bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Policlim: A Dataset of Climate Change Discourse in EU Political Manifestos from 1990-2022
Authors: Sanford Mary , Pianta Silvia , Musto Giorgio , Schmid Nicolas
Published: September 2024

With ambitious action required to achieve global climate mitigation goals, climate change has become increasingly salient in the political arena. This letter presents a dataset of climate change salience in 1,294 political manifestos of 445 political parties across different party families in 27 European countries from 1990 to 2022. Importantly, our measure uniquely isolates climate change salience, avoiding the conflation with general environmental and sustainability content found in other datasets. Exploiting recent advances in supervised machine learning, we developed the dataset by fine-tuning a pre-trained multilingual transformer with human coding, employing a resource-efficient and replicable pipeline for multilingual text classification that can serve as a template for similar tasks. The dataset unlocks new avenues of research on political discourse on climate change, on the role of parties in climate policy making, and on the political economy of climate change. We make the model and the dataset available to the research community.
Bring Your Own Device — Now Hand It Over! Rescuing Workers’ Privacy During Data Searches
Authors: Mantouvalou Virginia , Veale Michael
Published: September 2024

Even though technological advancements can be useful for workers who can work remotely, and be at times faster and more efficient, they also pose serious threats to workers' privacy. In this article, we focus on practices that greatly blur the line between workers' private life and life at work, such as the practices of `bring your own device' (BYOD) and linking cloud storage to personal and work devices. The first of these sees workers allowed to use their personal devices for work-related activities, which can be convenient, familiar, and supportive of flexible working, potentially for several employers. The second of these sees workers using online storage for both personal and professional reasons and linking this storage to personal and work devices, which can again be a simple and efficient way to save and backup information and materials. However, practices such as these also present challenges for workers' privacy, particularly when other legal frameworks are implicated. Employers may have legitimate reasons and a legal basis to request access to, control and search workers' devices on the basis of, inter alia, data protection, freedom of information, or civil procedural rules. These rules may promote other legitimate goals. However, in this instance, when individuals often do not separate their private and professional activities cleanly within or across devices in a way that can be searched for, the legal regimes in question can pose threats to privacy. These regimes may require analysis of unseparated material through accessing data and devices. The threat to workers' privacy is obvious. In this article we examine this trend with a primary focus on UK and European law. We propose that workers' right to private life should be understood as a right to supported separation of work and private contexts and a right to control the process of a search of data and devices.
Envisioning nature positive futures for Europe: Inspiring transformative change at the biodiversity nexus
Authors: Lazurko Anita , de Pater Mara , Kim HyeJin , Hebinck Aniek , Biesbroek Robbert , DeClerck Fabrice , Krupnik Seweryn , Okruszko Tomasz , Pereira Laura , Proka Antonia , Sakellari Eirini , Harrison Paula
Published: September 2024

Transformative change is required to secure a liveable future for people and nature. The Nature Futures Framework (NFF) is a heuristic tool to facilitate the creation of plural visions of nature positive futures that help build shared motivation for transformative change. Integrating nexus approaches with the NFF leverages the foundational role of biodiversity in supporting desirable outcomes across sectors and scales (i.e., the biodiversity nexus). In this paper, we bring these areas of biodiversity research together by co-creating plural visions of nature futures for Europe that make positive synergies within the biodiversity nexus explicit and consider transformative changes to the state of indirect drivers that enable them. In doing so, we aim to reflect upon methodological insights for future applications of the NFF. Nature futures for Europe were co-created with 26 participants representing diverse sectors and regions in Europe, resulting in three visions underpinned by different value perspectives: Dòigh Nàdair: The way of nature (Nature as Culture), NaturAll (Nature for Nature), and Return to Nature (Nature for Society). Subsequent analyses and a webinar enriched the narratives with possibilities for more synergistic nexus interactions. The findings highlight how plural visioning processes can generate distinct visions with positive nexus synergies enabled by unique indirect drivers. Yet, the resulting visions also share common features with overlapping value perspectives that evolved through the process. The methodological advances reveal how explicit consideration of the biodiversity nexus can mitigate unintended trade-offs between diverse values of biodiversity and increase the overall ambition of biodiversity outcomes.
A Preliminary Analysis of Landsat Surface-Reflectance Data from Torch Lake in Antrim County, Michigan, from 1984 to 2023
Authors: Holtschlag David
Published: September 2024

