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Systems integration is a central element of the complex systems development effort. The integration readiness levels (IRL) scale complements technology readiness levels (TRL) to assess the system development maturity, representing risk levels for integrating technologies in a system. The increasing complexity of systems, due to multiple interfaces and an information-centric architecture, demands new systemic approaches to analyze the architecture and communicate IRL assessments. Therefore, this article developed a methodology to apply IRL using architecture views through the design structure matrix and domain mapping matrix. A case study analyzed technology introduction impacts and different integration strategies for space systems from China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite program at the system and system-of-systems levels. Through the design science method, results show the pragmatic evaluation and validation for the proposed method and for the IRL scale itself, by professionals of the case study projects. The research draws suggestions for holistic system analysis and managerial communication applications using the proposed method and suggests a rationale for IRL assessment of legacy systems.

We propose a unified method for constructing higher Capelli elements for the classical Lie algebras. The higher Capelli elements are obtained as the Jacobi-Trudi determinants of central elements attached to partitions of single columns.

A presente resenha percorre o trajeto elaborado pela pesquisadora Giselle Beiguelman na obra de sua autoria “Políticas da Imagem: vigilância e resistência na dadosfera”. Objetivou-se, através de um olhar crítico, pontuar os principais aspectos delineados no livro, notadamente as temáticas mais sensíveis à criminologia, tendo em vista a recorrente preocupação da autora em abordar temas como controle e vigilância. Nessa toada, Beiguelman expõe sua visão de mundo sobre as tecnologias a partir do elemento central da imagem, escancarando uma nova política que modula vidas e produz subjetividades a partir desse novo paradigma. Ante a singularidade da obra, mediante o olhar interdisciplinar da autora e da atualidade das discussões por ela evidenciadas, este livro mostrou-se ímpar para ser objeto dessa análise, a partir da qual se espera contribuir para o diálogo acadêmico.

In today’s push for shorter and quicker hospitalisations, everyday life often becomes a place of rehabilitation for people after they undergo surgical procedures. In order for hospitals to manage shortened periods of admission and to facilitate post-operative rehabilitation, a patient‘s active engagement has become a central element to clinical treatment and care in Denmark. For example, in the recovery from orthopedic surgery, sleep becomes a type of "homework" assignment that is a vital element of the patient‘s rehabilitation trajectory. Building on the theoretical concept of ‘engagement’ developed by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari (2005), we examine the patient‘s relation to sleep as part of recovery; we refer to this as ‘sleep engagement.’ In particular, we analyze sleep as part of an institutional pedagogy in rehabilitation, and we ask how this pedagogy mobilizes rehabilitation for older patients after they have been admitted to the hospital for an orthopedic surgical procedure. Using ethnographic material, our analysis leads to a discussion of institutional expectations for what it means to be engaged in one's own patient trajectory. The article presents three results: 1) Expectations of sleep as an institutionally defined homework assignment are fulfilled through the establishment of the ‘rehabilitable and non rehabilitable body’; 2) As an active attempt to mobilize resources in rehabilitation, patient sleep engagement becomes part of a historical and contextual nexus; and 3) Institutional sleep potential creates new points of ambivalence—on the one hand, sleep is an optimization-promoting requirement in order to exercise while, on the other hand, the midday nap reflects an outdated view of old age that opposes an active lifestyle perspective.

El presente artículo busca explorar una relación entre los conceptos de libertad y potestad constituyente aplicable a contextos de cambio constitucional en el mundo contemporáneo. Utilizando una aproximación filosóficamente escéptica respecto del concepto de libertad, el escrito reflexiona sobre el significado de la libertad política aplicada a nuestra interacción social cotidiana. En línea con algunas de las tradiciones del pensamiento clásico y moderno temprano, el artículo plantea a la vinculación entre potestad constituyente y libertad como una relación complicada. Como se argumentará, no es plausible identificar instancias soberanas de interacción política como momentos de total autonomía para establecer direccionamientos normativos de largo plazo en el seno de una sociedad. Contrario a lo que podría pensarse, sin embargo, la conciencia de la libertad política relativa es un elemento central en el rendimiento políticamente emancipatorio de la potestad constitucional.

For the last ten years, digital manufacturing laboratories—initially meant for engineering and industrial design—have been proliferating and expanding their use to diverse fields in which experimental practice as a means of creation is a central element. While in some of these laboratories the access to their equipment is free, or, in a different way, they are private, others are exclusively dedicated to supporting the university activities. The goal of the present article is to highlight the importance of implementing the use of digital manufacturing laboratories in teaching, research, and extension activities in an academic artistic context, by pre- senting the specific case of ModelaFab, the Modeling and Digital Manufacturing Laboratory of the Department of Fine Arts of the School of Communications and Arts of the University of Sao Paulo (Escola de Comunicacoes e Artes da Universi-dade de Sao Paulo – ECA-USP). First, we present the challenges arising from the implementation of a university digital manufacturing laboratory; then, we discuss the establishment of ModelaFab, as well as its structure and the activities that have been taking place there until 2019.

The transformation of the electricity sector is a central element of the transition to a decarbonized economy. Conventional generators powered by fossil fuels have to be replaced by variable renewable energy (VRE) sources in combination with electricity storage and other options for providing temporal flexibility. We discuss the market dynamics of increasing VRE penetration and its integration in the electricity system. We describe the merit-order effect (the decline of wholesale electricity prices as VRE penetration increases) and the cannibalization effect (the decline of VRE value as its penetration increases). We further review the role of electricity storage and other flexibility options for integrating variable renewables and how storage can contribute to mitigating the two mentioned effects. We also use a stylized open-source model to provide some graphical intuition on these issues. While relatively high shares of VRE are achievable with moderate amounts of electricity storage, the role of long-duration storage increases as the VRE share approaches 100%.

