Important Actors Research Articles

Monumental Walls, Sovereign Power and Value(s) in Pharaonic Egypt

Large walling projects are among the most visible features in the archaeological record. However, enclosure walls remain relatively under-theorized relative to other monumental buildings. In an attempt to move beyond simple explanations that analyse walls solely as defensive features or symbols, I link monumental walls to notions of sovereign power and action-oriented theories of value(s). Using examples from Pharaonic Egypt, I argue that monumental enclosure walls were attempts to define and realize particular social totalities, whether these were a temple complex, a royal tomb or an urban centre. If all efforts at border-making are also an exercise in power, walls have the potential to illuminate some of the goals and values of those ordering their construction. By analysing changes and continuities related to which structures required the protection of a monumental enclosure wall over time, it is possible to shed light on the fluid priorities of the most important political actors in Pharaonic society. Yet the very presence of a wall implies potential dissent and alternative practices—otherwise a wall's construction would not have been necessary.

Orthodoxy in Diplomacy: An Overview of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Religious Diplomacy and Role in International Relations

Following the revitalization and politicization of religion that happened in Serbia during the late 20th and early 21st century, the Serbian Orthodox Church became an important non-state actor in the country. This article explores its involvement in Serbia’s relations with other countries, with a particular focus on the Church’s and the country’s religious diplomacy efforts. It provides an overview of the Church’s multifaceted roles, including advising Serbian and foreign diplomats, engaging in track II diplomacy, as well as other small-scale initiatives.

Impact of COVID-19 on agri-food systems: An assessment of actors along the food value chain in Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria and Mali

Food security in Africa was impacted as a result of supply chain disruptions and government lockdowns brought on by the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With participation from important actors in the agricultural value chain, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) assessed the effect of COVID-19 on agri-food system in Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda. Farmers, agro-processors, private service providers, off-takers and merchants, input dealers, and Ministry of Agriculture Extension service personnel are among the value chain actors that took part in the study. The survey, which was held from April 13 to April 16, 2020, used semi-structured tools and questionnaires aimed at the different stakeholders. The study used a cluster sample technique. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, which included frequency counts, percentages, rank correlation, and categorical regression. Based on the severity of the lockdowns associated to COVID-19, the survey found that the outcomes differed by country. The analysis shows a negative association between e-extension and education during the COVID-19 epidemic, but a high and positive correlation (p < 0.01) between extension services and postharvest services, as well as credit availability. Factors such as transportation, labor availability, price fluctuations, output market activity, loan availability, and food and nutrition security were significantly and positively correlated with COVID-19 awareness. Additionally, the respondents indicated that price changes were favourably correlated with labour availability and transportation, and that farming activities were significantly and positively correlated with food and nutrition security, labour availability, and the output market. According to the perspective data collected in every country during the COVID-19 epidemic, postharvest services, agricultural input activities, and food and nutrition security all heavily relied on extension services, with postharvest services having a negative correlation with extension services. The results of the analysis show that COVID-19 impacted several variables that are associated with extension services across the four countries. For instance, the R2 value of the relationship between value chain variables and extension service delivery across Mali (0.485), Nigeria (0.621), Ethiopia (0.426), Uganda (0.529), and the combined countries (0.511) indicates that the variation of the dependent variables can account for 48.5% of the variation in the values of the independent variable (extension service delivery) in Mali, 62.1% in Nigeria, 42.6% in Ethiopia, 52.9% in Uganda, and 51.1% in the combined countries. Farmers' access to agricultural labour, credit services, inputs for agriculture, and output markets was restricted by the ban on travel and social gatherings. Smallholder farmers should employ digital solutions more to strengthen the agricultural value chain's actors' resilience against potential pandemics or conflicts, according to the study's implications for extension services. This will reduce the requirement for extensive personal touch and travel in the delivery of extension services. The study also highlights how crucial it is for extension services to show tangible outcomes and benefits in order to increase farming communities' and value chain actors' resilience in any difficult circumstances. Key words: COVID-19, food systems, extension services, value chain actors, output markets

Pan-Cancer Analysis Identifies BCLAF1 as a Potential Biomarker for Renal Cell Carcinoma.

