bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PANGeA: Procedural Artificial Narrative Using Generative AI for Turn-Based, Role-Playing Video Games
Authors: Buongiorno Steph , Klinkert Lawrence , Zhuang Zixin , Chawla Tanishq , Clark Corey
Published: November 2024

Large language models (LLMs) offer unprecedented flexibility in procedural generation, enabling the creation of dynamic video game storylines that evolve with user input. A critical aspect of realizing this potential is allowing players and developers to provide dynamic or free-form text to drive generation. Ingesting free-form text for a video game poses challenges, however, as it can prompt the LLM to generate content beyond the intended narrative scope. In response to this challenge, this research introduces Procedural Artificial Narrative using Generative AI (PANGeA) for leveraging LLMs to create narrative content for turn-based, role-playing games (RPGs). PANGeA is an approach comprised of components including a memory system, validation system, a Unity game engine plug-in, and a server with a RESTful interface that enables connecting PANGeA components with any game engine as well as accessing local and private LLMs. PANGeA procedurally generates level data like setting, key items, non-playable characters (NPCs)), and dialogue based on a set of configuration and design rules provided by the game designer. This process is supported by a novel validation system for handling free-form text input during game development and gameplay, which aligns LLM generation with the narrative. It does this by evoking the LLM's capabilities to dynamically evaluate the text input against game rules that reinforce the designer's initial criteria. To enrich player-NPC interactions, PANGeA uses the Big Five Personality model to shape NPC responses. To explore its broad application, PANGeA is evaluated across two studies. First, this research presents a narrative test scenario of the prototype game, Dark Shadows, which was developed using PANGeA within the Unity game engine. This is followed by an ablation study that tests PANGeA's performance across 10 different role-playing game scenarios–from western to science fiction–and across three model sizes: Llama-3 (8B), GPT-3.5, and GPT-4. These evaluations demonstrate that PANGeA's NPCs can hold dynamic, narrative-consistent conversations that, without the memory system, would exceed the LLM's context length. In addition, the results demonstrate PANGeA's validation system not only aligns LLM responses with the game narrative but also improves the performance of Llama-3 (8B), enabling it to perform comparably to large-scale foundational models like GPT-4. With the validation system, Llama-3 (8B)'s performance improved from 28% accuracy to 98%, and GPT-4's from 71% to 99%. These findings indicate PANGeA can help game designers generate narrative-consistent content while leveraging LLMs of different sizes, suitable for various devices.
Generating Game Levels by Defining Player Experiences
Authors: Fernandes Pedro M. , Lopes Manuel , Prada Rui
Published: November 2024

This paper proposes a novel pipeline for generating game levels that elicit predefined emotional experiences from players. Our approach uses evolutionary algorithms alongside data-driven persona agents, predictive emotional models, a PCG parametric level generator, and a newly defined language for the clear and computable definition of player emotional experiences: ExpREx (Experience Regular Expressions). Using these components, we evolve game levels to match the player experience goals specified using the ExpREx language, aiming to create levels that evoke specific emotional experiences for different subsets of players. The efficacy of our method was validated through a user study involving 101 participants, whose continuous annotations of emotional experience were collected and analyzed to assess the congruence between the actual emotional responses elicited and those targeted by our pipeline. We found that 93.73% of the ExpREx goals targeted were also reported by the user study subjects.
SCORE: Skill-Conditioned Online Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Karimi Sara , Asadi Sahar , Payberah Amir H.
Published: November 2024

Solving complex long-horizon tasks through Reinforcement Learning (RL) from scratch presents challenges related to efficient exploration. Two common approaches to reduce complexity and enhance exploration efficiency are (i) integrating learning-from-demonstration techniques with online RL, where the prior knowledge acquired from demonstrations is used to guide exploration, refine representations, or tailor reward functions, and (ii) using representation learning to facilitate state abstraction. In this study, we present Skill-Conditioned Online REinforcement Learning (SCORE), a novel approach that leverages these two strategies and utilizes skills acquired from an unstructured demonstrations dataset in a policy gradient RL algorithm. This integration enriches the algorithm with informative input representations, improving downstream task learning and exploration efficiency. We evaluate our method on long-horizon robotic and navigation tasks and game environments, demonstrating enhancements in online RL performance compared to the baselines. Furthermore, we show our approach’s generalization capabilities and analyze its effectiveness through an ablation study.
Using EPCG for Designing a Hexagon Tangram Puzzle
Authors: Mahmoud Yazeed , Sturtevant Nathan R.
Published: November 2024

