bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Influencing Informal Sector Workers’ Contribution to Pension Scheme in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana
Authors: Adzawla William , Baanni Shaibu Azumah , Wontumi Roger Fianko
Published: December 2021

Social protection is an essential mechanism for a sustained poverty eradication and development. One of these social protection instruments is the informal pension scheme. In this study, the objective was to identify the factors that influenced informal sector workers' decision into pension scheme as well as their contribution levels. Heckman two-stage approach was adopted in analyzing the data collected from 150 informal sector workers in the Tamale metropolis. It was revealed that the elderly, the single, the highly educated, highly depended and higher income workers have a higher probability of contributing to the informal pension scheme. Similarly, traders, artisans, highly educated and highly depended upon workers contribute higher amounts monthly. Although informal sector workers in general should be encouraged to remain loyal or join pension schemes, farmers in particular need to be re-targeted. In order to restore confidence in the pension scheme and ensure its sustenance, public education must be intensified.
Learning Organization and Competitive Advantage-An Integrated Approach
Authors: Farrukh Muhammad , Waheed Abdul
Published: December 2021

The major purpose of this conceptual paper is to integrate the view points of different researchers about leaning organization and competitive advantage and then to develop a proposed model of Learning organization. After the in-depth study of literature we concluded that learning organization is an organization which learns through its members individually and collectively to create competitive advantages by developing a facilitative system through the process of self-development and information sharing by empowering the employees.. The paper also finds some critical factors which must be present in the organization to become a learning organization. These factors are Innovation, facilitative leadership, self-development, empowerment, and information sharing and collective collaboration. The paper tried to explain the similarities and differences among the previously available models of learning organization and proposed a new theoretical model for LO.
Analysing the Effect of Microenterprise Development on Rural Households’ Savings in the Tolon District of Ghana: A Switching Regression Approach
Authors: Azumah Shaibu Baanni , Adzawla William , Tiweh Augustine Logoti
Published: December 2021

This paper examined the effect of microenterprise development on rural household saving in the Tolon district of Northern region of Ghana. It involved 105 farm households selected through a two-stage sampling approach. A switching regression model was fitted to correct selectivity bias problem. From the result, males; non-household heads; farmers who had access to credit; farmers with high income and farmers further from micro institution had the higher probability of engaging in microenterprise activities. Among other factors, female dependent, income level and interest rate significantly influenced the amount of money saved by the households. The study demonstrated that microenterprise development is not only necessary for safeguarding the future of rural households but also for the sustainability of financial institutions. Policy makers are encouraged to take the opportunity to enhance the existing microenterprises in the district and also introduce new lucrative ones while rural households also give microenterprise businesses the much attention. Credit facilities should be made available to the households to boost their microenterprises.
Advertising and Country of Origin as Key Success Factors for Creating Sustainable Brand Equity
Authors: Hanaysha Jalal , Hilman Haim
Published: December 2021

Today’s markets have become highly competitive and challenging, therefore, a careful understanding of the key success factors that may help firms to sustain their brands is very important. In past literatures, it is evident that consumers prefer to purchase brands that provide them with unique values and differentiated features. However, this study focuses on advertising and country of origin effects as key success factors for building sustainable brand equity, because they were found to be important in influencing consumer behaviour. To explore our knowledge in this area, Malaysian automotive industry was selected. The data were collected from a total of 287 passenger cars owners through survey questionnaire at shopping malls in the northern region of Malaysia. The findings revealed that advertising and country of origin had significant positive effects on overall brand equity. Moreover, this study found that advertising and country of origin had significant positive effects on the dimensions of brand equity, namely; brand loyalty, brand image, brand awareness, and brand leadership. Based on the findings of this study, some implications have been highlighted to enhance our knowledge on the importance of the selected factors in building strong brand equity.
Talent Management as a Source of Competitive Advantage
Authors: Rabbi Faria , Ahad Nouman , Kousar Tahira , Ali Tanzila
Published: December 2021

In this dynamic and competitive business era organizations are facing challenges in talent management. Talent management of talented worker is becoming of great importance for the organizations which are working on global level. The demand for key position talented employees is high because those are the persons who will steer the organization and will be responsible to take the organization towards the peak of success, this is the reason organizations are in a state of fight for the best people. The major goal of every organizational strategy is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the operation which could lead the organization to success. Talent Management is essential when the organizations will like to build winning teams which will be formed by talented personnel.
Decomposing Productivity Growth in Chinese Manufacturing
Authors: Wang Bin , Zhang Guangnan , Peoples James
Published: December 2021

