Alternate Proposal Research Articles

An alternate Proposal for Peer Review

An alternate Proposal for Peer Review

Financiamiento público de partidos en México y su propuesta de reforma

El sistema electoral de México se caracteriza por tener uno de los mecanismos de financiamiento público de partidos políticos más oneroso del mundo. Los partidos han recibido por financiación federal de 1989 a 2020, 83,664 millones de pesos. El financiamiento público fue un factor importante en la transición democrática para construir un sistema de partidos plural, otorgó condiciones básicas para la equidad de la competencia electoral y contribuyó a la alternancia. Los partidos en México, a pesar de disponer de fondos públicos cuantiosos, no han evitado escándalos de corrupción por financiamiento irregular, y su desempeño público se encuentra en una etapa de fuertes críticas por el incumplimiento de expectativas. Actualmente se discute una iniciativa para reformar el financiamiento público, que formula reducirlo en 50%. El artículo hace un análisis sobre la evolución normativa del financiamiento público, refiere los presupuestos asignados por año, señala la cifra histórica recibida por partido político, reflexiona sobre los objetivos cumplidos y por consumar en el marco del financiamiento público. Finalmente, se presenta una propuesta para reformar el sistema de financiamiento público, que consiste en una disminución gradual de la subvención del Estado en un esquema de equilibrio con el financiamiento privado.

Decoupling Yeast Cell Division and Stress Defense Implicates mRNA Repression in Translational Reallocation during Stress

Stress tolerance and rapid growth are often competing interests in cells. Upon severe environmental stress, many organisms activate defense systems concurrent with growth arrest. There has been debate as to whether aspects of the stress-activated transcriptome are regulated by stress or an indirect byproduct of reduced proliferation. For example, stressed Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells mount a common gene expression program called the environmental stress response (ESR) [1] comprised of ∼300 induced (iESR) transcripts involved in stress defense and ∼600 reduced (rESR) mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins (RPs) and ribosome biogenesis factors (RiBi) important for division. Because ESR activation also correlates with reduced growth rate in nutrient-restricted chemostats and prolonged G1 in slow-growing mutants, an alternate proposal is that the ESR is simply a consequence of reduced division [2-5]. A major challenge is that past studies did not separate effects of division arrest and stress defense; thus, the true responsiveness of the ESR-and the purpose of stress-dependent rESR repression in particular-remains unclear. Here, we decoupled cell division from the stress response by following transcriptome, proteome, and polysome changes in arrested cells responding to acute stress. We show that the ESR cannot be explained by changes in growth rate or cell-cycle phase during stress acclimation. Instead, failure to repress rESR transcripts reduces polysome association of induced transcripts, delaying production of their proteins. Our results suggest that stressed cells alleviate competition for translation factors by removing mRNAs and ribosomes from the translating pool, directing translational capacity toward induced transcripts to accelerate protein production.

Molecular Determinants for Substrate Interactions with the Glycine Transporter GlyT2.

Transporters in the SLC6 family play key roles in regulating neurotransmission and are the targets for a wide range of therapeutics. Important insights into the transport mechanisms and the specificity of drug interactions of SLC6 transporters have been obtained from the crystal structures of a bacterial homologue of the family, LeuTAa, and more recently the Drosophila dopamine transporter and the human serotonin transporter. However, there is disputed evidence that the bacterial leucine transporter, LeuTAa, contains two substrate binding sites that work cooperatively in the mechanism of transport, with the binding of a second substrate being required for the release of the substrate from the primary site. An alternate proposal is that there may be low affinity binding sites that serve to direct the flow of substrates to the primary site. We have used a combination of molecular dynamics simulations of substrate interactions with a homology model of GlyT2, together with radiolabeled amino acid uptake assays and electrophysiological analysis of wild-type and mutant transporters, to provide evidence that substrate selectivity of GlyT2 is determined entirely by the primary substrate binding site and, furthermore, if a secondary site exists then it is a low affinity nonselective amino acid binding site.

