bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mast cells in allergic and infectious inflammation
Authors:   Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russian Federation, Kolesnikova N.V.
Published: May 2022

Functional characteristics of a heterogeneous population of innate immune cells, mast cells, account for their involvement in many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and tumors. A diversity of mast cell receptors and secreted biologically active mediators, broad presence in barrier tissues, and close relation with blood and lymphatic vessels allow mast cells to realize many protective functions (including as effective participants of allergic reactions and primary effectors of the immune response to infections). The primary role of mast cells in immune- mediated inflammation is accounted for by the synthesis and secretion of numerous biologically active substances under their activation with various factors (e.g., allergens, cytokines, anaphylotoxins, neuropeptides, immune complexes, microbial antigens and toxins, some medications). Impaired regulation of mast cell functions may have a negative effect which determines a pattern of their involvement in the pathogenesis of chronic allergic, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases and tumors. Despite a better understanding of the pathogenic role of mast cells in immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, studies on the mechanisms of their activation and regulation, pattern and im-portance of the interaction of their mediators with immune cells, and mechanisms of the implementation of mast cell pro-inflammatory effects are still relevant. The results of these studies are likely to optmise the treatment of a variety of diseases. KEYWORDS: mast cells, immune pathogenesis, mediators, allergic inflammation, infectious inflammation, atopic dermatitis. FOR CITATION: Kolesnikova N.V. Mast cells in allergic and infectious inflammation. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2022;6(2):79–84 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2022-6-2-79-84.
Rancang Bangun Sistem Pengajuan Cuti dan Izin Berbasis Website Studi Kasus Unit Kepegawaian PT.XYZ
Authors: Arijal Muhamad , Hermawan Indra
Published: May 2022

Kebutuhan teknologi semakin maju meliputi hampir semua aspek yang ada dan salah satunya didalam perusahaan, tidak terkecuali di bagian kepegawaian. Terdapat banyak proses didalam bagian kepegawaian seperti izin pegawai, pengajuan cuti yang masih dilakukan manual dan harus berinteraksi secara tatap muka langsung dengan atasan dan HRD dan juga pengajuan izin seperti lembur, serta izin dinas. Kegiatan ini masih dilakukan secara manual dan tidak efektif karena terlalu banyak pihak terkait terlibat untuk mendapatkan izin. oleh karena itu sangat dibutuhkan suatu sistem agar memperingkas proses tersebut dan membuat proses menjadi efektif. Pengembangan sistem menggunakan waterfall yang meliputi survey sistem, analisis sistem, desain sistem, pembuatan sistem, implementasi sistem, dan perawatan sistem yang diharapkan bisa mempermudah pegawai dalam melakukan pengajuan cuti, pengajuan lembur dan pengajuan izin dinas. Aplikasi ini berbasis website dan pembuatan program aplikasi ini menggunakan metode waterfall serta menggunakan bahasa pemrograman seperti PHP, javascript dan CSS.
Patient response with lupus erythematosus to treatment with Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture (YNSA)
Authors: Fonseca Karine Lucas Tavares da , Sobrinho Raul Breves
Published: May 2022

It is estimated that 5 million people worldwide have some form of Lupus. It is an autoimmune, idiopathic and until now incurable disease, which affects, especially women in reproductive period. In the West, its treatment is educational, essentially medication, with administration of anti-inflammatories, antimalarials and immunosuppressants. For Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Lupus is above all a syndromic imbalance, which varies according to its manifestation. The set of these disorders is classified as deterioration of the Spleen (Pi) and Heart (Xin), weakening of the Fire and the Door of Life. Treatment by MTC occurs with the administration of herbal medicines, diet therapies, acupuncture, massage, moxibustion, Qi Gong, magnetotherapy, wind therapy, flowers and others. YNSA (Yamamoto Neue Schädelakupunktur) is a somatotopic scalp therapy that, among other advantages, has access points to the 12 main meridians, bilaterally. Usually used in case of pain, neurological disorders and surgical conditions, it has its own diagnostic methods that also serve to monitor the treatment. Ryodoraku is the most sensitive and reproducible current diagnostic tool for identifying the average circulating energy in the meridians. This research aimed to identify the usefulness of YNSA in the treatment of lupus patients. In this process, the energy evolution of a patient with lupus considered severe was monitored, over 23 applications of YNSA. It was compared with the results of acupuncture with those of allopathy. With YNSA, in addition to relaxation and pain control, there was greater energy adequacy. The relevant gains over the 23 applications of YNSA, reaching three times the initial energy pattern, have almost completely retreated to exclusive treatment with allopathy. In effect, chloroquine diphosphate brought much more losses than gains.
TRANSPORT AND LOGISTIC INTEGRATION OF UKRAINE WITH THE WORLD TRANSPORT SYSTEM ON THE EXAMPLE OF PRIDNIPROVSK ECONOMIC REGION
Authors:   LLC «Alcohol and non-alcoholic plant «Dnepr», Ivanov Sergii , Razumova Hanna ,   Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs
Published: May 2022