Lake in Antrim County, Michigan. The oligotrophic lake is the largest inland lake in Michigan by volume and the second largest by surface area. Local residents have expressed concern that a recent, on-going proliferation of golden-brown algae may be impacting the water quality and aesthetics of the lake. This report examines the seasonal and long-term variations in reflectance intensities of visible blue, green, and red light bands measured by the Landsat series of satellites from 1984 through 2023. To provide a basis for assessing possible changes, a comparable analysis was conducted for two regions having water depths greater than 100 m in Grand Traverse Bay, which lie just west of Torch Lake. Results for Torch Lake indicate that the seasonal response for the more photosynthetically active blue and green bands were similar to each other, both having a secondary peak in late August. The amplitudes of these seasonal responses were greater for water depths greater than 50 feet. In contrast, the red band for Torch Lake had a minimum in late August, which is comparable with the late August minimums in all three bands in Grand Traverse Bay. Minor seasonal differences were detected between water depths in the red band. The local levels for the blue and green bands of Torch Lake generally follow a sigmoid curve, which maintain a plateau of positive values until about 2010. After 2010, levels decline precipitously, especially in the blue band, before leveling off in 2020. Amplitudes of these trends vary more at shallower water depths. Local levels in the red band of Torch Lake and all bands of Grand Traverse Bay tend to decrease sinusodially over time. Differences between seasonal and trend responses between bands and regions of interest may indicate differences in underlying physical, chemical, or biological processes.
Exercise-induced reductions in central command network cerebral blood flow assessed with arterial spin labeling MRI
Authors: Cloud Jessica , Stark Jessica , Hasselbach Alexander , Hiersche Kelly J. , Salat David , Juttukonda Meher R. , Hayes Scott M.
Published: September 2024

Habitual aerobic exercise positively impacts brain health. However, less is known about the acute effects of exercise on regional cerebral blood flow (CBF). Most studies have used exercise methods that required a 10-minute or longer delay before acquiring CBF data or methods that assessed global, rather than regional, CBF. In the current feasibility study, an aerobic exercise stimulus was administered using an MRI-compatible cardio step module connected to the MRI table. This allowed participants (N = 12, mean age = 20 years) to exercise at light-to-moderate intensity while in the bore of the MRI scanner. Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling MRI with multiple delays was collected on a 3T Siemens MRI scanner immediately pre- and post-exercise. CBF and arterial transit time changes were examined within the central command network, which impacts motor and cardiovascular systems during exercise. Associations with perceived exertion and cardiorespiratory fitness were assessed. CBF in central command regions decreased following exercise, with greater decreases in regions associated with cardiovascular control. For example, CBF in the left insula decreased by -9.03 ± 8.69 mL/100g/min (-11.45%, p < 0.01); CBF in the left and right rostral anterior cingulate decreased by -4.91 ± 6.08 mL/100g/min (-6.17%, p = 0.02) and by -5.04 ± 6.34 mL/100g/min (-7.43%, p = 0.02); and CBF in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex decreased by -7.30 ± 8.11 mL/100g/min (-9.50%, p = 0.01). Decreased CBF was also associated with greater ratings of perceived exertion in cardiovascular command regions including right insula (r = -0.67, p = 0.03), medial orbitofrontal cortex (r = -0.64, p = 0.04), and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (r = -0.75, p = 0.01). The current study further demonstrates the feasibility of assessing CBF immediately following exercise using an exercise stimulus in the bore of the MRI scanner. These results contribute to a small but growing body of literature describing cerebral hemodynamics immediately following exercise.
Unsupervised Model Construction in Continuous-Time
Authors: Park Jonathan JaeHong , Fisher Zachary , Hunter Michael D. , Shenk Chad , Russell Michael , Molenaar Peter , Chow Sy-Miin
Published: September 2024

Many of the advancements reconciling individual- and group- level results have occurred in the context of a discrete-time modeling framework. Discrete-time models are intuitive and offer relatively simple interpretations for the resulting dynamic structures; however, they do not possess the flexibility of models fitted in the continuous-time framework. We introduce ct-gimme, a continuous-time extension of the group iterative multiple model estimation (GIMME; Gates & Molenaar, 2012) procedure which enables researchers to fit complex, high dimensional “dynamic networks” in continuous-time. Our results indicate that ct-gimme outperforms N = 1 model fitting in continuous-time by pooling information across multiple subjects. Likewise, ct-gimme outperforms group-level model fitting in the presence of within-sample heterogeneity. We conclude with an empirical illustration and highlight limitations of the approach relating to identification of meaningful starting values.
Accounting for Measurement Invariance Violations in Careless Responding Detection in Intensive Longitudinal Data: Exploratory vs. Partially Constrained Latent Markov Factor Analysis
Authors: Vogelsmeier Leonie V. D. E. , Jongerling Joran , Ulitzsch Esther
Published: September 2024