Solar blind photodetectors with a cutoff wavelength within the 200-280 nm region is attracting much attention due to their potential civilian and military applications. The avalanche photodetectors (APDs) formed based on wide-bandgap semiconductor Ga2O3 are expected to meet emerging technological demands. These devices, however, suffer from limitations associated with the quality of as-grown Ga2O3 or the difficulty in alleviating the defects and dislocations. Herein, high-performance APDs incorporating amorphous Ga2O3 (a-Ga2O3)/ITO heterojunction as the central element have been reliably fabricated at room temperature. The a-Ga2O3-based APDs exhibits an ultrahigh responsivity of 5.9 × 104 A/W, specific detectivity of 1.8 × 1014 Jones, and an external quantum efficiency up to 2.9 × 107% under 254 nm light irradiation at 40 V reverse bias. Notably, the gain could reach 6.8 × 104, indicating the outstanding capability for ultraweak signals detection. The comprehensive superior capabilities of the a-Ga2O3-based APDs can be ascribed to the intrinsic carrier transport manners in a-Ga2O3 as well as the modified band alignment at the heterojunctions. The trade-off between low processing temperature and superior characteristics of a-Ga2O3 promises greater design freedom for realization of wide applications of emerging semiconductor Ga2O3 with even better performance since relieving the burden on the integration progress.

Decision-making is the central element of self-determination, requiring targeted, systematic instruction to learn. In this study, researchers developed a multicomponent intervention, "What ELSE about this job?", to teach job decision-making skills to college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The intervention coupled remote audio coaching (RAC) with a mnemonic device, 'ELSE', to guide students to make decisions about whether certain jobs would be a good fit for them. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention and determine whether the skills would maintain once the intervention was removed. All students who received the intervention substantially increased their ability to make job decisions. Additionally, all participants maintained the skills upon removal of the intervention, and showed signs of generalizing their skills to novel job coaches and web-based job search apps. Implications and future research are discussed.

espanolEl articulo analiza el discurso de politica exterior de Costa Rica en el Debate General de la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas (AGONU). Para ello se recurre a una propuesta teorica basada en el comportamiento de los pequenos estados, el manejo y desarrollo del poder blando, asi como el discurso como instrumento de ese tipo de poder. Metodologicamente, se emplea un metodo de analisis de contenido mixto, donde el componente cuantitativo se desarrolla a partir del software cientifico “Wordsmith 6.0”, cuyos resultados numericos se estudian a partir del analisis cualitativo de conceptos. A partir de ambas propuestas se establece la existencia de cuatro categorias fundamentales del discurso costarricense en ese foro: “derechos humanos”, “derecho internacional”, “desarme”, asi como “proteccion del medio ambiente y desarrollo.” A partir de la determinacion de estas se analizan los cambios y continuidades a lo largo de mas de una decada, lo que permite determinar que existe constancia en las categorias, pero fluctuaciones en la intensidad de su uso y en el contenido. La fluctuacion, por consiguiente, es paradojicamente una constante en discurso costarricense, por lo que incluso iniciativas multilaterales vinculadas a las categorias descritas como el Consenso de Costa Rica (desarme-desarrollo) y Paz con la Naturaleza (ambiente) fueron desplazadas, pese a que su contenido continuo de alguna forma en el discurso, lo que muestra una de las debilidades del discurso de politica exterior costarricense: su falta de constancia para construir entramados conceptuales mas solidos. Por otra parte, la intensidad con que se usa cada una de estas categorias se encuentra claramente vinculado con los intereses propios que tenga cada gobierno, sin que importe mucho el partido politico a que este pertenezca. Se concluye, por ende, que la falta de constancia relativa en el contenido de las categorias tiende a debilitar el poder blando costarricense en tales espacios. EnglishThe article analyzes the Costa Rica foreign policy discourse in the speeches issued in the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In order to complete this objective, this text is based on a theoretical proposal compounded by the behavior of small states, the management and development of soft power, as well as the ‘speech’ as an instrument of how that type of power is used. From this perspective, “small states” have different strategies to achieve their objectives in the international system. One of them is to increase its “soft power”, but to achieve some success in this goal depends on the ability of the “small state” to maximize its presence in interna-tional society, for which they must establish a certain degree of influence in various international forums and clearly define its foreign policy objectives to consolidate its “soft power”.One of the most important tools to increase “soft power” capacities is the use of “discourse”. In this sense, “dis-course” is not only an expression of values and prejudices, but also one of the methods to create them. For this reason, to study the different levels of political discourse has been a very important approach for studies in con-temporary international relations. Also, discourses in general, and foreign policy discourse in particular, change throughout time, and these changes can be linked with research on foreign policy change and continuity, exposing internal and external factors as transformational causes in foreign policy. In the Latin American case, recent litera-ture has indicated that the main changes are caused by “presidential preferences” more than any other factors.This general approach is the main reason for the methodological approach chosen to do this research. It is based on a mixed content analysis method, where the quantitative component is developed from the scientific software “Wordsmith 6.0”, whose numerical results are studied from the qualitative analysis of concepts. The documental corpus for this research is composed of the speeches given by Costa Rican representatives to the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (most of the time President of the Republic or Ministers of Foreign Affairs, in a few cases vice-presidents or vice-ministers of Foreign Relations have been selected). Thus, the corpus is made up of speeches issued from 2002 to 2015, these correspond to the administrations of Abel Pacheco de la Espriella (2002-06) of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) (four texts), Oscar Arias Sanchez (2006-10) and Laura Chin-chilla Miranda (2010-14), both from the National Liberation Party (PLN) (eight texts), and the first two years of the administration Luis Guillermo Solis Rivera (2014-18) of the Citizen Action Party (PAC) (two texts).Based on the collected evidence, it is possible to establish four fundamental categories of Costa Rican discourse in UNGA: “human rights protection”, “international law”, “disarmament”, as well as “protection of the environment and development.” The effects of the development of a national identity that is established in foreign relations could be an interesting link to explain the appearance of these categories and their preservation. This component can be fundamental to understand to what degree Costa Rican positions are strengthened and legitimized in the interna-tional sphere as a small state, as well as the good credentials that it has regularly had on issues generally accepted by most of the international community.Moreover, following to this exposition, it has been possible to establish the changes and continuities in the content and intensity of these concepts in over more than a decade of speeches. According to this analysis it is possible to argue that in spite of the constancy in the categories, there are also strong fluctuations in the intensity of their use and in the content that Costa Rican authorities have included within then.Along these lines, human rights were widely used during the first four years of the period covered by this research (Pacheco Administration, 2002-2005), but its presence is clearly reduced during the rest of the time. Disarmament was the fundamental category for the next four years (Arias administration, 2006-2009), but it is less important during the rest of the period. Meanwhile, “international law” follows a constant line, even though a lower frequency of use is evident compared to other categories. Finally, “protection of the environment and development” has ups and downs throughout the corpus, but it tends to increase in those years with large international conferences or meetings on this matter.The change of administrations seems to be a central element to explain these changes. Thus, for example, the Pacheco Administration (2002-2006) focused on human rights (from a conservative approach), the Arias Admin-istration (2006-2010) on disarmament, the Chinchilla Administration (2010-2014) on international law (this is clear linked with the border and political conflict with Nicaraguan Government, this incident was presented by Costa Rica in UNGA, OAS and the International Court of Justice) along with the environment and development; while the Solis Administration (2014-2018) returned to human rights along with the environment and development. Moreover, par-ty identity does not ensure the continuity of the content and intensity of the categories. The only time in which there was a consecutive repetition of a political party in the Executive during the period under study (2006-2010 and 2010-2014), the Chinchilla Administration gave less importance to disarmament than the Arias administration, also internal party conflicts and separations of important personalities can provoke ruptures in the discourse content.Fluctuation, therefore, is paradoxically a constant in Costa Rican discourse. Even multilateral initiatives linked to the categories described as the Costa Rica Consensus (“Consenso de Costa Rica”) (development) and Peace with Na-ture (“Paz con la Naturaleza”) (environment) were displaced, even though their content continued in some way through the discourse, which shows one of the weaknesses of the Costa Rican foreign policy discourse: its lack of constancy. This could come from changes in the leadership of Costa Rican diplomacy, ideological variants when there is a change in the political party in power, or characteristics of the leadership of President of the Republic or in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The international agenda also constitutes a determining factor for the content of the discourse. In the Costa Rican case, as a small country, such a situation is more evident given that the large international events, especially those aimed at addressing issues that reinforce the categories of discourse, would be essential to understand the fluctuations of discourse.

