Academic literature on the topic 'Genre signs'

Abstract Visuals are generally considered to be rich in information, but also to be open to many different interpretations. As a consequence, many argumentation scholars doubt that visuals can constitute argumentation (e.g. Fleming, 1996; Johnson, 2003, 2010; Patterson, 2010). In this paper, we argue that the rhetorical and argumentative potential of visuals and multimodal texts is strengthened if they belong to recognizable genres, genres being governed by discourse-internal factors as well as situational/pragmatic understanding. The genre of traffic signs can draw on specific genre conventions thanks to these signs’ highly coded nature. As a consequence, traffic signs constitute an exemplary category to make the point that visuals and multimodal texts can function rhetorically or even argumentatively. We support our claim by first analysing a number of unusual instances of the genre and then discussing a few visual and multimodal signs whose argumentative potential no longer depends on specific traffic-related circumstances but crucially depends on the pretence that they are traffic signs.

<em>The problem of evaluating speech genres is currently relevant, since modern journalistic discourse often indicates the need to express a particular position or attitude of the speaker; evaluation of an event, object or personality. In particular, negative evaluation can be expressed by the speech genre of condemnation. The purpose of this work is to define the concept and relevant features of the speech genre of condemnation. The achievement of the purpose includes a number of tasks: analyzing the differences between the speech act and the speech genre; outlining of genre peculiarities of the speech genre of condemnation; analyzing features that distinguish the actual condemnation from other speech genres. The article analyzes the existing genre research studies, examines the differences in the speech act and speech genre, the characteristic genre signs of condemnation, analyzes the main cases of use of the speech genre of condemnation and the genres related to it. Thus, condemnation is a complex communicative phenomenon, which is a speech realization of the evaluation and expression of the negative emotions of the speaker. It is characterized by certain parameters. The communicative goal is to provide a certain assessment. The general communicative meaning is a negative, disagreeable attitude to someone or something. The genre tone is aggressive, sometimes manipulative.</em>

The article views genre peculiarities of the work of modern Kazakh children&#39;s writer Antonina Shipulina. The analysis reveals the mixture of folklore motives and fantasy genre signs, which allows to single out hybrid genres as a separate group in the genre system of modern children&#39;s literature in Kazakhstan.

This article discusses the relevance of the study of the text of the fairy tale genre and the concept of discourse and its categorical features, as well as aspects of the relevance of these discourse categorical features to the fairy tale genre. Today, the study of the fairy tale genre is becoming a topical issue. Although many of our scientists have studied this genre so far, they are not of a research nature. According to the author, this is due to the fact that no consensus has been reached on the discourse phenomenon and discursive analysis.

The purpose of the study is to identify the determinants and specifics of trends in the modification of genre models in contemporary Ukrainian piano music and the associated transformations of the performer&rsquo;s status and artistic communication. The research methodology of the article consists of cultural, art studies and comparative approaches that made it possible to understand the ways of genre transformation in the paradigmatic dimensions of modern culture, as well as the principles of musicological, in particular genre analysis, which provided awareness of the specifics of the transformation of genre paradigms, which are essential tasks of modern musicology. The scientific novelty of the article is to identify ideological determinants, conceptual and compositional and structural specifics of the transformation of genre models in piano works of modern Ukrainian composers, in particular, based on the analysis of the works of A. Yakovchuk, S. Zazhytko, O. Huhel, V. Runchak, which have not received exhaustive coverage in scientific discourse. As a result, it is proved that the genre, as a phenomenon of musical art, in contemporary Ukrainian piano music appears in subjectivised interpretations, the diversity of which resonates with the paradigmatic attitudes rhizome of Postmodern culture and determines the change in the functions of the performer and the revision of the principles of artistic communication. Conclusions. Contemporary piano music of Ukrainian composers demonstrates the rhizome transformation of the genre, the manifestations as follows: &ldquo;implicit&rdquo; synthesis of genres in the declaration of genre certainty by the author; declarative synthesis of genres in the stylistic modulation of genre models, orientation to meta-genre as a reflection of the modern polylogue of cultures, detailing of the declared model of the genre by the bill and genres&rsquo; additional signs; synthesis of musical, verbal and visual principles; experimental synthesis of signs of historical and cultural eras, types of art, genres, in particular, the trend of a theatrical adaptation of piano music; interpretation of genre as a meta-cultural phenomenon; &ldquo;simulacrum&rdquo; &ndash; a postmodern parody transformation into an &ldquo;anti-genre&rdquo;.

The article deals with educational paremies, which are stable formulas that contain a ban on a child violation of the norms of behavior in society. Stable genre features of parental prohibitions are identified (formality, absurd of the forecast, humour, imagery, educational orientation), their connection with folk pedagogy is shown and their difference from traditional signs that is orientation at age peculiarities is determined. The main functions of "parental prohibitions" are educational and entertaining ones. The classification of signs-prohibitions on a thematic basis is given. The ancient origin of certain prohibitions related to the taboo on actions that cause the wrath of the gods is indicated. In the context of predictive paremy genres of children folklore, signs-rules and situational signs are indicated. Possible prospects for further study of the genre are determined. It is pointed out that they include comparative studying of educational paremies of various nations, determining their functional role in the genre system of Russian and national folklore.

Речевой жанр «Кулинарная рассылка» одновременно представляет собой особую форму структурирования и организации текстов пищевой тематики и базовую единицу интернет-коммуникации в кулинарной сфере общения, обеспечивая тем самым упорядоченность виртуального дискурса. Рассмотрены специфика и речевое оформление жанрообразующих признаков речевого жанра «Кулинарная рассылка»: его коммуникативная цель, амбивалентный образ автора, образ адресата, образ будущего, диктумное содержание, лексическое и грамматическое воплощение речевого жанра. Актуальность исследования обусловлена недостаточной степенью изученности новых жанров речевого общения в коммуникативной среде Интернета как важнейшей среде существования современной культуры. The speech genre “Culinary mailing” at the same time is a special form of structuring and organizing food-related texts and the basic unit of Internet communication in the culinary sphere of communication, ensures the ordering of virtual discourse. Article is devoted to description of the specifics and genre-forming features of the speech genre “Culinary mailing”: communicative goal, ambivalent image of the author, image of the addressee, image of the future, dictative content, lexical and grammatical embodiment of the speech genre. The relevance of the study is due to the lack of knowledge of new genres of speech communication in the communicative environment of the Internet as the most important medium of the existence of modern culture.

The article is devoted to Rodion Shchedrin's genre experiments in the last two decades. During this time, the composer has created a large number of works covering many typical genres, mixed compositions and new, original musical genres. Among them are operas (4), concerts (5), a concert symphony, piano cycles (4), a vocal cycle, a sonatina, variations, numerous program orchestral and chamber-instrumental compositions, choral miniatures and cycles. At the same time, none of these areas of creativity looks traditional in the catalog of Shchedrin's opuses of recent decades. The article examines the author's versions of the concert genre, interesting varieties of opera genres from the composer's viewpoint, unusual interpretation of the vocal cycle genre and mass, musical interpretation of the Russian folk proverbs, as well as genre modulations; it emphasizes original varieties of symphonic program music, such as a symphonic or dramatic fragment, symphonic etudes, symphonic fresco. In exploring Shchedrin's innovations in the genre sphere, the author analyzes genres or genre varieties that were created by him and have not previously appeared in the works of composers. These are the genres of musical hagiography (choral opera "Boyarynya Morozova"), musical reading ("Adventures of a Monkey"), musical proverb (choral cycle "Proverbs"). As a result of the study, it is concluded that Shchedrin's mobile genre system can only be considered in terms of the mobile interaction of intersecting genre signs.