In an increasingly globalized business environment, sustaining relatively high productivity growth is essential for maintaining an international competitive advantage. Economists typically identify manufacturing companies in China as prime examples of firms attaining cost competitiveness through productivity growth. This study contributes to the analysis of productivity growth in China by estimating unexplained technological change, scale and infrastructure investment’s contribution to annual productivity growth for 27 manufacturing industries. A flexible form cost equation for manufacturing industries classified at the two-digit industry code level for the 1998-2005 sample period is used to investigate each factor’s impact on productivity growth. The findings suggest that for all industries excluding furniture manufacturing, unexplained technological change contributes to productivity growth. Infrastructure investment and scale contribute to such growth for 16 and 5 of the 27 industries respectively.
Relationship Among Institutional Quality, Tax Revenue and Economic Growth at Provincial Level: Evidence from Vietnam
Authors: Phuong Lien, Nguyen
Published: December 2021

To investigate the relationship among institutional quality, tax revenue, and economic growth in Vietnam, this work applies the Granger test for a panel data of 60 provinces in Vietnam during the period 2006 - 2014. In addition, using the two-step system generalised method of moments estimation supports this study to evaluate the degree of impact of interaction between quality of institutions and tax revenue on economic growth in more detail. The results provide a bi-direction causal linkage among the mentioned variables and discover that tax revenue has significantly positive impacts on economic growth. On the other hand, the effect on growth of economy of the ten institutional quality indices is diverse. The data also indicated convergence in all estimation models as suggested by classical theories of economic growth.
The Effective Application of Concept Mapping in Marketing Education
Authors: Leung Chi Hong , Cheng Simone Chung Ling
Published: December 2021

A concept map represents knowledge hierarchically. Concept mapping facilitates meaningful learning because it helps to 1) identify understanding, misconceptions, conceptual change, 2) facilitate collaboration and cooperative learning, 3) assess learning of students, and 4) organize and present information. This paper proposes a number of teaching and learning activities with concept mapping. After they were implemented in two marketing classes in a university, both the survey and quiz were used to verify its effectiveness. In the survey, 162 students had positive attitudes to concept mapping with the grand mean of 4.1 in the Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The quiz results (with the full mark = 30) also showed that there was academic improvement in two classes with the average scores changing from 17.5 to 24.3 and from 16.5 to 24.5 respectively. These positively proved that concept maps could facilitate teaching and learning activities and improve students’ academic performance significantly.
Effectiveness of E-Learning for University Students: Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Ali Mohammad , Hossain S.M Khaled , Ahmed Tania
Published: December 2021

The aim of current study is to analyse the effectiveness of e-learning for the students at university level. Data have been collected through questionnaire and it was given to 700 students. The questionnaire was returned by 667 students and 94.9% of them are using different e-learning tools, techniques or platforms. Eight variables have been used to measure the effectiveness of e-learning. Cronbach’s alpha test is used to measure the reliability and internal consistency of the associated factors. The exploratory factor analysis is used to extract the variables and to measure the factors loading in the study. One sample t-test has been performed to test the hypotheses. The outcome of the study supports that e-learning is faster, time and cost friendly, appropriate to work independently, add value to the learning of the students, usable for the purpose of active learning, faster, quick response, applicable outside the class room and quality of e-learning is satisfactory which indicates e-learning is effective.
A Nexus Between the Elements of Brand Equity and its Creation: Evidence from the Telecommunication Industry of Sri Lanka
Authors: Ismail Mohamed , Hilal Mujahid
Published: December 2021

The study provides deeper understanding of the brand equity elements and its creation in the telecommunication industry in Sri Lanka. The main objective of the study was to examine how the image, awareness, and loyalty of the brand create brand equity in the telecommunication industry in Sri Lanka. A survey of 422 customers was conducted by a questionnaire. Multivariate analysis was applied using SPSS 20. The findings show that all variables included in this study support the creation of customer-based brand equity in the telecommunication sector in Sri Lanka. It was found that the telecommunication sector should focus more on generating brand knowledge.
Working Capital Management and Firm Performance: Evidence from Non-Financial Firms in Pakistan
Authors: Siraj Mohsin , Mubeen Muhammad , Sarwat Salman
Published: December 2021

This study analyzes the effects of Working Capital management i.e. inventory management, receivable management and payable management, on the performance of the non-financial firms in Pakistan. Panel data of 280 nonfinancial firms enlisted in Pakistan Stock Exchange have been analyzed from 2000 to 2016. Firms’ profitability were proximate with return on assets and return on equity; whereas for growth i.e. sales growth and asset growth were used. The impact of Working Capital management is captured through its constituent policies such as Inventory management, Receivable Management and Payable management. Firm size, liquidity and leverage are used as control variables. Results suggest that Working Capital management has a significant impact on firms’ financial performance in terms of profitability, as well as growth. As far as component wise results are concerned, inventory management does influence the firms’ growth and Payable management significantly, hence affecting the firms’ profitability. However, only receivable management influences both profitability and growth.
Mergers and Efficiency Gains: A Case of Indian Banks
Authors: Kumar Neeraj , Tiwari Satish Chandra , Choudhary Pooja
Published: December 2021