The relevance of the study is supported by the fact that the domestic modern, developed transport and logistics system contributes to the extension of foreign trade relations and socio-economic progress of both individual regions and the country as a whole. The purpose of the article is to analyze the state of the transport and logistics system of the Dnieper River economic region and, using its case, formulate recommendations on the transport and logistics integration of Ukraine into the world transport system. The dynamics of freight transportation, transport and logistics system and transport infrastructure of the Dnieper economic region (the cases of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts) are analyzed. An approach to the development of the domestic transport sector and recommendations for the transport and logistics integration of Ukraine with the world transport system are formed. It is determined that the creation of transport and logistics clusters as one of the main conditions for stimulating the socio-economic progress of the country, regions and individual enterprises is promising at the meso-level or at the level of the economic region. It is proved that the Dnieper economic region has sufficient transport and logistics infra- structure, which can be the basis for the creation of a regional transport and logistics cluster. The formation of such a transport and logistics cluster can be the foundation and model for the creation of similar clusters in other economic regions of Ukraine. The study notes that the optimal growth area of the transport sector of Ukraine is the creation of a multidisciplinary and multifunctional integrated transport and logistics system, which will ensure the integration of the domestic transport complex into international transport and logistics systems. The transport and logistics integration of Ukraine and the world transport system should be aimed at increasing transit through the country, which requires the development of logistics complexes within the country according to international standards, the organization of a system of national transport corridors of the appropriate level and thus the attraction of domestic and external (international) sources of financing. The above requires the development and implementation of measures aimed at protecting the national interests of Ukraine in the system of international transport corridors.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE VIABILITY OF CRYPTOCURRENCIES
Authors:   Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ohinok Solomiya , Yanko Kristyna ,   Lviv Polytechnic National University
Published: May 2022

Summary. Today, the relevance of cryptocurrency has risen sharply again. The cryptocurrency market has increased and is in no hurry to fall. However, this topic is still ambiguous and surrounded by many myths. Before becoming a stable means of payment, the cryptocurrency began to resemble financial instruments. After all, it is more common to invest in cryptocurrency than to use it when shopping. Despite many different types of cryptocurrencies, they have very similar shortcomings that may prevent them from continuing to emerge in the financial market. To understand the place of blockchain technology among financial instruments, it is necessary to delve into the technical features of this phenomenon and identify possible solutions to the problems underlying the underlying technology and philosophers of the decentralized payment system. The main concern and, at the same time, the advantage of cryptocurrencies is their limited number. In this way, the digital currency acquires values such as gold or silver. This paper raises the question of the viability of digital money as a financial instrument and a means of payment. After all, it is assumed that after extracting the maximum amount of a cryptocurrency, it will cease to exist as a blockchain will no longer be supported by miners. The paper proposes a scientific approach to determining the place and role of cryptocurrency as a payment instrument. The emergence of the cryptocurrency market is considered because it is regarded as a new stage in the development of financial relations. Existing types of cryptocurrencies are analyzed, which are improved examples of previous versions. However, this topic is ambiguous because in many countries, the virtual currency has an inaccurate legal status or no legal status, which is why the life cycle of cryptocurrencies was studied, on the example of the most successful today. To determine the place of cryptocurrencies in the system of financial instruments and their properties, the main idea, and basis of the technical features of this phenomenon were analyzed.
CONCEPTUAL ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC SECURITY STRATEGY AS A KEY ELEMENT OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS IN THE FIELD OF ENSURING GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY
Authors:   Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Khrystenko Larysa , Chorna Olga ,   Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Suprun Yuliia ,   Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University
Published: May 2022