Introduction. The paper focuses on the genre of a maiden speech, which is the first official speech of a newly elected parliamentarian. The relevance of the research is due to the fact that no special studies of this genre have been presented in the linguistic literature so far.&#x0D; Aim. The study aims at discovering and describing the functional features of a maiden speech. &#x0D; Methodology and research methods. The methods used in the work include the descriptive method, the methods of discursive, contextual, functional and stylistic analysis.&#x0D; Results. As a result of the study, the following main functions of a maiden speech are identified: the functions of presentation, social identification and solidarity, the performative function, the functions of orientation, differentiation and confrontation. Special features and means of implementing each of the functions are considered. It is concluded that a maiden speech is a “hybrid” speech genre, in which the signs of ritual genres are combined with the signs of orientational genres; the features of agonal genres can also be found in a maiden speech.&#x0D; The scientific novelty of this study lies in the functional approach to the description of the speech genre under consideration.&#x0D; The practical significance of the paper is determined by the fact that its results can be used in the courses of lectures on political linguistics, discourse theory, genristics and rhetoric.

The article is devoted to a relatively new genre of speech – self-presentation. The research is based on self-presentations of non-philological students of the geographical, sociological, biological faculties, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports of Saratov National Research State University named after N. G. Chernyshevsky and philologists studying at the Institute of Philology and Journalism. The purpose of the study is to identify the genre features of these texts. The multidimensional analysis of self–presentations revealed genre-forming features, the most typical cognitive models (scenarios) of self-presentation, which allow us to conclude that the student’s self-presentation is a synthetic speech genre pursuing informative, imperative, evaluative goals. It can also be attributed to the genre of reaction. The genre of self-presentation interacts with other speech genres, as a rule, self-presentation includes a call, a message, gratitude. Bachelors and specialists choose a strategy – the desire to please, to seem attractive to others, Master’s students – self-advertisement, self-promotion, proving their professional competence. The choice of these strategies is related to the basic characteristics that the author defines for himself as essential: for Master’s students this is a career, for bachelors and specialists – a family, in which they live, and positive personality qualities. The article presents an overview of the forms of students’ self-presentations. Examples of atypical self-presentation are poetic texts and fairy tales, in which verbal-logical and emotionally expressive elements of speech as means of influencing the audience. Irony, jokes, puns are successfully used in students’ self-presentations, but in general the degree of seriousness within the genre is very high, for the most part self-presentations are a variant of business communication. In the works of students of all faculties, except philologists, a rhetorical technique is productive and frequent – the use of quotations and references to the opinions of famous people, philologists use lyrical reflections.

Cakuntala, vikramorvashi et malavikagnimitra sont trois pieces du dramaturge indien kalidasa (6eme siecle av. J. C. ). Elles sont analysees ici dans leurs aspects structurels et semiologiques. De l'etude de l'espace imaginaire, puis de celle du jeu des personnages, enfin de celle des modes d'expression utilises sur scene, il apparait que l'aspect poetique et suggestif de ces oeuvres l'emporte de beaucoup sur les aspects dramatiques et narratifs. Cette poesie, qui emane aussi bien du texte que des multiples formes d'art utilises et de modes d'expression typiquement indiens tel que "abhinaya" et "mudras", nous semble donc etre l'element caracteristique de ce f theatre. Destinee a faire vibrer puissamment l'emotivite des spectateurs et a les emporter vers un etat emotif quasi contemplatif du monde suggere par la scene, cette poesie est une invitation au voyage dans un imaginaire ou la religion et son ordre socio-culturel structurent toutes choses, conferant l'ordre et la beaute qui en resulte<br>Cakuntala, vikramorvashi and malavikagnimitra are the three dramas of an indian dramatist named "kalidasa". He lived during 600's ad. They are analysed here in their structural and semiotic aspects. Through the study of the imaginary space, created by the author, through the acting of characters, and through the expressions used on stage, it seems that the poetical and suggestive aspects dominates the dramatic and narrative aspects. This poetry which emanates from the text, as well as from the various formes of art, appears in such caracteristic elements of indian drama as "abhinaya" and "mudra". Destinated to provoke the spectators' emotions as well as to instill a contemplative condition of a suggested world, this poetry is an invitation to venture into an imaginary world, where religion and its socio-cultural order and structure are attributed to order and beauty

The 21st century has been called the age of genomic medicine, yet gene therapy for medicinal use remains a theory. One reason that there are no safe and effective treatments for human disease is the lack of a vehicle capable of delivering genetic material to a specific target. In nature we observe gene pathology by viral vectors, which deliver their own genetic material to specific host cells efficient at spreading the viral blueprint throughout the organism. The aim of my research into gene therapy has been to develop a synthetic vector with the delivery capability of viral vectors found in nature. This includes the ability to protect genetic cargo from modification and degradation in vivo, target to a desired cell type within a specific tissue, facilitating absorption into the cell, and delivery to the nucleus, where expression of genetic material occurs. The goal of this thesis project was to synthesize a novel vector which would selectively target the dendritic cell SIGN receptor, mirroring the method of pathogens such as HIV, which target this receptor and subsequently the immune system, resulting in chronic infection. The vector we designed contains two major components, the high mannose N-glycan Man9GlcNAc2Asn, and a peptide composed of nine amino acids: four lysine spacing residues, four lysines derivatized with acridine on the epsilon amine of their side chains, and a cysteine for conjugation to the glycan. This compound, the Man9-AcrLys Glycopeptide, was engineered to intercalate into plasmid DNA via the acridine functional groups and to bind the DC-SIGN receptor through the glycan's mannose residues. The vehicle was tested in vitro in CHO cells bearing a recombinant DC-SIGN receptor in the context of luciferase reporter gene delivery. We found that under equal treatment conditions, DC-SIGN (+) CHO cells expressed more luciferase and were 100-fold more luminescent than control DC-SIGN (-) CHO cells. My delivery method was further analyzed in a cell-sorting FACS experiment. I covalently labeled pGL3 reporter plasmid with a fluorophore, and transfected the CHO cells under typical transfection conditions. The experimental results confirmed preferential DC-SIGN mediated gene delivery.