Designing and tuning a game is a complex creative process, with a variety of tools have been designed for assisting human designers in this process. But, many existing tools either entirely take the design away from humans, or they only assist in generating content - they cannot be used to create an entire game from scratch. This paper explores how Exhaustive Procedural Content Generation (EPCG) can be integrated as a co-creative partner in the design process. We describe how EPCG was used alongside human designers to create a novel Hexagon Tangram puzzle, from initial conception to puzzle curriculum.
EPCG is used to answer design questions at each step of the design, which enable human designers to make more informed design choices.
No Player Left Behind: Evolving Dungeons and Dragons Combat to Optimize Difficulty and Player Contributions
Authors: Shyne Fiona , Cooper Seth
Published: November 2024

Creating well-balanced combat encounters can be a difficult task for Game Managers (GMs) in tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons (DnD). This work uses a simulation environment to generate new sets of DnD encounters that can be optimized for both difficulty and balance among player contributions. Encounters are evaluated using simulated games that can either be run probabilistically (using dice rolls) or with deterministic expected outcomes. While the expected approach allows game outcomes to be simulated substantially faster and is a good estimate of difficulty, it is a less reliable measure of balance. A genetic algorithm was used to generate encounters that meet the desired difficulty and where all players are needed for success.
Mechanic Maker: Accessible Game Development via Symbolic Learning Program Synthesis
Authors: Sumner Megan , Saini Vardan , Guzdial Matthew
Published: November 2024

Game development is a highly technical practice that traditionally requires programming skills. This serves as a barrier to entry for would-be developers or those hoping to use games as part of their creative expression. While there have been prior game development tools focused on accessibility, they generally still require programming, or have major limitations in terms of the kinds of games they can make. In this paper we introduce Mechanic Maker, a tool for creating a wide-range of game mechanics without programming. It instead relies on a backend symbolic learning system to synthesize game mechanics from examples. We conducted a user study to evaluate the benefits of the tool for participants with a variety of programming and game development experience. Our results demonstrated that participants' ability to use the tool was unrelated to programming ability. We conclude that tools like ours could help democratize game development, making the practice accessible regardless of programming skills.
level2image: A Utility for Making 2D Tile-Based Level Images with Overlays
Authors: Cooper Seth
Published: November 2024

2D tile-based levels are a common format for video game research, particularly in procedural content generation. Often, tiles are represented as text characters. Here, we describe level2image, a utility that provides a flexible means for converting such levels into a variety of image formats. It can use text tiles or substitute image tiles or backgrounds. There is support for various geometry overlays, such as paths through the level, areas of interest, or boundaries. The utility is a Python script, intended to reduce duplicated work creating such converters within the game research community.
Shepherd: An Incremental Story Sifting-Based Drama Manager
Authors: Deo Sage , Chung Jonathan , McCoy Joshua
Published: November 2024

Incremental story sifters analyze an in-progress simulation to extract interesting narrative content or find a set of events that have the potential to become more narratively interesting if followed up in a certain way. There has been some investigation on the potential for an incremental story sifter to suggest future narrative events to human authors, but the technique of guiding a simulation using story sifting, without any human interference, remains completely unexplored. Thus, we present Shepherd, a drama manager powered by incremental story sifting, which guides otherwise completely autonomous characters toward making narratively interesting choices.
Personality Exceptions
Authors: Rubin-McGregor Elinor
Published: November 2024

Adding character depth in narrative planners is a complex subject with many approaches.
One common strategy used to add depth to characters is to imbue them with personality traits. One attribute that few personality models consider, however, is how character behavior should change when the character is exposed to reminders of powerful psychological influences. Through creating and refining a new digital construct known as Personality Exceptions, I will provide a tool that makes it much easier for personality systems to support such conditions. I intend to make a modular tool that researchers can attach to existing personality models to enhance the character depth of their characters and, thus, improve the overall quality of computational narratives.
Frontmatter
Authors: Cardona-Rivera Rogelio Enrique , Cooper Seth
Published: November 2024

The 20th AAAI conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment was held at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
What Would Sakharov Say? The Americanization of Andrei Sakharov
Authors: Rubinson Paul
Published: November 2024

During the 1970s and 1980s, American scientists rallied to defend Andrei Sakharov, a Soviet physicist punished for his advocacy of human rights. In the United States, Americans of all political persuasions admired Sakharov’s courage, though they expressed it in different ways. To some, his life inspired a pursuit of social change, while others saw his plight as confirmation of the evils of Soviet communism. More than anything, though, Sakharov’s moral authority was a highly sought and politically useful prize. Scholars assessing the campaign to save Sakharov have noted divisions within the movement over effort and tactics, but as this paper argues, the movement was, during Sakharov's life and after, a political struggle among various Americans groups to claim his mantle as their own.
Fractures in the Transgender Population: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Wentzel Dylan , Root Cooper , Dallman Johnathan , Mar Damon , Templeton Kimberly
Published: November 2024