The study proves the importance of agricultural holdings as large diversified economic units of the agroindustrial complex in ensuring food security at the national and global levels. It is concluded that the importance of strategic management in the activities of agricultural holdings has become particularly relevant due to the increased influence of several significant negative external factors such as the global pandemic COVID-19 and hostilities, first in eastern Ukraine and then throughout Ukraine. It is noted that the main tool of strategic management is a strategy in the form of a separate plan or system of plans. Economic security is considered as a set of favorable conditions for the realization of the interests of the economic entity through: maintaining the possibility of its sustainable development in accordance with the stated mission and objectives; the ability to maintain and increase competitiveness through the formation of competitive advantages; improving the efficiency of functioning and financial and economic stability; ensuring invulnerability to existing and potential threats to the entity. A scientific and theoretical study of the concept and content of the category «economic security strategy» of the economic entity has been carried out. The definition of the concept of «economic security strategy» is given, which is seen as an additional element dependent and logically built into the general system of the strategy of an economic entity, aimed at realizing long-term goals of ensuring economic security through certain measures, which creates favorable conditions for its interests. Clarifications of certain conceptual aspects concerning special conditions of the state, functioning and development of agroholdings are formulated. Proposals have been generated to focus on significant points to be taken into account when forming an appropriate integrated (package) version of the economic security strategy of the agricultural holding on a list of specific characteristics depending on the development strategy and competitive strategy activated on the agricultural holding.
АНАЛІЗ ІСНУЮЧИХ ЗАСОБІВ ДІАГНОСТИКИ ДЛЯ КАНАТА ЗІ ЗМІННИМ ПЕРЕТИНОМ: ОГЛЯД
Authors: Швачка Ангеліна
Published: May 2022

В роботі проведено аналіз способів діагностики для канатів зі змінним поперечним перерізом. Було встановлено, що існують певні види дефектів, при яких виникають сигнали та передаються на датчик при пориві троса. За цими результатами запропоновано діагностувати канати за допомогою електричним опором та розробити прилад. Отже, діагностування полягає в підведенні напруги до кінців тросів канату за обраними схемами й в заданій послідовності, встановлення величини струму, що виникає в провідниках, яких підведено напругу, аналізі певних струмів, надання інформації про стан тросів і, при необхідності, зупинки машини. Отримані сигнали можуть бути використані, як діагностичні параметри при контролі стану тросів канату спеціальною системою автоматичного виявлення розриву тросів гумотросового каната. Підвищення безпеки експлуатації підіймальних машин, зокрема ліфтів, можна досягти шляхом забезпечення безперервного та автоматичного, контролю тягової спроможності канатів – цілісності їх тягових елементів тросів. Відомо, що система контролю працює з формулюванням, передачею та обробкою сигналу. На теперішній час одним з достатньо надійним та технологічно простим в отриманні передачі та обробки є електричний сигнал. Гумотросовий канат виготовлений з металевих тросів, запресованих в гумову оболонку. Основною причиною втрати тягової спроможності гумотросового каната є розрив тросів. Наслідком такого розриву є зміна електропровідності каната. Вказані властивості гумотросового каната дозволяють застосувати метод контролю стану каната по зміні його електропровідності. Такий метод може діяти автоматично та практично безперервно, оскільки в ньому руйнування тросу каната змінює – генерує електричний сигнал, який легко передавати та обробляти в автоматичному режимі, а при потребі, давати сигнал на зупинку ліфта, чим забезпечити безпеку його експлуатації.
THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF MANAGEMENT OF INFORMAL GROUPS IN THE ORGANIZATION
Authors:   Vinnytsia Institute University ", Shved Vadym ,   Ukraine", Omelchenko Olena ,   Vinnytsia Institute University "Ukraine", Sheremeta Olha ,   Vinnytsia Institute University "Ukraine"
Published: May 2022

The purpose of the article is to critically analyze the essence of informal groups in an organization and update the mechanisms for managing such groups. First of all, the approaches to understanding the essence of the informal groups themselves and the basis of their existence are analyzed. Attention is also paid to the analysis of key management tools and methods of influencing informal groups in the organization. The achievement of the goal set in the article is carried out using such general scientific and special research methods as: analysis, synthesis, the method of logical generalization and grouping. The positive and negative features of informal groups in the organization are analyzed. The main groups of factors influencing informal groups, such as: size, composition, group norms, cohesion, conflict, status and like-mindedness, have been identified, and the nature of the influence of these factors has been studied. The general mechanism of formation and key aspects of managing informal groups are given. The main rules for managing informal groups and aspects of managing informal groups in an organization have been updated with a further definition of the main management tools and methods for managing informal groups. Attention is focused on the logical sequence of compliance with the rules for managing informal groups. The characteristics of the identified tools and methods of influencing informal groups with the definition of the main advantages and disadvantages are given. The authors refer to such methods: the method of brainstorming, the method of nominal groups, the method of expert assessments. In turn, to the tools: training, adherence to consultations, loyalty and others. The use in practice of the proposed theoretical and methodological approaches will optimize personnel management in the organization, reduce conflict potential and increase labor productivity. Sufficient attention is paid to methods of influencing informal groups, which will make it possible to qualitatively manage informal groups, providing psychological balance and increasing the efficiency of the organization as a whole.
INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION ON HOTEL RATING BY CLIENTS
Authors:   Uman National University of Horticulture, Tereshchuk Nataliya
Published: May 2022