This work is an attempt to answer one simple question: What is Hamlet? Based on the material of Hamlet translations into Russian, the dissertation scrutinizes the problems of literary canon formation, translation and textuality proceeding in two parallel directions: the historical analysis of canon formation in translation and the conceptualization of Hamlet’s textuality. The methodological framework is defined in the context of Jurij Lotman’s semiotics of culture, which is invaluable for an understanding of the mechanisms of literary evolution, the theory of translation and literary canon formation. The study examines the history of Hamlet in Russia from 1748 until the present with special attention to analysis of the canonical translations, theater productions of the Shakespearean classic and the phenomenon of Hamletism. The case study of the 1964 film by Grigorij Kozincev focuses on the problem of the cinematographic canon of Hamlet. Further, the work scrutinizes various types of representation of Hamlet in such semiotic systems as the theater, the cinema, and the pictorial arts, and also examines how Hamlet functions as a specific type of sign. The final section returns to the question of canon formation and textuality. The results of the research show that 1) the literary canon appears to be closely associated with the concepts of genre and myth, 2) in order to become canonical it is imperative for a literary text to function on the level of microcanon and to be represented in modes other than the written.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of North Texas, 2007.<br>System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Accompanied by recitals, recorded Apr. 18, 2002, Sept. 18, 2003, Mar. 22, 2004, Nov. 8, 2004, and Mar. 28, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-50).

On considère ici l'héritage de la théorie humaniste des images symboliques (interprétations d’Aristote et de Denis l'Areopagite, m. Ficin, arts de la mémoire) que la XXVe session du concile de Trente instaure officiellement, et qui connait son meilleur développement à travers la forme littéraire des recueils d'emblèmes et de devises, perdurant jusqu'au début du XVIIIe siècle avec la publication des derniers traites théoriques du jésuite français c1. Fr. Menestrier. La ie section examine comment la combinaison d'une image gravée et d'un motto écrit, appelée symbole, en vue de faire naitre dans l'esprit la vision intellectuelle de l'idée, forme le parfait signe linguistique et offre une solution aux apories du langage, le mot ne suffisant plus à transmettre correctement le sens. La iie section, comment les théoriciens trouvent dans les emblèmes et devises qui permettent de composer une œuvre au moyen de symboles une parfaite pratique de la mimesis aristotélicienne; insérés dans une poétique générale, ils offrent de nouvelles possibilités rhétoriques. La iiie section examine les spécificités des différents genres de l'emblématique. La ive section propose quelques éléments d'explication à la disparition de l'invention emblématique au début du XVIIIe siècle, bien que l'on imprime des recueils jusqu'au début du XXe siècle<br>This phd deals with the inheritage of the humanistic theory of symbolic images (interpretations of Aristoteles’s de interpretation and Dionysius the areopagite; m. Ficino ; arts of memory), actualized by the xxv th session of the council of Trente, to the last treatises of the French Jesuit cl. Fr. Menestrier and the beginning of the enlightening. It finds its best development 150 years during in its own invention: the literary form of emblematics. The first section examines how combining, into what is named symbol, an engraved picture with a verbal motto, to create in the mind the intellectual vision of the invisible idea, forms the best linguistic sign and gives an answer to the verbal apories of the fallacious words, an inadequate structure in delivering signification. The iind section develops wich adaptation to the aristotelician mimesis symbolics presents through emblematics at the eyes of the theoricians, and how, integrated into a general poetics, it allows new rhetorical possibilities. The iiird section is devoted to the specificities of the different emblematics's genres, and their theoretical definitions. The ivth proposes some explications to the end of emblematic invention, even if books are printed until the beginning of the xxth c. : rise of modern and vernacular grammars, reconsiderations of rhetoric ; the linguistic humanist symbol has no place more

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:55:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cibelle.pdf: 1346433 bytes, checksum: 5447c4ba12b588db44e056ac7e95b9e1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-26<br>The theme of this research is the Motivational Speech of the business sphere. Our professional experiences provided us a constant contact with the genres Motivational Lecture and Business Paradicdatic Manual, leading, consequently, to certain concerns that culminated in the realization of a systematic study of this subject, which had the aim of investigating the contradictions of Motivational Speech in the business sphere, enabling, thus, an understanding of how the linguistic-ideological sign reflects and refracts reality, being, at the same time, transformd by it. In search of an understanding for this process, we adopted the interactionist perspective of language, considering the statements as being part of a chain of past, present and future sayings that interact dialogically. This study was held based on the theory of Mikhail Bakhtin and his Circle (1976, 1981, 2004, 2010) by choosing a methodology which prioritized the study of statements of the business sphere by linking them with their determining socio-economic structure as well as the particularities of its sphere of ideological production. The Motivational Speech, as an element that contributes to the ideological construction of human subjectivity, has the aim of molding a successful human being, who is fully dedicated to his work, and that is always looking for professional recognition. The ideology of motivation teaches that working is a virtue, that professional success dignifies men and that their happiness and fulfillment can only be achieved through their total dedication and loyalty to companies, thus acting as a set of rules that hides behind an apparent rational coherence, but in the background is made up of silences that legitimize the ideology of the ruling class.<br>Esta pesquisa tem como temática o Discurso Motivacional da esfera empresarial. Nossas experiências profissionais nos levaram a um contato constante com os gêneros discursivos Palestra Motivacional e Manual Paradidático Empresarial, gerando, como consequência, certas inquietações, as quais culminaram na realização de um estudo sistematizado desse tema que teve como principal objetivo investigar as contradições que constituem o Discurso Motivacional da esfera empresarial para, assim, compreender a maneira como o signo linguístico ideológico reflete e refrata a realidade ao mesmo tempo em que esta é transforamada por ele. Em busca de um entendimento desse processo, adotamos a perspectiva interacionista de linguagem, compreendendo os enunciados como parte de uma cadeia de dizeres passados, presentes e futuros que interagem dialogicamente. Utilizamos como aporte teórico pressupostos de Mikhail Bakhtin e seu Círculo (1976; 1981; 2004; 2010), optando por uma metodologia que priorizasse o estudo dos enunciados da esfera empresarial a partir de seu vínculo com a estrutura socioeconômica, assim como considerando a relação existente entre esses enunciados e as particularidades de sua esfera ideológica de produção. O Discurso Motivacional, como elemento que contribui com a construção ideológica da subjetividade humana, objetiva moldar um ser humano de sucesso, que dedique-se ao máximo ao seu trabalho e que esteja sempre em busca de reconhecimento profissional. A ideologia da motivação ensina que o trabalho é uma virtude, que o sucesso profissional dignifica o homem e que a felicidade e a realização pessoal só podem ser conquistadas quando há dedicação e fidelidade às empresas, atuando assim como um conjunto de regras que se esconde atrás de uma aparente coerência racional, mas que no fundo, constitui-se de silenciamentos que legitimam a ideologia da classe dominante.