Spanish foreign policy towards the Arab world is the object of numerous papers, and authors who approach Spanish relations with North Africa and the Middle East do so from different disciplines and theoretical perspectives. Studies with emphasis on Hispano-Arab relations take as their main focus the Maghreb area and, especially, Morocco, due to Spain’s close political, economic, social and historical ties with the Moroccan kingdom. However, there are other scenarios within the broad and heterogeneous region which also acquire significant importance within Spain's international agenda, such as the Gulf monarchies. The last period of the Franco regime constituted a precedent in relations between Spain and the Gulf monarchies since it was the first rapprochement between the two parties. In this sense, the arrival of the democratic system in Spain does not introduce significant changes in Spanish foreign policy towards the region, but rather successive democratic governments will try to deepen the political, economic, cultural and security relations with the GCC members. This paper examines Spanish foreign policy towards the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, from the consolidation of democracy in Spain until current days (1978-2021). The research includes a period in which relations have been progressively intensifying, reverberating in different areas such as commerce, energy, security, culture, and politics. The Saudi kingdom is the country in the region which Spain has the closest and most consolidated ties, although the growing weight of the UAE and Qatar also stands out. The energy sector and, particularly, oil commerce, is the main element that motivates Spanish interest in these six countries. Nonetheless, throughout the period analyzed, the attention of Spanish political and economic actors on the GCC countries has been extended to other sectors and issues such as infrastructure, financial services, or the food industry. Furthermore, the Gulf monarchies are also assuming an increasingly leading role in the Spanish economy, investing in strategic national sectors in recent years. Defense and military issues have become another fundamental aspect of relations between Spain and the members of the GCC. The Spanish state is one of the main exporters of arms and military equipment in the region. This type of link has resulted in consolidated political cooperation between the countries. Spain has always supported the different royal families and their political systems as mechanisms to guarantee stability in the region and safeguard foreign interests. The different Spanish governments have never conditioned relations with Arab partners on issues such as democracy or human rights, which are issues that have always been excluded from the common agenda. This is a political trend that remains within the Spanish strategy throughout the period analyzed. A central element of Spain-Arab countries axis is the high trust between the Spanish royal house and their counterparts in the region, with a strong diplomatic character that contributes to enhancing Spanish foreign policy and public image among the area partners. The research substantiates that relations with the Gulf monarchies is one of the areas of Spanish foreign policy which shows the greatest continuity and coherence over time. There is a consensus among the main Spanish political, social, and economic actors to maintain the special bilateral relations in a discretionary environment. However, in recent years, criticism and social pressure is increasing in Spain to limit the association with this type of political regime. The paper exposes the evolution of Hispanic-Arab relations through different stages, which correspond to political and social changes that have happened both at the domestic level and in the international context. However, Spain has always tried to sustain and preserve its relations with the members of the GCC, despite the numerous internal, regional, and global crises of the last decades. The study is framed within a foreign policy analysis approach, establishing two central lines of inquiry. In the first place, Spain's relations with the Gulf monarchies is elaborated according to the development of the international, regional, and domestic context. Secondly, it traces the main goals and interests on which the Spanish State tries to boost partnerships with Arab regimes, as well as the decisions, means and resources implemented to make them a success. Spanish foreign policy during the democratic period has shifted mainly along three axes: the United States, Europe, and Latin America. The Arab world represents the fourth pillar of Spain's foreign policy. At this point, the monarchies of the Gulf have an exceptional role, which is reflected in the excessive concern of the Spanish governments to preserve the special nature of relations above any external or internal conditioning factor. The research justifies the need to address a reality of Spanish foreign policy that is sometimes little studied and analyzed, even though it is shown to be an important component of the international relations of democratic Spain. Relations between Spain and the Arab monarchies seems to enter a new period of marked by the progressive distancing of the parties since their priorities and objectives are increasingly disparate. The general purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze Spain's foreign policy towards the region, but also to explore possible future scenarios for bilateral relations. Current circumstances and conjunctures in Spain, the Arab world and the international system are forcing the Spanish authorities to reformulate all foreign policy, including their relations with the Gulf monarchies. If Spain wants to continue being a relevant partner for the GCC monarchies, it has to rethink some of its political, economic and security positions. More and more foreign powers have interests in the Gulf region, while at the same time the six members of the GCC have more complex and ambitious foreign agendas, meaning that Spain has a difficult time in maintaining its relevance for its Arab partners. The paper tries to explain and define a large part of these unknowns and problems that arise within Spanish foreign policy. The Arab monarchies will continue to be political and economic partners for Spain in the short and medium term, although the trend seems to show important signs of change and disruption.