Economic growth in modern conditions is accompanied increasing anthropogenic load on the environment, depletion natural resources, which generally limits the prospects for further development of agricultural formations as business entities. Given this is important acquires "greening" of economic activity, competitive development of socio-economic systems based on "green" economy. Economic levers today are not able to fully ensure the quality parameters of enterprise development, and therefore, need to be strengthened by other components of economic growth, in particular environmental growth. Current trends in society consider strengthening the interaction with the environment, growth demand for ecological housing, clothing made of natural fabrics, food from organic products etc. Thanks to awareness and environmental responsibility, most of the population directs its activities to the "natural" sphere, to organize environmentally friendly business. A promising direction for Ukraine's economy has now become the development of the tourism business, in particular eco-hotel entrepreneurship. The hotel industry is an integral part of the tourism industry. The rapid growth in the number of hotels and the exacerbation of problems associated with the development of the hospitality industry in Ukraine make us talk about the need for change and the search for new vectors of their development. In this article we will analyze the impact on hotels of the environmental certification system by customers based on a comparison of customer ratings of hotels in Ukraine with or without a certificate. Eco-enterprises of the hospitality industry of Ukraine mostly adhere to partial eco-certification. In general, guests rate hotels with a certificate higher than those that do not have an eco-certificate. The paper substantiates the most effective ways to increase the competitiveness of eco-hotels, namely the ability to inform the public about the significant contribution that the hotel makes to the welfare of the country, region, specific area, will increase the competitiveness of the hotel.
DAIRY INDUSTRY OF UKRAINE: ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT
Authors:   National University of Food Technologies, Mykhailenko Olha
Published: May 2022

The article considers the development trends of the dairy industry, as it is one of the leading branches of the food industry. The dairy industry is one of the leading branches of the food industry, the development of which combines interests as dairy producers, producers of raw materials for dairy production processes and consumers, and products are an important part of human diet because they meet physiological and organoleptic needs of many valuable nutrients. Based on the research of domestic and foreign scientists, the problems of effective functioning of the dairy industry of Ukraine and the main factors influencing the development of the global dairy industry that will stimulate it to further structural changes were identified. But in the process of researching the industry during the years of Ukraine's independence, both positive and negative trends were identified. The study of the state of the industry conducted a SWOT analysis (which identifies the strengths and potential of both individual companies and the industry as a whole) to develop marketing strategies that, in the long run, can neutralize external threats and reduce the impact of negative environmental factors) and PEST analysis. According to the author, the use of the latter is becoming more relevant today, as its political component has acquired a new, important element – force majeure, caused by hostilities in Ukraine. Therefore, in the future, in our opinion, this will have a significant impact on political reforms, and changes in legislation on the dairy industry, and on changes in tax legislation and state regulation of competition in the dairy industry. The main directions of improving development should be state support, modernization of production facilities, creation of training centers for the industry, expanding the range of domestic producers through the introduction of new technologies in production and their use and achieving quality in line with international standards. But the availability of favorable natural conditions, traditions and technologies of milk production and processing, fodder base, infrastructure, developed selection, breeding fund will allow national producers to compete in domestic and foreign markets, bring and profit, successfully export our products to markets around the world existing today.
РОЗВИТОК СІТІ-ФЕРМЕРСТВА В УКРАЇНІ ЯК ПЕРСПЕКТИВНИЙ ШЛЯХ ПОДОЛАННЯ ПРОДОВОЛЬЧОЇ КРИЗИ
Authors: Дудяк Н.В. , Баруліна І.Ю.
Published: May 2022

У статті розглядаються основні проблеми, які може вирішити розвиток ринку сіті-фермерства. До уваги було взято прогнози ООН, які свідчать, що до 2050 року населення світу становитиме понад 9 мільярдів осіб, тому постає питання продовольчої безпеки. Вже сьогодні частка місцевого населення більш ніж удвічі перевищує сільське і цей процес буде продовжувати рости. Людство має шукати альтернативні способи землеробства, більш екологічні, продуктивніші та надійніші. Для вирішення цих проблем на початку ХХ століття почали створюватися міські ферми, що вирощують продукти харчування в межах міста, це, так звані, сіті-ферми, які дозволяють отримувати більший та екологічно безпечний врожай з меншої площі при значному зниженні витрат на доставку до кінцевого споживача. У статті подано короткий аналітичний опис існуючих сіті-ферм в Україні та вітчизняних розробників автоматизованого обладнання для їх облаштування. Встановлено, що питання перспективи розвитку сіті-фермерства в Україні, а особливо з економічної точки зору, практично не висвітлюється у публікаціях вітчизняних науковців, відсутні змістовні дослідження ринку сіті-фермерства тому дане питання є досить актуальним та потребує подальшого дослідження.
CRITERIA AND PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE PUBLIC GOVERNANCE SYSTEM
Authors: Скібіна Т.І.
Published: May 2022