In October 2011 The New York Times published an article on the re-vival of the VHS tape in the horror film genre.1 What makes these so-called neo-VHS tapes different from their outdated VHS companions is the fact that their role transformed from technical to aesthetic. En-tire magazines, such as Lunchmeat and Fangoria, are devoted to the subject of VHS now. For these horror fans, neo-VHS is not preferred for functional reasons, but because the grainy picture quality — the signs of usage that caused DVD and BluRay to replace VHS in the first place — became an indispensable trope for the bad horror film genre. Laura U. Marks (Simon Fraser University) talks about a similar notion of old media recycling when writing about The Color of Love:It seems that the real erotic activity...is not between the actors but in the game with death taking place on the surface of the film...the film’s emulsion flowers and evaporates, giving itself up to bliss and death

Alberto Arbasino and Luigi Malerba visited China as members of Italian authors’ delegation in 1980 and published respectively their travel reportage Trans-Pacific Express (1981) and Cina Cina (1985). Arbasino travelled to many countries and published several travel books. Malerba was particularly fond of China. During their visits, Arbasino and Malerba were the closest of travel companions. There are, in fact, many similarities and differences in their travel writings. The two authors were representatives of Gruppo ’63 in the literary movement Neoavanguardia. Based on the richness and flexibility of this literary genre, they also adopted this innovative style of writing. In terms of the narrative structure, in both there does not appear to be a clear itinerary or a logic to their travels. Regarding their linguistic styles, Arbasino’s writing is rich of rhetorical forms, whereas Malerba’s book is imagery, resembling a fairy-tale. For the two authors, China represents a series of incomprehensible signs. Arbasino transforms these signs into elements of literary invention, while Malerba sees the travel destination as a place of imagination. China is a literary space between imagination and reality in their travel writings.

AbstractAs well as taking stock of the existing literature on film and history, this chapter aims to develop a terminological apparatus for describing the conceptual core of the historical film. The first section makes reference to a classic semiological model according to which a film’s production of meaning is determined by its specific arrangement of signs. It draws parallels to debates within historical studies that have enabled a reassessment of fiction film as a historiographical medium and mode of conceptualizing history. Building on these considerations, the second section posits a genre of popular fiction film defined by its referential relation to historical events, individuals, and lifeworlds. The third section argues that this is less a matter of incontrovertible factual accuracy than of generating a feeling of authenticity.

AbstractThis chapter makes a brief approach to the origins and evolution of both wind bands and the Moors and Christians festivals, especially in the Valencian Region, tracing the lines that connected both phenomena at a specific moment in history. The indissoluble relationship that has united them since then has created a musical genre that has not only become one of the most recognisable signs of Valencian society’s identity, but also a treasure of its intangible cultural heritage, and a fundamental part of the economic activity of musical societies in the context of what certain authors call “the ecosystem of the Moors and Christians cluster”. Moors and Christians festivals are linked to the hiring of bands for musical accompaniment in parades and for the celebration of other activities, such as concerts, recreational performances and recordings which make up an essential part of many musical societies’ funding sources.

AbstractThis chapter reveals that the cultural association of cosmetic prostheses with ageing stems, at least in part, from satirical sources that paradoxically both bulwark and mock the hegemony of physical wholeness and youth. Emphasizing the extent to which preferences for youth were intertwined with demands for physical completeness, this chapter exposes how the dominance of these two physical states was undermined by stories that either ridicule the process of concealment for elderly users or present unlikely prostheticized heroes in unconventional ways. The chapter draws from genres such as the Gothic, sensation fiction, and imperial adventure fiction. It argues that, despite their differences, the depictions of ageing prosthesis users selected challenge the dominance of physical wholeness/youth by laughing at the absurd results that these demands effected.

AbstractNovel biology technologies like gene editing and genetic engineering are creating a proliferation of breakthroughs in engineered biological systems that will change our world in areas ranging from medicine, to textiles, to energy. New developments in gene editing technologies, especially CRISPR-Cas9, have shown early signs of extraordinary potential in a variety of fields, including from basic research, applied biotechnology, and biomedical research. While the possibility of directly targeting and modifying genomic sequences in almost all eukaryotic cells could significantly improve standards of living, these technologies have the potential to pose serious biological hazards.

Abstract Since the beginning of agriculture, plant virus diseases have been a strong challenge for farming. Following its discovery at the very beginning of the 1990s, the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism has been widely studied and exploited as an integrative tool to obtain resistance to viruses in several plant species, with high target-sequence specificity. In this chapter, we describe and review the major aspects of host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), as one of the possible plant defence methods, using genetic engineering techniques. In particular, we focus our attention on the use of RNAi-based gene constructs to introduce stable resistance in host plants against viral diseases, by triggering post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). Recently, spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), consisting of the topical application of small RNA molecules to plants, has been explored as an alternative tool to the stable integration of RNAi-based gene constructs in plants. SIGS has great and innovative potential for crop defence against different plant pathogens and pests and is expected to raise less public and political concern, as it does not alter the genetic structure of the plant.

Abstract Since the beginning of agriculture, plant virus diseases have been a strong challenge for farming. Following its discovery at the very beginning of the 1990s, the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism has been widely studied and exploited as an integrative tool to obtain resistance to viruses in several plant species, with high target-sequence specificity. In this chapter, we describe and review the major aspects of host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), as one of the possible plant defence methods, using genetic engineering techniques. In particular, we focus our attention on the use of RNAi-based gene constructs to introduce stable resistance in host plants against viral diseases, by triggering post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). Recently, spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), consisting of the topical application of small RNA molecules to plants, has been explored as an alternative tool to the stable integration of RNAi-based gene constructs in plants. SIGS has great and innovative potential for crop defence against different plant pathogens and pests and is expected to raise less public and political concern, as it does not alter the genetic structure of the plant.

The poster as the genre of graphic arts is a medium where the representation of the human body functions as an important semiotic sign. This genre has also reflected and influenced the most diverse spectrum of artistic, social and political processes. In addition to informative and illustrative content, the inclusion of the human body in the composition of the poster has always had ideological purpose. The aim of this paper is to discuss how political ideology integrates the images of the human body in the posters and how it contradicts the individuals� personal feelings and bodily experiences. The case study of two categories of posters from the Soviet period (1950s � 1980s) indicates the ideological strategies of sports promotion posters and anti-alcoholism propaganda posters. Political propaganda posters, including sports posters, reveal the body politics of the communist ideology: to create a uniform, disciplined, desexualised, masculine bodies capable of embodying the image of the �New Soviet Hero�. I suggest that the main artistic tendencies of the so-called �harsh� or �severe� style that evolved in Latvian painting at the time can be seen in the sports posters of this period. Anti - alcoholism posters tend to employ a cartoon aesthetic. This tradition has its roots in the mass propaganda of the Russian Revolution (1917), which encouraged the emergence of extreme dichotomies in visual communication. These posters show the human body as a ridiculous and weak object that deserves to be condemned by family members, friends and all society. In this communication programme, alcoholism is not presented as a disease and a global problem of Soviet society, but as a �bad choice� of individuals. The research is based on archival studies of Soviet posters from the Institute of Art History of the Art Academy of Latvia. Complex research methods have been applied, including iconography, semiotics, contextual and comparative analysis.

The article discusses the features of the speech genre «refusal» functioning in dialect communication. Genre-forming signs of refusal are described. The criteria that underlie the typology of the analyzed speech genre are revealed.