Abstract 6: A Novel in vivo Endothelial Hierarchy from Progenitor to Mature Endothelial Cells Reveals Key SoxF-Dependent Differentiation Process

Background: The formation of new blood vessels during adult life is often explained by angiogenesis. However, an alternate proposal now suggests that neo-vessels form from endothelial progenitors able to assemble all the intimal layers of vessel structures. Our aim was to define vessel-resident endothelial progenitors in vivo in a variety of tissues in physiological (aorta, lung) and pathological (wounds, tumors) situations. Methods and Results: Using common endothelial markers (CD34, CD31, VEGFR2) with flow cytometry, three sub-populations of endothelial cells could be identified among VE-Cadherin+ and CD45- cells. These were termed an endovascular progenitor (EVP) harboring CD31lo VEGFR2lo giving rise to an intermediate CD31intVEGFR2lo transit amplifying (TA) and a definitive differentiated (D) CD31hiVEGFR2hi population. Confirmation of these populations was demonstrated via lineage tracing using Cdh5cre ERt2 /Rosa-YFP reporter mice. Importantly, EVP cells arose from vascular resident beds that could not be transferred by bone marrow transplantation, marking their distinction for hematopoietic/myeloid origin. Furthermore, EVP displayed progenitor like status with a high proportion of cells in a quiescent cell cycle phase. Only EVP cells and not TA and D cells had self-renewal capacity as demonstrated by in vitro colony forming and transplant studies in vivo in Matrigel TM plugs in recipient mice. Through whole RNA sequencing we demonstrated that EVP cells highly expressed genes related to progenitor function such as Sox9 , Il33, Egfr and Pdfgrα, whereas D cells highly expressed genes related to differentiated endothelium including Ets1&2 , Gata2 , Cd31, Vwf and Notch . We also determined the Sox18 transcription factor as having a significant role in defining the endothelial hierarchy, which we validated through lineage-tracing using S ox18Cre ERt2 /Rosa-YFP mice. In the absence of functional SOX18/SOXF, EVP progenitors were still present, but TA and D populations were significantly reduced. Conclusion: In summary, we have demonstrated the existence of an entirely novel endothelial hierarchy, from EVP to TA to D. This has been demonstrated by the self-renewal, differentiation and molecular profiling of an EVP.

Alternate terminal location planning using accessibility analysis for improved pilgrim movement

Integration of temporary pilgrim facilities with their mobility plan in mega-religious events is a regulatory concern. Existing infrastructures such as traffic terminals operate beyond their designed capacities. Temporary terminals are planned at town peripheries to restrict traffic entry. Intra-city traffic control further leads to longer walking distances for pilgrims. This study aims to develop a feasible alternative terminal location plan, considering travel time in the context of Ratha Yatra; a mega-event celebrated in the historical town of Puri, India. After a primary survey of pilgrims and study of the city road network, an accessibility analysis was performed to develop an alternate proposal. The proposed routes require a considerably lesser travel time. A similar analysis may be adopted in comparable cases.

Noether charge, black hole volume, and complexity

In this paper, we study the physical significance of the thermodynamic volumes of AdS black holes using the Noether charge formalism of Iyer and Wald. After applying this formalism to study the extended thermodynamics of a few examples, we discuss how the extended thermodynamics interacts with the recent complexity = action proposal of Brown et al. (CA-duality). We, in particular, discover that their proposal for the late time rate of change of complexity has a nice decomposition in terms of thermodynamic quantities reminiscent of the Smarr relation. This decomposition strongly suggests a geometric, and via CA-duality holographic, interpretation for the thermodynamic volume of an AdS black hole. We go on to discuss the role of thermodynamics in complexity = action for a number of black hole solutions, and then point out the possibility of an alternate proposal, which we dub “complexity = volume 2.0”. In this alternate proposal the complexity would be thought of as the spacetime volume of the Wheeler-DeWitt patch. Finally, we provide evidence that, in certain cases, our proposal for complexity is consistent with the Lloyd bound whereas CA-duality is not.

Functional Definition of Progenitors Versus Mature Endothelial Cells Reveals Key SoxF-Dependent Differentiation Process.