Today, Ukraine suffers from military aggression by the Russian Federation, destroying social, economic, technological, environmental, and political systems. One of the current areas that require scientific substantiation and revision is the validity and efficiency of government decisions, state programs, and public administration in general. Thus, there is an objective need for research aimed at improving the public administration efficiency. The article deals with the scientific and theoretical principles of an effective public administration to achieve long-term national goals, solve key social, economic, political problems, and crisis management. The general criteria to be met by an effective system of public administration is formed, namely: to increase efficiency and reduce costs in the public administration; to promote the achievement of the activity goal with minimal material, resource, labor costs; to satisfy the needs of society by the management results; to be adapted to crisis phenomena; to have economically expedient functioning and positive impact on the activity results of the national level.
Selective Segmentation Model for Vector-Valued Images
Authors: Mohd Ghani Noor Ain Syazwani , Jumaat Abdul Kadir
Published: May 2022

One of the most important steps in image processing and computer vision for image analysis is segmentation, which can be classified into global and selective segmentations. Global segmentation models can segment whole objects in an image. Unfortunately, these models are unable to segment a specific object that is required for extraction. To overcome this limitation, the selective segmentation model, which is capable of extracting a particular object or region in an image, must be prioritised. Recent selective segmentation models have shown to be effective in segmenting greyscale images. Nevertheless, if the input is vector-valued or identified as a colour image, the models simply ignore the colour information by converting that image into a greyscale format. Colour plays an important role in the interpretation of object boundaries within an image as it helps to provide a more detailed explanation of the scene’s objects. Therefore, in this research, a model for selective segmentation of vector-valued images is proposed by combining concepts from existing models. The finite difference method was used to solve the resulting Euler-Lagrange (EL) partial differential equation of the proposed model. The accuracy of the proposed model’s segmentation output was then assessed using visual observation as well as by using two similarity indices, namely the Jaccard (JSC) and Dice (DSC) similarity coefficients. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model is capable of successfully segmenting a specific object in vector-valued images. Future research on this area can be further extended in three-dimensional modelling.
A Hybrid K-Means Hierarchical Algorithm for Natural Disaster Mitigation Clustering
Authors: Prasetyadi Abdurrakhman , Nugroho Budi , Tohari Adrin
Published: May 2022

Cluster methods such as k-means have been widely used to group areas with a relatively equal number of disasters to determine areas prone to natural disasters. Nevertheless, it is difficult to obtain a homogeneous clustering result of the k-means method because this method is sensitive to a random selection of the centers of the cluster. This paper presents the result of a study that aimed to apply a proposed hybrid approach of the combined k-means algorithm and hierarchy to the clustering process of anticipation level datasets of natural disaster mitigation in Indonesia. This study also added keyword and disaster-type fields to provide additional information for a better clustering process. The clustering process produced three clusters for the anticipation level of natural disaster mitigation. Based on the validation from experts, 67 districts/cities (82.7%) fell into Cluster 1 (low anticipation), nine districts/cities (11.1%) were classified into Cluster 2 (medium), and the remaining five districts/cities (6.2%) were categorized in Cluster 3 (high anticipation). From the analysis of the calculation of the silhouette coefficient, the hybrid algorithm provided relatively homogeneous clustering results. Furthermore, applying the hybrid algorithm to the keyword segment and the type of disaster produced a homogeneous clustering as indicated by the calculated purity coefficient and the total purity values. Therefore, the proposed hybrid algorithm can provide relatively homogeneous clustering results in natural disaster mitigation.
Botnet Detection in IoT Devices Using Random Forest Classifier with Independent Component Analysis
Authors: Akash Nazmus Sakib , Rouf Shakir , Jahan Sigma , Chowdhury Amlan , Uddin Jia
Published: May 2022

With rapid technological progress in the Internet of Things (IoT), it has become imperative to concentrate on its security aspect. This paper represents a model that accounts for the detection of botnets through the use of machine learning algorithms. The model examined anomalies, commonly referred to as botnets, in a cluster of IoT devices attempting to connect to a network. Essentially, this paper exhibited the use of transport layer data (User Datagram Protocol - UDP) generated through IoT devices. An intelligent novel model comprising Random Forest Classifier with Independent Component Analysis (ICA) was proposed for botnet detection in IoT devices. Various machine learning algorithms were also implemented upon the processed data for comparative analysis. The experimental results of the proposed model generated state-of-the-art results for three different datasets, achieving up to 99.99% accuracy effectively with the lowest prediction time of 0.12 seconds without overfitting. The significance of this study lies in detecting botnets in IoT devices effectively and efficiently under all circumstances by utilizing ICA with Random Forest Classifier, which is a simple machine learning algorithm.
Public land leasing: an instrument of land value capture to promote urban development and housing in the GTHA
Authors: Papernick Joshua
Published: May 2022