In the last decades postcolonial studies constitute a research field of literary studies, social sciences and history. In this article we are interested in the representation of colonial Indochina and the evolution of the colonial discourse in the work of Marguerite Duras through a contextual reading of a choice of her “Indochinese” texts. Marguerite Duras was born in French Indochina where she spent her childhood and early youth before leaving for France never to return to her country of birth. In his textual work we find the two aspects of colonial representation that are literary fiction and official propaganda. The fictional texts whose setting is Indochina is presented in “Indochinese Cycle” (or “the Indochinese Trilogy”): The Sea Wall (1950), The Lover (1984) and The North China Lover (1991). These semi-autobiographical novels have as their central protagonist the young girl of a French family belonging to the small whites of the colony. The three texts of our study contain many intertextual elements that refer to the nature of Indochina, to colonial urbanism, to the colonial population, to the relations between colonized and colonizers and to the family drama. Our postcolonial research focuses on the following issues: What representation of colonial Indochina is constituted by the texts, and by what signs the presence and the policy of colonial domination are transmitted .The fact that two of the texts (The Lover and The North China Lover) were written after the decolonization of Indochina in 1954, gives rise to the study of whether there is continuity or a change of perspective in these texts compared to The Sea Wall. Since the social, historical and cultural context is different from one text to another, as well as from one genre to another, it is possible for us to follow the evolution of Durassian thought on French colonialism over more than a half-century.

The article is devoted to the study of the musical genre in the semiology context, a domain of the contemporary science, which treats cultural objects as sign systems and communication phenomena. From the point of view of semiology, the genre, being an important carrier of the semantics of the musical piece reveals its most important semiotic functions.

Impaired neurotransmitter metabolism potentially contributes to problematic video game use (PVGU) among adolescents. A study was conducted of variants of the MAOA, which catalyzes the breakdown of neurotransmitters, in Russian adolescents. Data of the frequency distribution of genotypes and alleles of the rs1137070 polymorphism of the MAOA gene among adolescents with and without signs of PVGU were obtained.

The article is devoted to the functioning features of precedent texts in modern media discourse. Texts by F.M. Dostoevsky, namely, fiction, journalism and epistolary heritage, served as the research material. The relevance of the study is explained by the intertextual nature of the modern media space. The article shows that along with the use of Dostoevsky's precedent texts as signs of high culture, the modern media space also actively manifests the features of the postmodern cultural paradigm. The specifics of the latter include metatextuality, irony, various kinds of transformation, e.g., in headlines, which indicates their game foregrounding. Special attention is paid, firstly, to various types of intertextuality and ways of precedent phenomena foregrounding; secondly, to their use in various media areas (advertising, urban naming) and genres (interviews, internet blogs, etc.). The problem of recoding precedent phenomena is considered against the background of the use of signs of high culture as a form of reflection of modern mass consciousness in modern media communication, which is of research interest from an axiological point of view.

Le Groupe µ et "le système de formes plastiques” -à propos d’une évaluation- L’objectif de cet article est de fournir quelques exemples et de proposer certains éclaircissements qui peuvent contribuer à la compréhension de la théorie du signe plastique conçu par le Groupe μ. Plus précisément, l’article porte sur les éléments de la théorie en question qui constituent une analyse du système de la forme tant qu’elle est distincte du système de la couleur et du système de la texture. Dans l’espoir de faire connaître quelques-uns des fondations et des implications de ce système de forme plastique, principalement aux lecteurs anglo-saxons, l’article tente également de clarifier sa place au sein de la théorie générale du signe visuel articulé par Groupe μ dans son Traité du signe visuel (1992). La première section de l’article traite de la notion esthétique générale de forme et de sa relation avec d'une part la notion de forme/formation visuelle et de l'autre la notion de forme sémiotique telle qu’elle a été développée par Hjelsmlev. On prend note du risque que les visées d’une sémiotique plastique puissent être indûment confondues avec celles du formalisme dans l'esthétique. Selon l’avis de l’auteur, les études de sémiotique visuelle ne sauraient bénéficier de ce genre de confusion, mais devraient plutôt tenter de maintenir sa distance par rapport aux conjectures et luttes de pouvoir dans le(s) monde(s) de l'art. La deuxième section explique la distinction faite par le Groupe μ entre le signe iconique et le signe plastique, conçus comme des couches séparées du signe visuel. Selon le Groupe μ, le signe iconique forme une structure triadique contenant le signifiant, le type et le référent. Il y a des similarités entre cette conception et le triangle d’Ogden &amp; Richards. Or, la notion du Type a des implications plus vastes que la conception d’Ogden &amp; Richards, selon lesquels il existe une image très générale qui met en relation symbole/signifier et référent – le type est ici le résultat de modélisations et de catégorisations, et il est valable aussi bien pour le signe iconique que pour le signe plastique. Par définition, le signe plastique manque de référent : la relation entre un motif et ses variations dépend donc uniquement du rapport Signifier/Type. Sur la base de cette relation Signifier/Type, les signes plastiques apparaissent, selon le Groupe µ, aux trois niveaux de la sémiose, sur le niveau purement plastique, sur le niveau extravisuel (ou symbolique), et dans une interaction avec le signe iconique sur le niveau iconico-plastique. La troisième section de l’article explique le système de forme plastique telle qu’elle est conçue par le Groupe μ. Le système est constitué par trois « formemes » (ou catégories), à savoir position, dimension et l'orientation. Il est conçu en termes de figures apparaissant dans un plan restreint. Comme les relations fondamentales dans le plan sont celles entre le centre - la marge, le haut - le bas et la gauche - la droite, le système de positions alternatives (par exemple marginal, au-dessus et au centre) est isomorphe au système d'autres orientations (par exemple vers l'intérieur, d'en haut vers le centre). Le système d'autres dimensions/tailles, par contraste, est défini par le biais de la fonction de la taille de la figure en relation à la taille du plan de l’image et le point focal. Ces valeurs plastiques de position, de dimension et d’orientation sont les signifiants du système. Ils sont liés à leurs signifiés de la manière suivante : la position à l’attraction, la dimension à la domination, l'orientation à l'équilibre. Cette corrélation est validée par les auteurs au moyen d’une démonstration visuelle. Dans la quatrième et dernière section de l’article, des observations sont faites au sujet des répercussions plus vastes ainsi que des applications du système. Conformément à la visée du propre Groupe µ à surmonter les limitations qui résultent de la spécialisation de disciplines telles que la psychologie de la perception, l'auteur soutient que des systèmes théoriques comme celui du système plastique peut fournir un cadre interdisciplinaire qui facilite l’évaluation à la fois des données scientifiques et des discours philosophiques généraux concernant le monde visuel. En ce qui concerne des applications plus proches, l'auteur estime que les théories du sens visuel et de la rhétorique du Groupe μ, si elles étaient plus largement connues, contribueraient considérablement à la compréhension de l'importance du sens plastique dans la communication visuelle et au développement des méthodes pédagogiques pour la description et l’interprétation de l'image.