Intensive longitudinal data (ILD) collection methods like experience sampling methodology can place significant burdens on participants, potentially resulting in careless responding, such as random responding. Such behavior can undermine the validity of any inferences drawn from the data if not properly identified and addressed. Recently, a confirmatory mixture model (here referred to as fully constrained latent Markov factor analysis, LMFA) has been introduced as a promising solution to detect careless responding in ILD. However, this method relies on the key assumption of measurement invariance of the attentive responses, which is easily violated due to shifts in how participants interpret items. If the assumption is violated, the ability of the fully constrained LMFA to accurately identify careless responding is compromised. In this study, we evaluated two more flexible variants of LMFA—fully exploratory LMFA and partially constrained LMFA—to distinguish between careless and attentive responding, in the presence of non-invariant attentive responses. Simulation results indicated that the fully exploratory LMFA model is an effective tool for reliably detecting and interpreting different types of careless responding while accounting for violations of measurement invariance. Conversely, the partially constrained model struggled to accurately detect careless responses. We end by discussing potential reasons for this.
Splintered Channels and Niche (Disabled) Influencers as Citizen Journalists
Authors: DiPisa Elyse , Perreault Gregory P
Published: September 2024

This chapter examines the different channels operated by and for people with disabilities and how the participation of disabled citizen journalists contributes to the social construction of disability. Citizen journalists create several disability news websites, blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, and other media forms every year, reaching a large and expanding audience. Further, many of these outlets can and do have an impact beyond the disability community, influencing legacy media and non-disabled audiences. The chapter will discuss historical events (e.g., the independent living movement, the introduction of closed captioning), as well as trade organizations focused on disability rights (e.g., the National Center on Disability and Journalism).
Walking the Way of European Integration: Prospects for Galician Youth
Authors: Creo Aldan , Traygo Lucía , Muñoz Paulo López , López Bruno Antonio Ortiz , Diz Miguel García-Miguel , Álvarez Luis Miguel Bouzo , Pérez Saray Rodríguez , Davila Víctor , Casal Julio Quintela
Published: September 2024

This paper explores the opportunities and challenges that the promotion of European integration among Galician youth currently faces. We first examine the obstacles that the region faces, which revolve around a lack of awareness, representation and pro-European civil society organizations, a limited knowledge of the English language and geographical isolation. However, Galicia is a region that enjoys unique opportunities, which we then explore, such as a lack of Euroscepticism, strong cultural ties with other European regions, the Camiño de Santiago, the region's key role in the maritime and artificial intelligence sectors, and low third-level education costs. We conclude by proposing a series of recommendations to better equip the region of Galicia with the tools and resources needed to promote Europeanism among young people. Through our recommendations, we aim to foster a sense of European identity and solidarity among young people in Galicia, which is essential for the further integration of Galicia into the European Union.
Impact of Internal Migration and Socioeconomic Consequences (A Case of Bharatpur Metropolitan ward no 11)
Authors: Chalise Ambika
Published: September 2024

The study explores the socio-economic impacts of migration in Bharatpur Metropolitan-11, focusing on changes in occupation, landholding patterns, and socio-cultural life. It found that migration initially started as temporary but became permanent as basic facilities were established. Primary drivers include economic opportunities, education, and improved living conditions. However, challenges like inadequate water supply and environmental pollution persist. The study recommends improving agricultural productivity, enhancing infrastructure, and ensuring equitable access to essential services for sustainable migration integration.
Penerapan Metode Algoritma C5.0 Untuk Klasifikasi Pemberian Kredit KUR UMKM Pada PT Pegadaian
Authors: Amalia Hilda , Timotius Moranta , Sriyadi Sriyadi , Yunita Yunita , Pohan Achmad Baroqah
Published: September 2024

KUR or known as People's Business Credit is a government program which aims to provide business assistance to small people, namely those who own businesses (MSMEs). Providing Credit can also refer to a situation where one party provides money or services to another party. Every time you give credit to a customer, there is a possibility of default. Default conditions can be detrimental to those who provide credit. This default condition, apart from being detrimental to the credit provider company, also has an impact on the company's performance. To overcome the risk of default, it is important for credit companies to carry out careful credit analysis, provide financial education to customers, and have an effective strategy. In addition, monitoring and updating customers' financial conditions regularly are also an important step in preventing payment failures. Data mining is a method for finding knowledge from piles of data. In this research, data mining is used to overcome the problem of default risk on business credit worthiness by involving data to identify patterns and factors that can predict potential default. By using the natural 5.0 algorithm method, data processing can be used to automate most of the credit assessment process which can save time and costs. The application of data mining in pawnshops allows more precise decisions to be made based on historical data and in-depth analysis, thereby helping to reduce risk and increase operational efficiency at credit granting companies. The application of the C5.0 Algorithm method helps identify critical factors that influence the feasibility of MSME sharia currency, such as customer profiles, business characteristics and financial performance. The results of the feasibility evaluation show that the majority of MSMEs receive funding through sharia currency.
Evolution of monopoly regulation
Authors: GERASYMENKO Anzhelika , HANOVSKYI Vasyl
Published: September 2024