This paper reflects an attempt to measure the effect of mergers on efficiency of banks in India. Five major merger cases in India during 2000 to 2005 were examined to measure the pre- and post-merger efficiency to achieve the purpose of this study. Secondary data were obtained from bulletins and reports of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was employed to calculate efficiency. The study found efficiency gains in four merger cases except the merger of the Oriental Bank of Commerce with the Global Trust Bank. The findings of the study suggest that market driven mergers boost and forced mergers lead to a decline in the efficiency of banks.
Investigating Citizenship Behavior Effectiveness and Extending the Effectiveness of Project Implementation in Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Thirapatsakun Thanawatdech , Jarutirasarn Piyachat
Published: December 2021

Entrepreneurs are striving to maintain the existence of their businesses in the face of the COVID–19 pandemic. Top management need to maintain effective processes and ensure employee motivation to keep the right employees in the business. The level of interest of both academic researchers and practitioners has increased regarding employee relations within organizations during lockdown situations. Most workplaces implemented work from home arrangements for most employees. This study seeks to examine the citizenship behavior effectiveness and the effectiveness of project implementation in construction projects in the oil and gas industry. Citizenship behavior effectiveness was used as a theoretical framework for this research. The construction project employees from the oil & gas industry were invited to take part in this research. Quantitative data analysis was employed with a structural equation modelling approach during the transition from office and construction sites to working from home. The findings revealed that citizenship behavior effectiveness has a positive influence through the observable variables.
Does the Formal Financial Sector Enhance Small Business Employment Generation in Nepal: Evidence from Cross-Sectional Data
Authors: Karki Dipendra , Upreti Sushmita , Bhandari Udbodh , Rajbhandari Sharad , Devkota Niranjan , Parajuli Seeprata , Paudel Udaya Raj
Published: December 2021

Small business enterprises are widely recognized as a driving force of economic growth and development in any nation. Empirical evidence has shown that they contribute to job creation, help to alleviate poverty, and increase a nation’s level of productivity. In the exponential increase of small businesses, the role of the financial sector is crucial. This paper aims to identify the role of formal financial support in small business employment generation in Bouddhanath, Kathmandu. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 285 business owners. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect their responses. Primary and secondary data was employed to analyze user status. Data analysis was performed with the help of descriptive analysis and a financial support index. The results showed that financial support plays a critical role in the enhancement of the small business sector, allowing businesses to create employment opportunities which further helps to maintain the Nepalese economy. The major challenges to the growth of small businesses in Nepal lie in securing initial funding and overreliance on credit. In addition, the ability to afford quality staff has an equally strong effect on the success of small businesses. Business growth clearly depends on the role of the formal financial sector to achieve the desired outcomes.
Escherichia Coli Encoding Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases Isolated from Diarrheic Patients in Minna, Nigeria
Authors: F Iseghohi , M Galadima , FA Kuta
Published: December 2021

Escherichia coli remains one of the most isolated etiological agents of diarrhea, accounting for more than 1 million deaths and about 4% of the total global disability-adjusted life-years (DALYS) per year across all age groups according to the global disease burden. This study evaluated multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli encoding extended spectrum beta-lactamases isolated from diarrheic patients in Minna, Nigeria using standard microbiological methods. A prevalence of 37.7% of Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) was obtained from the stool samples evaluated. Within the environment sampled, age group 21 – 30 years had the highest E. coli isolation rate (27.8%) while age group ≥71years had the least E. coli isolation rate (2.6%). Females (64.9%) were the most affected compared to males (35.1%). The isolates were significantly resistant to most of the beta-lactams tested especially to 3rd generation cephalosporins [Cefotaxime (98.2%), cefuroxime (93%), ceftazidime (84.2%), Augmentin (70.2%), Amoxicillin (59.6%)]. Resistance to other classes of antibiotics was also observed in varying percentages. A high percentage (98.2% and 87.7%) of the diarrheagenic E. coli had a multiple resistant index (MARI) ≥ of 0.3. The isolates had varying patterns of resistance with 47.6% resistant to more than 5 classes of antibiotics tested and produced ESBL characteristics phenotypically. Molecular evaluation showed that 40%, 50%, and 90% of the isolates harbored the OXA, CTX-M and TEM genes respectively while 50% harbored VEB and PER genes. This study isolated E. coli from diarrheic patients with multidrug resistance profiles and encodes more than one type of ESBL gene within Minna, Nigeria.
Extraction and Characterization of Chitin and Chitosan Biopolymer as Wound Healing Material Using Shrimp Shells
Authors: Ampah Mavis , Brago Margaret Akyea , Boatemaa Mercy Adusei , Arthur Paul , Sakyiamah Maxwell Mamfe
Published: December 2021