Introduction. While data on the bone health of transgender individuals exist, less is known about related fractures. The authors aimed to compare the anatomic locations of and impact of co-morbidities on fractures between transgender and cisgender populations at a single institution.
 Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with fractures at a single institution between January 2020 and January 2021. Demographics, fracture locations, and comorbidities were identified and compared between cisgender and transgender individuals. Statistical analyses included χ2 or Fisher exact tests for proportions and independent t-tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous measures.
Results. Transgender patients, compared to cisgender patients, were younger (W=258823, p<0.001) and had a higher incidence of shoulder/upper arm fractures (10/26 [38%] vs 1,847/12,463 [15%], p=0.003) but no lumbar spine fractures. There were no other significant differences in fracture locations. The transgender group had a higher prevalence of depression (14/26 [54%] vs 2,696/12,463 [22%], p<0.001), while hypertension was more common in the cisgender population (6,211/12,463 [50%] vs 5/26 [19%], p=0.003). While most fractures in the transgender group were not due to high-energy trauma, none of the individuals had a history of bone mineral density disorders.
Conclusions. Our findings show that there were no significant differences in fracture locations between transgender and cisgender patients, except at one site. Larger studies, including longitudinal prospective studies, are needed to better understand bone health and fracture risk among transgender patients, particularly regarding changes over time with gender-affirming treatment.
Musical and folklore tradition of the Yar Udmurts of autochthonous and Siberian existence: current state
Authors:   Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Anisimov Nikolai V. ,   Autonomous Cultural Institution of the Udmurt Republic “The Republican House of Folk Art”, Sofronova Ekaterina A. ,   Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences;  Autonomous Cultural Institution of the Udmurt Republic “The Republican House of Folk Art”, Pchelovodova Irina V. ,   Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences;  Udmurt Institute of Philology of the Udmurt Federal Research Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: November 2024

This paper focuses on analyzing the current folklore tradition of the Udmurts of the Kemerovo Region. The first folklore and ethnographic expedition was conducted in the winter of 2023. In total, we visited seven settlements and interacted with 45 Udmurts, most born between the 1940s and 1970s and descendants of the first Udmurt immigrants in this region. The Udmurts who voluntarily migrated to the Kemerovo Region mostly came from villages in the Yarsky district of Udmurtia, such as Tsipya, Lekovai, Karavai, Ust-Lekma, Pudem, Bayaran, Chabyrovo, and others. A smaller portion of immigrants originated from the Balezinsky, Glazovsky, and Kez districts of Udmurtia, and they settled in these areas mainly during the mid-20th century. A special feature of the musical tradition of the Yarsky district, a part of the northern Udmurt area, is an archaic genre, krez. Krez involves improvised singing using onomatopoeic vocabulary from ritual and non-ritual song genres. The analysis has revealed that krez is diminishing both in the indigenous and resettlement traditions of Udmurts. We managed to record only oral information about the existence of the krez genre earlier in the tradition of the Udmurts of Kemerovo and recorded some trial tunes. The recordings made during the expedition revealed the prevalence of non-ritual songs, including five lyrical songs, one game song, and one lullaby. These songs are still popular among traditional performers in the indigenous Udmurt tradition. Today, the only way for Udmurt immigrants to join the tradition of their ancestors is through information found on the Internet.
Kemerovo text at the crossroads of two utopias: The American dream and the communist international in the story by R. E. Kennell “Comrade One-Crutch"
Authors:   Kemerovo State University, Nalegach Natalya V.
Published: November 2024

The article is devoted to the consideration of one of the first artistic incarnations of the image of the city of Kemerovo in the story for children by a prominent representative of the AIС “Kuzbas” Ruth Epperson Kennell “Comrade One-Crutch” (1932). The main focus is on the myth-making strategy used to depict AIС “Kuzbas” and its “capital” Kemerovo. The study analyzes the character system and the antinomy of “us” versus “strangers,” exploring its resolution through the plot-driven theme of friendship between Volodya, a Russian street child, and David, an American boy. Also, attention is paid to symbolic images of Siberia and the Soviet Union as the “newest New World,” the factual basis associated with the real history of the formation and development of the city of Kemerovo (technical equipment of the Kemerovo mine, launch of the Coke and Chemical Plant, electrification of the village of Silino near Kemerovo, expansion of the AIС “Kuzbas” and development of the Kolchuginskoye deposit, and others). This analysis of the main plot situations reveals the author’s idea of building a new world, the characteristics of which are based on a combination of two utopias: the American dream, based on a broad understanding of Christianity, and the program of the Comintern. The genre of the story for children and the idea of international friendship emphasized by Ruth Kennel in the dedication to Alice Grover Whitbeck, updated as the address of the book “about the new Russia for American boys and girls,” are organically combined with the value-labeled orientation towards building a new world.
“Automatic poems” by Boris Poplavsky: theme and variations
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Technical University, Mamatov Gleb M. , Tyryshkina Elena V. ,   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University
Published: November 2024

