bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Intelligent Libraries: Innovation for a Sustainable Knowledge System in the Fifth (5th) Industrial Revolution
Authors: Adigun Ganiyu O. , Ajani Yusuf Ayodeji , Enakrire Rexwhite T.
Published: June 2024

The Fifth Industrial Revolution is ushering in a profound era of technological advancement and societal transformation, prompting a critical examination of the evolving role of libraries in this digital landscape. Traditionally regarded as the custodians of knowledge, libraries must adapt to these changing dynamics of the digital world while preserving their core principles. This study looks into the strategic integration of advanced technologies, aiming to redefine the mission of libraries in the face of complex challenges. The Fifth Industrial Revolution encompasses a convergence of diverse technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and quantum computing, all underpinned by the currency of data. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a focal point, promising enhancements in user experiences and operational efficiency, however, it also raises critical ethical and privacy concerns that challenge fundamental library principles. This research employs an interpretive content/document analysis approach to examine the evolving roles of libraries, considering their pivotal function in bridging the digital divide, providing equitable access to technology and digital resources, advancing research and innovation, and fostering community engagement. The study underscores the imperative to address challenges related to data privacy, digital inclusion, resource allocation, intellectual property, and sustainability. However, despite these challenges, libraries are poised to remain indispensable pillars of education, research, and community interaction. To do so, they must embrace technology strategically to redefine their roles and expand their influence within evolving knowledge systems.
Nonlinear photonics on integrated platforms
Authors: Geng Wenpu , Fang Yuxi , Wang Yingning , Bao Changjing , Liu Weiwei , Pan Zhongqi , Yue Yang
Published: June 2024

Nonlinear photonics has unveiled new avenues for applications in metrology, spectroscopy, and optical communications. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in integrated platforms, attributed to their fundamental benefits, including compatibility with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes, reduced power consumption, compactness, and cost-effectiveness. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the key nonlinear effects and material properties utilized in integrated platforms. It discusses the applications and significant achievements in supercontinuum generation, a key nonlinear phenomenon. Additionally, the evolution of chip-based optical frequency combs is reviewed, highlighting recent pivotal works across four main categories. The paper also examines the recent advances in on-chip switching, computing, signal processing, microwave generation, and quantum applications. Finally, it provides perspectives on the development and challenges of nonlinear photonics in integrated platforms, offering insights into future directions for this rapidly evolving field.
Intrinsic nonlinear geometric phase in SHG from zincblende crystal symmetry media
Authors: Carletti Luca , Rocco Davide , Vincenti Maria Antonietta , de Ceglia Domenico , De Angelis Costantino
Published: June 2024

We demonstrate that AlGaAs thin films and metasurfaces generate a distinct intrinsic nonlinear geometric phase in their second harmonic signals, differing significantly from previous studies on nonlinear dielectric, plasmonic, or hybrid metasurfaces. Unlike conventional observations, our study reveals that the second harmonic phase remains unaffected by the linear optical response at both pump and harmonic wavelengths, introducing a novel realm of achievable phase functions yet to be explored. Furthermore, we explore the interplay between this intrinsic nonlinear geometric phase and the geometric phase induced by rotations of nanoresonators within metasurface arrangements. Our findings extend the capabilities of nonlinear wavefront shaping metasurfaces, exploiting phase manipulation to uncover unique phenomena exclusive to the nonlinear regime.
Unemployment benefits and unemployment
Authors:   Johns Hopkins University, USA, Moffitt Robert , Ko Wonsik
Published: June 2024

All developed economies have unemployment benefit programs to protect workers against major income losses during spells of unemployment. By enabling unemployed workers to meet basic consumption needs, the programs protect workers from having to sell their assets or accept jobs below their qualifications. The programs also help stabilize the economy during recessions. If benefits are too generous, however, the programs can lengthen unemployment and raise the unemployment rate. The policy challenge is to protect workers while minimizing undesirable side effects.
Top-Down Task Goals Induce the Retrieval State
Authors: Smith Devyn E. , Long Nicole M.
Published: June 2024

Engaging the retrieval state (Tulving, 1983) impacts processing and behavior (Long and Kuhl, 2019, 2021; Smith et al., 2022), but the extent to which top-down factors—explicit instructions and goals—versus bottom-up factors—stimulus properties such as repetition and similarity—jointly or independently induce the retrieval state is unclear. Identifying the impact of bottom-up and top-down factors on retrieval state engagement is critical for understanding how control of task-relevant versus task-irrelevant brain states influence cognition. We conducted between-subjects recognition memory tasks on male and female human participants in which we varied test phase goals. We recorded scalp electroencephalography and used an independently validated mnemonic state classifier (Long, 2023) to measure retrieval state engagement as a function of top-down task goals (recognize old vs detect new items) and bottom-up stimulus repetition (hits vs correct rejections (CRs)). We find that whereas the retrieval state is engaged for hits regardless of top-down goals, the retrieval state is only engaged during CRs when the top-down goal is to recognize old items. Furthermore, retrieval state engagement is greater for low compared to high confidence hits when the task goal is to recognize old items. Together, these results suggest that top-down demands to recognize old items induce the retrieval state independent from bottom-up factors, potentially reflecting the recruitment of internal attention to enable access of a stored representation.
Astrocytes Modulate a Specific Paraventricular Thalamus→Prefrontal Cortex Projection to Enhance Consciousness Recovery from Anesthesia
Authors: Zhao Yi , Ou Mengchan , Liu Jin , Jiang Jingyao , Zhang Donghang , Ke Bowen , Wu Yujie , Chen Yali , Jiang Ruotian , Hemmings Hugh C. , Zhu Tao , Zhou Cheng
Published: June 2024