Wound refers to any damage or disruption to the normal anatomical structure. In our everyday pathology, wounds remains one of the demanding clinical problems with it related complications which increases mortality and morbidity rate yearly. In this study, chitin and chitosan were extracted from shrimp shells waste by chemical method, treated with an acid and an alkali which gave a yield of 12 % and 66.57 % respectively. The chemical extraction method included demineralization where the sample was treated with hydrochloric acid (HCL) under a specific temperature. The sample was then treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to remove all the protein in the material at a specific temperature. To obtain the chitosan, the chitin was treated with 50% NaOH at a temperature of 1000C. E.coli proved to be more susceptible in antimicrobial studies with a value of 11.67± 0.47. The FTIR spectra gave a characteristic bands of –NH at 3430.09 cm-1, OH at 3256.32 cm-1.At 2960.75 cm-1, NH was attached to a single bond. The characteristics of produced chitosan were in accordance with the commercial standard that showed a higher percentile yield posing many properties of commercial value and greater scope of industrial applications. This study revealed that shrimp shell waste could be effectively utilized for the extraction of chitin, chitosan, and chitooligomer for industrial applications. The zone of inhibition study of E.coli shows that chitosan and COS may have a high antimicrobial property hence it usefulness in the wound healing management.
Distribution of Phrynocephalus helioscopus (Pallas, 1771) (Agamidae, Reptilia) in the West Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Authors:   Makhambet Utemisov West Kazakhstan University, Akhmedenov K. M. , Bakiev A. G. ,   Samara Federal Research Center of RAS, Institute of Ecology of the Volga River Basin of Russian Academy of Sciences, Mukhambetova U. S. ,   Makhambet Utemisov West Kazakhstan University
Published: December 2021

Based on the results of our 2017–2021 field research, the coordinates of 17 meeting points of the sunwatcher toadhead agama (Phrynocephalus helioscopus) (Pallas, 1771) in the West Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan are given, from 49°17.256'N, 48°14.048'E in the North to 46°34.330'N, 55°49.319'E in the South. The northern limit of the modern distribution in the Volga-Ural (Volga-Zhaiyk) interfluve is the saline in the Aral-sor lacustrine-saline depression and the Baigutta sor-liman depression in the left bank of the Ural (Zhaiyk) River. The sunwatcher toadhead agama habitats are confined to open spaces with salt lakes and sors. The dependence of the body’s upper side colour of sunwatcher toadhead agamas on the general background of the substrate is illustrated, namely: the colour is brown or dark grey on dark substrates, and light grey or ashy on light substrates. The history of the description of the species by P. S. Pallas and I. I. Lepekhin is briefly considered. According to the original and literary data the modern north-western border of the habitat, passing through the West Kazakhstan and the adjacent regions of the Russian Federation, has been clarified. It goes from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, through Makhambet district of the Atyrau region, Krasnoyarsk and Kharabalinsky districts of the Astrakhan region, Kurmangazinsky district of the Atyrau region, Akhtubinsky district of the Astrakhan region, Bokeyordinsky district of the West Kazakhstan region, Pallasovsky district of the Volgograd region, and Kaztalovsky and Akzhayik districts of the West Kazakhstan region.
Book Review: Shamionov R. M., Bocharova E. E., Beskova T. V., Grigorieva M. V., Usova N. V., Klenova M. A., Tarasova L. E. Discriminatory Attitudes in the Modern World
Authors:   Saratov State University, Vagapova Alfiya R.
Published: December 2021

Discriminatory attitudes and discrimination of individuals based on their nationality, religion, gender, age, physique, social status are a serious problem of the modern multipolar world. In the monograph of the group of authors (R. M. Shamionov, M. V. Grigorieva, E. E. Bocharova, T. V. Beskova, N. V. Usova, M. A. Klenova, L. E. Tarasova), the results of theoretical and empirical studies on phenomenology, mechanisms, determinants and types of discriminatory attitudes are presented. The latter are considered as a socio-psychological phenomenon characterized by prejudice and negative feelings towards Others and a willingness to oppress them. R. M. Shamionov and M. V. Grigorieva attempt to develop and validate a tool for assessing discriminatory attitudes and their content at the emotional level. The team of authors are hopeful that the monograph reveals the features of specific types of discriminatory attitudes in the social environment, the factors that reinforce them and the conditions under which they are eliminated. The book will be useful to students and post-graduate students, as well as specialists whose activities are connected with social relations.
IMPROVEMENT SUPERVISORY CONTROL OF THE REGIONAL CENTERS OF THE RAILWAYS UNDER INFORMATION
Authors: Kuleshov Valery , Dochiya Coca , Orobchenko Sergei
Published: December 2021