The paper delves into the concept of music as portrayed in Boris Poplavsky’s “Automatic poems.” It thoroughly analyzes the musical code of the book, which can be seen as a fusion of symbols, mythological poetics, and musical imagery. Additionally, the paper explores how the musical essence of the verses is expressed through the architectural structure of the text. One of the central images in the book is sound, which holds great ontological significance. Within “Automatic poems,” the symbols representing the internal sounds of the persona are consistently associated with water motifs, creating a profound and specific spatial connection. This aquatic and subterranean imagery alludes to the music that resides within the persona’s soul. The book disrupts the Boethian dichotomy, with Musica Mundana overpowering Musica Humana. Furthermore, some verses depict a celestial world devoid of sound, capable of petrifying the entire world, thereby establishing an opposition between the persona, Orpheus, and the outer world, represented by Medusa. The sounds from the lower worlds are fragments of “eclectic” music, intertwined with eschatological ideas. The architectonics of “Automatic poems” resemble the methods used in constructing the genre of theme and variations, where the descending theme introduced in the first verse reappears in various manifestations throughout the series of verses. Overall, the structure of the book adheres to a monothematic principle. “Automatic poems” is an experimental work by Boris Poplavsky that was created using the techniques close to those employed by composers.
Plants nomination based on their similarity to other plants in the Finno-Permic languages
Authors:   The A. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Brodsky Igor V.
Published: November 2024

Phytonymy, an important part of the nominal vocabulary, is a subject of study that has significance in linguistics and other disciplines such as history and ethnography. This paper examines the nomination of plants by comparing them with other plant names from the vocabulary of Finno-Permic languages. The aim is to describe how the folk names of a plant are nominat-ed based on their similarity to other plants by analyzing common nomination patterns in relat-ed languages and examining various aspects of the nomination process. The data were taken from various lexicographic sources, monographs, and articles. In total, more than a hundred folk phytonyms were considered. These are complex nouns comprising two or three components connected by a subordinating conjunction. The plant name to which the nomination object is compared takes the last place in such phytonyms. The names under consideration were found to be produced mostly based on two main attributes: resemblance to another plant and an additional characteristic such as color, habitat, growth period, taste, or fragrance. Flora vocabulary was studied mainly by descriptive methods, with component and semantic analysis approaches used in some cases. In the Finno-Permic languages, plant nomination based on similarity with another plant is less prevalent compared to nominations based on other features. We believe that it is due to the late origin of this intricate form of nomination that has led to its separate development in each language. Several plants, such as willow, peas, anemone, and horsetail, are particularly prevalent as objects of comparison.
Adverbs denoting a lack of awareness and control (in the context of goal-setting)
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Matkhanova Irina P. , Steksova Tatiana I. ,   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University
Published: November 2024

The paper analyzes the adverbs beskontrol’no (uncontrollably), mashinal’no (automatically), neosoznanno (unconsciously), bestsel’no (purposelessly), and others as a remarkable phenomenon that occupies a unique space between adverbs of manner and adverbs of purpose, encompassing attributes from both groups. Some common characteristics have been identified for the adverbs concerned. All are formed from adjectives, can be combined with intensifiers, focus on the subject of action, perform the duplex function, and may combine with verbs denoting the action under control. However, certain semantic differences and functioning peculiarities allowed distinguishing four subgroups. The adverb beskontrol’no can characterize both the internal subject of control, coinciding with the agent, and the external one. The adverbs of machinality, due to the special state and professionalism of the subject of action, express the absence of constant control over the action. The adverbs denoting the lack of consciousness in the performance of an action demonstrate a shift towards qualitativeness. While retaining the focus on the subject, they identify the lack of a rational way of achieving a result. The adverb bestsel’no mostly implements the semantics of lack of goal attainment, depending on the semantics of a particular verb. Some other specific features of each subgroup have been identified. For example, they can be enlarged by other adverbs (such as reflektorno, bessoznatel’no, instinktivno, and others that are synonymous to those under analysis), with all groups retaining the common considered in this study.
Contracted forms of the analytic construction -(y)p iy- in the Chalcan language
Authors:   Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Fedina Natalya N.
Published: November 2024