The article is devoted to the study of the definition of economic space in modern scientific discourse. The urgency of the article is substantiated by the necessity to improve the methodology and practice of regional governance due to the global markets’ trends. Also the actuality of the work is determined by the specific of Ukraine regional management and necessity to modernize its methodological bases due to needs for the development of the economic space of Ukraine in terms of global competition. The aim of the study is to generalize, critically analyze and develop theoretical bases for defining the concept of "economic space". The study has used dialectical, monographic and analytical methods, and also the method of comparative analysis, system and process approaches. The comparative and critical analysis of existing theories of productive forces development has been made. Various definitions of economic space have been systematized and analyzed. It is substantiated that the system approach is the most suitable for use in the process of defining the concept of economic space. Economic space is a territory in which economic agents operate and interact within the available resource, institutional, social, infrastructural and other constraints. The concept of economic space reflects the functioning of the system, in which the object of management for a certain period keeps the structure and properties unchanged. The region is defined as a stable set of elements interconnected by socio-economic conditions, common interests, strategic goals and a single value system. The development of this system is provided by available resource potential, cross-sectoral and interregional cooperation, and active participation of public institutions in regional socio-economic processes. The relative independence of the region as a system is determined by its socio-economic unity with the national economy (quasi-state). At the same time region is a system with competitive advantages and the ability to self-development (quasi-corporation). It isn’t only a territorial unit; also it is a social basic unit of economic space due to the fact that the population, differentiated by demographic and socio-economic characteristics, is the central element of the territorial system and a single territorial community.

BACKGROUND: Genetic association studies have demonstrated that the SNP rs12603332 located on chromosome 17q21 is highly associated with the risk of the development of asthma. METHODS: To determine whether SNP rs1260332 is functional in regulating levels of ORMDL3 expression we used a Cytosine Base Editor (CBE) plasmid DNA or a CBE mRNA to edit the rs12603332 C risk allele to the T non-risk allele in a human lymphocyte cell line (i.e. Jurkat cells) as well as in primary human CD4 T cells that carry the C risk alleles. RESULTS: Jurkat cells with the rs12603332 C risk allele expressed significantly higher levels of ORMDL3 mRNA, as well as the ORMDL3 regulated gene ATF6α as assessed by qPCR compared to Jurkat clones with the T non-risk allele. In primary human CD4 T cells, we edited 90 ± 3 % of the rs12603332-C risk allele to the T non-risk allele and observed a reduction in ORMDL3 and ATF6α expression. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that the non-risk allele rs12603332-T could be the central element of the E-box binding motif (CANNTG) recognized by the E47 transcription factor. An EMSA assay confirmed the bioinformatics prediction demonstrating that a rs12603332-T containing probe bound to the transcription factor E47 in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: SNP rs12603332 is functional in regulating the expression of ORMDL3 as well as ORMDL3 regulated gene ATF6α expression. In addition, we demonstrate the use of CBE technology in functionally interrogating asthma-associated SNPs using studies of primary human CD4 cells.

O presente ensaio aborda a pandemia do SARS-Cov-2, causador da Covid-19, e o pensamento contraditório em relação as medidas de isolamento social adotadas pelos governos estaduais no Brasil à luz da filosofia de Emmanuel Levinas. Nesse sentido, o trabalho objetiva trazer outra mirada sobre essa crise, destacando a ética da alteridade como filosofia primeira para o enfrentamento da crise sanitária. No episódio analisado observou-se que a busca por interesses próprios não considera os do outro, não atentando para cuidados relacionados à sua integridade física e mental. O argumento econômico aparece como elemento central para a quebra do isolamento horizontal sobrepondo-se às vidas. A normalização das mortes como resultado da análise de riscos que não considera a condição humana, produzindo a falsa impressão de que a verticalidade do isolamento seria suficiente para a gestão da crise. Nesse sentido, enfatizamos a necessidade de uma percepção de mundo a partir da ética da alteridade que evidencia e enfatiza a responsabilidade do mesmo com o outro e, principalmente, a necessária preservação da vida como prioridade, acima de quaisquer interesses possíveis.