Skeletal deformities are a significant financial and welfare problem for the world poultry industry. Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is the most prevalent skeletal abnormality found in young broilers, turkeys and ducks. Tibial dyschondroplasia results from a perturbation of the sequence of events in the epiphyseal growth plate, the tissue responsible for longitudinal bone growth. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that TD was the result of a failure of growth plate chondrocytes to differentiate and express the chemotactic molecules required for cartilage vascularization. In this investigation in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical techniques were used to study chondrocyte gene products associated with cartilage maturation and vascularization such as osteopontin, osteonectin, type X collagen, and alkaline phosphatase. All markers were present in the growth plate tissue anter or to the TD lesion but were greatly diminished in the TD lesion. Thus, rather than not acquiring the markers for hypertrophy, it appears that the growth plate chondrocytes reach a certain stage of hypertrophy and then de-differentiate into cells which resemble chondrocytes in the prehypertrophic zone. Similar patterns were observed in all TD tissues examined whether the lesions were spontaneous or induced by dietary treatments or genetic selection. The decrease in gene expression can at least be partially explained by the fact that many of the dysplastic chondrocytes show classic signs of apoptosis. These results provide an explanation for the observation that a variety of genes show reduced expression in the TD lesion when examined by in situ hybridization. This would suggest that future research should focus on the earliest detectable stages in the development of TD and examine endocrine and autocrine factors which cause chondrocytes to de-differentiate and undergo premature apoptosis.

During the development of this project, we selected four potential B. bovis antigens for a subunit vaccine to prevent the clinical signs of acute bovine babesiosis. Selection of the target antigens was based on: (1) profile of expression in parasite blood stages; (2) prediction for protein location on the parasite surface and/or on the surface of infected red blood cells; and (3) target conservation between US and Israeli strains of B. bovis. Following these criteria, the B. bovis targets BBOV_IV009170, BBOV_III007410, BBOV_II001790, and BBOV_III008720 were selected. Full-length genomic sequences of these four targets were compared between Israeli and US strains of B. bovis. Four Israeli parasite strains/isolates were selected for gene conservation analysis: sample ID # 3330 (from Refet Netofa); sample ID # 2673 (Refet Netofa); Sample ID Newe Yaar - Shahar; and the Israeli B. bovis cultured live vaccine 2S61411. The reference B. bovis Texas stain was also used in the analysis. Sequencing analysis showed considerable levels of conservation ranging from 72.2-91.1% and 84.6-94.1% of amino acid identity and similarity, respectively, by comparing Israeli and US B. bovis strains. Recombinant version of the four target antigens were produced in E. coli, purified by nickel columns, and used for antigenic and immunogenic analyses. Antigenic analysis revealed that B. bovis-infected cattle develop high antibody titers to BBOV_III008720. In contrast, no antibodies against BBOV_IV009170, BBOV_III007410, and BBOV_II001790 were detected in sera from infected cattle. Vaccine trial of the four antigens in cattle is currently being carried out. However, preliminary data show that after three inoculations all vaccinated animals (n=5) seroconverted to all four B. bovis antigens. At the time of the preparation of this report, vaccinated and control animals are being challenged with a virulent B. bovis strain from Israel to evaluate protection. Results from the vaccination/trial experiment will set the future directions of this work. Considering the overall results from this project, two manuscripts are currently in preparation. A manuscript currently in preparation will describe the bioinformatics analysis and antigenic evaluation of the four transmembrane B. bovis proteins as potential targets for a subunit vaccine. A second manuscript will report the results from the vaccination/challenge trial. We believe that we have successfully accomplished our objective in this project. By developing this work, we have identified, expressed, and tested conserved antigens for a potential subunit vaccine against B. bovis, and have advanced the state-of-the-art concerning the development of an efficient and sustainable control strategy to bovine babesiosis.