Analytical verb constructions in the Chalkan language undergo phonetic changes during the contraction process. In this paper, the analytical construction with the auxiliary verb iy- ‘to send’ is considered for the first time in comparison with the conjugation paradigm of a simple verb. This methodology enabled us to comprehensively depict the phonetic alterations observed in the paradigmatic structures of verbal analytical constructions. It was found that the Chalkan language exhibits the merging of not only analytical constructions into one word but also contractions within verb forms. Therefore, it is possible for temporal and personal indicators to be completely or partially omitted, and the lexical basis may be subject to reduction. The synthesis processes lead to the simplification of the outer phonetic structure of verbal word forms while simultaneously complicating the system of morphological forms of the verb. When verb analytic constructions are contracted depending on the tense markers, the auxiliary verb iy- ‘to send’ preserves its full or contracted form. When being conjugated, the verbs in the past tense on -gyn and the future tense on -yr in a positive form retain only the anlaut narrow vowel i- from the auxiliary verb iy- ‘to send.’ In the past tense forms on -dy, -tyr and the present tense forms on -yp tʹyt-, two variants can be used: the first, with full retention of the auxiliary verb iy-‘to send’ and the second, with partial retention of only the anlaut vowel i-.
Semantic and structural components of causative constructions of emotional impact in the Buryat language
Authors:   Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dadueva Elena A.
Published: November 2024

This paper describes syntactic constructions expressing the impact on the emotional sphere in the Buryat language. Consideration is given to the semantics, structure, and means of expression of the basic components of the situation of emotional impact, with a focus on the interaction between the categories of emotivity and causativity. The analysis identifies the semantic and structural components of causative constructions denoting emotional impact in the Buryat language. These are causative stimuli, causative emotives, causable subjects, and intensifiers of emotionality. The distinct characteristics of expressing emotive semantics within causative constructions are determined. It is noted that the non-typical, non-aggressive causer prevails in the constructions in the meaning of the cause-stimulus expressed by the nominative. This causative stimulus represents a force or a source of energy that causes a reaction of the subject. A causable subject experiencing certain emotions takes the position of an accusative in an emotive construction. In such constructions, the focus is on representing the emotional state of the subject being influenced, acting as a direct complement. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that causative emotives in the Buryat language are represented by morphological causatives. These causatives are formed by adding special causative affixes to the corresponding non-causative counterparts. Alternatively, the semantics of emotional impact in the Buryat language can be expressed by phraseological combinations of causative verbs with names representing an emotive meaning. Finally, the paper identifies the components-intensifiers of emotivity of causative construction, such as adverbial parts, adverbs, particles, paired verbs, tautological combinations, and others.
From Chaldons to Internet Memes about Siberia
Authors:   Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Gromov Dmitry V.
Published: November 2024

Review of Fursova E.F. (ed.) (2022) Siberia and Siberians: ethno-cultural identity of Russian and other East Slavic peoples in Siberia (XIX - early XXI century). Novosibirsk: IAET RAS, 2022. 284 p. Sibirskie Istoricheskie Issledovaniia – Siberian Historical Research. 2. pp. 218–223 (In Russian).
“How Northern Peoples Live and What They Do”: Representation Strategies of Indigenous Peoples of the North and Siberia in Children’s Literature, 1920s–1930s
Authors:   Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the RAS, Chernyaeva Natalia A.
Published: November 2024

The period of the 1920s–1930s saw an increase in state-supported propaganda projects on the topic of Soviet nationality policy, including publications for children about people of different nationalities living in the USSR. The educational activities of the Committee of the North under the Presidium of the All-Union Central Executive Committee, the enthusiasm of individual ethnographers whose research focused on the Arctic zone, Siberia, and the Far East and who authored dozens of books for children, contributed to the remarkable popularity of publications about the indigenous peoples of the North in the total volume of publications. The article delves into the recurring images and narratives, both textual and visual, in the representation of the indigenous peoples of the North in publications for children published from 1917 to 1940. It emphasizes the profound influence of the authors’ professional expertise, the shifting state ideology towards indigenous northerners, and the conventions of the popular genre that underpinned these editions. The system of characters and narrative logic in these publications reflected a complex ‘own’ vs. ‘other’ dialectics and the romantic vs. pragmatic views of indigenous peoples. The visual language used by the book’s publishers included three types of images: photographs, authentic drawings by indigenous people, and drawings by professional artists. Each type of image dictated a different lens on indigenous peoples, constructing a view from both outside and inside the culture. The analysis of the books’ print runs and the number of new titles vividly illustrates the transient nature of the enthusiasm for the northern ethnic cultures: by the mid-1930s, the fascination with the peoples was overtaken by an interest in territories. The theme of the northern ethnic groups ceased to be in demand, but the theme of travel, geographical discoveries, and expeditions intensified.
Ups and Downs: How the Number of Indigenous Minorities is Changing (According to the Results of the 2021 Census)
Authors:   Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the RAS, Belorussova Svetlana Yu.
Published: November 2024