A scheme for operational cooperation in the main and regional traffic management centers withtransport operators on the railways of Ukraine. A scheme of graph-based information control centersrailway. Representation of the information structure allows the flexibility to execute further deformation subsets in accordance with consolidation of dispatching sites distances, closing for commercial work of inactive stations. Defined matrix system actions, reflecting the final status of the inputs of elements after the interaction.
DETERMINATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF PASSENGER STATIONS ON THEIR CAPACITY
Authors: Kryachko Ekaterina , Salenko A. , Ershov V.
Published: December 2021

Passenger stations are significant differences both on technology and design, therefore, the definitionof bandwidth necks for some of them can be implemented by the method that is used for district stations. Butpassenger stations largest cities should use a method that takes into account a significant number ofconstructive-technological parameters that require special calculations with the use of probability theory.The technique of calculation of throughput of necks of passenger stations, which allows improving theirdesigns depending on the size of a passenger movement with regard to travel on the parallel routes.
ANALYSIS APPROACHES TO JUDICIAL RAIL-FREIGHT EXPERTISE
Authors: Horobrih P.
Published: December 2021

This article describes the available expert practice approaches to assess the actions of the participantsrail accident in conducting forensic examinations. Analyzed and identified the shortcomings of theseapproaches. Given the author's opinion regarding the improvement of the approach to assessing the actionsof members of railway accidents, and on this basis the main tasks that can be solved by carrying out thisexamination, and formulated a list of questions the methodology of the examination.
An Ethnographic Account of Doing Survey Research in Prison: Descriptions, Reflections, and Suggestions from the Field
Authors: Sutton James
Published: December 2021

This article presents an ethnographic account of my day-to-day experiences as a survey researcher in men’s prisons in the United States. I outline challenges I encountered in the field and share personal reflections on interviewing people who are incarcerated. I then put forth a series of implications and suggestions for those who plan to conduct similar studies. Researchers’ firsthand accounts of the data collection process and research settings are crucial because they provide instruction for other scholars. Yet, these aspects of doing research are conventionally ignored in survey researchers’ scholarly publications. Accordingly, this article presents an examination of my work as a survey researcher through an interpretive frame, calls for reflective approaches to conducting quantitative research, and provides a primer on doing research in prison settings.
How does it feel to be a problem? The Diasporic Identity of the Homeless
Authors: Asadi Muhammed
Published: December 2021

In this paper I uncover the identity response of the homeless to structural constraints that are facilitated through objectively produced and mass mediated culture. After an initial period of “liberation,” physical deprivation leads the homeless to seek institutionalized help. The “homeless” category constructed by the shelter industry absolves the system of blame and obfuscates the systemic roots of homelessness. In their picking and dropping of identities, and negotiations of meaning without any referential space to root themselves in, the homeless reveal to us the cultural tragedy of the present that affects us all due to rapid social change inherent in advanced capitalism.
A New Paradigm for Qualitative Research in the United States: The Era of the Third Age
Authors: Carr Dawn C. , Manning Lydia K.
Published: December 2021

This paper reviews qualitative research in the United States, highlighting the ways research has changed in the era of the third age. With growing attention to positive and uplifting aspects of aging, qualitative research has played a critical role in the exploration of the ways in which older adults are engaging in meaningful ways with others. We describe two key methodological approaches that have been important to examining positive aspects of aging and exploring the extent to which a growing number of years of healthy retirement are redefining the aging experience: ethnographic research and grounded theory research. We also review key topics associated with qualitative research in the era of the third age. These topics fit within two dominant frameworks – research exploring meaningmaking in later life and research exploring meaningful engagement in later life. These frameworks were critically important to raising attention to meaningful experiences and interactions with others, and we propose that the agenda for future qualitative research in the United States should continue contributing to these frameworks. However, we note that a third framework should also be developed which examines what it means to be a third ager through use of a phenomenological approach, which will assist in the important task of theory building about the third age.
First Graders in a College Sociology Classroom: A Reflection
Authors: Waksler Frances Chaput
Published: December 2021

Once a year from 1995 until 2008 I offered a sociology class session in which first graders from a local private school joined college undergraduates who were enrolled in my advanced theories course entitled Sociological Studies of Children. The sessions had two goals: to have college students interact with the first graders guided by what we had been learning in class and to introduce first graders to college and to sociology. These joint classes are worthy of further reflection for what they suggest about the potential theoretical, methodological, and practical uses of ideas drawn from the “new sociology of childhood.”

This paper is a retrospective description of and reflection on these joint classes. It begins with a presentation of the theoretical background that framed the event. It then details the preparations for the class with the college students; the class itself, including the format and content of lectures and discussions; and the post-visit discussion with the college students. Additional issues described are the influences of the adults (parents) who accompanied the children and some unexpected matters that arose in some of the classes.