B-cell lymphoma-2-associated transcription factor 1 (BCLAF1) is a versatile protein involved in the regulation of gene transcription and post-transcriptional processing. Although BCLAF1 exerts a broad tumor suppressor effect or tumor promoter effect in many cancer types, the specific roles concerning its expression levels, and its impact on tumorigenesis in Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remain unclear. Here, we utilized the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) datasets alongside R software and online tools to unravel the specific roles of BCLAF1 in 33 cancer types, including its expression levels, tumor immune and molecular subtypes, and its correlation with prognosis, diagnosis, DNA methylation, and immune microenvironment. Additionally, we carried out cell biology experiments to independently investigate the expression of BCLAF1 in RCC and its effects on tumor progression. BCLAF1 was differentially expressed in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues across various cancer types and was also differentially expressed in different immune and molecular subtypes. In RCC, patients with high BCLAF1 expression had a better prognosis and BCLAF1 was tightly correlated with the stage, gender, and histological grade of patients. Furthermore, BCLAF1 had higher DNA methylation levels and higher immune infiltration levels in tumor tissues. Additionally, cell functional experiments confirmed the low expression of BCLAF1 in RCC and that BCLAF1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion, while inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in RCC cells in vitro. Our study under-scored the potential of BCLAF1 as an important actor in tumorigenesis, especially concerning RCC where it may serve as an effective prognostic marker.

A network analysis of the local pig supply chain in a repeated outbreak area of human streptococcosis in Thailand.

The present study employed a network analysis approach to scrutinize a pig supply chain in a repeated outbreak province for human streptococcosis in Thailand and identified important actors that should be focused on for tailoring appropriate interventions. Nakhon Sawan province was chosen as the study site as the cases of human streptococcosis have been consecutively reported since 2014, with the number of cases ranging from 21 to 63. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from actors along the pig supply chain, including pig farms, slaughterhouses, pork sellers, restaurants and customers. A one-mode-directed network was then constructed. Degree and betweenness centrality values were measured. We found that the supply chain of pork products comprised 314 nodes and 296 directed ties. A retailer got the highest overall degree, out-degree and betweenness centrality values at 35, 34, and 65.3, respectively. For in-degree centrality, the highest was identified in a customer at 9. Interestingly, this customer bought pork products from nine different mobile groceries. Both public health and veterinary authorities should extend their surveillance activities to cover all actors in the supply chain to strengthen overall disease prevention and control for streptococcosis.

NBS-SNI, an extension of the network-based statistic: Abnormal functional connections between important structural actors.

Elucidating the coupling between the structure and the function of the brain and its development across maturation has attracted a lot of interest in the field of network neuroscience in the last 15 years. Mounting evidence supports the hypothesis that the onset of certain brain disorders is linked with the interplay between the structural architecture of the brain and its functional processes, often accompanied with unusual connectivity features. This paper introduces a method called the network-based statistic-simultaneous node investigation (NBS-SNI) that integrates both representations into a single framework, and identifies connectivity abnormalities in case-control studies. With this method, significance is given to the properties of the nodes, as well as to their connections. This approach builds on the well-established network-based statistic (NBS) proposed in 2010. We uncover and identify the regimes in which NBS-SNI offers a gain in statistical resolution to identify a contrast of interest using synthetic data. We also apply our method on two real case-control studies, one consisting of individuals diagnosed with autism and the other consisting of individuals diagnosed with early psychosis. Using NBS-SNI and node properties such as the closeness centrality and local information dimension, we found hypo- and hyperconnected subnetworks and show that our method can offer a 9 percentage points gain in prediction power over the standard NBS.