Current anesthetic theory is mostly based on neurons and/or neuronal circuits. A role for astrocytes also has been shown in promoting recovery from volatile anesthesia, while the exact modulatory mechanism and/or the molecular target in astrocytes is still unknown. In this study by animal models in male mice and electrophysiological recordings in vivo and in vitro, we found that activating astrocytes of the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) and/or knocking down PVT astrocytic Kir4.1 promoted the consciousness recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the PVT reveals two distinct cellular subtypes of glutamatergic neurons: PVTGRMand PVTChATneurons. Patch-clamp recording results proved astrocytic Kir4.1-mediated modulation of sevoflurane on the PVT mainly worked on PVTChATneurons, which projected mainly to the mPFC. In summary, our findings support the novel conception that there is a specific PVT→prefrontal cortex projection involved in consciousness recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia, which is mediated by the inhibition of sevoflurane on PVT astrocytic Kir4.1 conductance.
PRESERVATION OF SOFT-BODIED ORGANISMS IN EARLY CAMBRIAN CARBONATES
Authors: МАРУСИН В.В. , БЫКОВА Н.В.
Published: June 2024

Сохранность мягкотелых организмов в виде слепков широко распространена в эдиакарской ископаемой летописи и встречается чрезвычайно редко в кембрии. Одним из факторов, негативно влияющих на сохранность мягких тканей, является биотурбация - перемешивание осадка роющими организмами. Именно появление зарывающихся билатерий и связанное с этим развитие биотурбации осадка рассматриваются в качестве одной из главных причин, приведших к исчезновению эдиакарских мягкотелых организмов около 540 млн лет. В рамках настоящего исследования нами изучены ископаемые остатки, сохранившиеся в виде слепков и отпечатков в карбонатных отложениях фортунского яруса кембрия Оленекского поднятия (северо-восток Сибирской платформы) в ассоциации с типичными для этого стратиграфического уровня ископаемыми следами жизнедеятельности. Общая морфология и сохранность этих остатков схожа с эдиакарскими органами прикрепления и микробиально-индуцированными осадочными текстурами. Объемная сохранность изученных остатков обусловлена аутигенной кристаллизацией кальцита и его дальнейшей раннедиагенетической доломитизацией. Хотя верхние интервалы слоев и были умеренно- и интенсивно биотурбированы, нижние интервалы, к которым и приурочены остатки, практически не перемешивались роющими организмами. Наше исследование подтверждает критическую важность специфических условий для сохранности мягкотелых организмов в виде слепков, которые все реже и реже появлялись в кембрии по мере интенсификации и пространственного распространения биотурбации в морских бассейнах.

Preservation of soft-bodied organisms as casts is common in the Ediacaran fossil record and extremely rare in Cambrian rocks. Among the factors, limiting fossilization of soft tissues, there is bioturbation-sediment disturbance by burrowing organisms. It is the emergence of burrowing metazoans and associated sediment bioturbation that is thought to be one of the major causes for the disappearance of Ediacaran soft-bodied organisms from the fossil record around ~540 Ma. Here, we study an assemblage of fossils preserved as casts in the Fortunian carbonates of the Olenek Uplift (northeastern Siberian Platform) in association with a typical Fortunian ichnoassemblage. The overall morphology and preservation of the fossils reveal that they comprise microbially induced sedimentary structures and soft-bodied holdfasts. The latter are vaguely reminiscent of some Ediacaran holdfasts, though it is unlikely that they include their phylogenetic descendants. Three-dimensional preservation of the studied fossils was caused by authigenic crystallization of calcite and its further early-diagenetic dolomitization. Our study confirms the critical importance of specific environmental conditions ensuring preservation of soft-bodied organisms as three-dimensional molds and casts. This unique interplay of environmental factors became rare in the Cambrian Period, which was caused by intensification and expansion of bioturbation in marine basins.
The logic of transformation of distribution relations in the transition from an industrial market to an information and network economy
Authors:   V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Butyrin Ihor
Published: June 2024

