bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of straight and helical fibers for time-lapse elastic FWI of synthetic seafloor DAS data
Authors: Masaya Shogo , Tani Masanori , Liu Yanhua , Tsvankin Ilya
Published: November 2024

In recent years, optical fiber sensing has been widely employed in various fields, including geophysics. Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) with optical fibers can measure vibrations along optical fibers more densely than geophones or hydrophones. Applications of borehole-deployed DAS as well as surface- and seafloor-deployed DAS for seismic measurements are increasing. Velocity model building plays a significant role in such seismic applications of DAS as imaging and time-lapse monitoring. Seafloor or surface DAS measurements with a straight fiber (SF) are limited to measuring one (horizontal) component of vibrations, which poses limitations for velocity estimation. This shortcoming of SF can be addressed by using helically wound fiber (HWF) (a fiber wrapped around a core in a helical or spiral pattern) to potentially detect both the vertical and horizontal vibration components. However, a comparison of velocity estimation from seismic data measured by SF and HWF has not been discussed. This study analyzes the performance of elastic full-waveform inversion (FWI) (an iterative method for parameter estimation using multicomponent wavefields) for synthetic seafloor-deployed DAS data recorded by SF and HWF. We conduct numerical experiments using elastic FWI and time-lapse elastic FWI on a synthetic subsurface model data set to evaluate the potential of seafloor-deployed DAS measurements with SF and HWF.
Application of the Vernik method for pore-pressure estimation in the Vaca Muerta Formation: Insights for geomechanical analysis and quantitative seismic interpretation in organic-rich mudrocks
Authors: Sánchez Camus Ariel , Gauzellino Patricia M. , Ramos Ricardo
Published: November 2024

In organic-rich mudrocks, intervals with the highest pore pressure are prime production targets due to their association with high hydrocarbon content and elevated productivity. However, these zones pose substantial operational risks. As pore pressure approaches the confining pressure, smaller differences between the maximum and minimum effective pressures are required for faulting to occur, regardless of the stress regime. Consequently, minor stress perturbations caused by hydraulic stimulation can trigger slippage in pre-existing cracks and faults. Assessing the spatial variability of pore pressure is essential, not only for selecting the most productive layers and mitigating induced seismicity events, but also for controlling influx in fractured zones during drilling and optimizing hydrocarbon recovery through effective choke management strategies. In this study, we apply the Vernik method (specifically designed to estimate pore pressure in organic-rich mudrocks) to analyze data from three wells within the maximum oil generation window in the Vaca Muerta Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina. Our analysis identified four dominant compaction trends, with the Lower Vaca Muerta section exhibiting the highest pore pressure, the greatest mechanical anisotropy, and the lowest stress anisotropy. Additionally, we quantified the effects of pore pressure on the elastic properties of the formation to enhance quantitative seismic interpretation. The robustness of the method is evidenced by its alignment with field observations and adherence to fundamental principles applicable to organic-rich mudrock reservoirs. This characterization improves our understanding of geomechanical behavior and production challenges in the Vaca Muerta Formation, offering valuable insights for reservoir management and optimization.
Symposium Review: Unlocking the potential of sustainable energy in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Han Gang , Modrra Musab , Badri Mohammed
Published: November 2024

The International Geomechanics Symposium (IGS) took place from 30 October to 2 November 2023 in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The theme was “The role of geomechanics for efficient and sustainable energy supply.” The event served as a platform for more than 300 experts to engage in a stimulating exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Why We Should, and How We Can, Reduce the Climate Toxicity of Cancer Care
Authors: Lynch Emer , Bredin Philip , Weadick Catherine S. , Dorney Niamh , Van Leeuwen Roelof W.F. , O'Reilly Seamus
Published: November 2024

Climate change is like cancer, delayed action leads to more suffering for patients.
According to the Record
Authors: Wright Lisa E.
Published: November 2024

In this piece Lisa E. Wright analyzes the penmanship on her grandmother’s birth certificate to question whether her great-grandmother gave birth to her Grandma Rickey in 1934 with a white doctor or with a midwife who may not have had a license. She explores if her grandmother’s birth reflected changing attitudes toward Black midwives, her great-grandmother’s choice, or a luxury afforded to her great-grandmother by her great-grandfather’s status as a Black coal miner. To analyze the decisions of the next generation of women who gave birth in her family, in this piece Wright struggles with the reasons her grandmother looked outside their community of midwives for maternal care and gave birth in a Jim Crow hospital in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Consumption as Changemaking and Producers as Artists
Authors: Chakravarty Debjani , Standish Christine
Published: November 2024