Analysis of The Urgency of The Need for Regent Regulations on Tourism Awareness Groups (Case Study of Bogor Regency)

To implement community-based tourism, it is necessary to regulate the role of the community in the form of tourism awareness groups to improve the position and role of the community as an important subject or actor in tourism development and can synergize and partner with relevant stakeholders in improving the quality of tourism development in an area. Seeing the great potential possessed by Bogor Regency and the importance of the role of the Tourism Awareness Group as an implementer of conscious tourism, regulations are needed as legal certainty and guidelines for the Regional Government, Tourism Awareness Group, and the Community in the implementation and development of tourism in Bogor Regency. The type of research used is qualitative. The purpose of this study was to identify the role and contribution played by tourism awareness groups (Pokdarwis) in tourism development in Bogor Regency. The research method used in this study is qualitative. The results showed that the Regulation on Tourism Awareness Groups in Bogor Regency specifically does not yet exist. On the other hand, the existence of the Tourism Awareness Group has a major role in supporting a conducive climate for tourism growth, so it is considered necessary to establish a Regent Regulation on Tourism Aware Groups.

Autophagy formation, microtubule disorientation, and alteration of ATG8 and tubulin gene expression under simulated microgravity in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Autophagy plays an important role in plant growth and development, pathogen invasion and modulates plant response and adaptation to various abiotic stress stimuli. The biogenesis and trafficking of autophagosomes involve microtubules (MTs) as important actors in the autophagic process. However, initiation of autophagy in plants under microgravity has not been previously studied. Here we demonstrate how simulated microgravity induces autophagy development involving microtubular reorganization during period of autophagosome formation. It was shown that induction of autophagy with maximal autophagosome formation in root cells of Arabidopsis thaliana is observed after 6 days of clinostating, along with MT disorganization, which leads to visible changes in root morphology. Gradual decrease of autophagosome number was indicated on 9th and 12th days of the experiment as well as no significant re-orientation of MTs were identified. Respectively, analysis of α- and β-tubulins and ATG8 gene expression was carried out. In particular, the most pronounced increase of expression on both 6th and 9th days in response to simulated microgravity was detected for non-paralogous AtATG8b, AtATG8f, AtATG8i, and AtTUA2, AtTUA3 genes, as well as for the pair of β-tubulin duplicates, namely AtTUB2 and AtTUB3. Overall, the main autophagic response was observed after 6 and 9 days of exposure to simulated microgravity, followed by adaptive response after 12 days. These findings provide a key basis for further studies of cellular mechanisms of autophagy and involvement of cytoskeletal structures in autophagy biogenesis under microgravity, which would enable development of new approaches, aimed on enhancing plant adaptation to microgravity.

Eating at Risk within Long-Term Care: A Case for the Relational Ethics Lens.

Within long-term care homes (LTCHs), conflicts occur between residents' desires, LTCH constraints, and healthcare providers' concerns about risks of harm. Due to the high prevalence of dysphagia and malnutrition in these settings, decisions regarding food choices are a common source of such tensions. Existing biomedical ethical models fail to capture the complexity of the interprofessional chronic care environment. This article proposes an alternative ethical lens, the relational ethics model. We describe a case illustrating the application of a decision-making framework with a relational ethics lens for a resident with severe dysphagia and malnutrition. We highlight how the bioethics model excludes important actors from ethical decision making. We encourage registered dietitians working in LTCH to incorporate a relational ethics model into their practice to help identify resident's values and bring attention to the interconnectedness of caring relationships and contextual factors. This approach can inform difficult decisions regarding the food and nutrition choices of residents and may facilitate meaningful outcomes for both individuals and the long-term care community.