The article elucidates the logic of the transformation of distribution relations in the transition from an industrial market to an information and network economy. It is demonstrated that information becomes the primary product and resource of production, which can be accessed by everyone. This transformation establishes new property relations and alters the relationship between production and consumption, where a single product can be sold multiple times in the market, thereby contributing to the increase in income inequality and the appearance of new patterns in distribution relations. This dynamic impacts the economic structure of society, wealth distribution, and resource accessibility, significantly influencing the socio-economic development of the country. Attention is drawn to the contradictory impact of new technologies on the mechanism of distributional relations. On one hand, they can enhance productivity, but on the other hand, they may exacerbate inequality as certain segments of the population may remain excluded from the opportunities afforded by new technologies. Therefore, it is crucial to consider not only the benefits but also the risks associated with the adoption of new technologies to ensure a fair and sustainable societal development.
Two Sesquiterpenes from n-Hexane Fraction of Curcuma soloensis Rhizomes and Their Antimicrobial Activities
Authors: Diastuti Hartiwi , Asnani Ari , Lestari Puji , Astuti Teni , Nurmalia Naela , Hidayat Ade Sholeh
Published: June 2024

Curcuma soloensis is one of the medicinal plants that has the potential to be a source of bioactive compounds. The antimicrobial study of the bioactive compounds from C. soloensis was still limited. This study aimed to isolate the bioactive compounds from C. soloensis rhizomes and to evaluate their potential as antimicrobial agents. C. soloensis rhizome extraction was done using the maceration method with acetone and then fractionated with n-hexane: methanol (1:1). The compounds were separated and purified using vacuum liquid chromatography and radial chromatography. The structure of the isolated compounds was determined using the nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR) spectroscopy analysis and comparison with literature data. Antimicrobial activity assays of the extract, n-hexane fraction, and isolated compounds were carried out by microdilution methods against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Malaszezia furfur. Two bioactive compounds from the n-hexane extract of C. soloensis rhizome have been isolated: ar-curcumene and ar-turmerone. Antimicrobial test results on acetone extract, n-hexane fraction, and isolated compounds showed that ar-turmerone had the highest activity against S. aureus with a MIC value of 15.6 μg / mL. In comparison, ar-curcumene showed the same activity against all test microbes with a MIC value of 62.5 μg / mL.  This study showed that secondary metabolite compounds of C. soloensis rhizomes have the potential to be developed as antimicrobial agents.
Estudio de la dinámica de préstamos y depósitos en un sistema económico cerrado a partir de modelos cinéticos de distribución
Authors: Santos Niño Alexander , Angarita Osorio Wilder Arleht , Alvarado Martínez José Luis
Published: June 2024

La econofísica emplea modelos basados en agentes para describir las regularidades en las distribuciones de ingreso encontradas empíricamente. En este trabajo se estudia el efecto que tiene incluir una entidad financiera en la distribución de dinero mediante modelos cinéticos de distribución. Para esta tarea, se considera un sistema cerrado compuesto por agentes económicos que intercambian dinero aleatoriamente junto con una entidad financiera que establece una dinámica de préstamos y depósitos. Los resultados indican que son necesarias condiciones para estabilizar el sistema si se considera deuda y la distribución de probabilidad diverge con una tasa de intermediación diferente de cero.
Another piece of the puzzle: identifying the main patron of the great altarpiece of the Passion in Sibiu (Hermannstadt/Nagyszeben, Romania)
Authors: Firea Ciprian
Published: June 2024

The altarpiece of the Passion of Christ preserved in the Evangelical church in Sibiu, created in 1519 by a skilful artist, Simon Pictor, using extensively the prints of Dürer and Altdorfer, represents one of the most spectacular surviving artworks of the Renaissance in Transylvania. Its subsequent transformation in 1545 and 1701 certainly enhanced its historical significance. The restoration of the artwork in the 1980s brought back to light very significant details: the dating of the original artwork (1519), two coats of arms hinting to the patronage, and a part of the genuine style of master simon. The identification of the sinister coat of arms, thus the one in the inferior heraldic position, as belonging to Johannes Lulay (royal judge and administrator of the royal mint of Sibiu) constituted the basis of extensive incursions in the patronage of this remarkable altarpiece. However, an important question remained unsolved: who could have been the other patron or commissioner of the altarpiece? As the preeminent position of the coat of arms (on the heraldic dextra) clearly indicates, this was an individual even higher in the hierarchy as Johannes Lulay himself.

The assumption of the study is that this prominent patron was Paulus de Tomor/Tomori Pál. He remained in the Hungarian national consciousness as the heroical leader of the army in the „Mohácsi csata” of 29 August 1526, a critical turning point in the history of the state. This study contributes to the reveal of parts of his “Transylvanian biography,” his allegiances and political network in situ before he left the region, his patronal endeavours, and last, but not least, it discloses his real (and tinctured) coat of arms. At the same time, the great altarpiece of the Passion in Sibiu recovered another piece of its complex content, by the identification of the main patron (or, rather, the more honourable patron) in the person of Paulus de Tomor. Last, but not least, this study asserts that three of the characters depicted in the scene of the Lamentation over the dead Christ on the predella are in fact crypto-portraits of Johannes Lulay, his wife Clara Thabiassy, and his partner and superior Paulus Tomori.
Clarisses and the reformation of their Regula. History of an accidentally found painting in Bratislava
Authors: Kis Tímea N.
Published: June 2024