During adult life, blood vessel formation is thought to occur via angiogenic processes involving branching from existing vessels. An alternate proposal suggests that neovessels form from endothelial progenitors able to assemble the intimal layers. We here aimed to define vessel-resident endothelial progenitors in vivo in a variety of tissues in physiological and pathological situations such as normal aorta, lungs, and wound healing, tumors, and placenta, as well. Based on protein expression levels of common endothelial markers using flow cytometry, 3 subpopulations of endothelial cells could be identified among VE-Cadherin+ and CD45- cells. Lineage tracing by using Cdh5creERt2/Rosa-YFP reporter strategy demonstrated that the CD31-/loVEGFR2lo/intracellular endothelial population was indeed an endovascular progenitor (EVP) of an intermediate CD31intVEGFR2lo/intracellular transit amplifying (TA) and a definitive differentiated (D) CD31hiVEGFR2hi/extracellular population. EVP cells arose from vascular-resident beds that could not be transferred by bone marrow transplantation. Furthermore, EVP displayed progenitor-like status with a high proportion of cells in a quiescent cell cycle phase as assessed in wounds, tumors, and aorta. Only EVP cells and not TA and D cells had self-renewal capacity as demonstrated by colony-forming capacity in limiting dilution and by transplantation in Matrigel plugs in recipient mice. RNA sequencing revealed prominent gene expression differences between EVP and D cells. In particular, EVP cells highly expressed genes related to progenitor function including Sox9, Il33, Egfr, and Pdfgrα. Conversely, D cells highly expressed genes related to differentiated endothelium including Ets1&2, Gata2, Cd31, Vwf, and Notch. The RNA sequencing also pointed to an essential role of the Sox18 transcription factor. The role of SOX18 in the differentiation process was validated by using lineage-tracing experiments based on Sox18CreERt2/Rosa-YFP mice. Besides, in the absence of functional SOX18/SOXF, EVP progenitors were still present, but TA and D populations were significantly reduced. Our findings support an entirely novel endothelial hierarchy, from EVP to TA to D, as defined by self-renewal, differentiation, and molecular profiling of an endothelial progenitor. This paradigm shift in our understanding of vascular-resident endothelial progenitors in tissue regeneration opens new avenues for better understanding of cardiovascular biology.

El bien vivir: ¿cuidado de la salud o proyecto vital? Segunda parte

On the basis that life project as the driving force behind the life experience, the quest for human dignity is the way for true progress and the improvement of human condition. It's pointed out the need to be aware of the meaning of life understanding the motives behind our will to live that is the antecedent of life project.The proposed life project is a cognitive adventure, capable of transcending consumerism, individualism and passivity, toward the creation of a more inclusive world where the improvement spiritual, intellectual and moral can be viable.Said life project entails: a) A primary need: to link oneself with like-minded people that synergize against the prevailing order b) A core: The everlasting struggle for sublimated dignity c) A desideratum: The well-being of the majority d) An unavoidable purpose: The creation of a suitable world build on different ethical, political, lawful, cognitive and ecological foundations.In conclusion, this paper analyzes the influence of projects with an alternate proposal to the endeavors centered in healthcare that favor individualism, passivity and the current status quo. The best example of said alternate proposals is the commonly called “good death”.

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This paper presents the findings of a research study regarding the process of establishment of the Autochthonous Indigenous Education System (SEIP from its Spanish acronym) in the department of Cauca, Colombia. This approach explores the identification of indigenous individuals, who are subordinated in a hegemonic social order within the context of modern education under neoliberal influence. This research proposes acknowledging the presence of a traditional educational model offered to indigenous population and the resulting creation of an alternate autochthonous educational proposal within indigenous communities. It provides evidence of a series of emerging conflicts in the process of appropriation of the schools, based on the accomplishment of higher levels of educational autonomy on the part of indigenous communities in detriment of the power of traditional hegemonic actors, given the social, cultural, and political interest in this setting. Therefore, it discusses the structure of the territorial autonomy and government project in the school setting, taking into consideration the leading role of indigenous individuals and the achievement of a successive series of accomplishments in the administration of a school system that materializes a key factor of alternate hegemony It concludes that acknowledging indigenous individuals proposes a cultural and political change supported in an autochthonous educational system, which is an aspect that aims to establish an alternate hegemony This is possible only if higher levels of educational control are achieved with a view to consolidating autochthonous intercultural education for the indigenous movement in the department of Cauca in Colombia.

Evolution, the Origin of Human Persons, and Original Sin: Physical Continuity with an Ontological Leap

Evolution, the Origin of Human Persons, and Original Sin: Physical Continuity with an Ontological Leap

Abstract 81: Novel Adult Endothelial Hierarchy Defined by Endovascular Progenitor Reexpression of SOX18

Introduction: During adult life, formation of new blood vessels in response to insults or physiological signals is thought almost exclusively to result from the sprouting and extension of existing vessels defined as angiogenesis. An alternate proposal for de novo vascularization relates to endothelial progenitors and their ability to assemble the intimal layers of mature vessels. However, the cell lineage and possible hierarchy of such precursors remains controversial. We here aimed to define endothelial progenitors in vivo in situations of neo-vessel formation in adult mice. Methods and Results: Based on protein expression levels of markers CD31 and VEGFR2 using flow cytometry, three populations of endothelial cells could be identified among VECAD+CD34+CD45- cells in a variety of angiogenic situations such as wound healing, tumours, placental development, or in subcutaneous Matrigel plugs. Lineage tracing based on sox18 re-expression using a sox18CreER/Rosa-YFP reporter strategy demonstrated that the CD31loVEGFR2- endothelial population was indeed an endovascular progenitor (EVP) of an intermediate CD31intVEGFR2- transit amplifying and a definitive differentiated CD31hiVEGFR2hi population. Loss of SOX18, in a dominant-negative mouse model, did not affect levels of EVP populations in vivo, but depleted both the intermediate and definitive populations. Only the sorted CD31loVEGFR2- as opposed to the other two endothelial populations could form colonies in vitro and engraft in vivo in a Matrigel plug assay. Conclusions: These results define and characterize an in vivo endothelial hierarchy and suggest a prominent role for vessel resident EVP populations in situations of neo-vessel formation. This data opens the medium for new perspectives in modulating blood vessel formation.