GERMANY’S SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN THE LIGHT OF THE INTEGRATED SECURITY – CURRENT STATE AND PROSPECTS

In June 2023, the Federal Government of Germany presented the first national security strategy (NSS). The NSS promotes Integrated Security as a new foreign and security policy. However, research has shown that the idea of Integrated Security is not new and that the integration of all resources of national power has been a goal for Germany for 30 years. Research has purpose to give an answer to following questions: Can the current organization of the German national security system support the idea of Integrated Security as a new security policy and what are the key requirements related to the organization, functioning and management of the German national security system that should be fulfilled so that Integrated Security can be implemented? The basic hypothesis of this research is that the national security system of Germany is not organized and governed in a way that can enable the implementation of Integrated Security, primarily because, on the strategic level, Germany does not have a national security council which could serve as a focal point and impetus for integration, coordination and government of a security system. In order to provide answers to the above stated questions in the first part of paper we explained Integrated Security and the national security objectives of the NSS, then we described organization of the three ministries and security services as the most important actors in the implementation of the NSS objectives at the operational level and at the end we did the capability analysis of the strategic level of management to implement Integrated Security. The research showed that the organizational solutions have not been aligned with the determinations stated in the NSS. The result of this research are proposed solutions for organization and position of the Federal Security Council which should be provided with competencies that will enable the integration of elements from all levels into a single structure which aims to achieve the national security objectives.

‘A troupe of mercenary writers’: the publicists in Chancellor Maupeou’s service, 1771–1774

Abstract Louis XV’s government led an ambitious communications campaign in 1771 to justify his power grab against the parlements. Chancellor Maupeou enlisted a propaganda office that notably included his personal secretary, Charles-François Lebrun, and François Marin, the secrétaire général of the Librairie. The minister also relied on the commitment of a group of writers. François-Marie Arouet Voltaire was the most famous of these writers, but other, less well-known authors also played a crucial part. This was notably the case with the Abbé Raymond Mary, a humble canon linked to the comtesse du Barry’s circle, who was arguably one of the most important actors in Versailles’ persuasion strategy. This article sketches a portrait of the publicists who put pen to paper in the monarchy’s service during the Maupeou revolution.

Comparison between stem cell therapy and stem cell derived exosomes on induced multiple sclerosis in dogs

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition that primarily manifests as demyelination of neuronal axons in the central nervous system, due to the loss or attack of oligodendroglia cells that form myelin. Stem cell therapy has shown promising results for the treatment of MS due to its capability to halt the immune attack, stop apoptosis and axonal degeneration, and differentiate into oligodendrocytes. Stem cell-derived Exosomes (Exosomes) have shown great capabilities for neuronal diseases as they have growth factors, complex sets of miRNA, enzymes, proteins, major peptides, lipids, and macromolecules with anti-inflammatory, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis activities.MethodsThis study aimed to compare the healing properties of stem cells, against Exosomes for the treatment of an experimentally induced MS dog model. Dog models of MS received either a single treatment of stem cells or a single treatment of Exosomes intrathecally and the treatment process was evaluated clinically, radiologically, histopathologically, and electron microscopy and cerebrospinal fluid analysis.Resultsshowed marked amelioration of the clinical signs in both treated groups compared to the control one, magnetic resonance scans showed the resolution of the hyperintense lesions at the end of the study period, the histopathology and electron microscopy showed marked healing properties and remyelination in treated groups with superiority of the stem cells compared to Exosomes.ConclusionsAlthough stem cell results were superior to Exosomes therapy; Exosomes have proven to be effective and safe important actors in myelin regeneration, and their use in diseases like MS helps to stimulate remyelination.

The InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: DNA barcodes of Iberian Bees.