After the abolition in 1782 several works of art owned by the Clarisses were lost. Some of them were identified in recent years; I would like to write about an other one that was found in the cloister of the Order of the Sisters of Saint Elisabeth in Bratislava. It is fairly unique because of its theme: it commemorates the escaping of the Clarisses from Stephen Bocskai’s attack on Graz and Vienna in 1605, also the taking over of the reformed and stricted Regula. It was painted together with another, recently hidden picture that has since been lost almost twenty years later in 1623, most likely in the Austrian capital, when Clarisses escaped secondly to Vienna.
Prints and miniatures made by Donat Hübschmann in Vienna for clients from Hungary
Authors: Gulyás Borbála
Published: June 2024

Originating from Leipzig and active in Vienna, the printmaker and painter Donat Hübschmann (†1583) had clients from Hungary who were close to the joint Hungarian and Bohemian royal and imperial court in Vienna of the composite Habsburg Monarchy, to which the Kingdom of Hungary belonged. Miklós Oláh (Nicolaus Olahus), humanist prelate and Archbishop of Esztergom, and head of the Hungarian Court Chancellery based in Vienna, commissioned him to make a copy of his etched portrait. János Zsámboky (Johannes Sambucus), who entered court service as a humanist, ordered two works from him. In 1564–65 Zsámboky had an illustrated broadsheet made to commemorate the coronation in Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia) as King of Hungary of Archduke Maximilian II of Habsburg in 1563, which was decorated with a woodcut by Donat Hübschmann: a veduta of Pozsony. Further, in 1566 he assigned Donat Hübschmann to produce a copy of the earliest surviving printed map of Hungary (Lazarus secretarius, Tabula Hungariae, 1528). Other Hungarian-related works can be found among the master’s prints, such as a woodcut portrait of Hans Francolin the Younger, Hungarian Herald of Ferdinand I. It is likely that Donat Hübschmann was also responsible for the painted decoration on five letters patent, which were commissioned by Hungarian noblemen and issued by the Hungarian Court Chancellery in Vienna. In every case, the miniature coats of arms were signed with the monogram “DH”. The calligraphic decoration of these can be attributed to the noted calligrapher György (George) Bocskay and his workshop.
The Good Shepherd. On Endre Bálint’s late photomontages
Authors: Perenyei Monika
Published: June 2024

In this paper I analyse the photomontages of Endre Bálint (1914–1986) in the context of the cultural politics of the Iron Curtain period in Eastern Europe and Hungary. First, the study takes a diachronic, historical approach to photomontage as a creative method that maintained continuity between the avant-garde generations of artists, a way of thinking and a creative process accordingly, cultivated in the circles of persecuted, banned or silenced artists experimenting during the decades from the 1920s to 1970s. Second, by placing Endre Bálint’s late photomontages (made after his 1963 return from his “exodus” to Paris) in the context of contemporary artistic phenomena (e.g. Brecht’s photobook, Jean-Luc Godard’s work, David Hockney’s montages or bricoleur punk artists), I argue that, in contrast to the generally held view, they are not the withering signs of renunciation, but rather a way out of renunciation, that is, a solution. “We breathe in fragments,” Bálint wrote, and the pictorial form to fittingly reflect a fragmented way of existence (together with the psychological burdens, shadows of the past, and the social and cultural-political determinations) was the montage-technique that had flourished from the 1920s, and whose Eastern European, distinctively Hungarian variant found its guardian, its good shepherd in Bálint, in his creative practice. Bálint’s late photomontages also deserve attention from the point of view of a silent narrative of art history, which does not focus on middle-aged artists’ major works, but on the profuse production by the old masters, the masters of sprezzatura, which is characterised by an aesthetic lightness, a kind of aesthetic liberation and swiftness, and the ability to allow memories a free influx into the creative work. One of the conclusions of this study is that Hungarian photomontage, and especially the late work of Endre Bálint, can be instructively read in conjunction with the equally restrained psychoanalytic literature of the period, in which the splitting of Self as a traumatic consequence of shocking events and also a means to survive those events is a key concept. A critically productive artistic construction that is based on fragments can be seen and read as the visual counterpart of a psychological notion of Self-splitting.
Lamellar structures in directionally solidified naphthalene suspensions
Authors: Scotti Kristen L. , Voorhees Peter W. , Dunand David C.
Published: June 2024

To investigate naphthalene as a suspending fluid for freeze-casting applications, sterically stabilized suspensions of copper microparticles suspended in liquid naphthalene are directionally solidified in a Bridgman furnace. Colonies of nearly particle-free naphthalene lamellae, interspersed with particle-enriched interlamellar regions, are predominantly aligned in the direction of the imposed thermal gradient. As furnace translation velocities decrease from 80 to 6.5 μm s−1, the thickness of naphthalene lamellae increases. For the lowest velocity, a transition to a lensing microstructure (with naphthalene bands aligned perpendicular to the solidification direction) is observed in central regions of samples. For all velocities, the naphthalene lamellae show (i) secondary dendritic arms on one of their sides and (ii) are thinnest within core regions relative to peripheral regions (closest to the crucible walls). Together, these observations suggest the presence of buoyancy-driven convection during solidification.