Albeit not ignored in the field of International Relations (IR), the local history of East-Central Europe has seldom been a primary subject of historical IR syntheses: the leading volumes on war and peace focus on decisions made and actions taken by great powers, viewing the region generally as their playground. Theoretical ideas of East-Central European political thinkers about the emergence of war and peace have also only rarely become part of the international discourse. This article highlights the potential of a more inclusive approach in improving the existing theories in security studies. Applying Benjamin Miller’s concept and theory of state-to-nation balance (a central element of which is the compatibility between political boundaries and national identifications) to East-Central European political history, the article argues that focusing on the political and social history of the East-Central European region provides valuable lessons vis-a-vis the question of war-proneness of regions and states. Invoking the theoretical framework for peace-making in ethno-territorial conflicts developed by Istvan Bibo, a Hungarian political thinker, the paper demonstrates how connecting the works of lesser known East-Central European academics with the established mainstream of IR could prove beneficial for the study of international politics in the region and further beyond.

Introduction. Welding aerosol is one of the most common industrial fumes, and tobacco smoke is the most common behavioural risk factor for developing respiratory diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the features of the structure and prevalence of respiratory diseases under separate and combined exposure to welding aerosol and tobacco smoke. Materials and methods. The results of periodic medical examinations of workers of underground mines in the Murmansk region and a special assessment of working conditions at these enterprises were studied. Results. Chronic respiratory diseases were detected in 176 (32.0%) of 550 surveyed electric and gas welders and more often in smokers than non-smokers: 39.8% and 19.9%, p

This article aims to analyze the development of the productive forces as a central element to understand the modifications generated in the social relations of production, as shown by the technological changes incorporated into the production process in the automotive and steel industries in Mexico. This work was based on the most recent technological revolutions and the productive reconfiguration that results from them. In a second moment, the impact of technological advances on the social relations of production upon the aforementioned industries was analyzed. Through the dialectical method, elements were proposed to suggest that the technological development achieved in these cases has led to a production process that functions as a global chain of social events, which generate social products, where the trend in innovation is to implement cooperative practices of international partnership.

Pain is a complex perceptual phenomenon. Coordinated activity among local and distant brain networks is a central element of the neural underpinnings of pain. Brain oscillatory rhythms across diverse frequency ranges provide a functional substrate for coordinating activity across local neuronal ensembles and anatomically distant brain areas in pain networks. This review addresses parallels between insights from human and rodent analyses of oscillatory rhythms in acute and chronic pain and discusses recent rodent-based studies that have shed light on mechanistic underpinnings of brain oscillatory dynamics in pain-related behaviors. We highlight the potential for therapeutic modulation of oscillatory rhythms, and identify outstanding questions and challenges to be addressed in future research.

Metastatic disease remains the leading cause of death in cancer and understanding the mechanisms involved in tumor progression continues to be challenging. This work investigates the role of manganese in tumor progression in an in vivo model of tumor growth. Our data revealed that manganese accumulates within primary tumors and secondary organs as manganese-rich niches. Consequences of such phenomenon were investigated, and we verified that short-term changes in manganese alter cell surface molecules syndecan-1 and β1-integrin, enhance collective cell migration and invasive behavior. Long-term increased levels of manganese do not affect cell growth and viability but enhance cell migration. We also observed that manganese is secreted from tumor cells in extracellular vesicles, rather than in soluble form. Finally, we describe exogenous glycosaminoglycans that counteract manganese effects on tumor cell behavior. In conclusion, our analyses describe manganese as a central element in tumor progression by accumulating in Mn-rich niches in vivo, as well as in vitro, affecting migration and extracellular vesicle secretion in vitro. Manganese accumulation in specific regions of the organism may not be a common ground for all cancers, nevertheless, it represents a new aspect of tumor progression that deserves special attention.

This chapter addresses the status of artificial intelligence (AI) as a central element in smart grid (SG) while focusing on the recent progress of research on machine learning techniques to pave the future work in the SG area. The SG framework provides a performance toolkit based on information and communication technologies. The SG paradigm supervises and promotes grid operations at a high level of expertise. AI systems have attributed to the realization of sustainable development goals including the vital integration of renewable energy sources (RES). The scarcity of conventional energy resources in the near future and their increasing threats to the environment extremely require the transition toward RES. The bulk penetration of RES into the electrical grid leads to unstable and volatile power generation. The chapter presents the commonly applied AI methods to the SG system and the key elements of the evaluation procedure.

Walkability is considered a critical factor that has shaped pre-industrial cities, and today it is promoted as the central element to achieve sustainable urban design and resilient communities. This paper aims to identify walkability profiles specific to Brisbane, Australia, one of the Australasian region’s fastest-growing cities. The study seeks to understand if the specific urban conditions of Brisbane impact people’s attitude towards walking. Data on Brisbane walkability have been collected through a quantitative methodology; findings reveal that Brisbane pedestrians walk an average of 28–35 minutes daily, covering a maximum of 3.3 kilometers. The research also indicates that age is not a critical factor influencing walking times or distances and that the movement speed for distances below 10 kilometers is comparable to the average of other transport modes (car and public transport). This research is a pilot study to understand Brisbane’s walkability and to inform future research on sustainable urban design in the region.

