Universidad La Concordia

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of production systems, including: (1) open production system (OP) and (2) vertical farm (VF) on lettuce quality. The study aligns with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Germination experiments were carried out inside a climate‐controlled farm for 4 weeks with two varieties of lettuces: Ruby Sky Lettuce (LR) and Patrona Lettuce (LO). Then, seedlings were planted in two experimental settings: an open production system (OP) with a dripping irrigation system and a vertical farm treatment (VF) with an aero hydroponic irrigation system arrangement with a 200 L nutrient tank. A comparison test was carried out between Patrona Lettuce (LO) and Ruby Sky Lettuce (LR), which were harvested in two different production systems. The two lettuce varieties, Ruby Lettuce (RL) and Patrona Lettuce (PL), were sampled for microbiological analysis and counts using the following quality indicators: aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, coliforms, fungi, and yeast to compare the production systems. Microbial analysis revealed significantly lower counts of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, coliforms, and fungi in vertical lettuce. For Ruby Sky, outdoor production resulted in 29‐, 32‐, and 37‐times higher counts, respectively. Patrona exhibited similar trends. These findings suggest that vertical farming enhances food safety by minimizing microbial contamination. VF can empower small‐scale farmers, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance food security, particularly in regions facing limited land and water resources, thus reaching towards SDG 2 and SDG 12.

In this paper, we present the development and refinement of a tunable microwave phase shifter featuring a liquid crystal active layer. These phase shifters leverage the unique properties of liquid crystals, such as their microwave dielectric anisotropy and their ability to be controlled by electric fields. We introduce two variations of phase shifters: coplanar phase shifters and coplanar phase shifters employing the half- curve method. Through thorough characterization, we demonstrate that applying a driving electric field of approximately 0.5 V/μm results in a phase change of around l°/cm/GHz. This study highlights the potential of liquid crystal- based phase shifters as promising solutions for microwave applications that require precise and adjustable phase control. Overall, the study explores the dynamic relationship between the applied electric field, the liquid crystal's permittivity, and the resulting phase shift. This understanding of the interaction between the radio-frequency electric field and the liquid crystal's properties paves the way for the development of tunable microwave phase shifters and opens up possibilities for various applications in the field of microwave technology.

The invasive benthic foraminifera Trochammina hadai has been found for the first time in Europe along the coast of Normandy. Its native range of distribution is in Asia (Japan and Korea), and it has also been introduced along the coasts of western North America, Brazil and Australia. Morphological and molecular assessments confirm that specimens found in Le Havre and Caen-Ouistreham harbors belong to the Asiatic type. Like in Asia, T. hadai was found in transitional waters with muddy sediments. It exhibited high relative abundances (up to about 40%) confirming that T. hadai is a highly competitive species. In the present study, it was nearly absent from natural transitional waters and very abundant in heavily modified habitats like harbors, suggesting that ballast waters may likely be the vector of introduction. It was not recorded farther north along the coast of the Hauts-de-France. It is further hypothesized that the finding of a few specimens outside the harbor may facilitate the expansion of T. hadai in the English Channel by means of propagules dispersion.

Glucose-6-phosphate catalytic subunit 3 (G6PC3) deficiency is characterized by severe congenital neutropenia with recurrent pyogenic infections, a prominent superficial venous pattern and cardiovascular and urogenital malformations caused by an alteration of glucose homeostasis, with increased endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell apoptosis. We reviewed our patients with G6PC3 deficiency diagnosed along the last decade in Mexico; we also searched the PubMed/Medline database for the terms ('G6PC3 deficiency' OR 'Dursun syndrome' OR 'Severe congenital neutropenia type 4'), and selected articles published in English from 2009 to 2020. We found 89 patients reported from at least 14 countries in 4 continents. We describe five new cases from Mexico. Of the 94 patients, 56% are male, 48% from Middle East countries and none of them had adverse reactions to live vaccines; all presented with at least 1 severe infection prior to age 2. Seventy-five per cent had syndromic features, mainly atrial septal defect in 55% and prominent superficial veins in 62%. With a total of 94 patients reported in the past decade, we delineate the most frequent laboratory and genetic features, their treatment and outcomes, and to expand the knowledge of syndromic and non-syndromic phenotypes in these patients.

ABSTRACT Drawing on the accounts of Western visitors to the USSR in the 1920s, this article analyzes their responses to the emerging cult of Lenin, particularly their impressions of his body and the mausoleums built to house it. A diverse spectrum of opinion is represented, since the texts include works by members of foreign communist parties, progressive activists who were sympathetic to the Soviet experiment, and hard-core opponents of the regime looking for reasons to denounce it. The article further shows how the process for visiting Lenin became more standardized as the years passed as well as the degree to which visitors were aware of the claims being made concerning power, sacred spaces, and Lenin’s position in revolutionary history. A final aspect of the article considers the sensory responses that visitors had as they took in this spectacle on Red Square.

The study of 1:1 cyclodextrin inclusion compounds by isothermal titration calorimetry was explored in a theoretical and experimental point of view to compare the efficiency of conventional and non-conventional experiments. All direct and competitive protocols were described and evaluated in terms of accuracy on both binding constant and inclusion enthalpy. Significant improvement in the calorimetric characterization may be obtained by means of the global analysis of non-conventional experiments coupled to the standard titration protocol. While the titration-release approach proved to be the most accurate strategy for classical complexations, the valuable contribution of other non-conventional experiments was demonstrated for issues concerning weak stability, enthalpy, or solubility.

Les personnages de second plan sont parfois eux aussi investis de fonctions spécifiques au récit. Une enquête sur la genèse des personnages de L’Assommoir (1877) d’Émile Zola nous permet de trouver les traces de la programmation. Dans l’Ébauche de ce roman, le croque-mort Bazouge, annonciateur de la mort de l’héroïne, est aussi un ouvrier incarnant la machine humaine usée par le travail et la misère. Mais la cohabitation des figures de croque-mort et d’ouvrier semble difficile, Zola crée donc deux personnages et renomme l’ouvrier « Bru » pour donner à Bazouge l’autre rôle. L’origine de ces deux personnages se trouve dans le conte Mon voisin Jacques, que Zola n’a cessé de récrire (1865-1874). Le caractère ambivalent du protagoniste de ce conte, le croque-mort Jacques, sera réparti sur deux personnages secondaires dans le roman postérieur : Bazouge héritera du côté sinistre pour incarner la Mort et Bru du côté bonhomme pour se charger de la figure du mortel. La multiplication des personnages et la simplification de leur caractère sont en rapport étroit avec les procédés d’élaboration propres au genre romanesque.

Introduction Á la Libération, l’identification entre l’homme et le jeune parti politique démocrate d’inspiration chrétienne est évidente : Maurice Schumann incarne le « parti de la fidélité » : « Au début, juste après la Libération, cette famille était dans la majorité gaulliste. Je n’ai donc eu aucune peine à me reclasser, j’ai été d’instinct propulsé dans le MRP fondé par mes amis de toujours et dans la clandestinité » Une distanciation s’installe lors du retour du général de Gaulle, surto...