Ages of detrital zircons (U/Pb, LA-ICP-MS) from the Latest Neoproterozoic–Middle Cambrian(?) Asha Group and Early Devonian Takaty Formation, the Southwestern Urals: A test of an Australia-Baltica connection within Rodinia

A study of U-Pb ages on detrital zircons derived from sedimentary sequences in the western flank of Urals (para-autochthonous or autochthonous with Baltica) was undertaken in order to ascertain/test source models and paleogeography of the region in the Neoproterozoic. Samples were collected from the Ediacaran-Cambrian(?) age Asha Group (Basu and Kukkarauk Formations) and the Early Devonian-aged Takaty Formation.Ages of detrital zircons within the Basu Formation fall within the interval 2900–700Ma; from the Kukkarauk Formation from 3200 to 620Ma. Ages of detrital zircons from the Devonian age Takaty Formation are confined to the Paleoproterozoic and Archean (3050–1850Ma). Potential source regions for the Asha Group detrital zircons include the Eastern European platform, Amazonia and West Africa based on ‘archetypal’ Rodinia reconstructions and Late Neoproterozoic paleogeographic models. An alternate proposal places Australia adjacent to Arctic/Uralian margin of Baltica (so-called Australia upside-down concept).A comparison between detrital zircon populations from the Asha Series and East European Platform source regions demonstrate an unusual dichotomy in that distal sources appear to contribute more zircon than near source regions. This dichotomy is examined and we note that Australia contains source regions of the proper age range to match the Uralian signal and therefore, the placement of Australia against the Arctic/Uralian margin of Baltica is compatible with the detrital zircon record. We also note that an Ediacaran position of Baltica against Australia presents a paleogeographic conundrum and therefore if the Australia upside-down concept is reasonable, the breakup between Australia and Baltica must have occurred prior to the Ediacaran and most likely in the 700–750Ma interval.Although sedimentary strata of the southwestern form a continuous section, the spectrum of detrital zircon ages within the Asha Group and Takaty Formation indicates major changes in basinal source and structure. The basin was most likely an intracontinental) basin during the Tonian/Cryogenian interval and perhaps into the Ediacaran. Later, during accumulation of Takaty Fm. (Early Devonian), the basin formed along a passive margin with input from the western side of the East European Platform.

Processing statistics: An examination of focused and distributed attention using event related potentials

Human observers show remarkable efficiency in statistical estimation; they are able, for instance, to estimate the mean size of visual objects, even if their number exceeds the capacity limits of focused attention. This ability has been understood as the result of a distinct mode of attention, i.e. distributed attention. Compared to the focused attention mode, working memory representations under distributed attention are proposed to be more compressed, leading to reduced working memory loads. An alternate proposal is that distributed attention uses less structured, feature-level representations. These would fill up working memory (WM) more, even when target set size is low. Using event-related potentials, we compared WM loading in a typical distributed attention task (mean size estimation) to that in a corresponding focused attention task (object recognition), using a measure called contralateral delay activity (CDA). Participants performed both tasks on 2, 4, or 8 different-sized target disks. In the recognition task, CDA amplitude increased with set size; notably, however, in the mean estimation task the CDA amplitude was high regardless of set size. In particular for set-size 2, the amplitude was higher in the mean estimation task than in the recognition task. The result showed that the task involves full WM loading even with a low target set size. This suggests that in the distributed attention mode, representations are not compressed, but rather less structured than under focused attention conditions.

Alternate Proposal for Interest Free House Finance

In this paper, we revisit the design of interest free house finance. First, we discuss the current practice in conventional banking and Islamic banking. Then, we discuss an alternate design for interest free house finance. The proposal we present attempts to analyze the implication of using market based rent setting in place of using an interest rate benchmark. In the alternate design, the Islamic bank buys the house by paying the house owner full amount of the house upfront. Then, the bank gives the house on rent to the client and the Islamic bank also enters into an options contract as the call option writer. If the call buyer does not exercise the call option, the options contract expires and the Islamic bank is in a position to give the house on rent again. We present numerical examples of computing rents in two separate structures. In structure I, call option is used with the lease contract. In structure II, house is resold at market price with stated price floor.