The monopolistic organization of markets is as deeply rooted as the competitive one. It requi­res market actors to take this into consideration. It requires national regulators to counteract it or at least to restrict the freedom of monopolists to the extent that they cannot abuse their market power and negatively affect public welfare. Both the ways of monopolization and the ways of counteracting it are evolving, constantly upset­ting the balance between competition and mono­poly, requiring new ways of regulating mono­polies. The authors research the evolution of monopoly regulation: from spot prohibitions of anticompetitive practices in ancient times to the systemic balancing of competitive and state mechanisms of monopoly regulation today. The article is systematized all approaches to mono­po­ly regulation into three groups, such as: antitrust regulation as control and counteraction to abuse of dominant position by a monopolist; direct regulation of permitted monopolies, including licensing, price regulation and regula­tion of access to a key resource; structural reform of monopolistic industries and introduce­tion of competition in the potentially competitive segments of it – outside the bottleneck in the value chain, where a key resource of a permitted monopoly is exploited. The combination of the theoretical foundations of state monopoly regulation with the practice of such regulation within each approach illustrates the synergy of their joint application and opens up prospects for their exploitation not only for traditional forms of monopoly, but also for neo-monopolies that are emerged in the digital unregulated sector
Risks and profitability of business models of insurance companies
Authors: SHULGA Nataliya , MAIDANYK Yehor
Published: September 2024

Ukrainian insurance companies are steadily moving towards the European development framework, facilitated by the adoption of a series of radical regulatory documents by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) concerning the super­vision of their activities based on a risk-oriented approach. This, in turn, requires insurance compa­nies to make fundamental changes to their risk management processes and substantiate their choice of a viable business model capable of ensu­ring their long-term. The aim of the article is to determine the level of risks and the related profitability of business models of insurance companies of Ukraine, as well as to develop recommendations for their transfor­mation based on proactive risk management. The research is based on the use of a set of such methods as analysis, comparison, grouping, correlation. Various methodical approaches to distinguishing the business models of insurers are revealed and their brief description is given. An analysis of risks for business models of life and non-life insurance was carried out based on the system of selected indicators. An analysis of the correlation relationship between the ratio of insurance payments to insurance premiums (dependent variable) and independent variables was carried out. Proposals aimed at imple­menting innovative business models based on proactive risk management have been deve­loped. Formulated and empirically tested hypo­theses regarding the reduction of the scale of the insurance business under the influence of the unfavorable economic situation, the war in Ukraine and the strengthening of regulatory requirements for insurers; different levels of risks are inherent in the business models of non-life and life insurers; the introduction of innova­tive business models for insurers should be based on the conceptual principles of proactive risk management
Creation of a proxy model for the selection of optimal parameters of the development system using horizontal wells with multistage hydraulic fracturing
Authors: Merega O. S. , Eremin N. A.
Published: September 2024

The current state of oil production is characterized by a decline in the proportion of reserves located in conventional reservoirs. The development of complex and highly complex reservoirs is becoming increasingly important. A significant proportion of oil reserves are concentrated in low-permeability reservoirs that are no longer economically viable to develop using traditional field methods. The aim of the work is to create a predictive tool for the selection of optimal parameters of the development system using horizontal wells and multistage hydraulic fracturing of reservoirs. To solve this problem, a fully connected neural network model was trained that predicts the parameters of the production profile as a function of the initial geological and physical conditions and the parameters of the development system. The architecture of the resulting neural network includes 3 linear layers of 300 neurons each. The training sample for the model was the results of multivariate calculations on a synthetic hydrodynamic model simulating the operation of a development element using a horizontal well with multistage hydraulic fracturing in depletion mode. The developed model can be useful in solving the problem of designing a development system in new or undrilled areas of low-permeability oil fields.
Uneven transformation of sedimentary silica in Western Siberia (a case study of the Santonian gaizes of the Hayakha formation)
Authors: Kudamanov A. I. , Karikh T. M. , Agalakov S. E. , Pavlutkin I. G.
Published: September 2024

