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Es sabido que el personaje bíblico de Job ha inspirado a pensadores y artistas de todas las épocas, de manera que en la historia de la cultura occidental su figura protagoniza numero- sos cuadros, esculturas y composiciones musicales, así como novelas y poesías. Mediante la exploración de las coincidencias y divergencias formales y temáticas que presentan algunas recreaciones literarias de la historia de Job, me propongo argumentar que este personaje ha dado lugar a un motivo literario, es decir, a la representación verbal de una situación típica que se repite, una situación estereotipada como la de otros motivos literarios identificados por la literatura comparada como ‘el amor imposible’ (representado por ejemplo en Romeo y Julieta) o ‘el injusto destierro’ (encarnado, entre otros, por El Cid). Para caracterizar el motivo litera- rio de Job será necesario analizar qué elementos de la historia bíblica perduran en las obras inspiradas en ella y qué transformación ha sufrido al adaptarse a épocas y cosmovisiones dis- tintas. ¿Es el deseo de una explicación racional ante el sufrimiento un elemento característico de este motivo literario? ¿Aporta propiamente una explicación al dolor el desenlace del relato bíblico? ¿y la novela filosófica de Voltaire Zadig (1747), la novela breve de Joseph Roth Job. His- toria de un hombre sencillo (1930) o el poemario Fragmentos del Libro de Job (1998) de Carlos Pujol?

BackgroundUnderserved populations both globally and in Canada face serious cancer inequities that result from systemic economic, environmental, and social conditions. These pose barriers in access to cancer care and lead to suboptimal cancer care experiences and outcomes. Knowledge of effective interventions to improve access to cancer care is needed to inform the design of tailored interventions for these populations.AimTo identify interventions and programs to improve access to cancer care for underserved populations in high income countries with universal health coverage (UHC) and the United States (US) throughout the cancer care continuum.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA standards. We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria: quantitative and qualitative studies published in English in the last 10 years (2013–2023), describing interventions/programs to improve access to cancer care for underserved populations (18 years and over). We included studies in the US given the body of scholarship on equity in cancer care in that country. Screening, data extraction and analysis were undertaken by two independent reviewers.ResultsOur search yielded 7,549 articles, and 74 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 56 were conducted in the US, 8 in Australia, 6 in Canada, and 4 in the United Kingdom. Most (90.5%) were quantitative studies and 47.3% were published between 2020–2023. Seven types of interventions were identified: patient navigation, education and counselling, virtual health, service redesign, financial support, improving geographical accessibility and multicomponent interventions. Interventions were mainly designed to mitigate language, distance, financial, lack of knowledge and cultural barriers. Most interventions focused on access to cancer screening, targeted rural populations, racialized groups and people with low socioeconomic status, and were conducted in community-based settings. The majority of interventions or programs significantly improved access to cancer care.ConclusionOur systematic review findings suggest that interventions designed to remove specific barriers faced by underserved populations can improve access to cancer care. Few studies came from countries with UHC. Research is required to understand tailored interventions for underserved populations in countries with UHC.

Climate change, land use conversion and human population growth are reducing and fragmenting historical ranges of large animals, especially in Africa. Particularly, land conversion to agriculture is leading to coexistence challenges between humans and elephants. In this study we investigated the factors affecting the intensity of elephant crop damage in the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor (Tanzania). We also predicted future conflicts (crop damage intensity) for different land management (crop types) and water scarcity (drought) scenarios using model averaging. Our results show that intensity of elephant damage (proportion of area damaged in an individual farm as a percentage) increased with crop palatability and land use conversion in the last ∼30 years, particularly deforestation. Conversely, the intensity of elephant damage decreased with increasing human activity (higher proportion of settlements and farmland), and distance to waterbodies. Most farms affected by elephants (65 %) were at short distances (< 250 m) from waterbodies. We also predicted a significant increase of elephant crop damage intensity from 17 % when the farm is covered with no palatable crops, to 54 % and 63 % when palatable crops covered 50 % and 100 % of the farmland, respectively. For the predicted water stress scenario in which all small seasonal waterbodies would dry off, we predicted a 46 % reduction in the total area of farmland susceptible to damage although we expect an increase in human-wildlife competition for water. We conclude that land use changes and water availability strongly affect elephant crop damage. We hope these results contribute to the development and better implementation of management strategies that enhance long-term peaceful coexistence between humans and elephants.