Structural Revision and Total Synthesis of Caraphenol B and C

Chemical syntheses of two stereochemically unique resveratrol dimers, caraphenols B and C, have shown that their structures are misassigned. Thoughts on their potential chemical etiology led to an alternate structural proposal that has been confirmed through synthesis, one indicating that the substituents on their respective indane systems exist in a relative trans,trans orientation rather than the originally postulated all-cis arrangement.

Lateral thinkers are not so laterally minded: Hemispheric asymmetry, interaction, and creativity

The biological basis of creativity remains a topic of contention. A long-held view suggests that whereas the left hemisphere is intelligent and analytic, the right hemisphere is the source of all creativity. Consequently, activating the right hemisphere should enhance creative thinking, prompting a plethora of popular books hawking a right hemisphere solution to topics ranging from drawing, to money management, to sex. More recently, an alternate proposal has suggested that creativity is not a lateralised function; instead, creativity is argued to stem from the interaction and integration of information across both the left and right hemispheres. According to this view, individuals with greater interhemispheric communication and/or less-lateralised brains will evidence enhanced creative ability. This paper reviews the neural basis of creativity to determine whether creativity stems from activation of the right hemisphere, or from the interaction of both hemispheres. The relationship between creativity and psychopathology is also examined, evaluating the evidence for a causal link between disorders such as schizophrenia, hemispheric activation, and enhanced creativity. Although the research reviewed indicates greater right hemisphere activity during creative tasks, the interaction between many varied, often distant, cortical regions across both the left and right hemispheres is also a crucial component of creativity. This interaction facilitates the integration of a variety of separate cognitive abilities, fostering creative thinking. As such, creativity is better conceptualised as a distributed, rather than a purely lateralised, function; more lateral thinkers have less lateralised brains.

Unbounded boundary studies and collapsed categories: rethinking spatial objects

This paper is a response to Reece Jones’ ‘Categories, borders and boundaries’ (2009) that aims to give an alternate proposal to rethink geographical categories and boundary studies. First, it examines the various meanings of the word ‘category’ as used in Jones’ paper. We then stress the importance of the processes involved in constructing spatialized and unspatialized categories as a central issue for social sciences. Using different examples such as the city and the nation state, we finally argue that the triad of reification—naturalization—fetishization is a good tool to analyse the social construction of geographical categories and boundaries.

Cortical processing and perceived timing.

As of yet, it is unclear how we determine relative perceived timing. One controversial suggestion is that timing perception might be related to when analyses are completed in the cortex of the brain. An alternate proposal suggests that perceived timing is instead related to the point in time at which cortical analyses commence. Accordingly, timing illusions should not occur owing to cortical analyses, but they could occur if there were differential delays between signals reaching cortex. Resolution of this controversy therefore requires that the contributions of cortical processing be isolated from the influence of subcortical activity. Here, we have done this by using binocular disparity changes, which are known to be detected via analyses that originate in cortex. We find that observers require longer stimulus exposures to detect small, relative to larger, disparity changes; observers are slower to react to smaller disparity changes and observers misperceive smaller disparity changes as being perceptually delayed. Interestingly, disparity magnitude influenced perceived timing more dramatically than it did stimulus change detection. Our data therefore suggest that perceived timing is both influenced by cortical processing and is shaped by sensory analyses subsequent to those that are minimally necessary for stimulus change perception.

Should Providers Be Allowed to Extra Bill for Uncovered Services? Debate, Resolution, and Sequel in Japan

Japan has managed to provide universal coverage at relatively low cost by containing prices and restricting the conditions for which services can be billed in the compulsory social health insurance (SHI) program. However, decline in Japan's economic growth ushered in new actors backed by the prime minister who proposed that the providers should be allowed to extra bill for services not covered by the SHI. In 2004 they took the strategy of drawing the attention of the public to areas where the rigidity of the current prohibition appeared to be unfair and ridiculous. They were opposed by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare and the Japan Medical Association, who strongly objected on the grounds of safety and equity. The compromise reached by the two ministers in charge led to a clarification of the services that are to be covered and of the process for extending coverage to new procedures and drugs. The prohibition on extra billing has remained essentially unchanged, but the momentum for deregulation has been lost. In 2005 an alternate proposal was made to contain SHI expenditures by introducing a global cap on health expenditures and increasing out-of-pocket payment. Although this proposal was not fully adopted, the gradual decline in SHI benefit levels could lead to a renewed move to allow extra billing.