1.1 Resumen macroeconómico En el segundo trimestre la economía enfrentó varios choques, principalmente de oferta y de costos, la mayoría de los cuales no fueron anticipados, o los previstos fueron más persistentes de lo esperado, y que en conjunto interrumpieron la recuperación de la actividad económica observada a comienzos de año y llevaron la inflación total a niveles superiores a la meta. La inflación básica (sin alimentos ni regulados: SAR) aumentó, pero se mantuvo baja y acorde con lo esperado por el equipo técnico. A comienzos de abril se inició una tercera ola de pandemia, más acentuada y prolongada que la anterior, con un elevado costo en vidas humanas y algún impacto negativo en la recuperación económica. Entre mayo y mediados de junio los bloqueos de las carreteras y los problemas de orden público tuvieron un fuerte efecto negativo sobre la actividad económica y la inflación. Se estima que la magnitud de estos dos choques combinados habría generado una caída en niveles en el producto interno bruto (PIB) con respecto al primer trimestre del año. Adicionalmente, los bloqueos causaron un aumento significativo de los precios de los alimentos. A estos choques se sumaron los efectos acumulados de la disrupción global en algunas cadenas de valor y el incremento en los fletes internacionales que desde finales de 2020 vienen generando restricciones de oferta y aumentos de costos. Todos estos factores, que afectaron principalmente el índice de precios al consumidor (IPC) de bienes y de alimentos, explicaron la mayor parte del error de pronóstico del equipo técnico y el aumento de la inflación total a niveles superiores a la meta del 3 %. El incremento en la inflación básica y de los precios de los regulados fue acorde con lo esperado por el equipo técnico, y se explica principalmente por la eliminación de varios alivios de precios otorgados un año atrás. A todo esto se suma la mayor percepción de riesgo soberano y las presiones al alza que esto implica sobre el costo de financiamiento externo y la tasa de cambio. A pesar de los fuertes choques negativos, el crecimiento económico esperado para la primera mitad del año (9,1%), es significativamente mayor que lo proyectado en el informe de abril (7,1%), signo de una economía más dinámica que se recuperaría más rápido de lo previsto. Desde finales de 2020 las diferentes cifras de actividad económica han mostrado un crecimiento mayor que el esperado. Esto sugiere que los efectos negativos sobre el producto de las recurrentes olas de contagio estarían siendo cada vez menos fuertes y duraderos. No obstante, la tercera ola de contagio del Covid-19, y en mayor medida los bloqueos a las vías y los problemas de orden público, habrían generado una caída del PIB durante el segundo trimestre, frente al primero. Pese a lo anterior, los datos del índice de seguimiento a la economía (ISE) de abril y mayo han resultado mayores que lo esperado, y las nuevas cifras de actividad económica sectoriales sugieren que el impacto negativo de la pandemia sobre el producto se sigue moderando, en un entorno de menores restricciones a la movilidad y de mayor avance en el ritmo de vacunación. Los registros de transporte de carga (junio) y la demanda de energía no regulada (julio), entre otros, indican una recuperación importante después de los bloqueos en mayo. Con todo lo anterior, el incremento anual del PIB del segundo trimestre se habría situado alrededor del 17,3 % (antes 15,8 %), explicado en gran parte por una base baja de comparación. Para todo 2021 el equipo técnico incrementó su proyección de crecimiento desde un 6 % hasta el 7,5 %. Este pronóstico, que está rodeado de una incertidumbre inusualmente elevada, supone que no se presentarán problemas de orden público y que posibles nuevas olas de contagio del Covid-19 no tendrán efectos negativos adicionales sobre la actividad económica. Frente al pronóstico del informe pasado, la recuperación de la demanda externa, los niveles de precios de algunos bienes básicos que exporta el país y la dinámica de las remesas de trabajadores han sido mejores que las esperadas y seguirían impulsando la recuperación del ingreso nacional en lo que resta del año. A esto se sumaría la aún amplia liquidez internacional, la aceleración en el proceso de vacunación y las bajas tasas de interés, factores que continuarían favoreciendo la actividad económica. La mejor dinámica del primer semestre, que llevó a una revisión al alza en el crecimiento de todos los componentes del gasto, continuaría hacia adelante y, antes de lo esperado en abril, la economía recuperaría los niveles de producción de 2019 a finales de 2021. El pronóstico continúa incluyendo efectos de corto plazo sobre la demanda agregada de una reforma tributaria de magnitud similar a la proyectada por el Gobierno. Con todo eso, en el escenario central de este informe, el pronóstico de crecimiento para 2021 es del 7,5 % y para 2022 del 3,1 %. A pesar de esto, el nivel de la actividad económica seguiría siendo inferior a su potencial. La mejora en estas proyecciones, sin embargo, está rodeada de una alta incertidumbre. En junio la inflación anual (3,63 %) aumentó más de lo esperado debido al comportamiento del grupo de alimentos, mientras que la inflación básica (1,87 %) fue similar a la proyectada. En lo que resta del año el mayor nivel del IPC de alimentos persistiría y contribuiría a mantener la inflación por encima de la meta. A finales de 2022 la inflación total y básica retornarían a tasas cercanas al 3 %, en un entorno de desaceleración del IPC de alimentos y de menores excesos de capacidad productiva. En los meses recientes el aumento en los precios internacionales de los fletes y de los bienes agrícolas, y las mayores exportaciones de carne y el ciclo ganadero han ejercido presiones al alza sobre el precio de los alimentos, principalmente de los procesados. A estas fuerzas persistentes se sumaron los bloqueos de las vías nacionales y los problemas de orden público en varias ciudades registrados en mayo y parte de junio, los cuales se reflejaron en una fuerte restricción en la oferta y en un aumento anual no esperado del IPC de alimentos (8,52 %). El grupo de regulados (5,93 %) también se aceleró, debido a la baja base de comparación en los precios de la gasolina y a la disolución de parte de los alivios a las tarifas de servicios públicos otorgados en 2020. Como se proyectaba, la inflación SAR repuntó al 1,87 %, debido a la reactivación de los impuestos indirectos de algunos bienes y servicios eliminados un año atrás, y por las presiones al alza que ejercieron los alimentos sobre las comidas fuera del hogar (CFH), entre otros. En lo que resta del año se espera que el aumento en los alimentos perecederos se revierta, siempre y cuando no se registren nuevos bloqueos duraderos a las vías nacionales. El mayor nivel de precios de los alimentos procesados persistiría y contribuiría a mantener la inflación por encima de la meta a finales de año. La inflación SAR continuaría con una tendencia creciente, en la medida en que los excesos de capacidad productiva se sigan cerrando y registraría un aumento transitorio en marzo de 2022, debido principalmente al restablecimiento del impuesto al consumo en las CFH. Con todo esto, para finales de 2021 y 2022 se estima una inflación total del 4,1 % y 3,1 %, y una inflación básica del 2,6 % y 3,2 %, respectivamente. El comportamiento conjunto de los precios del IPC SAR, junto con continuas sorpresas al alza en la actividad económica, son interpretados por el equipo técnico como señales de amplios excesos de capacidad productiva de la economía. Estos persistirían en los siguientes dos años, al final de los cuales la brecha del producto se cerraría. El mayor crecimiento económico sugiere una brecha del producto menos negativa que la estimada hace un trimestre. Sin embargo, el comportamiento de la inflación básica, especialmente en servicios, indica que el PIB potencial se ha recuperado de forma sorpresiva y que los excesos de capacidad siguen siendo amplios, con una demanda agregada afectada de forma persistente. Esta interpretación encuentra soporte en el mercado laboral, en donde persiste un desempleo alto y la recuperación de los empleos perdidos se estancó. Adicionalmente, los aumentos en la inflación en buena medida están explicados por choques de oferta y de costos y por la disolución de algunos alivios de precios otorgados un año atrás. Los pronósticos de crecimiento y de inflación descritos son coherentes con una brecha del producto que se cierra más rápido y es menos negativa en todo el horizonte de pronóstico con respecto al informe de abril. No obstante, la incertidumbre sobre los excesos de capacidad es muy alta y es un riesgo sobre el pronóstico. Las perspectivas de las cuentas fiscales de Colombia se deterioraron, Standard &amp; Poor’s Global Ratings (S&amp;P) y Fitch Ratings (Fitch) redujeron su calificación crediticia, los bloqueos y problemas de orden público afectaron el producto y el país enfrentó una nueva ola de contagios de Covid-19 más acentuada y prolongada que las pasadas. Todo lo anterior se ha reflejado en un aumento de las primas de riesgo y en una depreciación del peso frente al dólar. Esto ha ocurrido en un entorno favorable de ingresos externos. Los precios internacionales del petróleo, del café y de otros bienes básicos que exporta el país aumentaron y han contribuido a la recuperación de los términos de intercambio y del ingreso nacional, y han mitigado las presiones al alza sobre las primas de riesgo y la tasa de cambio. En el presente informe se incrementó el precio esperado del petróleo para 2021 a USD 68 por barril (antes USD 61 bl) y para 2022 a USD 66 bl (antes USD 60 bl). Esta mayor senda presenta una convergencia hacia precios menores que los observados recientemente, como resultado de una mayor oferta mundial esperada de petróleo, la cual más que compensaría el incremento en la demanda de este bien básico. Por ende, se supone que el aumento reciente de los precios tiene un carácter transitorio. En el escenario macroeconómico actual se espera que las condiciones financieras internacionales sean algo menos favorables, a pesar de la mejora en los ingresos externos por cuenta de una mayor demanda y unos precios del petróleo y de otros productos de exportación más altos. Frente al informe de abril el crecimiento de la demanda externa fue mejor que el esperado, y las proyecciones para 2021 y 2022 aumentaron del 5,2 % al 6,0 % y del 3,4 % al 3,5 %, respectivamente. En lo corrido del año las cifras de actividad económica muestran una demanda externa más dinámica de la esperada. En los Estados Unidos y China la recuperación del producto ha sido más rápida que la registrada en los países de la región. En estos últimos la reactivación económica ha estado limitada por los rebrotes del Covid-19, las limitaciones en la oferta de vacunas y el poco espacio fiscal para enfrentar la pandemia, entre otros factores. La buena dinámica en el comercio externo de bienes se ha dado en un entorno de deterioro en las cadenas de valor y de un aumento importante en los precios de las materias primas y en el costo de los fletes. En los Estados Unidos la inflación sorprendió al alza y su valor observado y esperado se mantiene por encima de la meta, al tiempo que se incrementó la proyección de crecimiento económico. Con esto, el inicio de la normalización de la política monetaria en ese país se daría antes de lo proyectado. En este informe se estima que el primer incremento en la tasa de interés de la Reserva Federal de los Estados Unidos se dé a finales de 2022 (antes del primer trimestre de 2023). Para Colombia se supone una mayor prima de riesgo frente al informe de abril y se sigue esperando que presente una tendencia creciente, dada la acumulación de deuda pública y externa del país. Todo esto contribuiría a un incremento en el costo del financiamiento externo en el horizonte de pronóstico. La postura expansiva de la política monetaria sigue soportando unas condiciones financieras internas favorables. En el segundo trimestre la tasa de interés interbancaria y el índice bancario de referencia (IBR) se han mantenido acordes con la tasa de interés de política. Las tasas de interés promedio de captación y crédito continuaron históricamente bajas, a pesar de algunos incrementos observados a finales de junio. La cartera en moneda nacional detuvo su desaceleración anual y, entre marzo y junio, el crédito a los hogares se aceleró, principalmente para compra de vivienda. La recuperación de la cartera comercial y de los desembolsos a ese sector fue importante, y se alcanzó de nuevo el elevado saldo observado un año atrás, cuando las empresas requirieron niveles significativos de liquidez para enfrentar los efectos económicos de la pandemia. El riesgo de crédito aumentó, las provisiones se mantienes altas y algunos bancos han retirado de su balance una parte de su cartera vencida. No obstante, las utilidades del sistema financiero se han recuperado y sus niveles de liquidez y solvencia se mantienen por encima del mínimo regulatorio. A partir de este informe se implementará una nueva metodología para cuantificar y comunicar la incertidumbre que rodea los pronósticos del escenario macroeconómico central, en un entorno de política monetaria activa. Esta metodología se conoce como densidades predictivas (DP) y se explica en detalle en el Recuadro 1. Partiendo del balance de riesgos que contiene los principales factores que, de acuerdo con el juicio del equipo técnico, podrían afectar a la economía en el horizonte de pronóstico, la metodología DP produce distribuciones de probabilidad sobre el pronóstico de las principales variables (v. g.: crecimiento, inflación). Estas distribuciones reflejan el resultado de los posibles choques (a variables externas, precios y actividad económica) que podría recibir la economía y su transmisión, considerando la estructura económica y la respuesta de política monetaria en el futuro. En este sentido, permiten cuantificar la incertidumbre alrededor del pronóstico y su sesgo. El ejercicio DP muestra un sesgo a la baja en el crecimiento económico y en la brecha del producto, y al alza en la inflación. El balance de riesgos indica que las disyuntivas para la política monetaria serán potencialmente más complejas que lo contemplado en el pasado. Por el lado de las condiciones de financiamiento externo, se considera que el mayor riesgo es que se tornen un poco menos favorables, en un escenario en el cual la Reserva Federal de los Estados Unidos incremente con mayor prontitud su tasa de interés. Esto último, ante un crecimiento económico y del empleo mayor que el esperado en los Estados Unidos que genere presiones significativas sobre la inflación de ese país. A esto se suma la incertidumbre sobre el panorama fiscal en Colombia y sus efectos sobre la prima de riesgo y el costo del financiamiento externo. En el caso del crecimiento, la mayoría de los riesgos son a la baja, destacándose los efectos de la incertidumbre política y fiscal sobre las decisiones de consumo e inversión, la aparición de nuevas olas de contagio de la pandemia del Covid-19 y sus impactos sobre la actividad económica. En el caso de la inflación, se incorporó el riesgo de una mayor persistencia de los choques asociados con la disrupción de las cadenas de valor, mayores precios internacionales de las materias primas y de los alimentos, y una recuperación más lenta que la esperada de la cadena agrícola nacional afectada por los pasados bloqueos a las vías. Estos riesgos presionarían al alza principalmente los precios de los alimentos y de los bienes. Como principal riesgo a la baja se incluyó un alza de los arriendos menor que el esperado en el escenario central, explicada por una demanda débil y por una mayor oferta en 2022 dadas las altas ventas de vivienda observadas en el presente año. Con todo, el crecimiento económico presenta un sesgo a la baja y, con el 90 % de confianza, se encontraría entre un 6,1 % y 9,1 % para 2021 y entre el 0,5 % y 4,1 % para 2022. La brecha del producto tendría un sesgo a la baja, principalmente en 2022. El sesgo de la inflación es al alza, y se encontraría entre el 3,7 % y 4,9 % en 2021, y el 2,2 % y 4,7 % en 2022, con un 90 % de probabilidad. 1.2 Decisión de política monetaria En las reuniones de junio y julio la JDBR decidió mantener la tasa de política monetaria inalterada en 1,75 %.