Graphical Abstract
Investigation of Swedish krona exchange rate volatilityby APARCH-Support Vector Regression
Authors: Karlsson Hyunjoo Kim , Li Yushu
Published: June 2024

This paper investigates daily exchange rate volatility behaviors with a focus on a small open economy’s currency, the Swedish krona (SEK), against four currencies: the U.S. dollar, Euro, the Pound Sterling (GBP), and the Norwegian krone (NOK) over the whole period from Jan. 2010 to March 2023, whereas the whole period is divided into different sub-sample periods based on the economic events. In the framework of APARCH models, we find that volatility behavior of the Swedish krona (SEK) exchange rates varies across different currency pairs (SEK being included in all cases) and sub-sample periods. Precisely, a negative asymmetric return-volatility relationship was found for the case of the SEK/EUR exchange rate, while an inverted asymmetric relationship was detected in the case of SEK/NOK exchange rate. Significant asymmetric effects of volatility in the SEK/USD and SEK/GBP exchange rates were not observed for either the whole period or the three sub-sample periods. As the return of exchange rate are all non-normally distributed, we then use a distribution-free support vector machine-based regression, called support vector regression (SVR), to estimate and forecast volatility in the framework of the chosen APARCH model for each krona exchange rate. The result shows that the SVR-APARCH based volatility forecasting performs better than the forecasting based on APARCH model estimated by maximum likelihood estimation (MLE).
A patient with pulmonary hypertension: a rare case of AL amyloidosis involving the heart and external auditory canal
Authors: Ryabkov V. A. , Egorenkova M. A. , Zdorov A. E. , Golovchanskaya E. V. , Ryabkova N. L..
Published: June 2024

The article presents a case of immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis with cardiac involvement without typical noncardiac manifestations. A complex diagnostic search for the cause of newly diagnosed pulmonary hypertension is described. Aspects of differential diagnosis in invasive hemodynamic assessment of pulmonary circulation and echocardiographic data are discussed. A special case feature is involvement of the hearing organ, which is very rare.
Promising areas of renal denervation application
Authors: Arablinsky N. A. , Feshchenko D. A. , Shukurov F. B. , Vasiliev D. K. , Drapkina O. M.
Published: June 2024

The review systematizes the latest data on renal denervation (RDN) potential in the treatment of pathologies associated with sympathetic hyperactivation. Despite the controversial results obtained at the beginning of its clinical application, the antihypertensive effect and safety of RDN were subsequently convincingly proven in a number of large randomized studies, which is reflected in current clinical guidelines. Study of RDN effect on the course of resistant hypertension, positive effects on other conditions associated with sympathetic hyperactivation were also identified. In particular, on the course of chronic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, as well as on the decrease of the frequency of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmia episodes, which ultimately may help for wider method implementation in routine clinical practice. For a long time, many studies have been aimed at identifying the effect of RDN on carbohydrate metabolism and improving the diabetes control. However, despite this, this issue still remains open and the possible future prospects for using RDN to improve the control and prognosis of diabetes in patients with this pathology are currently unclear.
Discurso de ódio na Espanha. Pesquisa sobre a percepção e a experiência da população
Authors: Gomes Barbosa Marcos Paulo , Blanco-Herrero David , Arcila-Calderón Carlos , Sánchez-Holgado Patricia
Published: June 2024

Uma das principais formas do ódio se expressar no ambiente virtual é através do discurso. Apesar da relevância adquirida pela incitação ao ódio devido à mídia online, esse discurso pode ser veiculado por meio de diferentes suportes midiáticos, usando diversas estratégias, expressões e linguagens. Porém, para desenvolver estratégias de luta contra o fenômeno, é necessário contas com as opiniões da população, de maneira que se possa compreender que tipos de plataformas e de ódio são percebidos como mais frequentes, seguindo as aproximações de trabalhos prévios como Kenski (2020).  Com isso, nosso estudo se propõe a contribuir com o conhecimento sobre a percepção e a experiência da população espanhola com o discurso de ódio nos meios de comunicação e redes sociais. Foi realizada uma pesquisa quantitativa baseada em um questionário previamente validado com uma amostra aleatória de 421 espanhóis obtidos através de um painel online subcontratado. Se busca descobrir como eles percebem e experimentam esse fenômeno nas redes sociais e se existem possíveis diferenças entre distintos grupos sociais. O trabalho conclui que mulheres, pessoas com maior nível de escolaridade e mais progressistas tendem a ser mais conscientes sobre o discurso de ódio, enquanto as diferenças de idade oferecem observações mais contraditórias e as diferenças de renda ou de tamanho dos concelhos em que vivem não se mostraram relevantes. As diferenças nunca têm um tamanho de efeito elevado.
Mobile instant messaging services in the local governments: citizens’ uses of the WhatsApp services of the Spanish City Councils
Authors: Alonso-Muñoz Laura , Casero-Ripollés Andreu
Published: June 2024