Para dilucidar si las necrológicas pueden tener una función consagradora en el ámbito literario –y no de mera certificación de una consagración lograda en vida–, se analizan las treinta y cuatro necrológicas dedicadas a Carlos Pujol (Barcelona, 1936-2012), escritor, crítico y traductor cuyo fallecimiento tuvo un impacto mediático inopinado dada su falta de notoriedad en vida. Pujol fue reivindicado en un aluvión de necrológicas firmadas por sus pares, que renuncian a la neutralidad propia de este género textual y esgrimen su legitimidad para consagrarlo y forjar su imagen póstuma. La estrategia argumental de estas necrológicas requiere justificar que no lograra notoriedad en vida y señalar el valor de su legado, lo cual lleva a recalcar la coherencia entre la imagen de autor forjada por Pujol y su poética de la ocultación y revelación del yo, así como la autenticidad de su vocación literaria.

We propose an efficient mode management scheme in active nonlinear multimode fibers based on non-Hermitian potentials in the longitudinal direction with an antisymmetric transverse profile. The proposal takes advantage of the nonlinear saturation toward particular mode configurations, which can be tuned by the non-Hermitian potential. We demonstrate flexible control of the beam profile within the parameter space of the applied potential with various possibilities, such as improving the beam quality by condensing photons to the lowest order Hermite mode, exciting higher order modes, or engineering a desired mode profile as a combination of modes. The effect is also analytically predicted using a mode-expansion approach, showing good agreement with the full model calculations based on the complex Ginzburg–Landau equation. This study was performed for 1D planar guiding structures, yet the results can be extended to 2D fibers and could be very useful in applications of fiber amplifiers and lasers.

Aunque el modelaje geológico comúnmente realizado en los depósitos minerales es del tipo determinístico, la modelación probabilística resulta más adecuada para conocer o medir cuantitativamente la incertidumbre asociada. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue cuantificar, para un sector del depósito de níquel San Felipe, la incertidumbre de los horizontes de la corteza de meteorización a partir de su modelación probabilística. Como base se tomó el modelo geológico descriptivo del depósito laterítico, caracterizado por la zonalidad litológica en profundidad. Se empleó la técnica probabilística de simulación secuencial Indicador con Proporciones Localmente Variables, mediante la cual se reproducen sintéticamente 50 escenarios equiprobables de las unidades geológicas, condicionadas a 3 884 compósitos de la red de pozos de 100 m x 100 m. Como resultado se presenta para el sector de estudio el modelo 3D de los horizontes litológicos en soporte de bloques, así como los mapas de entropía que cuantifican la incertidumbre asociada al modelo de las unidades geológicas modeladas. Se concluye que, dada la variabilidad presente en este tipo de depósito laterítico, la disponibilidad de información geológica resulta aún insuficiente para reproducir con un nivel de certidumbre adecuado el modelo de los horizontes de la corteza de meteorización.

This commentary provides a detailed overview of the extensive stakeholder engagement efforts critical to the development of the Future of Cancer Impact (FOCI) in Alberta report. The overarching aim of the FOCI report was to support informed and strategic discussions and actions that will help key stakeholders in the province prepare for a future with increasing cancer incidence and survival. Employing a comprehensive approach and a diverse range of engagement activities, insights from a wide spectrum of stakeholders were gathered and subsequently used to shape the content of the report. This inclusive process ensured broad representation of perspectives, contributing to a deeper understanding of the complexities in cancer care. The outcome is a robust, consensus-driven report with recommendations set to drive significant transformations within the healthcare system. These efforts highlight the critical role of extensive, inclusive, and collaborative engagement in shaping healthcare initiatives and advancing discussions crucial for the future of cancer care in Alberta.