La méthode d’évaluation de l’état de préparation est un instrument au niveau macro qui aidera les pays à savoir se situer sur l’échelle de préparation à une mise en œuvre éthique et responsable de l’IA dans l’intérêt de l’ensemble de leurs citoyens, tout en leur indiquant les changements indispensables à apporter sur les plans institutionnels et réglementaires. Les résultats de la méthode d’évaluation de l’état de préparation aideront l’UNESCO à adapter les mesures de renforcement des capacités aux besoins de chacun des pays. « Capacités » désigne ici l’aptitude à évaluer les systèmes d’IA conformément à la Recommandation ainsi que la présence du capital humain, d’infrastructures, de politiques et de réglementations nécessaires et appropriées pour répondre aux défis posés par les technologies de l’IA et à veiller à ce que les personnes et leurs intérêts soient toujours placés au cœur du développement de l’IA. En novembre 2021, les 193 États membres de l’UNESCO ont signé la Recommandation sur l’éthique de l’intelligence artificielle, premier instrument normatif de portée internationale consacré à cette question. La Recommandation établit un cadre opérationnel complet et fondé sur l’ensemble des droits de l’homme en vue du développement et de l’utilisation éthiques de l’IA. Elle accorde à cette fin une attention particulière à tous les stades du cycle de vie du système de l’IA. Au-delà de l'élaboration des valeurs et des principes qui devraient guider la conception, le développement et l'utilisation éthiques de l'IA, la Recommandation indique aux États membres les mesures à prendre pour garantir le respect de ces valeurs et principes en préconisant une réglementation efficace et en formulant des recommandations dans divers domaines stratégiques clés tels que le genre, l’environnement, la communication et l’information. Guidé par ces valeurs, principes et domaines stratégiques, le Secrétariat de l’UNESCO a conçu un programme de mise en œuvre de la Recommandation en s’attachant avant tout à renforcer les capacités nationales nécessaires pour donner suite aux mesures énoncées dans la Recommandation et renforcer les cadres réglementaires. Les Recommandation demande le développement de deux outils clés qui sont les principaux fondements sur lesquels repose la mise en œuvre : la méthode d’évaluation de l’état de préparation et l’évaluation de l’impact éthique. Ces outils visent tous deux à évaluer et à renforcer la résilience des lois, politiques et institutions en vigueur en vue de la mise en œuvre de l’IA dans le pays mais aussi à rendre les systèmes d’IA conformes aux valeurs et aux principes énoncés dans la Recommandation. UNESCO Catno: 0000385198