Mobile instant messaging services such as WhatsApp have become increasingly relevant among citizens in recent years. By a quantitative approach based on a survey (n=1,202), our objective is to find out why citizens use WhatsApp and, to be more specific, why they use the WhatsApp service offered by the city council of the municipality of residence where they live. The results show how age, gender, and the respondents' educational level are related to the different uses they make of WhatsApp, especially concerning actions related to participation. Second, the local government WhatsApp service still has an intermediate penetration among citizens, so there is much room for improvement. Finally, the data reveals that age and gender determine the uses of the City Council WhatsApp service. These findings provide interesting data for local governments to improve the relationship with citizens through this mobile communication tool.
O daytime televisivo em Portugal: um olhar sobre a evolução dos talk shows matinais (1985-2023)
Authors: Almeida Abílio
Published: June 2024

Este estudo analisa a distinta natureza do período matinal na televisão generalista em sinal aberto, em Portugal. Ao longo das décadas, o daytime televisivo tem sido caracterizado pela sua audiência específica e pelos conteúdos particulares oferecidos pelos canais. Utilizando uma abordagem interdisciplinar que inclui a análise de documentos escritos, material audiovisual e entrevistas, esta análise procura identificar os principais programas, intervenientes e eventos que marcaram este período televisivo nos últimos anos (RTP1, SIC e TVI). O estudo traça a evolução dos talk shows matinais em Portugal, analisando as mudanças e tendências ao longo do tempo. Os resultados desta análise contribuem para uma compreensão mais profunda das dinâmicas da televisão matinal em Portugal, bem como para o conhecimento sobre a evolução da programação televisiva em contextos culturais específicos. Este estudo é relevante para acadêmicos, profissionais da indústria televisiva e todos os interessados na história e na influência da televisão na sociedade portuguesa.
X-ray microstructural insight into the mechanical behaviour of ligth-weight cemented soils
Authors: Perrotta L. , Vitale E. , Arciero M. , Roubin E. , Tengattini A. , Russo G. , Viggiani G.
Published: June 2024

Light-weight cemented soils (LWCS) – that is, materials prepared by mixing natural soil, water and cement with air foam, are characterised by a heterogeneous microstructure, consisting of large foam-induced voids distributed in a cemented porous matrix. The reduced volume weight coupled with a good mechanical strength makes LWCS suitable for many geotechnical applications. However, the role of the microstructure on their macroscopic mechanical behaviour is not completely clear. A novel experimental investigation on the mechanical response of LWCS under triaxial loading paths using in situ x-ray microtomography is presented here, focusing on the evolution of foam-induced porosity. The tomographies are acquired during the shear phase of multiple triaxial compression tests, performed at different confining stress levels. Image analysis is employed for obtaining porosity maps and incremental strain fields of the samples. At low confining stress, the sample deformation essentially consists in the progressive opening of sub-vertical dilatant fractures connecting the foam-induced voids. At higher confining stresses, localised compactions develop in the cemented matrix along the directions coherent with the deviatoric load path. The results presented above indicate that the deformation and failure mechanisms of LWCS strongly depend on the mean stress level.
Numerical analysis of soil arching effect in piles-reinforced airport foundation
Authors: Hu Jianhua , Liu Haiyang , Qian Jinsong , Si Bifeng
Published: June 2024

The soil arching effect is the key mechanism for load transfer in pile-supported reinforced road (runway) foundations. To investigate the formation and evolution process of soil arching effect in the whole process of embankment filling and soft soil foundation consolidation, a three-dimensional hydro-mechanical coupled numerical model of pre-fabricated high-strength concrete (PHC) pile-reinforced soft soil runway foundation was established based on the foundation treatment project in Pudong Airport. The laws of variation of soil settlement, pore water pressure and pile soil stress were analysed, and the influence of pile spacing was considered. These data from both numerical simulation and field test indicate the soil arching effect in the foundation reinforced by PHC piles and preliminarily reveal the evolution of soil arching in the process of embankment filling and soft soil foundation consolidation. The preliminary results encourage the authors to continue this research to investigate the evolution of soil arching under aircraft dynamic loads through adding a more suitable constitutive model or subroutine in this numerical model.
Sharing Economy in Finance: Regional Profile
Authors:   Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of RAS, Veretennikova A. Yu.
Published: June 2024

The development of the sharing economy can be observed in the field of tourism, transport, exchange of material and information resources, as well as in the financial technology sector. The study aims to determine the potential of digital platforms for sharing financial resources for regional development. The analysis revealed a correlation between regional factors and performance indicators of investment platforms, indicating the possibility of releasing underutilised financial resources to develop regional economy. The conducted research demonstrates the potential of investment platforms for regional development.
Assessment of the Impact of Inflation Targeting on the Exchange Rate Pass-Through and Inflation Inertia
Authors:   Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering of the Siberian Branch of RAS, Kolpashnikov А. A.
Published: June 2024