We demonstrate all-optical spatial mode-cleaning in non-Hermitian waveguides. The effect is accounted by a unidirectional coupling among the modes resulting from a simultaneous modulation of the refractive index and the gain/loss along graded index multimodal waveguides. Depending on the spatial delay between the real and imaginary part of the potential modulation, higher or lower order modes are favored, which in latter case eventually leads to an nearly-monomode propagation. In this way, for any arbitrary initial field distribution an antisymmetric non-Hermitian modulation results in an effective mode-cleaning. The effect is demonstrated analytically, based on coupled mode theory in 1D waveguides, and numerically proven by solving the wave propagation equation with the antisymmetric non-Hermitian potential. The proposal is also generalized to the more involved case of 2D waveguides, leading to a significant reduction of the beam quality factor and improvement of beam spatial quality.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, with diagnoses increasing annually. In Alberta, many cancer cases are detected in emergency departments, often at advanced stages. Despite the significant role of emergency departments in cancer diagnosis, limited research exists on the experiences of healthcare providers in this context. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perspectives of physicians and nurses working in emergency departments in Edmonton and Calgary regarding cancer diagnosis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 physicians and nurses, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Interviews were analyzed thematically using an inductive, iterative process. Three main themes emerged: the acute care focus of the emergency department, its unsuitability for cancer diagnosis, and the need for systemic improvements to better support patients with suspected cancer. Participants highlighted challenges related to high patient volumes, the emotional burden of delivering cancer diagnoses, and barriers to effective communication and patient interaction in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. The findings suggest the need for systemic reforms, including stronger primary care and improved care coordination, to alleviate pressure on emergency departments and enhance both patient outcomes and healthcare provider well-being.

The impact of cancer in Alberta is expected to grow considerably, largely driven by population growth and aging. The Future of Cancer Impact (FOCI) initiative offers an overview of the present state of cancer care in Alberta and highlights potential opportunities for research and innovation across the continuum. In this paper, we present a series of detailed projections and analyses regarding cancer epidemiological estimates in Alberta, Canada. Data on cancer incidence and mortality in Alberta (1998–2018) and limited-duration cancer prevalence in Alberta (2000–2019) were collected from the Alberta Cancer Registry. We used the Canproj package in the R software to project these epidemiological estimates up to the year 2040. To estimate the direct management costs, we ran a series of microsimulations using the OncoSim All Cancers Model. Our findings indicate that from 2020, the total number of annual new cancer cases and cancer-related deaths are projected to increase by 56% and 49% by 2040, respectively. From 2019, the five-year prevalence of all cancers in Alberta is projected to increase by 86% by 2040. In line with these trends, the overall direct cost of cancer management is estimated to increase by 53% in 2040. These estimates and projections are integral to future strategic planning and investment.

Introduction Vaccines are developed to target specific pathogens. However, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that certain live-attenuated vaccines provide a broad spectrum of protection against heterologous infections as well [...], The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine protects against all-cause mortality in children, but the immunological mechanisms mediating these effects are poorly known. We systematically investigated whether MMR can induce long- term functional changes in innate immune cells, a process termed trained immunity, that could at least partially mediate this heterologous protection. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 39 healthy adults received either the MMR vaccine or a placebo. Using single-cell RNA-Seq, we found that MMR caused transcriptomic changes in [CD14.sup.+] monocytes and NK cells, but most profoundly in [gamma][delta] T cells. Monocyte function was not altered by MMR vaccination. In contrast, the function of [gamma][delta] T cells was markedly enhanced by MMR vaccination, with higher production of TNF and IFN-[gamma], as well as upregulation of cellular metabolic pathways. In conclusion, we describe a trained immunity program characterized by modulation of [gamma][delta] T cell function induced by MMR vaccination.

The global temperature increase of 1.1°C over the past decade and human population growth are already escalating competition for water in locations where water is scarce, adversely affecting agriculture. Water-smart farming was developed to address challenges associated with the availability, access and use of agricultural water. It complements practices and goals related to agricultural water in climate-smart agriculture. It encompasses several climate-responsive food cropping systems, water-saving methods, tools, and technologies to grow food sustainably. Effective implementation of water-smart farming can ameliorate the pressing burden of agricultural water competition. Therefore, the conceptual framework of water-smart farming and its principal elements or ideology are introduced in this review. The major pillars of water-smart cropping, which include conditioning and improving the soil’s capacity to capture and hold moisture, basic infrastructure for water harvesting, storage and use as nature-based cropping solutions were elaborated. Further examples of technologies and best practices in water-smart crop farming, such as breeding for drought-tolerant crop varieties, promoting dryland cropping systems, alternate wetting and drying technology, water drainage and control structures, rainwater harvesting, utilization of irrigation reservoirs, cover cropping and intercropping for enhancing soil moisture conservation were presented. The review also briefly shows the contribution of some of these best practices and adaptive technologies of water-smart cropping toward promoting water-saving methods used for growing rice, maize, legumes, cassava and peri-urban vegetables.

