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) when compared to bendamustine–rituximab in treatment-naive CLL patients with an acceptable safety profile. More recently, data from the phase III ALPINE trial which directly compared zanu with ibrutinib has demonstrated that zanu’s advantages are both an improved safety profile and enhanced clinical efficacy.
Based on the results of the SEQUOIA and ALPINE pivotal trials the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) licensed zanu for the treatment of patients with CLL or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) in January 2023. The updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and newly released German CLL practice guidelines, suggest that zanu may replace first-generation BTKi as the preferred therapeutic option for patients with CLL/SLL due to its increased selectivity for the kinase binding site, improved therapeutic efficacy, and favourable toxicity profile.
Impacts of Combined Exposure to Glyphosate and Diquat on Microbial Community Structure and Diversity in a Lateritic Paddy Soil
Authors: He Xiaoyu , Wu Chunyuan , Tan Huadong , Deng Xiao , Li Yi
Published: April 2023

As two commonly-used non-selective herbicides, glyphosate (GP) and diquat (DQ) are easily co-resided in lateritic paddy soil due to the rich iron/aluminum oxides, nevertheless there is limited information on their co-impact on microbial diversity and community structure in this type soil. In this study, the short-term effects of combined GP and DQ on soil microbial diversity and community structure shifts were investigated in lateritic paddy soil from a tropical agricultural region (Hainan, China) based on 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that mixed herbicides promoted the abundance of Streptomyces in bacteria (0.45-1.84%) and Curvularia in fungi (0.01-5.85%), while GP and DQ had inhibitory effects on the abundance of Streptomyces (0.13-2.21%) and Curvularia (0.03-1.13%), which were significantly different with their single exposure (p < 0.05); the combined application of the two herbicides aggravate the adverse effect on the diversity of soil fungal community (p < 0.05), although their mixture did not have a greater impact on the soil bacteria abundance/diversity and fungi abundance (p > 0.05). Results suggested that the combined application of GP and DQ affected the fungal diversity although they did not cause other significant negative effects on soil microorganisms, hinting that more attention should be paid to the mixed effect caused by GP and DQ on specific fungal populations in lateritic paddy soil.
Global Profile of tRNA-Derived Small RNAs in Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy Plasma and Identification of tRF-21-NB8PLML3E as a New Hypertrophy Suppressor
Authors: Xu Jingyi , Qian Buyun , Wang Feng , Huang Ying , Yan Xinxin , Li Ping , Zhang Qian , Li Yuan , Sun Kangyun
Published: April 2023

Background: It remains unclear whether transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) play a role in pathological cardiac hypertrophy (PCH). We aimed to clarify the expression profile of tsRNAs and disclose their relationship to the clinical phenotype of PCH and the putative role. Methods: Small RNA sequencing was performed in the plasma of PCH patients and healthy volunteers. In a larger sample size and angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang II)-stimulated H9c2 cells, the data were validated by real-time qPCR. The atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were examined in Ang II-stimulated H9c2 cells. The role of tsRNAs in the pathogenesis of PCH was explored by bioinformatics analysis. Results: A total of 4185 differentially expressed tsRNAs were identified, of which 4 and 5 tsRNAs were observed to be significantly differentially upregulated and downregulated expressed. Of the 5 down-regulated tsRNAs, 4 of them were verified to be significantly down-regulated in the larger sample group, among which tRF-30-3JVIJMRPFQ5D, tRF-16-R29P4PE, tRF-21-NB8PLML3E, and tRF-21-SWRYVMMV0 had areas under the curve to diagnose concentric hypertrophy. The 4 down-regulated tsRNAs were negatively correlated with left ventricular posterior wall dimensions in PCH patients (r=-0.4227; r=-0.4517; r=-0.5567; r=-0.4223). The levels of ANP and BNP as well as cell size were decreased in Ang II-stimulated H9c2 cells with 21-NB8PLML3E mimic transfection. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the target genes of tRF-21-NB8PLML3E were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathway and involved in the regulation of ribosomes. Conclusion: The plasma tsRNAs tRF-21-NB8PLML3E might be considered biomarkers in patients with PCH with early screening potential.
Design and Additive Manufacturing of Acetabular Implant with Continuously Graded Porosity
Authors: Mukherjee Sumanta , Dhara Santanu , Saha Partha
Published: April 2023

Porous structured metallic implants are preferable as bone graft substitutes due to their faster tissue integration mediated by bone in-growth and vascularization. The porous scaffolds/ implants should also mimic the graded structure of natural bone to ensure a match of mechanical properties. This article presents a method to design graded porous structured acetabular implant and identifies the suitable parameters for manufacturing the model through additive manufacturing. The design method is based on slice-wise modification to ensure continuity of gradation. Modification of the slices was achieved through the binary image processing route. A geodesic dome type design was adopted for developing the acetabular cup model from the graded porous structure. The model had a solid shell with the target porosity and pore size gradually changing from 65% and 950 µm, respectively, in the inner side to 75% and 650 µm, respectively, towards the periphery. The required dimensions of the unit structures, and the combinations of pore structure and strut diameter to obtain the target porosity and pore size were determined analytically. Suitable process parameters were identified to manufacture the model by Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) using Ti6Al4V powder after carrying out a detailed experimental study to minimize the variation of surface roughness and warping over different build angles of the strut structures. A dual contour scanning was implemented to simplify the scan strategy. The minimum diameter of struts that could be manufactured using the selected scanning strategy and scanning parameters was found to be 375 µm. Finally, the model was built and from the micro-CT data, the porosities and pore sizes were found to be closely conforming to the designed values. The stiffness of the structures, as found from compression testing, was also found to be well matching with that of human trabecular bone. Further, the structure exhibited compliant bending-dominated behavior under compressive loading.
Investigation of Structural Dependence of Cyclical Thermal Ageing of Low Voltage PVC Insulated Cables
Authors: Bal Semih , Tamus Zoltán Ádám
Published: April 2023

The widespread use of renewable energy sources has considerably expanded distributed generation. An unbalanced load on distribution cables may also result from the recent increase in novel appliances and electric vehicles, the reverse power flow may create short-term overloads. These transient overloads increase the temperature for a short time beyond the limit, which causes degradation. However, the temperature distribution on the cable is not even. Therefore, the cable components are not degraded evenly and similarly. This publication describes the change in electrical properties of low-voltage cables caused by short-term cyclic artificial ageing to track the impact of these brief temperature rises. This study examines how cable structure affects the dielectric characteristics of cable specimens. Four cable samples, each measuring 50 cm in length (SZAMKAM 0.6/1 kV 16 mm2× 4 manufactured by Prysmian MKM Kft, Hungary) put through an accelerated ageing test in a temperature-controlled oven after changing their structures by removing their layers. Three rounds, each of six hours, accelerated thermal ageing were applied. After each round of ageing, the dielectric parameter tanδ and capacitance were measured by Dirana Dielectric Response Analyzer in the laboratory at room temperature 24±0.5∘C. Furthermore, the polarization and depolarization currents were also studied. The results show that changing the cable structure impacts the dielectric parameters, especially the effect of belting layer is significant. From point of view of aging the PVC belting layer protects the diffusion of plasticizers of inner structure.