espanolUn elemento central del curriculum es el llamado paradigma o enfoque como factor clave que orienta la estructuracion y el diseno de carreras profesionales. En este sentido, el paradigma es la categoria o nocion que permea y da forma a una determinada propuesta educativa. Como tales, los paradigmas surgen y se desarrollan en contrapartida a las diferentes coyunturas historicas y que en el campo educativo dan respuesta a las necesidades y demandas economicas y sociales del momento. Es asi como de la edad media al siglo XIX, surgen y, eventualmente, se complementan los paradigmas: teologico, humanista, cientifico y nacional que acompanan las transformaciones economicas y politicas que determinan y definen a los sistemas educativos y, por lo tanto, a las propuestas curriculares. Cada uno de los paradigmas curriculares se analiza de acuerdo al entorno economico en el que surge tomando en cuenta los acontecimientos historicos y la vision del mundo y del hombre que hegemoniza cada momento o coyuntura. Con ello se intenta reflejar la influencia del modelo economico respecto a la definicion, caracter y naturaleza del sistema educativo y, por lo tanto, del curriculum y de como la escuela y el proyecto curricular responden a las necesidades y demandas del entorno economico. EnglishA central element of the curriculum is the so-called paradigm or approach as a key factor that guides the structuring and design of professional careers. In this sense, the paradigm is the category or notion that permeates and shapes a specific educational proposal. As such, paradigms emerge and develop in counterpart to the different historical conjunctures and that in the educational field respond to the economic and social needs and demands of the moment. Thus, from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, the paradigms emerge and eventually complement each other: theological, humanistic, scientific and national that accompany the economic and political transformations that determine and define educational systems and, therefore, the curricular proposals. Each of the curricular paradigms is analyzed according to the economic environment in which it arises, taking into account historical events and the vision of the world and of the man that hegemonizes each moment or conjuncture. This is intended to reflect the influence of the economic model on the definition, character and nature of the educational system and, therefore, the curriculum and how the school and the curricular project respond to the needs and demands of the economic environment.

Aim.To provide a rationale for the feasibility of using the succinate-containing drugs to treat hypoxia associated with COVID-19 based on the analysis of experimental and clinical studies.Materials and methods. 84 Russian and international literature sources concerning the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the pathogenetic role of succinate in the management of COVID-19 associated hypoxia, oxidative stress and diaphragmatic dysfunction were analyzed. The literature search was performed using Pubmed and ELIBRARY.ru databases.Results.The literature analysis showed that tissue hypoxia, triggering the pathomorphological cascade of events and resulting in multiple organ failure is a central element of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Experimental and clinical studies show the positive impact of tissue hypoxia correction using succinate in both adult patients and children with various conditions associated with acute respiratory failure.Conclusion.The literature data provide a rationale for using succinate-containing drugs in the treatment of severe COVID-19.

Failure prognostics has become a central element in predictive maintenance. In this domain, the accurate determination of the remaining useful life (RUL) allows making effective maintenance and operation decisions about the assets. However, prognostics is often approached from a component point of view, and system-level prognostics, taking into account component interactions and mission profile effects, is still an underexplored area. To address this issue, we propose an online joint estimation and prediction methodology using a modeling framework based on the inoperability input–output model (IIM). This model can consider the interactions between components and also the mission profile effects on a system’s degradation. To estimate the system’s parameters in real-time, with a minimum of prior knowledge, an online estimation process based on the gradient descend algorithm is recursively performed when acquiring new measurements. After each update, the estimated model is used to predict the system RUL. The performance of the proposed approach is highlighted through different numerical examples. In addition, these developments are applied to a real industrial application, the Tennessee Eastman Process, in order to show their effectiveness.

We modeled swimming kinematics and body mechanics of several fish species of varying habitat and body shape based on measurements of internal vertebral morphology. SYNOPSIS One key evolutionary innovation that separates vertebrates from invertebrates is the notochord, a central element that provides the stiffness needed for powerful movements. Later, the notochord was further stiffened by the vertebrae, cartilaginous, and bony elements, surrounding the notochord. The ancestral notochord is retained in modern vertebrates as intervertebral material, but we know little about its mechanical interactions with surrounding vertebrae. In this study, the internal shape of the vertebrae-where this material is found-was quantified in 16 species of fishes with various body shapes, swimming modes, and habitats. We used micro-computed tomography to measure the internal shape. We then created and mechanically tested physical models of intervertebral joints. We also mechanically tested actual vertebrae of five species. Material testing shows that internal morphology of the centrum significantly affects bending and torsional stiffness. Finally, we performed swimming trials to gather kinematic data. Combining these data, we created a model that uses internal vertebral morphology to make predictions about swimming kinematics and mechanics. We used linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to assess the relationship between vertebral shape and our categorical traits. The analysis revealed that internal vertebral morphology is sufficient to predict habitat, body shape, and swimming mode in our fishes. This model can also be used to make predictions about swimming in fishes not easily studied in the laboratory, such as deep sea and extinct species, allowing the development of hypotheses about their natural behavior.

Entre las principales aportaciones de Heschel está la de considerar el pathos de Dios, es decir, la conexión entre Dios y el hombre, a partir de la afectación emocional entre ambos. Además, la noción de que el hombre no es quien debe buscar a Dios, sino que le corresponde aceptar una alianza con Él, constituye el punto de partida de diversas reflexiones teológicas. Heredero del pensamiento judío oriental por ser miembro de una familia jasídica, Heschel ofreció un eslabón entre el pensamiento eurocéntrico y el asiático, y de manera muy concreta, entre la filosofía occidental de origen helénico y las aportaciones del pensamiento hebreo. De inicio, el artículo aborda la convicción de Heschel en torno a un Dios sin representaciones, que no se encuentre reducido con imágenes o esculturas; desde luego, al no existir recursos materiales para la simbolización de lo divino, Heschel propuso la conexión con su pathos o su emocionalidad. Tal concepto, abordado en la segunda sección de este texto, constituye el elemento central de la teología del rabino polaco y es la fuente de las principales críticas a su pensamiento. Por último, se alude el tipo de vínculo que corresponde a la relación entre el hombre y a Dios. A diferencia de otros teólogos, para Heschel no es el hombre el que debe buscar a Dios, sino que es Él quien está en búsqueda del hombre, ya sea para reiterar su Pacto o para refrendar su presencia

This article analyses the experiences of IDF soldiers involved in subterranean operations in Gaza. While tunnel warfare is a central element in warfare, few sociological studies have focused on thi...