The Upper Cretaceous, potentially gas-bearing gaizes of the Hayakha formation (Santon) of the West Siberian Plate, which covers an area of approximately 2.5 million km², is characterized by a highly irregular degree of crystallization of silica aggregate (opal-cristobalite-tridimite or OCT-phase). This is an important parameter for assessing filtration-capacity properties. The gaize is present in 20-30 m thick strata and is distributed across an area of approximately 2.5 million km². The crystallization of the OCT-phase (ageing) in natural systems can be attributed to a number of factors. The study of the transformation features of the Upper Cretaceous gaize rocks currently necessitates a unified and systematic approach. A series of laboratory techniques, including petrographic description of transparent slides, X-ray diffraction analysis of the total (XRD) and fine fraction (XRDclay), and scanning electron microscope, were employed to evaluate the extent of opaque aging in cores from over 30 wells. In most of the West Siberian Plate within the Hayakha formation gaizes the quartz content, according to XRD data, ranges from 5-10 to 30-45 %. Additionally, the proportion of OCT-phase is observed to be 30-50 %. However, in the western and south-western regions of the West Siberian plate, quartz constitutes up to 80 % or more, and OCT-phase is undetected by the XRD method. The morphological differences of silica isolations are established on scanning electron microscope images at a magnification of 5,000-6,000 times. In the examined stratigraphic sequences, the areas of rocks exhibiting an elevated degree of OCT-phase ageing do not correlate with the areas displaying indications of transformation of swelling clay minerals (montmorillonite) into illite. On the basis of the accumulated new data, as well as taking into account the mid-Maastrichtian incised relief forms (channels) detected on seismic sections in the western part of the West Siberian Plate, the following conclusion is made: the absence of OCT-phase and anomalously high quartz fraction in gaizes of the Hayakha formation in the western region of the West Siberian Plate are caused by complete crystallization of OCT-phase in the conditions of subaerial exposure (exogenous conditions) of Upper Cretaceous sediments in the Middle Maastrichtian.
Analysis of reliability and efficiency of drill dipping piles for oil field construction in permafrost zone
Authors: Shaposhnikov N. O. , Yalygin S. A. , Ermakov B. S. , Shvetsov O. V. , Ermakov S. B. , Golikov N. I. , Sleptsov G. N. , Klochkov Yu. S.
Published: September 2024

Relocation of the main capacities of oil production infrastructure from Central to Northern Russia necessitated a re-evaluation of oilfield development strategies, particularly addressing the challenges of constructing foundations for pipelines, processing facilities, and power plants. These foundations are formed by drill-dipping piles into pre-drilled boreholes. The use of drill dipping piles in permafrost is technologically essential as alternative pile types are impractical. The most common are drill dipping piles fabricated from longitudinal seam pipes welded with high frequency current techniques (as per GOST 20295 and GOST R 58064). Performance of such pipes in permafrost conditions was evaluated through laboratory simulations mimicking operational conditions, as well as in-situ at the test site of Federal Research Centre "The Yakut Scientific Centre of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences" where full-size piles were installed in firm loamy and wet peaty permafrost soils. Pipes both with and without post-weld heat treatment, as specified in SP 16.13330.2017, were tested. The authors examined static mechanical properties and impact toughness of the base metal and welded joints of the pipes, as well as corrosion resistance and crack resistance. The research revealed that post-weld heat treatment did not significantly enhance the reliability of drill dipping piles fabricated from 09G2S steel. Concurrently, microstructure analysis of the welded joints revealed a considerable number of defects along the weld-fusion line, potentially accelerating pile failure.
Prophylactic Oral Diazepam for Pediatric Epilepsy Patients with Fever-Triggered Episodes
Authors:   Department of Pediatrics College of Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq, Shaima’A Dakhel Shaima’A Dakhel
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Epilepsy is a long-standing brain disorder struck by a persistent propensity to have seizures that are not caused by any instant injury to the central nervous system. It also involves numerous consequences on cognition, the brain’s biology, psychology, and social aspects due to periodic seizures. Epilepsy can affect individuals of all ages and genders worldwide. In patients diagnosed with epilepsy based on clinical symptoms, EEG results, age over 60 months, and frequency of unprovoked seizures, the occurrence of seizures during a fever can be triggered. This is because changes in body temperature can impact the electrical activity of neurons and other cellular processes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of oral diazepam on the number of attacks of seizures in epilepsy patients during febrile illness. Methods: from 2020 to 2023, patients were collected during the consultations to private clinics, and outpatient (pediatric & neuro-medicine clinic). 430 patients were collected all those patients diagnosed as epilepsy according to clinical findings and EEG. All patients on antiepileptic drugs either monotherapy or 2 types of drugs aged more than 5 years. 96 patients involved in the study half of them given prophylactic oral diazepam and the 2nd group placebo. Results: The number of assaults per year during febrile illness is significantly reduced with therapy; there is no significant correlation was seen between treatment and age or sex. Conclusion: Oral diazepam can reduce the number of attacks of seizures in epilepsy patients during febrile illness.
Reshaping the Financial Landscape through Fintech and Digital Finance
Authors: Tanvir Hira , Manan Samia
Published: September 2024