Bees are important actors in terrestrial ecosystems and are recognised for their prominent role as pollinators. In the Iberian Peninsula, approximately 1,100 bee species are known, with nearly 100 of these species being endemic to the Peninsula. A reference collection of DNA barcodes, based on morphologically identified bee specimens, representing 514 Iberian species, was constructed. The "InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: DNA Barcodes of Iberian bees" dataset contains records of 1,059 sequenced specimens. The species of this dataset correspond to about 47% of Iberian bee species diversity and 21% of endemic species diversity. For peninsular Portugal only, the corresponding coverage is 71% and 50%. Specimens were collected between 2014 and 2022 and are deposited in the research collection of Thomas Wood (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, The Netherlands), in the FLOWer Lab collection at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), in the Andreia Penado collection at the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) (Portugal) and in the InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) reference collection (Vairão, Portugal). Of the 514 species sequenced, 75 species from five different families are new additions to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and 112 new BINs were added. Whilst the majority of species were assigned to a single BIN (94.9%), 27 nominal species were assigned to multiple BINs. Although the placement into multiple BINs may simply reflect genetic diversity and variation, it likely also represents currently unrecognised species-level diversity across diverse taxa, such as Amegillaalbigena Lepeletier, 1841, Andrenarussula Lepeletier, 1841, Lasioglossumleucozonium (Schrank, 1781), Nomadafemoralis Morawitz, 1869 and Sphecodesalternatus Smith, 1853. Further species pairs of Colletes, Hylaeus and Nomada were placed into the same BINs, emphasising the need for integrative taxonomy within Iberia and across the Mediterranean Basin more broadly. These data substantially contribute to our understanding of bee genetic diversity and DNA barcodes in Iberia and provide an important baseline for ongoing taxonomic revisions in the West Palaearctic biogeographical region.

Spatial pattern, and evolution of China’s urban agglomerations

China's urban agglomeration is not only crucial to tackle with the more and more contradiction between population, resources and environment, but also an important spatial actor to increase the global competitiveness and promote the transformation of China's economic development mode. In the national "14th Five-Year Plan" in 2021, it is proposed to "promote the coordinated and development of large, medium-sized and small cities and towns based on urban agglomeration and metropolitan area". Generally, 19 urban agglomerations designated in this Plan are heterogeneous in development level and national functions. To this end, from the nature of urban agglomerations, especially on agglomeration economy and functional urban region hypothesis, the research focuses on the spatial pattern and changes of these 19 areas mainly based on the 6th and 7th national census. The findings show that, China’s UAs are unique in driving forces, and spatial patterns as well. China’s UAs are more state-led, though now the marketing forces more and more crucial. The UAs have been evolved from the early planned economy period to the reform and opening up period, and then to the further development of the Socialist market economy until now. Unlike other typical UAs abroad, most of the developed UAs are more specialized in manufacture, not in producer services, though these regions show a remarkable high-end services oriented shift in 2010–2020.

Systematic review on the implementation of mangrove community-based restoration in Indonesia and beyond

World’s mangroves are decreasing, and the remaining are continuously at risk, so restoration seen as one of key strategies in the mangrove management. Mangrove ecosystems are ecologically important for coastal life, as well as play a key role for the livelihood and food security that put coastal community as important actor in the mangrove restoration efforts, including in Indonesia. This study aims to understand the current practices and lesson learned from the implementation of community-based mangrove restoration (CBMR). We used a combination of systematic review and co-learning workshops to identify relevant case studies, interventions, and outcomes from the implementation CBMR. We selected 71 relevant case studies from nine countries and ran a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We identified four group of intervention implemented in the case studies, those are active restoration (include replanting), passive restoration (focus on protection and depend on natural regeneration), model business development and strengthening the community institution. Case studies analysis suggested that combination of four type of interventions helps to achieve both aims of CBMR which are restored mangrove and improved livelihood.

Counterweight, Carrot, Crucible: Theorizing “Community” in Community Treatment Orders

The idea of community in community mental health has recently been criticized as problematic in that it has been ill defined, under-investigated and under-theorized. In this article we introduce actor-network theory as a useful framework for the analysis of everyday psychiatric and legal interventions and their effects. We focus on the community treatment order (CTO) in Alberta as one such intervention, showing how community positions people diagnosed with mental illness as risky subjects. In examining the CTO as an important actor in the construction of mental illness, we argue that the idea of community acts as a counterweight to balance rights, a carrot in a mechanism of consent, and as a crucible where interpretive work on a subject must be done in chains of examinations. Further, we propose a procedural and relational definition of community to inform scholarly work as well as professional practice.