Leasing public land has become an increasingly common practice for governments wishing to retain control over significant public assets while being able to capture land values, promote urban development, as well as create opportunities to address social needs in the community. Although several instruments of land value capture currently exist, there is limited implementation of public land leasing in the GTHA. The strategic use of land is needed in order to execute important city building initiatives, and there are few regions better positioned to take advantage of this tool. As population projections continue to rise sharply, public land will be a critical resource to sustainably grow these metropolitan areas. 

Urban planners and public authorities can take advantage of ground leasing models to facilitate land redevelopment, affordable housing, and transit-oriented development. However, ideal conditions must still be instituted before cities can successfully capitalize these benefits. The research presented in this paper aims to provide an understanding of the land leasing model in a local and international context in order to help cities and urban planners better comprehend its potential and avoid missed opportunities in the GTHA. 

Key words: public land leasing, urban development, land value capture, implementation policy
Portals for planners: current state of open land development data in Canada
Authors: Henriques Santessa
Published: May 2022

As municipalities struggle to keep up with the rising amount of development applications and population growth, open data has been overlooked as a solution to improve the development review process. This paper explores the current role of open data portals in providing land development data in five large urban centres in Canada, assessing the issue of availability. A set of 10 land development datasets, from an urban planning perspective, was investigated, as well as a case-study analysis on the respective municipalities open data history and initiatives. It was found that land development data is more prevalent in larger populated cities; simple geographic location points are common; and there is inconsistency within each municipality on how information is released publicly. Through these findings, recommendations were made for various municipal staff members to address the challenges in opening essential land development data.  Key words: open data; open data portal; open government; urban development

 
Searching for a Shoreline
Authors: Acharjee Sumi
Published: May 2022

Search theory has a long history that dates back to the 50’s. In this work, we focus on the two-dimensional search problem where n unit speed robots starting from the origin move along their own trajectories to find a line. The search algorithm terminates when any of the robots discovers the line for the first time. Our main objective is to minimize the worst case relative time until the first searcher hits the line. In this thesis, we do the competitive analysis of the two-dimensional search problem for n ≥ 2 and restudy the existing upper bounds for n ≥ 2. We improve the best lower bound known [8] for n = 2 robots from 1.5993 to 3. Also, we prove the first lower bound for n = 3 which is √  3. For n ≥ 4 we prove the lower bound of 1 cos(π/n) which  matches the best upper bound known.
Technical, economical, and environmental feasibility of air source heat pump in cold climate for residential houses -Canada
Authors: Tung King
Published: May 2022

With increasing concern towards global warming and the deadline of the Paris Agreement 2030 coming up, Canada is struggling to meet the desired greenhouse gas emission reductions. As new energy-efficient technology emerges, heating systems in Canada starts to move away from natural gas heating systems to efficient electrical heating systems such as air source heat pump. Though there are many studies related to reducing space heating, there are few studies performed on transitional technologies that are designed to slowly shift from natural gas-dependent society to an electrically powered society. This study analyses a smart switching system for a natural gas and air source heat pump dual system, and a cold climate air source heat pump water heater. These systems can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to a typical natural gas-fired heater. With these technologies Canada’s residential sector could potentially meet Canada’s Paris Agreement goals.
A review of closed-loop supply chain and reverse logistics models
Authors: Eldali Miqdad Nidal
Published: May 2022

Closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) have been studied extensively in the literature due to the cost and environmental optimization in operations. CLSC consists of forward and reverse supply chains. This paper reviews the literature of CLSC networks. 223 peer-reviewed articles that have been published in international journals from 1997 to 2020 are gathered and analysed. The aim is to answer the following main questions: (i) What is the problem domain in CLSC? (ii) Which techniques are utilized frequently in CLSC? (iii) What elements, variables, and objectives are the main focus in the field? (iv) What are the gaps in the literature? After reviewing the literature, observations are provided. Finally, the evaluations conclude suggested improvements and potential future directions in the research field.  Keywords: Supply chain management (SCM); Closed-loop supply chain (CLSC); Reverse logistics (RL); Uncertainty; Game theory
Evaluation of Efficiency in Ontario Universities Using Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Ghimire Sarad
Published: May 2022

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a popular operation research technique for determining the relative efficiency of non-profit organizations. The main goal of this study is to develop a unique stochastic DEA model to evaluate the efficiency of Ontario universities using some inputs and outputs. It focuses on the stochastic measure because service industries like universities are interested in qualitative outputs whose measurement through deterministic model seems non-practicable. The results of this study show that the selection of inputs and outputs plays a crucial role in determining the ranks of universities using DEA. 

Keywords: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA); Universities; Canada; Stochastic models; Optimization
What can listening do?
Authors: Munro Kim
Published: May 2022

Documentary has traditionally been used and understood as a communicative tool to frame and impart knowledge about a subject matter. For Paula Rabinowitz, documentary’s “purpose is to speak and confer value on the objects it speaks about” (1994). But what other functions might documentary have if it were to draw attention to how we can also listen? 
Over the past twenty-five year, listening scholarship has focused on a number of domains including the public sphere (Lacey 2013), participatory democracy (Bickford 1996; Couldry 2010), and media practices (Dreher 2009).  Yet, while ‘voice’ as authorship and social participation has been well theorised in documentary, there has been little scholarly attention given to how audiences listen, and what strategies creators can use to evoke different ways of listening. The possibilities for listening as an active role in documentary have further been enhanced through interactive technologies. 
 In this presentation, I draw on my current research and practice around the possibilities for interactive and expanded documentary to promote listening as a way to attend to ethical and political questions. Listening is not a singular action, rather, it can fulfill multiple functions.  I propose that practices of listening can reframe the self as collective, reveal multiple co-existing narratives, counter erasure, promote engagement with difference and destabilise a anthropocentric perspective. Drawing on frameworks which include political, non-representational and sound theory, I ground my propositions through a range of interactive and immersive documentaries from the past ten years, each of which attempts to implicate the audience in new and responsible relationships to the historical and phenomenological world.
Rehearsing Posthumanism
Authors: Sikau Lea
Published: May 2022

In this paper, I explore the rehearsal process of a new opera production about mind uploading by the composer, librettist, and director Michel van der Aa, called Upload. It was produced at the Dutch National Opera in Spring and premiered at the Bregenzer Festspiele in July 2021. As an ethnographer and writer for the Opera Forward Festival, I attended two months on site in the rehearsal spaces in Amsterdam and conducted twelve interviews with the production team. Drawing on Upload as the main case study for this presentation, my key intervention lies in proposing a methodology for examining operas that explore new, digital technology not only on stage but in processes of rehearsal. By focusing on an opera on posthumanism, I seek to shed light on how nonhuman and human materialities collide and learn to intertwine – beyond the dichotomy of vision and with a focus on the sonosphere of the rehearsal space – over the course of eight weeks. Due to Upload’s extensive use of new technology in the rehearsal space, this production challenges operatic production logics. It brings both wanted and parasitic sounds to the rehearsal.
The posthuman, or after-human, setting disperses agential connections between humans and machines. By eliciting new modes of collaborating with machines within the operatic framework, this piece offers ways of reconsidering the notion of the Gesamtkunstwerk in 21st-century operas. Focusing on rehearsal ethnography, I extend the concept of the operatic work beyond the score and the performance. By theorizing present rehearsal practices in their moment of emergence, I explore what it means to rehearse with an avatar in a posthuman setting. To enter this debate, I explore ways of knowing through the audible space, drawing on Steven Feld’s concept of acoustemology, as well as Jane Bennett’s notion of ‘vibrant matter’ that argues for the agency of nonhuman materialities. Moreover, I investigate the figure of the avatar, one of the epitomes of posthumanism, through taking on a science and technology studies lens. By drawing on the notion of experimental systems introduced by Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, I dissect how the avatar turns the operatic rehearsal from a production machinery with technical objects into an experimental system with unknown variables, called epistemic things. The opera deals with uploading your mind to a server, turning it into an avatar, and losing your physical body in the process. In the opera, the father turns into an avatar while his daughter remains in the world we know. Content-wise, this operatic work circles around the human in their entanglement with new media, specifically focusing on virtual realities. It sheds light on the friction arising when technology and human collide in novel ways, leading beyond binary discussions of non-human or human, virtual, or material. How does the artistic focus on a tech-driven chimera reconfigure the entire rehearsal process – even to the extent that I scribbled 'silent' as the very first fieldnote?
Paintings Alive
Authors: Wetzel Victoria , Zioga Polina
Published: May 2022

To reach younger audiences, museums worldwide have incorporated interactive and hands-on activities, while some venues specialise in children as their main audience. Videos, in particular, can be easily integrated in the museum space and provide a variety of application possibilities. Their use creates a hybrid experience for the visitor in which the interaction between physical and digital elements transforms and enriches their experience of the exhibits. Furthermore, the use of interactive technologies has been proven to increase visitor numbers and interactions on- and off-site. In this context, our research focuses on the use of interactive video technologies, and factors that can lead into the design of engaging and user-friendly museum experiences for children. To achieve this, a museum was chosen as a case study and a survey was conducted. The results indicated that the creation of an interactive video could benefit the areas that were visited less; the preferable length is rather short; while hands-on and video installations promote and prolong the engagement of young visitors, and are favoured by both younger and older children. Additionally, fictional or dramatised stories are attractive to children compared to documentaries; and it would be preferrable to access the interactive content on their mobile devices. These have led to the production of Paintings Alive, an interactive film for children, based on the museum’s art gallery, and accessible on the visitors’ mobile devices. Our paper also discusses the findings of the project, alongside the challenges and limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers recommendations for future work.
Hybridity and Agency in Interactive Comic Books
Authors: Sayılgan Özge
Published: May 2022

This paper focuses on interactive and animated comic books as visual storytelling medium. With the rise of digital media, previous forms and methods of storytelling has been changed and reformed in hybridity and/or as emerging medium.  Like movies, documentaries, games; comic books gained digital, moving, and interactive levels to be described and examined.
This research aims to analyze interactivity maps to reach forms of interactivity used in selected comic books as examples representing emerged types of this media under various names such as motion comics, interactive comics, hyper comics, interactive game comics and web comics.
As Goodbrey (2007) states different types of comics in the scope of hybridization and digitality of the medium, a distinction between levels of interactivity in video games is offered in digital game theory. Digital types of comic books are not all interactive in the sense of content and may be more linear than a printed “choose your own adventure” comic book like Eight Grade Witch (Gaska et. al, 2021).  With digitality of the medium, interactivity is set firstly in form providing an agency for the interactor by turning the pages or making the reader click on pages. Some examples, such as web comics expands the medium to develop an interactivity between text and audience; some of them became more interactive providing more agency on the page; some are interactive in content and others converge comics books with games and redefine the medium with play at the center. Main question guiding the research is how they provide different forms of interactive of storytelling. Meanwhile: An Interactive Comic Book (Zarfhome Software, 2018), Framed (Noodlecake Studios, 2014), Florence (Mountains Studio, 2018) and Our Plague Year (Burton, 2022) are selected examples representing different forms of digital comic books and interactive – sequential storytelling to be analyzed comparatively within the scope of this research. In conclusion interactivity forms and maps are exposed and discussed through Sheldon’s interactivity categories. The epistemology of interactivity is reconsidered with an analysis of interactive and animated comic books which combine various media and provide distinct ways of hybridity.
Listening as act of response-ability
Authors: Jaeckel Monika
Published: May 2022

The central question of reverberating interferences – explorations into thingness, a recent performative research project, pertains to listening. Asking "How do things speak?" inspired investigation into what constitutes a thing, revealing potential imbalances arising from western metaphysics' denial of other matters' agency. Karen Barad's term of intra-action, which depicts a physicist-materialist interpretation of entanglement, is used to investigate this distortion theoretically and open up the question, “how can we listen?”
Based on the conceptual framework of motion, the project's methodological focus was on the patterns of movement and countermovement created by human and animal bodies as intertwined indeterminacy (Barad) and the uncertainty of change (Rose). The aim of amplifying these ongoing interference reverberations before they become sedimentary and ingrained in planetary memory was to raise awareness that these interferences are manifestations of human and non-human planetary others, which include all mattering forms. Considering these 'noises' as an opaque, if not insignificant, voicing implies that what western modernity's metaphysics has declared non-belonging and irrelevant nevertheless matters in its warped and diverted forms. Movement-based intra-actions (Barad) are thus launched as audible noise, amplified via digital sensory devices as audible acoustic signals of resonant interferences.
The project attempts to address a critical problematic in knowledge production intending to shift from a one one-world view (Law) towards a pluriversal approach. Emphasizing new materialism’s notion of situatedness establishes an opacity in which the researchers (performers) must confront their inability to classify ‘things’ outside of their educational epistemic realm. The flattening of de- and inhuMan categorizations (Wynter, 2015; Singh, 2018) necessitates a strategy to engage with other knowledges without appropriating them through 'our' inherited way of thinking. By considering critical positionality (Robinson), the notion of noise became an experimental indicator of the unknown or ignored. Noise increases the variability of information in information theory, with both extremes of too much or too little indicating a shift in the system’s exchange towards overload or flat sameness (Thompson, 2020; Malaspina, 2012).
Inquiring as to how to facilitate a system's (ex)change with and towards the disregarded, suppressed, or simply denied, I wonder if allowing noise can enable a more balanced interaction with other matter and its knowings.