This article offers a comprehensive examination of the research conducted on the effects of digitalization on the ability to get financial resources. Our primary emphasis is on providing access via the use of financial technology. This article examines the progression of three prominent financial technology advancements: crowdfunding, initial coin offerings, and fintech lending (which encompasses peer-to-peer lending alternatives). The topics of discussion are: Examine the regulatory concerns posed by fintech, together with the present data on the impact of fintech on the availability of capital for entrepreneurs and investors. The articles featured in this special edition have been chosen to emphasize their substantial contributions to our comprehension of the digitization of finance and its consequences. Lastly, we address the challenges linked to doing research in the field of digital finance and suggest potential avenues for further exploration.
Assessment of effective waste recycling practices to minimise construction and demolition waste in Sri Lankan construction industry
Authors:   Department of Quantity Surveying, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka, Amararathne M.R.O.V. , Bandara K.P.S.P.K.
Published: September 2024

The construction industry, a vital sector driving global development, simultaneously contributes significantly to waste generation. This research delves into the assessment of effective waste recycling practices to minimise Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste in the Sri Lankan Construction Industry. The study aims to evaluate the most applicability waste recycling practices, identify implementation barriers, and provide recommendations for overcoming these barriers. A comprehensive literature review highlights the global significance of the construction industry and its substantial contribution to waste production. Effective waste management is crucial for cost, quality, time, and environmental impact. It advocates for scientific consultation to determine appropriate waste management practices, considering extended producer responsibility, Waste-to-Energy, material recovery facilities, source separation and landfill options. C&D waste production is linked to ecological consequences, necessitating sustainable waste management practices. Recycling C&D waste emerges as a viable mitigation strategy, offering benefits such as landslide risk reduction, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and natural resource protection. The research methodology used in this study is mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Major findings include appropriate waste recycling practices, implementation barriers, and recommendations for overcoming barriers. Waste management policy regulation and enforcement being the most applicable waste recycling practice according to RII analysis. The identified most significant barrier was the absence of rules and enforcement. Recommendations focus on awareness programs, incentivising through the tendering process, education and training, seeking international guidance and technology and government support programs. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers in advancing waste recycling practices in the Sri Lankan Construction Industry.
Blueprint for a natural language processing powered nexus for regulatory and legal landscape in construction
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Saparamadu P.V.I.N. , Jayasena H.S. , Eranga B.A.I.
Published: September 2024

The recent exponential advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) are catalysing a paradigm shift in the world, directing the construction industry towards an era of smart construction. The proficiency of NLP in comprehending and assimilating vast quantities of human language data aligns aptly with the construction sector’s exigency for enhanced management of its unstructured textual data. Given the frequent alterations in regulatory frameworks and the dispersed nature of project data, there arises a compelling need for a Natural Language Processing Powered Compliance Management Nexus (NLP-PCMN), which facilitates expedited access to consolidated information via mobile platforms. This study aims to develop a blueprint for implementing an NLP-PCMN in the construction industry. By conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 experts spanning the domains of construction and Artificial Intelligence (AI) alongside a focus group to outline the technological framework of the NLP-PCMN, the research underscores the need to implement such a system. The envisaged system is poised to address challenges such as navigating contract clauses, correspondence analysis and ensuring legal compliance with planning and building codes and legal provisions. The proposed NLP-PCMN presents a comprehensive solution integrating these features through large language models that work as a question-and-answering system. Key findings include the necessity of automating the regulatory and legal data in construction, stakeholder empowerment through NLP-PCMN, identifying the nodes of the NLP-PCMN and the technical blueprint to implement the NLP-PCMN.
Issues on foreign labourers productivity on green buildings in Selangor, Malaysia
Authors:   Department of Construction Management, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, Sanmargaraja Shalini , Bandirau Jagadish Rau ,   Department of Construction Management, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, Olanrewaju AbdulLateef ,   Department of Construction Management, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, Ponniah Vignes ,   Trafford and Stockport College Group, United Kingdom, Mathalamuthu Anselm Dass ,   Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology Malaysia, Kanniyapan Gunavathy ,   Department of Real Estate, University of Management and Technology or Company, Malaysia
Published: September 2024