In the economic development of the country, the priority is to achieve a high standard of living of the people, which is largely due to food security, the degree of development of the production of agricultural raw materials and food products. It follows that the central element of the economic activity of the country as a whole and its regions is the effective development of agricultural production. The role of the agro-industrial complex as a multifunctional system should be considered from the economic, social, environmental and political perspectives. The subject of the study. Patterns of development of the agricultural market and the formation of new economic relationships of economic entities corresponding to the level of development of the market economy at the regional level. The purpose and objectives of the study. The need to critically assess the economic situation that has developed in the agricultural production of Kazakhstan, and to justify ways to improve its economic efficiency. The necessity of program-targeted regulation of the economy of agricultural production in Kazakhstan is justified: the main directions of effective development of agricultural production in Kazakhstan are identified; mechanisms for improving the efficiency of agricultural production are proposed; the main elements of socio-economic security are identified in order to improve the real economic and social situation of the rural population; measures are recommended to improve the effective use of agricultural land as the main means of production. The scientific novelty of the work consists in the further development of the methodology and applied aspects of the study of the problem of increasing the economic efficiency of agricultural production and the development of a major problem of increasing agricultural production, revealing significant reserves for the implementation of the Food Program.

This study explored youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) learning social competence in the context of innovative 3D virtual learning environment and the effects of gaming as a central element of the learning experience. The empirical study retrospectively compared the social interactions of 11 adolescents with ASD in game-and nongame-based 3D collaborative learning activities in the same social competence training curriculum. We employed a learning analytics approach - association rule mining to uncover the associative rules of verbal social interaction and nonverbal social interaction contributors from the large dataset of the coded social behaviors. By comparing the rules across the game and nongame activities, we found a significant difference in youth with ASD’s social performance. The results of the group comparison study indicated that the co-occurrence of verbal and nonverbal behaviors is much stronger in the game-based learning activities. The game activities also yielded more diverse social interaction behavior patterns. On the other hand, in the nongame activities, students’ social interaction behavior patterns are much more limited. Furthermore, the impact of game design principles on learning is then discussed in this paper.

Power grids are essential systems that should resist threats that can be generated by natural or artificial causes. To achieve a resilient system, the potential vulnerabilities have to be studied with detail to provide an impact estimation for the attacks. Also, to predict the elements of the grid that generate the most damage. In previous work, the authors have studied the effects of targeted attacks based in fault strategies under static conditions, however the integration of distributed energy resources makes it necessary evaluating the vulnerability with random variables. This paper presents an analysis of the influence of distributed generation and load variations in the vulnerability of the power system. The vulnerability framework developed in previous research was employed. A time series simulation was carried out with hourly data from irradiance and power demand. Degree, eigenvector, and Katz power traffic centralities were employed to obtain the unsatisfied load derived from the removal of the most central element. The unsatisfied load obtained presented a standard deviation between 0.1682 and 0.1867, and no significant difference was observed between the centralities employed. In addition, a factorial experiment was carried out for two factors: the generation level and the demand level. Twenty five scenarios were simulated for each IEEE test system using five levels of each variable. The VPM maximum variation was 18.8% for levels of generation and load between 50 and 150%. The results indicate that variations in load an generation can significantly affect the vulnerability predictions of the power system under the conditions of this research. The increment in distributed generation can supply the power required to face the outage of important elements in the power system, and the worst case for vulnerability evaluation happens when the generation is minimum and the load is maximum. Therefore, vulnerability studies must account for different operating conditions, and represent UL and VPM as random variables.

D. Prasad showed that the sign of a self-dual representation of a finite or $p$-adic reductive group is often detected by a central element. We study the extension of his results to some more general situations and make some observations about the consequences of his results., To appear in Communications in Algebra

Feasible process conditions for reforming of gas mixtures of CH4 and CO2 into CO-rich synthesis gas are dictated by the risk of carbon formation. To overcome this risk, a minimum steam requirement exists for the process as determined by thermodynamic considerations. This work describes an approach for using a well-known nickel-based catalyst system to enable production of CO-rich synthesis gas at low steam-to-hydrocarbon-carbon (S/C) ratios. The concept utilizes a two-reactor approach where traditional steam reforming is done initially, followed by CO2 addition to the hot synthesis gas and subsequent conversion in an adiabatic reactor, a so-called Adiabatic POst Converter (APOC). This allows for operating at overall S/C ratios of below 1.5; which is much lower than what is possible in a conventional fired reformer. The central element of the APOC is that the temperature is kept higher than 700–800 °C to circumvent the carbon limits. The process elements were demonstrated by a combination of thermodynamic calculations, process calculations, and laboratory experiments. The concept allows for design of significantly more compact reformers (up to 30 % reduced size), which in turn also reduces firing and thereby CO2 emissions. The concept can also be used in existing plants where the capacity can be boosted by adding an APOC.