The study analysed the influence of individual factors on inflation, as well as the impact of inflation targeting on the exchange rate pass-through and inflation inertia. Data for 42 countries from 1980 to 2021 were used, but due to data gaps, fewer countries were assessed. The study of consumer price index (CPI) dynamics for 30 countries was performed using models with fixed country and time effects, showing its advantages over the model without fixed effects. As a result, the following factors affecting CPI in the period 1980–2021 were identified: gross domestic product of the previous year, real minimum wages, exchange rate of the national currency, as well as inflation lags of one and two years subject to the introduction of an IT policy. It was shown that inflation targeting helps reduce inflation inertia, which increases the effectiveness of monetary policy aimed at achieving the inflation target and improves economic indicators.
Quantitative Approach to the Analysis of Recruitment and Training Models
Authors:   Ural Federal University, Ermakova I. I.
Published: June 2024

The article examines a methodological approach to the analysis of recruitment and training models considering choice factors and the cost-benefit ratio. The analysis revealed current problems of skills shortages in the labour market, as well as the recruitment and training models used by companies. The study presents a quantitative analysis of models with consideration of costs and predicted results, as well as makes assumptions about the optimal model for staff recruitment. The findings can be used for the development and optimisation of personnel policy in the field of staff recruitment and training.
Characteristics of Housing Market Development in Russian Urban Agglomerations
Authors:   Vologda Research Center of RAS, Kryukov I. A.
Published: June 2024

The research aims to identify development characteristics of the residential real estate market in agglomerations of Russian regions. It is hypothesised that second-tier agglomerations have not formed a common real estate market and agglomeration effects are negligible in practice. The study determined spatial disparities in the quality of housing stock and calculated the correlation coefficient of apartment prices in eight Russian agglomerations. The obtained results can be useful for regional and municipal authorities in the implementation of urban agglomeration development programmes. Futures studies can focus on the establishment of institutional and instrumental frameworks for the formation and development of a common housing market of urban agglomerations.
Modelling the Operation of a Transport Hub in Hanoi by Using a Queuing Network
Authors:   Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Vu G. , Zharkov M. L. ,   Matrosov Institute for System Dynamics and Control Theory of Siberian Branch of RAS, Kazakov A. L. ,   Irkutsk National Research Technical University,   Matrosov Institute for System Dynamics and Control Theory of Siberian Branch of RAS
Published: June 2024

The paper studies the efficiency of transport hubs, which are essential elements of the city infrastructure. A queuing network with group non-stationary flows was used for modelling their operation. Due to this approach, the model takes into account the non-linear structure of the terminal, different routes of passenger traffic within the system, and changes in the parameters of the transport operation during the day, considering random factors. A transport hub in Vietnam was chosen for testing. Based on the simulation results, the average transfer time during the rush hour and the remaining time with increasing daily volume of passenger traffic was determined, the maximum capacity of the hub was assessed.
Institutional Nature of Greenwashing
Authors:   Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of RAS, Kolotovkina P. D.
Published: June 2024

The article analyses formal and informal institutions as necessary elements of the economic system. The difference between laws applied by the state (formal norms) and moral (informal) norms supported by society is emphasised. The study presents a classification of definitions of greenwashing, as well as describes its characteristics as an economic institution that is part of the economic system during its transformation. The conclusion is made about the evolutionary nature of the transformation of institutions as a form of coordination of actions to ensure sustainable development in various fields of economic structures research.
Prospects for Reducing Methane Emissions from Solid Waste in the Context of Low-Emission Development in Russia
Authors:   Institute of Economic Forecasting of RAS, Lazeeva E. A.
Published: June 2024

National strategic documents set global targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including from solid waste, where emissions are continuously increasing. The measures envisaged in the National Project “Ecology” will not significantly reduce emissions from this sector. As part of the modelling of methane emissions from waste up to 2060, two measures — disposal and remediation — were introduced, which will help reduce emissions. Three scenarios were constructed demonstrating the effectiveness of these measures depending on the increased disposal capacity and the volume of remediation. The study identified the best option, which will make a significant contribution to achieving targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A new endemic species and species richness distribution of the genus Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mexico
Authors: López-Pérez Jorge David , Zamudio Sergio , Munguía-Lino Guadalupe , Rodríguez Aarón
Published: June 2024

Background: The genus Pinguicula harbors 110 species, of which 53 are distributed in Mexico. The formation of the Mexican mountains has favored the Pinguicula diversification. Pinguicula specimens collected in the State of México, along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) do not correspond with any known species.
Questions: Do the collected specimens belong to a new species? What is its conservation status? How many Pinguicula species are there along the TMVB and how do they differentiate? How is the Pinguicula species richness distributed?
Studied species: Pinguicula.
Study site and dates: TMVB, 2005-2023.
Methods: Based on herbarium specimens and recently collected material, a morphological analysis and description were made. Conservation status was assessed following IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Herbarium specimens and digital records of Pinguicula from the TMVB were examined to generate a list and key. We analyzed the richness distribution of Pinguicula by states, vegetation types, elevation ranges, and grid cells.
Results: Pinguicula tlahuica is proposed as a new species. It is distinguished by the linear-spatulate summer leaves. The new species falls into the Endangered (EN) category. Along the TMVB, 16 species of Pinguicula are distributed. The State of México, Hidalgo and Michoacán, and the pine-oak forest were the richest. Pinguicula appeared between 759-3,427 m asl. The grid cell analyses revealed different areas with high richness.
Conclusions: Along the TMVB, the Pinguicula species richness centered on the Eastern and Western sectors. Pinguicula crassifolia, P. michoacana, P. tlahuica, and P. zamudioana are endemic to the TMVB.
Comparative analysis of black queer feminist isiXhosa and English poetry
Authors: Chidi Tsosheletso , Zondi Nompumelelo , Mkhize Gabi
Published: June 2024