Malaysia is Asia's largest net labour importer, suggesting that the construction sector is significantly reliant on foreign labour, primarily from Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Foreign labourers are needed to fill labour shortages caused by locals' reluctance to seek jobs in the construction sector. The demand for green buildings escalates the demand for foreign labour. However, there are criticisms of the performance of green buildings on account of accidents on sites, poor workmanship, and project delays. Hence, this research investigates the nature of foreign labourers in the construction of green buildings. In 2021, a total of 100 surveys were administered during the construction of the green building in Selangor, yet only 80 were returned, resulting in an 80% response rate. Based on the results, it is found that the industry's reliance on foreign immigrants arose because of its labour-intensive and dirty, hazardous, and difficult nature, which discourages the locals. The results of the test of goodness of fit for the impact of foreign labourers on the construction of green buildings. The results revealed that all the constructs were statistically significant. Results also found that poor communication leads to accidents, language barriers, a lack of understanding, and poor workmanship badly impacting the projects. Furthermore, a lack of knowledge and education reduces the green building's productivity. Not all foreign labourers are very well experienced in green building construction due to the new concept that they never heard of before in their countries.
The Role of stakeholders in business model innovation in construction organisations in Sri Lanka
Authors:   Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Wijayawardena D.S.I. , Sandanayake Y.G. , Bandaranayake D.M.L.N.
Published: September 2024

The Business Model (BM) has become a distinctive feature that guides enterprises in fighting against challenges and navigating toward success. Construction organisations also face challenges due to expanding project scopes, increasing project participants, external factors and tight budgets. Hence, innovating BMs to keep up with the changing market and retain the competitive edge is essential. In this context, the stakeholders play a vital role in Business Model Innovation (BMI). There is therefore a need to investigate the role of stakeholder in BMI. Hence, this paper investigates the role of stakeholders in BMI in Sri Lankan construction organisations. This research gap was addressed using a literature review followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 experts using the qualitative research approach. Collected data were analysed through content analysis. Findings revealed that stakeholder engagement in BMI is led by the mutual benefits gained by all parties while creating a win-win situation. Semi-structured interview findings revealed that government, shareholders, clients, Board of Directors (BoDs) and management significantly influence BMI, while stakeholders such as employees, sub-contractors, competitors, financial providers and material suppliers possess a moderate influence. As per the interview findings, shareholders provide capital and foster innovation, BoDs/top management make final decisions after evaluating all suggestions, middle and low-level managers execute BMIs and guide subordinates, clients shape BMs to fit project needs, and the government influences BMIs through regulations. In conclusion, the stakeholders in construction industry can use the research findings in developing BMIs and implementing them successfully.
Lexical change in Russian dialects: the case of one Pskov dialect
Authors: Ron’ko Roman V. , Anisimov Arseniy D. , Zalivina Ekaterina A. , Zemlyanskaya Sofia A.
Published: September 2024

The paper examines the sustainability of dialect vocabulary in the variety spoken in a set of villages of the Zapadnodvinsk district of the Tver region. The data were collected within the framework of the Data Collection Program for the Dialectal Atlas of the Russian language. The presence of dialectal lexemes in neighboring villages is cross-checked using the Database of the Dialectal Atlas of the Russian Language. The paper offers a sustainability scale of lexemes that is a measure of the degree of their sustainability across dialects. Based on the data discussed in the paper the conclusion is drawn that the dialect vocabulary in the dialects explored in the paper is relatively stable.
Equative-approximative markers in the Finno-Ugric languages: Interaction with quantitative scales and the development of ambiguity
Authors: Winkler Maria Emilia
Published: September 2024

The paper is based on data from four Finno-Ugric languages (Udmurt, Hill Mari, Moksha, and Khanty). It deals with markers that can perform at least two functions: on the one hand, they can mark the standard of comparison in equative constructions; on the other hand, they can serve as approximative markers in quantified expressions. This paper considers distribution of such markers and proposes a possible way to analyze field and corpus data. I put forward and investigate hypotheses about the possible mechanism for the emergence of such polyfunctionality. Firstly, a detailed description of how such markers are distributed across languages and contexts is provided. I consider both quantitative and qualitative equative contexts. In addition, in this paper I claim that there is a third subtype of equatives — a parametric one, that has previously been described among qualitative equatives. The difference in the distribution of equative-approximative markers combined with standard and ad hoc measure nouns is discussed. We show that the first type of contexts belongs to approximative, and the second one — to equative, although the division is very vague. Secondly, the compatibility of such markers serving to disclaim precision about cardinal numerals (without any measure nouns within the construction) is considered. The data are discussed within the framework of the scalar approach. I show that cardinal numerals and measure nouns introduce different types of scales, which also affects the distribution of equative-approximative markers. After considering a number of hypotheses about whether elements of equative constructions can contribute to the reanalysis of equative indicators into markers of approximation, I conclude that equative-approximative ambiguity arises as a result of synchronic polysemy, rather than diachronic development of the equative markers.
Birchbark letters from Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa excavations of 2023
Authors: Gippius Aleksey A.
Published: September 2024