The Arctic region has attracted the interest of Arctic and non-Arctic states, as well as non-state actors, for decades. Corresponding with the growing attraction towards the region, the number of conferences attending to Arctic issues has expanded. This article provides an historical mapping of the Arctic conference sphere, and demonstrates how the establishment of Arctic conferences has both paralleled central events in Arctic affairs and can be linked to important international developments. Firstly, there is a notable peak conforming with the “second state change” in 2005, brought about by developments opening the Arctic to global concerns: the impacts of climate change and the spread of the socio-economic effects from globalization to the Arctic. Secondly, the expanding number of conferences around 2013 can be seen in relation to the growing interest in the region from non-Arctic states. As such, this article builds the argument for conferences as a central element within the Arctic governance architecture, creating linkages among units in the regime complex. The article devotes particular attention towards the two largest international conferences on Arctic issues – Arctic Frontiers and Arctic Circle Assembly – to illustrate how the necessity for hybrid policy-science-business conferences arose from a more complex governance system, and challenges requiring cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary, and international collaboration.

Within the business and management literature, empathy has taken on increased importance as a central element to leadership, improving marketing strategies, corporate philanthropy, creating organizational connectedness, and as a strategy for preventing managerial wrongdoing. Although defining empathy is difficult, it is the identification with another’s thoughts and emotions through an imaginative process. This identification, ideally, will facilitate a wider connection with stakeholders beyond self-interest and motivate a better business environment. This article argues empathy is an overblown concept that is only marginally supported by the philosophical and psychological research and, therefore, has limited application to business. Empathy is problematic because our inferences of mind are often inaccurate; not everyone is good at empathizing; it’s not necessary to understand action intention; doesn’t motivate helping behaviour; and could lead to immoral actions. My stance is definitively anti-empathy; perspective-taking is not sufficient or necessary as a management or business tool. Our understanding of people rests, not on empathy, but with our emotions, norms, and the social context in which we find ourselves.

Global politics has always existed in an environment brimming with intricacies and transformations. Wars, natural disasters and treaties have both directly and indirectly impacted the state of global politics in addition to societies and individuals. These interactions certainly influence the flow of history while concurrently dictating the relationships between societies. Identity and its constitutive elements have consistently occupied a determinant position in this context and continue to do so (Gellner 1987; Gurses and Ozturk 2020; Douglas 2003; Daniel 2017). And pre-eminent among these and, no doubt, one of the most primal codes of identity is religion (Lybarger 2018; Ozturk 2021; Cassese and Holman 2017). Contrary to arguments that the world is becoming secularised, and that secularisation is an inevitable phenomenon, religion has persistently once more that it is more durable relative to various other normative values, and it persistently emphasises its presence in individuals, societies and politics (Saeed 2017; Fox 2019; Haynes and Wilson 2019). This indicates that religion will maintain this degree of influence for a very long time. We have both witnessed numerous incidents in which religion was a central element and, it seems, will continue to observe myriad instances demonstrating religion’s influence as an auxiliary actor.

Purpose This paper aims to explore and compare the perception of public sector employees on fraud and associated fraud behaviours. Design/methodology/approach The population of this study comprised 44 managers from the Malaysian Federal government departments. The analysis was based on an open-response questionnaire using data-driven thematic analysis. This was based on the context and latent content of the respondents. The items in the questionnaire examined the perceived definition, actions and experience of corruption in their departments. Findings The findings revealed that respondents acknowledged that bribery as one of the central element of fraud. They recognise fraudulent behaviour and practice in their organisation together with sharing these experiences in the study. Common results indicate that leaders play a major role in shaping the organisation as they present themselves as a model to the mployees. From the human resource perspective, having multiple side businesses while being in employed in the government sector would heavily impact performance and accountability. Research limitations/implications Fraud is observed as a practice that needs to be addressed to improve government efficiency. The uniqueness was that the respondents acknowledged the existence of fraud and its implications through the activities of bribery, abuse of power and giving out favours. There is a need for organisations to focus on transparency and value to mitigate fraud. Practical implications This paper contributes towards the continuous effort in expanding fraud literature and human behaviour. The data obtained was distinctive in terms of the perspective of a developing economy and such fraud information and responses are different as compared to developed economies. Originality/value The empirical study of the public sector organisations enables important contribution towards effective public governance and administration. The results have important implications for preparing functional strategic management and controls for the public sector.

Religious freedom (RF) is important because it is posited to be a central element of liberal democracy and as having multiple additional benefits including increased security and economic prosperity. Yet, it is also a disputed concept and many liberal democracies restrict the freedoms of religious minorities. This study uses the Religion and State (RAS) dataset to examine the extent of RF in 183 countries based on six definitions of RF. The author examines whether religious minorities are restricted in a manner that the majority is not, regulation of the majority religion, and imposition of precepts of the majority religion on a country’s population. He finds that very few countries, including liberal democracies, meet any standard for RF, even when one allows for ‘loose’ standards where some violations of RF are allowed.

A discussão da esfera pública representou um elemento central no processo de reconstrução da Teoria Crítica na segunda metade do século XX, produzindo uma grande mudança nessa tradição teórica. Este artigo objetiva refletir a perspectiva habermasiana de esfera pública. Primeiramente, enfatizaremos como Habermas, a partir de uma obra de juventude, “Mudança Estrutural da Esfera Pública”, discute o surgimento, na modernidade, dos salões, cafés e jornais, como espaços de discussão e deliberação. Entretanto, Habermas observa que interesses econômicos começaram a dominar a esfera pública, em que o poder e o dinheiro constituíam-se como forças maiores do que os discursos racionais e argumentativos, havendo, além disso, privatização do espaço público de discussão. Por conseguinte, explicitaremos como a esfera pública volta a ser discutida em seus textos mais recentes. Nestes, Habermas argumenta que a sociedade civil contemporânea se compõe de organizações e associações que captam os ecos dos problemas sociais, transmitindo-os para o sistema político, bem como colocando as questões à luz da discussão pública. Habermas destaca a existência de públicos não institucionalizados capazes de se organizar no âmbito da sociedade civil, como os movimentos sociais, tal qual um tipo de esfera pública que questiona as relações vigentes.