Black queer feminist literature remains under-researched. This reflects the societal marginalisation of black queer authors in South Africa. Our article offers a comparative analysis of the representation of black queer women by black queer and cisgender authors in selected isiXhosa and English poetry. The poems selected are from Unam Wena (2021) by Mthunzikazi Mbungwana and red cotton (2018) by vangile gantsho. Firstly, we explore how queer feminism is captured from a Xhosa perspective. Secondly, we explore how English is used to expose readers to black queerness, and, thirdly, we question how literary scholarship influences or limits black queer feminist literature and the functionality of queer feminist poetry as representations of black women. Discourse theory is used to examine how authors of the selected poetry construct knowledge about black queerness from a feminist perspective and shape how people understand it. In this article we adopt a narrative enquiry within the constructionism paradigm with qualitative textual analysis. Our analysis of the poetry reveals that, although the selected poets use two different languages, the same protest voice is foregrounded, with observable differences being primarily technical—namely how form, sound, and structure are employed to set the tone and mood in the issues addressed.
Interseksionele feminisme in Afrikaanse poësie: Lynthia Julius se Uit die kroes
Authors: Nel Hennely
Published: June 2024

In the current transnational discourse on fourth-wave feminism, “intersectional feminism” is a fundamental concept. The representation of marginalised voices of especially Black women from underrepresented contexts, such as the Global South, is emphasised in an attempt to decolonise the formal domains of literature, academia and the media. Historically, there is a gap in the representation of diverse Black female voices in South African literatures. However, there has recently been an increase in the publication of the literary texts by previously marginalised voices, especially in Afrikaans poetry. Diverse perspectives are shared regarding the complexities of the intersection of identity categories including race, gender, culture, identity, class, language and socioeconomic status in South African society, and how it affects the previously marginalised. A voice that represents intersectional feminist issues in the South African and Afrikaans contexts can be found in Lynthia Julius’s debut poetry book, Uit die kroes (From the kroes, 2020). In this article, the significance of Julius’s unique, intersectional feminist viewpoint, with stories and perspectives from the Northern Cape, is investigated. The focus is specifically on how Julius represents a ‘triple marginalised’ voice in the South African and Afrikaans contexts with regard to her gender, race and language. Furthermore, I will discuss how the uniqueness of her collection of poems and Northern Cape Afrikaans, that have rarely been provided with a platform in the Afrikaans literary canon, contribute to giving a voice to the historic ‘voiceless’. The importance of Julius’s voice and how it highlights the heterogeneity of previously marginalised groups in South Africa, are also explored. In conclusion it is argued that the publication of poets with diverse intersectional feminist perspectives, such as Julius, can be deemed a positive step in the direction of the decolonising process of the Afrikaans literature and feminism.
’n Interseksionele ondersoek: Godsdiens, feminisme, identiteit en behoort in geselekteerde digbundels
Authors: Bonthuys Marni
Published: June 2024

Religion is a common theme in Afrikaans literature. Religious references are used in many ways—during the anti-apartheid struggle it was (for instance) employed to protest the actions of the government in literary texts such as poetry. Similarly, women poets use religion, which is usually associated with patriarchy, as a metaphor for struggles with identity and belonging. Spirituality and organised religion are also shown to be differing concepts with organised religion being the product of society which influences the position of different genders within its stuctures. Spirituality refers to something inherently human related to the individual’s personal belief system. In this article, religious reflections in poetry by three very different female poets will be explored as musings on how religion and belonging to a religious tradition are experienced. This will be done from the perspective of postsecular feminism, which does not revert to binary oppositions when discussing religion, but grapples with it in an intersectional way, as argued by Nandini Deo. An intersectional feminist approach will therefore be utilised to analyse selected poems of Lynthia Julius in Uit die kroes (From the kroes) (2020), of Corné Coetzee in nou, hier (now, here) (2017) and of Radna Fabias in Habitus (2018). Julius, a young black woman, and Coetzee, an older white woman, are Afrikaans poets whose work can be viewed as containing feminist ideas while also exploring the role of religion. Fabias, a black Dutch poet from Curaçao, represents a transnational example where similar themes are explored as in the work of the two Afrikaans poets, albeit from a very different intersectional position. In this article, intersections of, not just gender and race, but also culture, language, politics, nationality, age, ethnicity and identity are considered when understanding a woman’s sense of belonging to a religion.