The article contains a preliminary publication of nineteen birchbark letters found during the archaeological season of 2023 in Veliky Novgorod (Nos. 1158–1172) and Staraya Russa (Nos. 55–58). The published documents date back to the 12th — early 16th centuries. From the historical point of view, three 14th-century documents are of the greatest value: No. 1164 is a record of tax collection, reflecting the decimal organization of the population of the Novgorod hinterland; No. 1164 is a petition addressed to the corporation of skotniki and pomužniki, which administered the territories in the Zaonezhye region; No. 1170 is a record of a court session with a mention of boyars. The linguistic material of the published texts includes a rare example of the N. Sg. poklone in the address formula of a letter, the letter ъ designating [’o], another example of ъ + o combination reflexed as a, the first attestations of the words ězdьcь ‘messenger’, šida ‘silk’, kruta ‘dowry’, archaic personal names Pirovaya, Oblikъ, etc.
When you are the last one to know: evidentiality in Khwarshi
Authors: Poliakova Eva E.
Published: September 2024

One of the common features of the Nakh-Daghestanian languages is the evidential opposition between some of the past tense verb forms, which mark (in)direct access to the information. Khwarshi has two synthetic past forms that are traditionally considered to form this kind of opposition, but, according to our data, it may in fact not be based on the type of information source. We conclude that, firstly, it is privative, and, secondly, the meaning of the marked form can be described as the “late access” to the information and is used when there is a gap between the time of getting the information about the event and the event itself.
Influence of Demographic Processes on the Development of the Education System in Modern China
Authors: Guleva M. A
Published: September 2024

Population structure is an important characteristic of society. As a key element of socio-economic development, the population is linked to the development potential of the nation and the state. Its scale, quality and structure have an important influence on the future direction of the educational system as a whole. In the development of educational activities, the number of students in each school year is directly correlated with the school-age population. The scope of education coverage, planning and organization of school activities are determined by the size of the population and the characteristics of its location. This is the basic logic of the relationship between education and population. Education in many ways influences society as a whole and the processes taking place in it, for example, the processes of population migration, etc. China is entering the era of negative population growth. China is entering an era of negative population growth, and it is important to predict how the education sector will respond to demographic changes. The new demographic trend will primarily affect the development of basic education. The decline in the total school-age population and the specifics of its regional distribution in the course of urbanization have led to a decrease in the number of students in rural areas and an oversupply in urban areas. Under such conditions, it is increasingly difficult to ensure high-quality development of basic education, avoid the emergence of new educational inequalities and a number of other social problems. All these problems of the current basic school will eventually be transmitted to higher education, and given the dynamics of population aging, it is clear that the labour market may be in a very difficult situation in the near future. If proper measures are not taken, systemic educational risks may arise that will have an impact on the overall socio-economic development of the state.
The rise of law – the mission of S.S. Alekseev
(On the 100th anniversary of the outstanding jurist)
Authors: Kazantsev Mikhail F. , Rudenko Victor N.
Published: September 2024

The article is devoted to the outstanding scientist and organizer of science, jurist, philosopher, thinker, publicist, writer, statesman, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Law, Professor Sergey S. Alekseev (1924–2013). The biography of S.S. is traced. Alekseev, his hypostasis as a legal theorist, civilist, philosopher, organizer of science, publicist, writer, statesman, legislator, is evaluated for his contribution to science, the formation of the modern legal system in our country, reveals his role in the creation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. The article quotes fragments of previously unpublished works by S. S. Alekseev.
Russia in the new geopolitical realities: the legal vector of civilizational self-determination
Authors: Lapaeva Valentina V.
Published: September 2024

Modern geopolitical realities are determined by two key factors – the geopolitical crisis and the exponential nature of technological progress. At this historical stage, both of these factors together determine the division of the global world into techno-economic blocks. The inevitability of some form of block confrontation in the medium term does not negate the possibility of future legal development based on the principle of formal equality between States. The theoretical model of such development in Russian political science is represented by the essentially legal concept of the multilateralism of the world order, which is fundamentally different from the power model of multipolarity. The possibilities of Russia’s legal development as a sovereign state so far depend on success in finding allies in the bloc and on what scientific, technological, economic and spiritual baggage the country will enter into such a union of states. The competitive potential of each block will be determined both by its technological might and by the special value-normative complex that has developed within it, which will reflect the spiritual unity of the peoples united in such a union. At the same time, the civilizational values that form the basis of such a “soft power” should not only be expressed at the level of theories, but also presented in the practice of building new models of socio-economic and political-legal structure capable of introducing technological development into the legal mainstream.