The first graders’ participation in a college sociology class drew on the ideas of taking children seriously as learners about sociology and recognizing children’s expertise about what it is like to be children. Taking seriously children’s actions, comments, and concerns in non-judgmental ways provides insights into children’s ways, alternative modes of interaction, and new approaches to studying children.
Diseño de un sistema inteligente para asistir, en situaciones de emergencia, a turistas que realizan senderismo en Costa Rica
Authors: Quirós-Cordero Braulio J. , Piedra-Calderón María A. , Rojas-Muñoz Georgette A.
Published: December 2021

El turismo en Costa Rica es una fuente de ingreso económico popular entre turistas tanto nacionales como extranjeros y, gracias a la diversidad de ecosistemas en el país, el senderismo es una de las principales actividades turísticas. El tipo de terreno montañoso en Costa Rica presenta diversidad de dificultades para que las personas puedan ubicarse. Sumado a este factor, la inexperiencia y falta de información sobre los lugares influyen en que las personas puedan perderse dentro de los senderos y encontrarse en situaciones de riesgo.

Debido a lo anterior, se encuentra una clara necesidad de brindar ayuda a las personas que frecuentan los senderos, para minimizar el riesgo de perderse dentro de estos, así como dar información relevante del lugar sobre instalaciones y rutas. Por lo cual, se planteó un objeto inteligente que cubre las necesidades definidas y mejora la experiencia de los turistas en las zonas montañosas. Mejorar los aspectos planteados trae beneficios en factores como seguridad integral, beneficio económico al minimizar los gastos en personal y equipo de rescate, además de mejorar la percepción del turismo de montaña.

Para abordar la problemática, se utilizó la metodología de design thinking, centrándose en pasos como conceptualizar la idea, definir la funcionalidad, la forma, detallado de la manufactura y simulación de diseño. Entre los principales aportes del proyecto están: brindar a los usuarios una mayor independencia durante sus recorridos en senderos, poder sentirse seguros en caso de alguna eventualidad y dar una respuesta rápida de las unidades de emergencia.
Simulasi Model Diskrit Respon Sistem Imun pada Penyebaran Tumor Otak dengan Metode Beda Hingga Standar
Authors: Roza Icha Zakiyya Nafisah , Pagalay Usman , Widayani Heni
Published: December 2021

Tumor otak merupakan penyakit dimana jaringan dalam sistem saraf pusat tumbuh secara abnormal. Pertumbuhan tumor tersebut mengalami interaksi dengan sistem imun untuk menghambat pertumbuhan tumor, hal tersebut dapat dideskripsikan dalam model matematika yang berbentuk persamaan diferensial biasa. Model matematika penyebaran tumor otak dengan respon sistem imun pada penelitian ini terdapat lima variabel yaitu, glioma , makrofag , sel T CD    TGF-   , dan IFN- . Model tersebut akan didiskritisasi dengan menggunakan metode beda hingga standar. Metode beda hingga standar atau metode euler merupakan metode yang diturunkan dari deret Taylor. Berdasarkan hasil analisis diketahui bahwa model diskrit penyebaran tumor otak dengan respon sistem imun memiliki jenis kestabilan model diskrit sama dengan model kontinunya dan memiliki dua titik kesetimbangan, yaitu kesetimbangan bebas penyakit dan kesetimbangan endemik. Titik kesetimbangan bebas penyakit dan endemik bersifat stabil asimtotik apabila memenuhi kriteria kestabilan Schur-Cohn. Simulasi numerik dilakukan untuk mengilustrasikan dan menguji hasil analisis yang diperoleh. Hasil simulasi numerik diperoleh bahwa model diskrit akan sama dengan model kontinunya saat  tertentu.
Index, 2021
Authors: board Editorial
Published: December 2021

The article consists of two separate publications (Part 1 and Part 2) and analyses social security policy towards people with disability at working age in developed welfare states (social-democratic, conservative-corporatist and neoliberal regimes). Part 2 analyses reform strategies of state assistance programmes for disabled people on the basis of international research as well as statistical data of the EU and OECD for the past 30 years, while considering the changes in the economic climate. The article attends for the funding: expenditures for the programmes (as percentage of GDP and per capita) during periods of economic growth, the 2008–2009 crisis and the following decade. The connection between cyclic economic changes and the number of people with disability is considered. The author examines the combination of approaches to anticrisis management and the dynamics of public spending on programmes for people with disabilities as well as on alternative support schemes and social security in general. The author analyses the level of social protection of people with disability: poverty and inequality data based on research data and self-administered health condition evaluation. The article discusses the factors which mitigate the negative effects of the reforms, contribute to the reduction of social tension or, on the contrary, decrease social security in the long-term perspective.
Pandemic challenges and the strategic agenda for society and the state: the socio-political situation and demographics in 2021
Authors:   Institute of Socio-Political Research of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation, Levashov Victor K. , Osipov G. V. ,   Institute of Socio-Political Research of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation, Rostovskaya T. K. ,   Institute for Demographic Research of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation, Ryazantsev S. V. ,   Institute for Demographic Research of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation, Velikaya N. M. ,   Institute of Socio-Political Research of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: December 2021

В монографии изложены результаты научных исследований, выполненных сотрудниками ИСПИ ФНИСЦ РАН и ИДИ ФНИСЦ РАН в рамках тематики государственных заданий Министерства науки и высшего образования Российской Федерации. Главным событием 2021 года, определившим социально-политическую ситуацию в стране, стала пандемия COVID-19. Важнейшим для страны политическим событием стало проведение выборов в Государственную Думу Федерального Собрания Российской Федерации восьмого созыва. COVID-кризис приходится преодолевать в условиях резко ухудшившихся отношений между нашей страной и странами Запада и их сателлитами. В монографии отражены результаты исследований социально-политической и социально-демографической ситуации в стране, проведенных сотрудниками института и касающихся актуальных проблем жизнедеятельности российского гражданского общества и социального государства. Монография адресована исследователям, аналитикам, преподавателям, аспирантам, студентам, специализирующимся на изучении социально-политических процессов, и социально-демографических процессов, политикам, организаторам и активистам избирательных кампаний, управленческому персоналу.
In-work Poverty in Russia: How Determinants Have Changed over the 20 years?
Authors: Anikin Vasiliy , Slobodenyuk Ekaterina
Published: December 2021

This paper examines the determinants of in-work poverty and estimates the probability of falling into poverty for various groups of the Russian population in 1998 and 2018. Drawing from the representative RLMS HSE cross-sections, we showed that, despite a large-scale reduction in Russian poverty in 1998–2018, the ratio of structural and individual determinants did not change substantially. At the same time, the configuration of structural determinants has changed. In 2018, personal efforts became less crucial in reducing the likelihood of falling into poverty; the job characteristics and settlement inequalities have become eventually prominent. By 2018, women and rural residents were at the highest chance of poverty, although in 1998, men and a predominantly urban population were at risk. The long-term conservation of “bad” jobs in routine labour and the unequal distribution of the gains from de-industrialization between urban and rural areas over the past two decades are seen as the main explanations for the nature of Russian in-work poverty.
Paths to Distance Learning at A University and its Application
Authors: Cherednichenko Galina
Published: December 2021

The results of a 2019 sociological survey conducted on a nationwide structured Abstract sample of extramural students (2019) and graduates (2000–2018) of Higher Edu cational Institutions (HEIs) are used to reveal cultural, socio-economic, territorial origin of extramural students and graduates and identify the types of their educational strategies as well work experience and status at the enrollment stage. We analyze their movements within the socio-occupational hierarchy as a result of obtaining that education.
Extramural students differ from full-timers in that they feature a more de mocratic socioeconomic composition and possess a different amount of educational resources at the enrollment stage. These differences are presented in the form of four educational trajectories, which correlate with indicators of origin on a scale from “weaker” to “stronger”. “Advantages / disadvantages” of the educational trajectories and status at the enrollment stage, affect the degree of success in the application of distance education in the labor market in accordance with the level of qualifications and specialties of the diploma. Extramural students / graduates are formed from two streams: those who enter the HEIs immediately after secondary education and those who come with work experience. The latter get a higher return on the labor market from distance education.
The Nature of Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) During the Pandemic
Authors: Shchegolkova Elena
Published: December 2021

The article is devoted to the analysis of interethnic relations in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) against the background of the coronavirus pandemic. The study was conducted taking into account the methodology of monitoring studies implemented by the FADN of Russia. This material presents data that allow us to make comparisons with representative ethnosociological studies carried out in the RS(Ya) in different years, and to trace the patterns of development of interethnic relations. The article presents conclusions about the state of interethnic relations in the RS (Ya) in 2020. The results of the study allow us to speak about a benevolent interethnic climate in the republic: 75% of Yakuts assess interethnic relations in the republic as benevolent and normal. These indicators are close to the all-Russian ones. The analysis of assessments of interethnic relations in the settlements of the republic for the period 2015–2020 shows a positive dynamics. The interethnic attitudes of the respondents demonstrate a positive trend – 70–80% of the respondents expressed their readiness for interethnic interactions in the labor and informal spheres. The dynamics of measurements on the Bogardus scale demonstrates a steady reduction in the socio-cultural distance. The factors influencing the current trends in interethnic attitudes are highlighted. Negative assessments of the social well-being of the population affect the perception of interethnic relations. Those who are dissatisfied with their life and financial situation are more likely to assess the interethnic situation in their locality as tense.
Long-Term Plans and Potential for Social and Cultural Integration of Migrants (Example of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia))
Authors: Kuznetsov Igor
Published: December 2021

The article, based on the data of a survey of migrants conducted in 2020 in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), analyzes the statistically valid relationship of variations in long-term plans of migrants with variables reflecting socio-cultural aspects of their integration potential.
The analysis showed that migrants who are focused on settling in a host society (as compared to those who are focused on temporary employment) more often express their desire to settle in the neighborhood with representatives of the local population and more often live in the neighborhood of local population. They are more likely to work in teams where migrants and locals are approximately equally represented. Hence, they are more included in the space of primary socialization in the host society. More often they have friends among the local population, with whom they spend their leisure time. This category of migrants is characterized by a high degree of identity with the host community, but without loss of identification with the communities of the country of departure (country, ethnic, religious, etc.). As a result, it is concluded that migrants who have plans to settle in the host environment have a higher integration potential.
Attitude Towards Immigrants in the Mass Consciousness of Europeans. Part 3. Some Aspects of the Dynamics of Semantic Fields
Authors: Zhavoronkov Alexander , Voronina Natalia
Published: December 2021

In the third part of the article, variations in the characteristics of several features, the receipt of which is disclosed in the first and second parts, are considered on a time series. In order to identify the circumstances of stability and variability of operational reactions-assessments by the mass consciousness of Europeans of interaction with immigrants, as well as the homogeneity of the socially fixed norms of these assessments, they are considered at various levels of structuring the object of research. With the help of correlation and analysis of variance, examples are given of the positioning of countries that are relatively stable and reactive in terms of the nature of their dynamics of assessments, as well as triads of degrees of coincidence of these assessments that are socially anchored on a national scale – dissenting, median, dominant. The method of decision trees analyzes the accompanying typical differentiation of several communication countries, crystallized normative applications of attitudes towards immigrants, with several social characteristics. The analysis of the information leads to the conclusion that the power of differentiation of the emerging assessments and norms of attitudes towards immigrants in connection with economic factors significantly exceeds the influence of both socio-demographic characteristics and transformed forms of consciousness that serve to protect corporate economic interests to the detriment of the common good at the level’s certain communities.
Highly Skilled Migrants from Central Asian States at the Russian Labor Market
Authors: Mukomel Vladimir
Published: December 2021

The article examines the features of employment in the Russian labor market of highly skilled labor migrants from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The main attention is paid to their economic activities, occupations, wages and labor intensity in comparison with similar characteristics of less skilled Central Asian labor migrants and highly skilled migrants from other post-Soviet states. It is concluded that highly skilled migrants from Central Asia, being more successful than their less skilled compatriots, lose in competition for the best jobs to highly skilled migrants from other countries. Special attention is paid to the behavior of highly skilled Central Asian migrants during the pandemic in 2020, when they demonstrated a high potential for adaptation to the extraordinary transformation of the labor market.
Regarding the situation as temporary during the first wave of the pandemic (spring 2020), confident in their ability to find a job in Russia and not wanting to leave it, highly qualified Central Asian migrants did not err in their expectations, strengthening their position in the Russian labor market. During the second wave of the pandemic (autumn 2020), their optimism, based on assessing the possibilities of finding a decent job in Russia, satisfaction with conditions and wages, increased even more. The empirical base of the study was the results of sociological surveys of labor migrants from the CIS countries, Ukraine and Georgia in 2017, as well as during the first and second waves of the pandemic (2020).
Evolution of “Ethnic” Business in Russia: Comparative Analysis of Entrepreneurship of Migrants from Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Peshkova Vera
Published: December 2021

The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of the entrepreneurial activity of migrants from Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan in Moscow and the Moscow region who have created a business in the period from the 1990s to the mid-2010s. The study was carried out on the analysis of 58 interviews with entrepreneurs and representatives of public organizations and journalists, as well as a survey of entrepreneurs of Kyrgyz origin conducted in 2017-2019. The comparison is based on the analysis of the factors and characteristics such as structural opportunities and limitations; motivation to engage in entrepreneurship; features of the formation of start-up capital, the composition of partners, personnel and consumer audience; types of entrepreneurial strategies; the role of ethnicity and ethnicity, as well as networks based on ties with relatives, fellow countrymen and compatriots. It is concluded that the concept of “middleman minority” is most suitable for describing the ideal type of entrepreneurship of migrants from Azerbaijan, and “ethnic economy” for migrants from Kyrgyzstan. However, the business activity of migrants is not limited to these types. The peculiarities of entrepreneurship of migrants, a variety of specific entrepreneurial strategies are born at the intersection of the mutual influence of migration history, socio-demographic characteristics and various socio-economic, political and local contexts in different historical periods.