In December 2022, the fifth volume of the All-Russian Census of 2021 was published, which provided new information on the linguistic and national composition of the country's population. The census is of particular importance for groups of indigenous small-numbered peoples, since their numerical indicators are one of the criteria for inclusion in the “Unified List of Indigenous Small-numbered Peoples of Russia”. This paper examines the stories of four peoples who had changes in quantitative indicators between 2010 and 2021: The reasons for the increase in the number of Soyots and Tubalars are being investigated, while the decrease in Nagaibaks and Shapsugs is being investigated. The Besermians, whose number has remained the same, are considered separately, but their strategy of preparing for the census is of interest for this work. The purpose of the paper is to study the conditions and circumstances that led to fluctuations in the number of ethnic groups. As the study shows, the population change is not due to demographic reasons, but is a consequence of socio-cultural processes taking place in the community. It is important for Buryat Soyots to revive their own culture and preserve the memory of their ancestors. For Tubalars, it is important not only to identify oneself as a representative of an ethnic group, but also to support its cultural potential. For the last ten years, the Nagaibaks have been in ethnic calm, but new circumstances can intensify interest in their identity. Different naming of Shapsugs gives them the opportunity to choose their own designations depending on current conditions. The threat of extinction motivated the Besermians to consolidate the community and actualize their own identity. It should be noted that the presence of preferences for small indigenous peoples plays an important role in identifying themselves in the census. It is possible that the significance in this is not the benefits themselves, but the feeling of self-worth of the people through support from the outside. This study demonstrates the variability and drift of ethnicity, as well as its dependence on external and internal circumstances. Today it is impossible to predict what will happen to the number of ethnic groups in question in the future — the more interesting and valuable it is to observe this in the future.
Representation of the Ethnicity of the Kola Sami In Cyberspace
Authors:   Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the RAS, Suleymanova Olesya A.
Published: November 2024

Cyberspace provides digital tools for creating virtual ethnic communities and distributing information content reflecting ethnocultural traditions and values, which contributes to the formation of new technologies for representing ethnicity. The emergence of online platforms and web communities, as well as the use of digital media to preserve and broadcast ethnocultural heritage, has opened up new opportunities for indigenous peoples facing the threat of losing their unique culture in the era of globalization. The Sami of the Murmansk region are one of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation, demonstrating successful adaptation to modern information technologies and creating their own cyber communities. They use various online platforms, including social networks and instant messengers, not only to communicate and expand social contacts, but also for the purpose of ethnic manifestation. This article examines the virtual practices of representing the ethnic culture of the Kola Sami in the cyber community. Analysis of the content of the most popular Sami web community on the social network VKontakte (“Sām olme vkontakte.ru / Sami VKontakte”) made it possible to identify key topics that are actively discussed within this virtual group and serve the purpose of updating ethnic identity.
Human Capital Development in a Long-Term Governmental Planning: OECD Case-Study
Authors:   MGIMO-University, Pavlov Vladimir V. , Arapova Ekaterina Y. ,   MGIMO-University
Published: November 2024

The notion and theory of human capital has been in development for scores of decades if not centuries. Today, conventional wisdom holds that human capital serves as a driver for growth and human resources development and should serve as one of the top priorities for national governments striving for economic growth and development. This paper adds to the academic discussion on a subject concerned by providing a case-study of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) strategic planning documents. We present an analysis of the latest studies and official reports on the matter concerned, adopted by OECD in the period between its 50th and 60th anniversary (2010–2021). We later study national strategies and policy plans delivered during this period of time by the national governments of OECD member-states on the subjects of national security, healthcare, education, and socioeconomic development. (For the instruments available in English we also use special IP for machine semantic analysis). We later compare OECD findings and recommendations to actual policies adopted by member-states hereinunder. We find that the governments concerned underscore the necessity of human capital development (including a number of issues connected thereto in OECD findings), but they do not necessarily do it in the manner suggested by OECD. We do not manage to identify the existence of viable inter-institutional networks for human capital planning hereinunder, while we also show a relatively low level of homogeneity between the member-states in terms of their approaches towards human capital development.
Empathy: Behavioral Dynamics During the Global Stress of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Russia
Authors:   Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Burkova Valentina N. , Butovskaya Marina L. ,   Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology; National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Ermakov Alexey M. ,   Don State Technical University, Galimkhanov Azat B. ,   Ufa University of Science and Technology, Emelyanov Alexey V. ,   Tambov State University named after G.R. Derzhavin, Zinurova Raushaniia I. ,   Kazan National Research Technological University, Kalinichenko Olga V. ,   Far Eastern Federal University, Rymarenko Natalya V. ,   V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simakov Nikolay Yu. ,   Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Spodina Victoriya I. ,   Ob-Ugric Institute of Applied Researches and Development
Published: November 2024