Climate change, ESG criteria and recent regulation: challenges and opportunities

The application of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria has now become a more than essential requirement in the financial world. Therefore, it is necessary to understand, select and assess the risks of these ESG criteria and evaluate how they can impact a product or investment decision. Thus, the main objective of this article is to analyze ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) indicators and their potential impacts in the framework of non-financial information. Current regulatory developments, such as the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), are pushing to make ESG indicators (within this triple perspective: social, environmental and governance risks) a key set of information to be used for reporters and users of information. This article will study in further detail the main implications these regulations will have in how corporations will reflect social and ecological footprint information in their external reporting. Since these ESG indicators could have relevant financial impacts on the financial drivers of a corporation, stakeholders will be concerned on how enterprises are dealing with these ESG risks. Therefore, this ESG data will increase transparency and would mean a better understanding on how companies and investors have a sustainability compromise to evolve to a neutral carbon economy. In order to understand a company’s commitment with these ESG criteria, stakeholders would have to assess different aspects of the information reported. In this sense, this article will focus on how credit rating agencies incorporate these risks in their assessments. Credit rating agencies are becoming important actors in the sustainability criteria, as they incorporate ESG risks in their assessments, transmitting the importance of these indicators to investors and to markets. This study will look into the different time horizons between financial profitability and sustainability indicators. Current tendency and huge demand of non-financial indicators do not have the same profoundness, framework and tradition as financial indicators. This could lead to a situation in which it would be necessary a period to adapt both worlds and make them join and connect together in a sense in which one need the other one.

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

Dostoevsky in the Literary Life of Armenia

The article examines the path of Armenian Dostoevsky studies — starting from the 80s of the 19th century. It was then that interest in Dostoevsky’s work arose in Armenian literary circles — in particular, in the periodicals of Tiflis, K. Polis, Petersburg, Paris. At the origins of Armenian studies of the Russian writer are the editors of Armenian newspapers and magazines Arpiar Arpiaryan, Levon Bashalyan, and Arshak Chopanyan. For the first time to Dostoevsky’s work contacted the editor of Tiflis newspaper “Mshak” Grigor Artsruni in 1880; he tried to consider the work of the novelist in the context of mysticism and religious views. And the first work of the Russian writer in the Armenian language was the story “Notes from the Dead House,” which was printed in 1885 in the weekly “Araks” published in Petersburg. The first work of the Russian writer translated into Armenian was the story “The Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree,” published in 1886 in the Constantinople newspaper “Masis.” The translation was not signed. In 1892, in the St. Petersburg bulletin “Araks” were published “Notes from the House of the Dead.” The unknown translator left the work unfinished. The new translation of the story was done by Yervand Otyan. In subsequent years, the works of Dostoevsky were translated by K. Mirianyan, Shirvanzade, S. Shalchyan, G. Lerentz, K. Surenyan, A. Mazmanyan, A. Mekhakyan, A. Hovhannisyan and others. The writer’s death became an occasion for new reflections on his life and work. At the next stage of Armenian history, at the beginning of the 20th century, discussions about the novelist’s work became more often, lectures and discussions were organized at the literary evenings of the Caucasian Society of Armenian Writers. Many Armenian writers and critics recognized the influence of Dostoevsky not only on their creativity, but also on world perception (A. Oshakan, K. Surenyan, Nar-Dos, Shirvanzade). Some of them became translators of Dostoevsky (Surenyan, Shirvanzade), and some initiated new translations (Arpiaryan, Chopanyan). In the second half of the 20th century, Karpis Surenyan, Levon Mkrtchyan and Karen Stepanyan became the most important actors of the Armenian Dostoevsky studies. Remarkable typological and comparative parallels were drawn between Dostoevsky and Mickiewicz, Narekatsi, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Schiller, Cervantes and other authors.

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT