bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural law and principles of sustainable development of nature and society in a heterogeneous landscape environment
Authors: Cherkashin A K
Published: November 2019

Axioms of natural law are revealed using principles of sustainable development of nature and society and taking into account the heterogeneity of the geographical environment reflected in landscape maps. In the axiomatic system, the environmental characteristics are not considered, and the laws are interpreted in a “pure” form as the laws of internal freedom of sustainable development of social systems. Axioms of natural law occur through the interpretation of the laws of the general systems theory in terms of the activity theory. The postulates of sustainable development determine the need to preserve nature, save sustained economic growth and maintain accelerated free development of society. In mathematics, the number of independent coordinates that completely determine the position of objects in space is called the number of freedom degrees. In this case, a high degree of freedom of life is a prerequisite for freedom in the socio-political and ethical terms as freedom of will in the local space of activity determined by the external environment. This is the geopolitical essence of landscape planning as well as legal zoning and territorial land-use policy where the same legal laws are manifested in different ways in different locations, taking into account local geographical restrictions.
Pine nut collection facilities in oil and gas development areas
Authors: Dugarova G B
Published: November 2019

The total area under the Siberian stone pine forests in Russia is 39.5 million hectares, 57.2% of which are in Eastern Siberia, including 17.5% in Irkutsk region. However, human economic activities lead to a permanent reduction in the area of Siberian stone pine forests. For example, many Siberian cities emerged in places where Siberian stone pines once flourished. Mass fires are cause enormous damage to pine nut gathering. Exploration and development of the Kovykta gas and condensate field also led to the reduction in the area of Siberian stone pine forests and in yields. In this article we have presented the retrospective analysis of pine nut business to identify its features and significance for the area, to determine the possibility of its revival. The authors provided the analysis of pine nut business on example of Zhigalovskii fir farm (FF) in Irkutsk region. It has been found that pine seeds harvesting was inefficient during the Soviet time although there were a lot of activities for the organization of pine nut business. We believe that despite the existing problems, pine nut business has the necessary prerequisites for development and great demand. Pine nut business is considered as an alternative to illegal logging. Based on that experience the prospects for development of local economy are considered
Environmental and medical and social factors in the quality of life, reproductive health of the population: Priamurye as a case study
Authors: Grigorieva E A , Sukhoveeva A B
Published: November 2019

Quality of life (QL) is one of the most important indicators of human wellbeing and health. We have developed the systematic approach to analyze natural, environmental, medical and social features of the region. We were aimed to study the factors affecting the QL of pregnant women and women of reproductive age: assessment of drinking water quality, medical and social situation in rural and urban areas of Priamurye. To assess the quality of drinking and surface water, 64 samples were analyzed in different functional zones of five settlements; a sociological survey of women of reproductive age and pregnant women was carried out to study the impact of medical, social and environmental factors on their health and quality of life. The results of the study have shown that the ecological state of surface water and underground drinking water is relatively satisfactory: there is an excess in iron and manganese, which is typical for the Ussuri geochemical province; barium content is insignificant. The use of groundwater for drinking purposes requires special purification. More than a half of women are satisfied with their health status; approximately 40% of women claim that high income can provide a certain set of goods and services necessary to maintain and strengthen their health potential.
Approach to Impact of Human Capital and Foreign Trade on Regional Economy Based on Threshold Estimation
Authors: Huang J , Li F
Published: November 2019

In the period of world economic integration and China’s economic reform, this paper takes R&D input intensity and FDI spillover as the threshold of human resources and foreign trade for economic growth to establish the threshold regression model to empirical analyze the relation between human resources, foreign trade and economic growth based on 2004-2015 Provincial Panel Data in China. Studies have shown that the contribution of human resources for economic growth by a significant effect of the threshold of R&D. With the increase of R&D input intensity, the relationship between high-quality human resources and economic development was a significant positive correlation. And with the improvement of the level of FDI spillover, the effects of foreign trade on economic growth become weakened. The research provides scientific basis and references for human resources management foreign trade policy establishment, ensuring the steady and healthy development of economy.
The development of social entrepreneurship in the territories of oil and gas condensate complex projects
Authors: Klepikova T V
Published: November 2019

The development of social entrepreneurship aims to solve problems of reducing social tension in society and raising the standard of living of the low-income segments of the population. Social entrepreneurship is a business, but the profit obtained is invested in further development, serving as a resource for achieving social goals. Social entrepreneurs create employment for local residents, socially disadvantaged groups of the population with subsequent reorientation to meet local social needs to create positive changes in society. The development of social entrepreneurship is an innovative solution for the interaction between the business community and the public. Representatives of Russia’s largest businesses such as Rosneft and Gazprom are implementing a program in Eastern Siberia, which has become a powerful engine for the socioeconomic development of the Eastern regions of our country. Social investments of these companies are focused on social problems by increasing the level of social and business activity in the Eastern regions of the Russian Federation. The adoption of the law on legal regulation in the field of social entrepreneurship in July 2019 will allow socially responsible businesses to realize the support of social entrepreneurs with new expanded opportunities.
Pattern of National Financial Industry along the Belt and Road with China Strategy
Authors: Li F J , Liu Q , Dong S C , Cheng H , Yang Y , Bilgaev A , Boldanov T , Tsydypov B , Ayurzhanaev A
Published: November 2019

“Silk Road Economic Zone” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” strategic conception is China’s response to today’s complex international geopolitical and economic situation, to combat the international economic crisis, to build a sustainable development of the new international political and economic order Major strategic conception. The implementation of the strategy of “one way” provides an important strategic opportunity for the construction of a new international financial industry in China and a new pattern. Through the analysis of the development pattern of the financial industry along the area and way, the possible future development trend and potential, proposed: to promote the financial opening up, and build our leading overseas financial organizations; implementation of cross-border financial support program, focusing on “Field and people’s livelihood projects to carry out cross-border financial assistance; take the initiative to participate in the reform of the international monetary system to speed up the international development of the RMB; conducive to cross-border financing integration of specialized and systematic financial system and other strategic countermeasures and suggestions. It is of great practical significance and decision-making reference value to play a better role in supporting the “one way” strategy and promoting the implementation of the strategy of “one way”.
The “Mercury breathing” of the Baikal rift zone according to the study of tree annual rings (on the example of Tunkinskaya depression)
Authors: Lyapina E E , Tursunalieva E M , Rikhvanov L P , Yusupov D V
Published: November 2019

The work evaluates the general distribution of mercury in the rings of trees of the Tunkinskaya depression (the Republic of Buryatia, the national park “Tunkinsky”).The used methods of dendrochronology and dendrogeochemistry allow us to estimate the contribution of different factors affecting the quality of the environment and ascertain the history of natural components pollution. In this research, the phenomenon of natural degassing of mercury in the Baikal Rift Zone (BRZ) according to the study of annual tree rings is considered. The BRZ covers 13 large parallel lobes separated from each other by high mountain ridges and bridges. Geodynamic activity of the zone is shown by contrast relief transformation and high seismicity. High tectonic and seismic activity causes the “output” of mercury to the surface. The dynamics of Hg concentration changes in the Tunkinskaya lobe for more then half a century was observed. The average mercury content in the sample was 7 ng/g, the max – 35ng/g. The max concentration is detected in areas of the territory associated with free tectonic faults. The connection between the peaks of high mercury concentration in wood and periods of major earthquakes was detected.
Analysis of regional traffic dominance based on different indicators – taking Shandong Province as an example
Authors: Meng D , Li Y , Dong S , Zheng J
Published: November 2019

Taking Shandong Province as an example, select prefecture-level cities and county towns as research nodes, and use traffic network density (road network), proximity, and accessibility indicators to construct a comprehensive evaluation model of regional traffic dominance, using GIS network analysis and IDW. Spatial interpolation technique quantitatively analysed the spatial characteristics of the transportation network in Shandong Province. Through the spatial distribution characteristics of Shandong Province’s traffic dominance, the results show that the traffic dominance is closely related to the level of economic development, forming a spatial structure centred on Jinan and Qingdao. The single indicator to indicate the traffic dominance has certain limitations. And there is high spatial coupling between traffic dominance and economic development. The density of the traffic network is limited by the topography and geomorphology. The accessibility is closely related to the choice of the central city and the location of the county. Qingdao and Jinan, the spatial coupling between traffic network density and economic development level in Shandong Province is not high and some county and city in the central region have higher accessibility level but their economic development ranking is not advanced.
Provision of expert status for scientific institutions while making decisions on protection of Lake Baikal
Authors: Orlova I I
Published: November 2019

Creation of international and Russian legal basis of Lake Baikal preservation and examples of prevention of its ecosystem threats are determined by professionalism and consolidation of scientific community, joint actions of Russian and international experts and NGOs. The examples of inclusion of Lake Baikal into the World Heritage Site list, adoption of the federal law “On protection of Lake Baikal” and transfer of the “Eastern Siberia - Pacific Ocean” oil pipeline, show the central role of subjective factor in decision making by authorities and consideration of opinion of scientific and expert community. Interests and actions of authorities in regards to global threats to the Lake Baikal ecosystem are studied. Having defined scientific community as the only institution that is capable to find ecologically safe solutions for development of Baikal region, it is necessary to integrate functions of the science as an expert body in decision making by authorities. The article includes a set of measures for achieving of common positions of scientific community based on the Scientific council on Lake Baikal problems, and for achieving of legal support of the council’s status as an expert body which position is considered in governmental decision making for Lake Baikal.
Substantiation of the narrow-jet plasma technology for finishing cutting of steel sheets
Authors: Anakhov S V , Pugacheva N B , Bykova T M , Guzanov B N , Matushkin A V , Pykin Y A
Published: November 2019

The paper presents a study of the effect of the PMVR-5.2 plasma torch inclination angle on the cut surface profile, the structure and hardness of the material of the edge on 10 mm thick 09G2S steel plates. The plasma torch implements the narrow-jet technology. The heat-affected zones prove to have a gradient structure. When cutting is performed at an angle of 30°, there appear ∼500 μm thick edges with a 15 to 30 μm thick surface zone of structureless martensite having a microhardness of 900 HV 0.025 and a zone of fine-lamellar pearlite with a hardness of 350 HV 1. This requires mechanical removal of a 40 μm thick layer from the cut surface before subsequent welding. When the plasma torch is inclined at an angle of 90°, the quality of the edge material requires no mechanical removal of the heat-affected zone for subsequent welding.
New approaches to the rational manufacturing of combined constructions by EBW
Authors: Dragunov V K , Goncharov A L
Published: November 2019

Annotation

The paper derives a relation describing the shape of an electron beam axis affected by thermoelectric currents during welding of dissimilar materials. The treatise suggests a new method for determining the adjustment actions for preventing lack of penetration in the weld root and derives an expression for determining the critical degree of weld penetration during welding of dissimilar austenitic and pearlitic steels. The received results can be used to make high-quality welding connections of thick dissimilar materials by eliminating incomplete penetration and ensuring necessary penetration degree of welded edges along the whole part thickness.
Development of electron-beam welding method with inserts
Authors: Kharitonov I A , Dragunov V K , Goncharov A L , Titarev E K , Portnov M A
Published: November 2019

The paper is devoted to the study of welded joints formation process both from homogeneous and dissimilar materials. The investigated welded joints were made by an electron beam using intermediate inserts of small thickness in a narrow gap. The influence of insert size as well as gap size on the stability of weld formation is shown. Electron beam oscillation configurations which eliminate incomplete penetration in weld root are determined. Values of thermal efficiency are experimentally found for different welding speeds. The results of structure study for dissimilar welded joints of plates from carbon steel 20 and austenitic corrosion-resistant AISI 316L steel are presented. The values of penetration rate for base and filler metal are calculated and experimentally confirmed.
Regularities of the influence of temperature and pressure on the grain size in the synthesized intermetallic compound Ni3Al
Authors: Ovcharenko V E , Akimov K O
Published: November 2019

The intermetallic compound Ni3AI (γ′-phase, ordered solid solution) is the main strengthening phase of nickel superalloys is, the content of which in modern superalloys reaches up to 0.89. The efficiency of the intermetallic phase as a heat-resistant component in large part limited by low ductility and by strength in a wide temperature range accordingly. An increase in strength limit of the intermetallic component is possible with a decrease in grain size less than a critical value, less than 10 microns. Application of the known methods of plastic deformation for refining an intermetallic grain is almost impossible, but it is physically justified in the period of the grain structure nucleation under non-equilibrium conditions of the exothermic reaction of an intermetallic compound formation in a powder mixture of nickel and aluminum. The retention of low-dimensional grain structure in the synthesized intermetallic compound is possible with combining the processes of crystallization and compaction of the high-temperature synthesis product. This paper presents the results of investigation of the influence of high-temperature synthesis product deformation on the formation of a grain structure in a Ni3Al intermetallic compound synthesized under pressure.
A 120-kV electron welding gun with plasma cathode: vacuum and non-vacuum application
Authors: Rempe N G
Published: November 2019

The article studies the generation of small-diameter focused electron beams using electron-optical system of a welding gun with plasma cathode. The results show that the beams always form in the electron-optical system with plasma cathode when the gas in the region of beam emission, acceleration and transportation is present. The presence of the gas causes positive volumetric charge formation during the passage of electrons. This charge electrically neutralizes the beam, and in some cases can lead to overcompensation of its electron charge. The compensation of the volumetric charge in the region of beam formation and acceleration is the principal discrepancy of an electron-optical system with plasma cathode from a thermal cathode system. It is demonstrated that the brightness of the electron beam from a plasma cathode gun meets that of the beams from a thermal cathode gun. The paper describes the electron gun featuring voltage up to 120 kV and presents images of polished samples of weld penetration in stainless steel and titanium in vacuum. The gun served as the basis of a device for ejecting electron beam into the atmosphere. It is shown that the pressure rise up to the atmospheric one is provided through two gas-dynamic stages. The main characteristics of the atmospheric gun are given.
Effect of ultrasonic impact treatment on redistribution of residual stresses in dissimilar thickness girth welds
Authors: Sidorov M M , Golikov N I
Published: November 2019

Effect of repeated ultrasonic impact treatment on redistribution of residual stresses in a dissimilar thickness girth butt weld of pipes with a diameter of 530 mm of low alloyed (0.9%C-2%Mn-1%Si) steel was studied. Residual stresses were measured by the X-ray method based on measurement of microdeformation of a crystal lattice of a material under its influence. The research results showed that tensile residual stresses in the girth weld were formed at the inner side of the pipe after welding. Ultrasonic impact treatment of the weld at the inner side caused complete transformation of residual stresses from tensile to compressive ones when speed was in the range from 0.06 to 0.12 m/min. However, reduce in speed of treatment down to 0.04 m/min gave a negative effect. The values of compressive residual stresses in heat affected zone on the side of the thinner pipe were decreased.
On the estimation of the reliability probabilistic model of railway wheelset
Authors: Spiroiu M A , Nicolescu M
Published: November 2019

In the present paper is made a comparison between various estimation methods for the reliability probabilistic model of the railway wheelset. The analysis is based on real field data, observed in actual operations of freight wagons. The Weibull distribution is used to model the reliability and the applied estimation methods are the Maximum Likelihood Method and the Regression Method.
Strategic outlook in industrial design assessment based on product category
Authors: Craciun A E
Published: November 2019

Assessing industrial design is an intricate process of product analysis which aims to establish the quality degree of a product and considers all its implications from technical restrictions to appearance. Industrial design is related to mass produced articles obtained through industrial processes and whether products are articles of adornment or machines, both technical and aesthetic dimensions are relevant and influence the design process. All types of industrial products can be assessed using a numerical method based on the same criteria, however the same principles have a different impact on various types of products. The author proposes a customized approach in order to achieve an objective assessment for different concepts of design.
Aspects on the study of nonlinear vibration phenomenon in friction welding with rotating active element
Authors: Dragomirescu C , Iliescu V
Published: November 2019

The friction welding with rotating active element is a complex process including heating of the materials using friction and plastic deformation generated by a tool that has both rotation and translation motions. The paper is analysing the nonlinear vibrations that occurs during the friction welding with rotating active element process, mainly due to the motion of the rotating element. Using the dynamic systems theory, the nonlinear equation of the motion is deduced and the motion characteristics are presented using specific qualitative methods. The results are contributing to a more accurate understanding of the phenomena, in this case the nonlinear vibrations, generated in the friction welding with rotating active element process, and to better performances of welding process.
Orbit-Attitude Coupled Tracking and Landing Control for an Asteroid
Authors: Zhu Lingchao , Wang Shuquan
Published: November 2019

Recent research on asteroid exploration has shown tremendous potential to provide humankind detailed views of unexplored worlds in the inner solar system. A potential market of asteroid mining has aroused interest from commercial companies gradually. Asteroid exploration has the potential to offer the possibility to revolutionize the supply of many resources which are vital but exorbitant for human. A typical asteroid exploration mission is composed of remote asteroid detecting, approaching, hovering, landing and sampling, take-off and return, re-entry stage. Among these stages the tracking and landing control of the asteroid is crucial for the exploration. Rendezvous, approaching, fly-around and landing problem of an asteroid is investigated in this paper. The expected motion of the tracking spacecraft determined by the asteroid’ orbital and attitude status is presented firstly. According to the design of the OSIRIS-REx project, several constant thrusters are used for spacecraft to track the asteroid. Different control strategies like pulse control, saturated nonlinear control, limit cycle control and PWM based low-thrust control are developed to fulfil the asteroid’s tracking mission of different stages. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the tracking control.
Reliability Design for Data Storage in an Integrated Test System
Authors: Bing Zhang , Xiao Sun , Jianwei Shi , Rongjun Deng
Published: November 2019

To solve the failing errors of prompting message and storing files which are occurred in a physical-files-receiving configuration software item installed on an Integrated Test System, some specific measures have been taken. The receiving-file software item is upgraded and tested. The upgraded item is validated by many different examples, and the results show that the reliability of the item is significantly improved.
Derated Thrust: Method Analysis for Optimizing Turbofan Engine Takeoff Performances (SFC, EGT) Due to Lower Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) Requirement
Authors: Irsyadi R F , Nirbito W
Published: November 2019

Reduced thrust or derate has been practiced commonly nowadays as a standard procedure of takeoff. Since power is being used at maximum during takeoff phase, the practice has many benefits for the operation of aircraft. Not only it reduced fuel consumption during the takeoff phase, but also reduced engine’s wear and tear that caused by stress and a very high temperature. Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) is one of the most important parameters that used to monitor the engine deterioration. There is a definite correlation between reducing takeoff thrust and EGT reduction, where both values are contradicting one another. However, there must be some calculation by the flight crew on how much percentage of derate is eligible prior to takeoff. The goal of this paper is to find the effectiveness of derate to reduce EGT in order to improve performance, prolong engine life and reduce operating costs of the operators.
Study on the Influence of Swept Angle on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of the Cross-Section Airfoil of a Variable Swept-Wing Aircraft
Authors: Xinbing Su , Wen Jiang , Xiwei Zhao
Published: November 2019

The variable forward swept-wing aircraft is a typical variant aircraft. The airfoil is a variable airfoil during the wing swept, and its aerodynamic characteristics have a huge impact on the flight performance of the variable swept-wing aircraft. It is also an aircraft. One of the difficult problems to be solved first in aerodynamic layout design. In order to explore the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of the variable airfoil, a variable airfoil model with different relative thicknesses is established. Then the S-A turbulence model is used and the CFD simulation is used to calculate the variable airfoil unsteady. The variation of the angle of attack and the Mach number when the aerodynamic parameters change in the forward sweep angle. The results show that the airfoil lift coefficient and moment coefficient are negatively correlated with the relative thickness, while the drag coefficient is positively correlated with the relative thickness. These aerodynamic characteristics can provide a useful reference for the aerodynamic layout design and dynamic analysis of the variant aircraft.
Managing Age Diversity in the Workplace
Authors: Cox Cody , Posthuma Richard , Castro Fabian , Smith Eric
Published: November 2019

Many researchers have noted the increasing age of the workforce, but less noted is that the workforce is also becoming more diverse in terms of age. Thus, as the workforce ages, the ability to manage age diversity will become increasingly important. Managing workers of different ages requires understanding the physiological, psychological, and motivational changes that accompany age, as well as how individuals of different ages interact in organizational contexts. With an increased awareness of the multidimensional nature of age, employers can consider useful adaptations to their human resource practices. Dispelling invalid age stereotypes may be accomplished through inclusive HR practices, the use of intergenerational interactions, and providing meaningful work to all employees.
Australia’s History of LGBTI Politics and Rights
Authors: Riseman Noah
Published: November 2019

In the past 50 years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) activism in Australia has grown from small, localized organizations to national campaigns calling on all Australians to affirm LGBTI people’s equality. While the issues and activist strategies have evolved over the past 50 years, there have been two persistent patterns: most organizations and activism have been state based and have drawn on international influences, especially from the United Kingdom and United States. In the 1970s the organizations CAMP (Campaign Against Moral Persecution) and Gay Liberation presented competing visions of LGBTI equality, but both recognized the importance of visibility in order to change societal attitudes and influence law reform. Campaigns to decriminalize male homosexuality began in the 1970s and continued across the states through the 1980s and even into the 1990s in Tasmania. After law reform, activists shifted their advocacy to other areas including anti-discrimination laws, relationship recognition, and eventually marriage equality. HIV/AIDS was another important cause that generated grassroots activism within LGBTI communities. State AIDS councils worked in partnership with the federal government, and Australia had one of the world’s best public health responses to the epidemic. Pop culture, international media, and visibility at events such as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras gradually shifted public opinions in favor of LGB equality by the 2000s. Transgender and intersex rights and acceptance were slower to enter the public agenda, but by the 2010s, those two groups had attained a level of visibility and were breaking down preconceived stereotypes and challenging prejudice. Indeed, politicians lagged behind public opinion on marriage equality, delaying and obfuscating the issue as the major political parties grappled with internal divisions. In 2017 the Commonwealth government held a postal survey asking Australian voters whether or not they supported same-sex marriage. This was an unprecedented exercise in Australian polity that was divisive, but LGBTI activists succeeded in their campaign and secured an overwhelming victory. The postal survey’s outcome also set the stage for new political fights around LGBTI people’s rights: so-called religious freedom, transgender birth certificates and support for LGBTI young people.
Writing
Authors: McNamara Danielle S. , Allen Laura K. , Potter Andrew
Published: November 2019

Writing is a crucial means of communicating with others and thus is vital to success and survival in modern society. Writing processes rely on virtually all aspects of cognition (e.g., working memory, motivation, affect, self-regulation, prior knowledge, problem solving) and are naturally embedded in social contexts. Social factors include writers’ objectives, audience, genre, and mode of writing. For example, the increased use of the Internet has rendered writing for informal purposes more frequent, and writing mechanics (e.g., deleting, spell checking) and search for information more efficient. Research on educational interventions to improve writing points to the importance of providing students with instruction and practice using writing strategies, writing practice with feedback (e.g., instructor, automated), and collaborative writing (including peer feedback). Given the inherent complexity of writing, it is important to help students learn how to write across various situations with varying purposes and demands. This necessitates reading many types of text genres (e.g., narrative vs. informational writing), writing frequently, and revising based on feedback. Since the turn of the century, there has been a substantial increase in research on writing processes, including methods to improve writing. However, there remains a substantial need for additional experimental work to understand writing processes as well as more evidence on which types of interventions are most beneficial in helping students to improve their writing. Feedback from both cognitive and sociocultural researchers should inform future revisions of the standardized guidelines and assessments with the long-term goal of developing a clearly defined set of standards for academic excellence in writing.
Motivation and Engagement in Learning
Authors: Collie Rebecca J. , Martin Andrew J.
Published: November 2019

Motivation and engagement are firmly implicated in students’ participation in class, educational aspirations, enjoyment of school, academic learning, and academic achievement. Motivation refers to an individual’s inclination, energy, direction, and drive with respect to learning and achievement. Engagement involves the thoughts, actions, and emotions that reflect this inclination, energy, and drive. There are numerous theories articulating the key elements of students’ motivation and engagement. These theories describe how and why motivation and engagement are important for educational outcomes in their own right, as well as how and why motivation and engagement are important means to other desirable educational outcomes. Given the vast array of different theories in the areas of motivation and engagement, researchers have made calls to integrate the body of knowledge that has amassed. The Motivation and Engagement Wheel is an example of a multidimensional framework that traverses salient motivation and engagement factors from major theory and research. These factors encompass positive motivation constructs (self-efficacy, valuing, and mastery orientation), positive engagement constructs (planning, task management, and persistence), negative motivation constructs (anxiety, uncertain control, and failure avoidance), and negative engagement constructs (self-handicapping and disengagement). A broad body of research provides support for the salience of the factors in the Wheel in relation to a range of other variables (e.g., background characteristics, cultural factors) and through a variety of research designs and approaches. Importantly, there are additional exciting directions in motivation and engagement research, such as real-time investigations, the use of biomarkers, the interface with teachers, and intervention research, that are relevant to optimizing students’ academic development through school—and beyond.
At-Risk Students
Authors: Natriello Gary
Published: November 2019

Students in danger of not completing a particular level of schooling have been termed “at-risk.” Reasons that students may be at risk include individual characteristics, family circumstances, poor school conditions, and lack of community resources. Studies of single factors, multiple factors, and programmatic interventions have all identified specific variables associated with greater risk of dropping out of school. The various factors associated with dropping out can offset one another to reduce the risk or reinforce one another to enhance the risk that students will leave school early.
School-Based Mindfulness Interventions
Authors: Shute Rosalyn H.
Published: November 2019

Mindfulness, adapted from ancient Buddhist thought and practice, was introduced into the West in a secularized and Westernized form during the 1980s. In subsequent decades, it spread around the world, into clinics, workplaces, and schools. The practice involves cultivating the ability to focus attention, and to notice any distracting thoughts and feelings without judgment or elaboration, in order to reduce stress and improve mental health. As such, it is a psychological phenomenon involving metacognition, or thinking about thinking, though this can be placed within a holistic framework that sees the mind as intricately linked with the body and the external world.

In the early years of the 21st century, concerns grew about children’s mental health, and schools became seen as places to address this through universal programs; that is, mental health promotion programs that reach all students and that therefore do not stigmatize those who already have psychological difficulties or are at risk of developing them. Evidence was also accruing that, with samples of healthy (non-clinical) adults, mindfulness had moderate effects on measures such as anxiety, and strong effects in reducing stress. Although research designs were generally not very strong, the positive results and public enthusiasm for mindfulness encouraged the introduction of universal programs into schools, and even preschools.

However, the dissemination of school-based mindfulness programs ran well ahead of the scientific evidence examining their efficacy (under tightly controlled conditions) or their effectiveness in real-world school contexts. While studies were suggestive that mindfulness could affect many aspects of children’s and adolescents’ well-being and development, the body of research as a whole fell short in terms of scientific rigor. There were few well-designed randomized controlled trials that would enable firm conclusions to be drawn that any identified effects were due to the mindfulness program rather than to unknown factors. Moreover, little attention was paid to the presumed mechanisms of change or to the developmental appropriateness of programs.

As more, and better-designed, studies began to emerge, accumulating results suggested that effects were generally small, but stronger for older than younger adolescents, and longer lasting for adolescents than for children. Issues that remained for further systematic attention included many matters of program design and implementation, the safety of the practice, its basis in developmental theory and research, and its ethical and political implications.
Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Chinese Popular Religion
Authors: Meulenbeld Mark
Published: November 2019

The three principal religious denominations of China, referred to in English as Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, all share a concern with self-cultivation. Of these so-called “Three Teachings” (Sanjiao), Confucianism situates the self hierarchically within a social order, Daoism attempts to free the self from society and realign it with the more fundamental natural order, and Buddhism ultimately strives to liberate the self by dissolving any and all order. The two indigenous traditions of Confucianism and Daoism have roots in the same cultural environment from which the residual category of Popular Religion also emerged, and the two have long existed in a symbiotic relationship with local cults of worship. After the introduction of Buddhism to China, it too became deeply immersed in this interactive dynamic between more unified denominations and the locally diverse forms of worship of spirits, saints, and sages. Though Popular Religion does not represent a unified ideology or a consistent corpus of self-cultivation practices, its ubiquitous rites of spirit possession similarly relate to the self: by allowing the presence of certain gods to displace individual selves, these rites play with the need to suspend socio-individual identity from time to time, instead allowing the sacred embodiment of lineages, villages, or even entire regions to take precedence.
Time-Domain Approach in High-Dimensional Dynamic Factor Models
Authors: Lippi Marco
Published: November 2019

High-dimensional dynamic factor models have their origin in macroeconomics, more specifically in empirical research on business cycles. The central idea, going back to the work of Burns and Mitchell in the 1940s, is that the fluctuations of all the macro and sectoral variables in the economy are driven by a “reference cycle,” that is, a one-dimensional latent cause of variation. After a fairly long process of generalization and formalization, the literature settled at the beginning of the 2000s on a model in which (a) both n, the number of variables in the data set, and T, the number of observations for each variable, may be large; (b) all the variables in the data set depend dynamically on a fixed, independent of n, number of common shocks, plus variable-specific, usually called idiosyncratic, components. The structure of the model can be exemplified as follows:

(*)xit=αiut+βiut−1+ξit,i=1,…,n,t=1,…,T,

where the observable variables xit are driven by the white noise ut, which is common to all the variables, the common shock, and by the idiosyncratic component ξit. The common shock ut is orthogonal to the idiosyncratic components ξit, the idiosyncratic components are mutually orthogonal (or weakly correlated). Last, the variations of the common shock ut affect the variable xitdynamically, that is, through the lag polynomial αi+βiL. Asymptotic results for high-dimensional factor models, consistency of estimators of the common shocks in particular, are obtained for both n and T tending to infinity.

The time-domain approach to these factor models is based on the transformation of dynamic equations into static representations. For example, equation (∗) becomes

xit=αiF1t+βiF2t+ξit,F1t=ut,F2t=ut−1.

Instead of the dynamic equation (∗) there is now a static equation, while instead of the white noise ut there are now two factors, also called static factors, which are dynamically linked:

F1t=ut,F2t=F1,t−1.

This transformation into a static representation, whose general form is

xit=λi1F1t+⋯+λirFrt+ξit,

is extremely convenient for estimation and forecasting of high-dimensional dynamic factor models. In particular, the factors Fjt and the loadings λij can be consistently estimated from the principal components of the observable variables xit.

Assumption allowing consistent estimation of the factors and loadings are discussed in detail. Moreover, it is argued that in general the vector of the factors is singular; that is, it is driven by a number of shocks smaller than its dimension. This fact has very important consequences. In particular, singularity implies that the fundamentalness problem, which is hard to solve in structural vector autoregressive (VAR) analysis of macroeconomic aggregates, disappears when the latter are studied as part of a high-dimensional dynamic factor model.
Digital Resources: Ricardo Flores Magón Archive
Authors: Barrera Bassols Jacinto , Buitrón Escamilla Verónica
Published: November 2019

The Ricardo Flores Magón digital archive archivomagon (2008) is a website, constantly updated, that offers scholars and the interested public systematized information regarding Ricardo Flores Magón, the Mexican Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Mexicano, or PLM), and the magonista sociopolitical movement. The main text that make up this site include a complete run of the newspapers Regeneración (1900–1918, Mexico City, San Antonio, Saint Louis, and Los Angeles) and Revolución (1907–1908, Los Angeles), a compilation of the complete works of Ricardo Flores Magón, and a biographical dictionary of magonismo. It also offers other related tools: an interactive timeline of Ricardo Flores Magón’s life, a digital library with bibliographical and rare hemerographic material, and an image gallery of his portraits.

In addition to being the official outlets of the PLM, Regeneración and Revolución were important platforms Mexican revolutionary Ricardo Flores Magón (1876–1922) used to disseminate his writings. These weeklies are also key to understanding the political and ideological trajectory of its drafting group, headed by the members of the Organizing Board of the Mexican Liberal Party (Junta Organizadora del Partido Liberal Mexicano, JOPLM). Ricardo Flores Magón, his brother Enrique, Antonio de Pío Araujo, William C. Owen (external editor), Praxedis G. Guerrero, Rafael Romero Palacios, Teodoro M. Gaitán, Antonio I. Villarreal, Librado Rivera, and R. G. Cox (external editor), were the authors of more than 70 percent of the articles in both publications. These publications are also invaluable sources for the history of militant networks, of liberal organizations both in Mexico and in the southwestern United States, especially California, Arizona, and Texas, as well as the living and working conditions of Mexican migrants in that region. PLM is considered the first binational political organization (Mexico–United States). Finally, these publications include a systematic chronicling of the Mexican Revolution, whose value lies in both its particular focus and the sources used.

The archivomagon is being developed by the Dirección de Estudios Históricos del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (DEH-INAH, México) (Department of Historical Studies of the National Institute of Anthropology and History) under the responsibility of Dr. Jacinto Barrera Bassols (coordinator) and Verónica Buitrón Escamilla.
Labor, Territory, and Economy in the Colonial North
Authors: Chambouleyron Rafael
Published: November 2019

The Portuguese occupied the northern region of South America in the early 17th century. It constituted a separate province of the Portuguese possessions in South America. This province comprised several landscapes, including the vast Amazonian forest in the west and plains in the east. It bordered the other administrative province in Portuguese America, the State of Brazil and also the Dutch, French, and Spanish colonies in the Amazon region. For most of the colonial period, the region became heavily dependent on Indian labor force for agriculture and especially for the exploitation of forest products gathered in the vast Amazonian backlands (the sertão). The role played by Indian laborers (both free and slave), by forest products (known as drogas do sertão), and by the expansion of agriculture and grazing in the eastern plains shaped a centrifugal society and economy. Moreover, the fact that the region bordered Dutch, Spanish, and French colonies transformed the frontier into a central issue of Portuguese policies towards the region.
Politics and Policies for Managing Natural Hazards
Authors: Mulligan Timothy D. , Taylor Kristin , DeLeo Rob A.
Published: November 2019

Policies to manage natural hazards are made in a political context that has three important characteristics: local preferences and national priorities, short-sighted political decision-making, and policy choices informed by experience instead of future expectations. National governments can set broad policy priorities for natural hazard management, but it is often local governments, with conflicting policy priorities and distinctive hazard profiles, that have the authority to implement. Moreover, legislators who are tasked with passing laws to put policies into force are rewarded with reelection by voters who are only concerned with issues that have an immediate impact on their day-to-day lives (e.g., the economy) as opposed to hazards that may or may not occur until some undetermined point in the future. Finally, legislators themselves face challenges making policies to mitigate and manage hazards because they fail to see the longer-term risks and instead make decisions based on past experiences. This article broadly lays out the challenges of the policy environment for natural hazards, including intergovernmental concerns, policy myopia, and shifting policy priorities. It also describes the politics shaping the management of natural hazards, namely, electoral politics, the social dynamics of blame assignment, and the various political benefits associated with disaster relief spending.
Improving hospital pharmacy inventory management using data segmentation
Authors: Bialas Christos , Revanoglou Andreas , Manthou Vicky
Published: November 2019

Purpose

This case study describes the development and empirical validation of an easy-to-implement practical framework for improving hospital pharmacy inventory management.

Research suggests various inventory optimization models, which can lead to cost reductions while maintaining adequate service levels; however, they are facing limited adoption in healthcare settings. The main barriers appear to be the high effort and complexity of implementation, the dependence on data that are not available or might not be in the right form, and the one-size-fits-all approach often followed without addressing healthcare sector–specific particularities. A research framework was developed by adapting relevant inventory models to the healthcare context using the concept of data segmentation on the basis of a three-dimensional classification of hospital pharmacy inventory items based on their relative importance, clinical criticality, and consumption pattern. Suitable replenishment policies were assigned to high-impact classes, and an integrated performance-measurement component assesses the framework’s effectiveness. The suggested approach was implemented and empirically tested at the pharmacy of a large public hospital using longitudinal data. The results demonstrate substantial improvements with respect to all of the selected key performance indicators and translate into inventory cost savings due to reduced stockholding costs and better synchronization of inventories to demand.

Conclusion

Use of standard software functionalities combined with targeted data segmentation efforts significantly improves hospital pharmacy inventory cost performance.