Objective of the study: analysis of the dynamics of empathic behavior, measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, in Russia during three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of the relationships between empathy, anxiety and aggression during the pandemic. Research of human behavior during a pandemic contributes to understanding the best ways to adapt to global stress. Empathy can have both positive (development of mutual assistance and cooperation during COVID-19) and negative consequences (risk factor for depression and increased anxiety) for mental health. The study examined the dynamics of empathy during three waves of the pandemic in Russia, as well as the relationship between empathy, anxiety and aggression. The presence and nature of relationships were tested through multivariate analysis of covariance and regression analysis. The total sample was 7,174 people and was collected among students from several regions of Russia. Russian-language versions of questionnaires for empathy by Interpersonal Reactivity Index, for aggressive behavior by Buss-Perry, and for anxiety Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). A large sample from different regions of Russia during three waves of the COVID -19 pandemic shows the dynamics of empathic behavior: the minimum level of empathy was observed during the first wave, then reached its maximum by the second phase, and began to decline by the third. Significant positive correlations of all empathy scales with anxiety were also found - more empathic people had higher selfratings of stress. Associations with aggression are more complex depending on the empathy scale and the aggression scale. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an increase in empathy followed by a decrease. There is a relationship between empathy scales, anxiety levels and aggression scales.
“The Container is almost Infinitely Expandable”: The Role of Materiality in Entrepreneurship in the North
Authors:   Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the RAS, Vasilyeva Valeria V.
Published: November 2024

The article is devoted to the practices of entrepreneurs from the “northern far reaches” – villages with difficult and unstable logistics, which is typical for many parts of the Arctic. The article analyzes three examples from different regions: from the Nenets Autonomous District, from the west (Yenisei River basin) and the east of Taimyr (Khatanga River basin). The research data is observations and interviews collected during the summer navigation in the ports of loading, Arkhangelsk and Krasnoyarsk, as well as on board of a cargo ship and during unloading goods in the village. It is shown that the issue of materiality in purchasing, packing and unpacking cargo in the village turns out to be central for this professional group. Northern logistics impose a number of specific constraints on what goods can end up on the shelves of a village store. There are different kinds of cargo inside the container, among them beneficial goods, goods of obligation and goods of friendship in such a balance of the material and social that it remains potentially profitable for the entrepreneur. The range of goods delivered to the village is the result of an established convention regarding the necessary minimum between the entrepreneur and the local community. The amount of cargo placed in the container is not strictly fixed. It depends on the possession of practical skill in handling the goods. A unique competence in this professional community is that, due to extensive experience, the uncertainty regarding the transformation of cargo in transit is amenable to forecasting and planning. Understanding the rationality behind a private entrepreneur's decision to purchase certain goods sheds light on which goods, due to their material properties, are excluded from circulation and their availability in the villages can be attributed solely to alternative sources of obtaining goods.
The problematic issues of unmanned aerial vehicle application in agriculture
Authors: Erdniev Leonid P. , Kuzyanov Dmitriy A. , Gusev Yury S. , Mikerov Anatoliy N.
Published: November 2024

BACKGROUND: The rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) today is largely driven by the needs of the defense industry. The new scientific and technological phase of research substantiates the necessity for a systematic analysis and review of existing regulations concerning the use of agrochemicals in agriculture with the application of unmanned aerial vehicles.
AIM: Conducting an analysis of the current state of the application of UAV in agriculture for the use of agrochemicals and identifying problematic issues that limit the development of this field as a whole.
METHODS: The material used in this study includes publications of scientific articles and reviews that cover the researched topic and are available in scientific libraries: elibrary.ru; dissercat.com; medline.ru; scholar.google.com.ru; cyberleninka.ru. Additionally, legislative acts published on the websites of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation; the Federal Air Transport Agency; the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation; the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation; Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation; and the Government of the Russian Federation were utilized. The study was conducted using generally accepted methods of scientific information processing: citation, grouping, editing, aggregation, and transformation into a new form.
RESULTS: The study analyzes the results of existing research works, the technical capabilities of UAV fleet models, and the requirements of legislative acts regulating the operation of agricultural drones when applying agrochemicals.
CONCLUSION: The imperfections of the existing legal framework, new technical capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles, and modern advancements in agricultural chemicalization necessitate the review of current approaches and the development and justification of new strategies for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in agriculture, particularly when applying agrochemicals.
The Role of Armenians in Eskişehir's Urbanisation in the 19th Century Ottoman Empire
Authors: Sarı Güven Melek , Küçükhasköylü Nurdan
Published: November 2024