Elephant incursions into farms represent an important challenge for local communities and farmers living around protected areas, but also for the long-term conservation of elephants. Early detection of elephants is a promising technique to reduce elephant presence in farms and human settlements reducing human-elephant interactions. In this study we investigated the potential of infrared barriers to detect African savannah elephants Loxodonta africana. We designed and tested battery-operated photoelectric beam sensors in 12 locations of southern Tanzania and assessed the elephant detection accuracy through camera trapping for a total of 246 days. We obtained 1803 recordings of wildlife crossing the barriers range (30 different species of mammals and several bird and bat species). Our results show that infrared barriers, when located at 1.75-2.2 m high, detect 100% of adult elephants and ~ 29% of subadult elephants. Giraffes were the only other wildlife species detected by the barriers. Interestingly, large vehicles were also detected, which might be helpful to prevent motorized poaching. Given the gregarious behaviour of elephant families, and the limited access for vehicles, infrared barriers may represent an interesting and cost-effective detection system for early warning strategies in elephant-dominated areas of Africa and Asia or for other large-sized visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, with diagnoses increasing annually. In Alberta, many cancer cases are detected in emergency departments, often at advanced stages. Despite the significant role of emergency departments in cancer diagnosis, limited research exists on the experiences of healthcare providers in this context. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perspectives of physicians and nurses working in emergency departments in Edmonton and Calgary regarding cancer diagnosis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 physicians and nurses, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Interviews were analyzed thematically using an inductive, iterative process. Three main themes emerged: the acute care focus of the emergency department, its unsuitability for cancer diagnosis, and the need for systemic improvements to better support patients with suspected cancer. Participants highlighted challenges related to high patient volumes, the emotional burden of delivering cancer diagnoses, and barriers to effective communication and patient interaction in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. The findings suggest the need for systemic reforms, including stronger primary care and improved care coordination, to alleviate pressure on emergency departments and enhance both patient outcomes and healthcare provider well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many geoscience educators have noted the difficulty that students experience in transferring their classroom knowledge to the field environment. The Geoscience Garden, on the University of Alberta North Campus, provides a simulated field environment in which Earth Science students can develop field observation skills, interpret features of Earth's crust in three dimensions, and discover Earth history. The garden consists of large (1-5 m) boulders and rock slabs arranged in a landscaped layout that represents the geology of western and northern Canada. The project adds a unique capability for teaching basic field skills to students in a local environment and prepares them for field courses at more remote locations. Students work in the garden in a second-year introductory structural geology class that precedes a field school. Student perceptions of the effectiveness of the installation were evaluated using surveys of students returning from field school. Initial responses were positive; students returning from field school after the introduction of the garden reported significantly greater satisfaction with their ability to collect field data.

Objective: This qualitative study engaged with breast cancer patients to create a standardised cancer education booklet. This paper identifies lessons from that engagement process, showing how patients experienced their cancer education and how they were able to ensure their concerns and priorities were included in the standardised patient education booklet. Method: In semi-structured focus groups and interviews, patients reviewed the print materials they had received and a draft standardised booklet. Discussions were then analysed thematically through comparison and interpretive coding. Results: Patient education needs to provide key information on breast cancer and its treatment while also providing the kind of educational support that can strengthen patient capacity to take decisions, feel a sense of control, and move through the journey with optimism and courage. Conclusion: Patient education, including standardised materials, can reflect patient autonomy and empowerment if patients are engaged in developing educational materials in a broad, inclusive and sustained way.

InSAR coherence-change detection (CCD) is a promising remote sensing technique that is able to map areas affected by torrential sediment transport triggered by flash floods in arid environments. CCD maps the changes in the interferometric coherence between synthetic aperture radar images (InSAR coherence), a parameter that measures the stability of the radar signal between two different SAR images, i.e., data acquisitions. In arid environments, such changes are mainly due to changes in the surface. However, the residual effect of other factors on the InSAR coherence cannot be completely excluded. Therefore, CCD-based maps contain the uncertainty of whether the detected changes are actual changes in the observed surface or just errors related to those residual effects. Thus, in this paper, the results of four CCD mapping methods, with different degrees of complexity and sensitivity to the different factors affecting the InSAR coherence, are compared in order to evaluate the existence of the errors and their importance. The obtained CCD maps are also compared with changes in satellite optical images and a field campaign. The results lead to the conclusion that CCD maps are reliable in the identification of the zones affected by sediment transport, although the precision in the delimitation of the affected area remains an open issue. However, highly rugged relief areas still require a thorough analysis of the results in order to discard the geometric effects related to the perpendicular baseline.