During the 19th century, the Armenian community played a significant role in the urbanization of Eskişehir within the Ottoman Empire. This article aims to explore the cultural, economic, and artistic impact of Armenians residing in Eskişehir on urbanization. This topic is crucial for studying the social and urban history of Ottoman cities, as Armenians have been an integral part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. The Armenian quarter has made significant contributions to the identity of the city through its centres of education, entertainment, and worship, as well as its involvement in the meerschaum (lületaşı) trade. However, in the 21st century, the traces of the Armenian culture of the 19th century have disappeared from sight in the city. We research the concept of the Armenian quarter that existed in the past and use various sources to investigate the history of the city.
BURSALI HASAN HÂTİF KÜLLİYÂTINA DOĞRU YENİ BULUNAN NÜSHALARIN MEVCUT NEŞİRLERE KATKISI ÜZERİNE
Authors: Hayat İlker
Published: November 2024

Öz: Kaynaklarda Serrâc-zâde, Egerci-zâde, Semerci-zâde ünvanıyla anılan 18. yüzyıl şairlerinden Hasan Hâtif Efendi, Bursalıdır. Tezkirelerde şairin mürettep bir divanı olduğu bilgisi verilip ardından şiirinden örneklere yer verilse de diğer eserleriyle ilgili bilgiler yer almamaktadır. Hâtif ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalarda şairin hayatı ve eserleriyle ilgili tezkirelerde yer almayan bilgiler gün yüzüne çıkmaya başlamış ve gerek eserleri gerekse hayatı hakkındaki bilgiler daha da genişlemiştir. Böylece şairin Dîvân, Esmâü’l-Hüsnâ, Üç ‘Arûs ve Üç Dâmât ve Seyahatnâme olmak üzere dört eseri ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Hâtif ile ilgili yapılan neşirler, tek nüsha olarak bilinen ve “müellif hattı” olduğu ifade edilen Atatürk Üniversitesi Seyfettin Özege Kitaplığı ASL 94-98’de kayıtlı bir nüsha üzerinden yapılmıştır. Yapmış olduğumuz araştırmalar neticesinde şairin külliyatını ihtiva eden yeni yazma nüshalara ulaşılmıştır. Bu nüshalar, şairin hayatıyla ve sanatıyla ilgili yeni bilgileri gün yüzüne çıkarmış ve eldeki tek nüshanın “müellif hattı” nüsha olduğu bilgisini tartışmaya açmıştır. Bu makale, tarafımızca doktora tezi olarak hazırlanan Hâtif külliyatı neşrinin yeni nüshalarının bilim dünyasına duyurulması amacıyla kaleme alınmıştır. Makalede, şairin tezkirelerde yer alan biyografisine yer verdikten sonra bu bilgiler, Hâtif’in eserleri üzerinden yeniden değerlendirilmiştir. Son olarak da bu yeni nüshaların var olan neşirlere ne gibi katkılar sunduğuna dair örnekler verilmiştir.
1908 Annexation of Bosnia in the Serbian Press
Authors: Turbıc Enes
Published: November 2024

This study delves into the Serbian press's role during the Bosnian annexation crisis in 1908, a pivotal episode in Balkan and European history. Following the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin (1878), Austria-Hungary's occupation of the Bosna Vilayet and subsequent administrative control set the stage for a protracted legal and political conflict. The crisis reached its zenith in the autumn of 1908 when Austria-Hungary unilaterally annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), provoking a formidable reaction across Europe particularly in Belgrade. Serbia, perceiving BiH as a historic territory of paramount significance, emerged as one of the staunchest opponents of Vienna's actions. This resistance was fervently articulated in the Serbian press from August 1908 to March 1909, with leading newspapers such as Politika, Mali Žurnal, Pravda, and Carigradski Glasnik playing a central role in shaping public sentiment. This study aims to analyze the impact of the Serbian press on national opinion during the annexation crisis, examining the portrayal of domestic and international news, the coverage of protests and demonstrations in Belgrade and other Serbian cities, the movements of Chetnik detachments, mobilization announcements, and political statements. By scrutinizing these elements, the research seeks to illuminate the state of Serbian public opinion at the close of 1908 and throughout 1909 and assess the significance of the annexation for Serbian politics and national identity. The findings reveal that the Serbian press exerted substantial influence, inciting vigorous public reactions, sharp protests, and demands for military engagement.