In this article the authors perform a transnational feminist analysis of marketing strategies deployed in compassionate consumption. This strategy communicates to the consumer that consuming equals doing good. Using public-facing website data, the authors conduct a discourse analysis of alt-profit corporations, a term they coined to demonstrate yet another widespread strategy of late capitalism. Applying a transnational feminist perspective, they postulate that these alt-profits (meant to invoke “alternative” and “altruistic” actions by corporations) McDonaldize their marketing strategies to capitalize on consumer interests for sustainability, fair trade, “women’s empowerment,” and a desire to consume artisanal goods. They further argue that artisans from the Global South serving consumers in the Global North are framed as gendered and globalized in a way that helps sales. This is done purposefully using text and graphics, including digital storytelling, buzzwords, and vibrant photography. Contrary to the Marxist framework of alienation, artisans are presented as workers who find joy in their work. Alt-profits invite consumers to buy products and appreciate the unique experience of “meeting the artists.” The authors conclude that the formulaic pattern of communication used by alt-profits is both distinct to them yet also common in publicizing any compassionate consumption and ultimately negates the reality of current global markets necessitating exploitative capitalist structures such as opaque and unsustainable supply chains.
Within and Outside the Black-Maghrebi Binary
Authors: Parikh Shreya
Published: November 2024

What does it mean to be both Black and Tunisian, Black and Maghrebi, when the two identities are defined as different from each other, and in opposition with each other, in both North Africa and its diaspora? This article is an annotated conversation with Dr. Maha Abdelhamid, a Tunisian Black activist and scholar who has been crucial to the creation of the Black movement in Tunisia and Tunisian diaspora. This conversation examines the construction and negotiation of Tunisian-Black and Maghrebi-Black identities through Abdelhamid’s experiences of living in and working against racism in both Tunisia and France. It details Abdelhamid’s trajectory in becoming conscious of her Black and African identities, her complex relationship with her Arab identity, her role in building the Black movement in Tunisia after the 2011 revolution, and her arrival in France and experiences of exclusion in both Maghrebi diasporic as well as Black feminist civil society organizations. The interview points to the possible essentialization of Maghrebi and Black as separate identities not only in socio-political discourses that racialize and marginalize these groups, but also among groups challenging Islamophobia or anti-Blackness, leaving those with overlapping identities and racializing experiences outside their scope.
Identification of heart rate dynamics during treadmill and cycle ergometer exercise: the role of model zeros and dead time
Authors: Hunt Kenneth J. , Wang Hanjie
Published: November 2024

Background The response of heart rate to changes in exercise intensity is comprised of several dynamic modes with differing magnitudes and temporal characteristics. Investigations of empirical identification of dynamic models of heart rate showed that second-order models gave substantially and significantly better model fidelity compared to the first order case. In the present work, we aimed to reanalyse data from previous studies to more closely consider the effect of including a zero and a pure delay in the model. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of 22 treadmill (TM) and 54 cycle ergometer (CE) data sets from a total of 38 healthy participants. A linear, time-invariant plant model structure with up to two poles, a zero and a dead time is considered. Empirical estimation of the free parameters was performed using least-squares optimisation. The primary outcome measure is model fit, which is a normalised root-mean-square model error. Results A model comprising parallel connection of two first-order transfer functions, one with a dead time and one without, was found to give the highest fit (56.7 % for TM, 54.3 % for CE), whereby the non-delayed component appeared to merely capture initial transients in the data and the part with dead time likely represented the true dynamic response of heart rate to the excitation. In comparison, a simple first-order model without dead time gave substantially lower fit than the parallel model (50.2 % for TM, 47.9 % for CE). Conclusions This preliminary analysis points to a linear first-order system with dead time as being an appropriate model for heart rate response to exercise using treadmill and cycle ergometer modalities. In order to avoid biased estimates, it is vitally important that, prior to parameter estimation and validation, careful attention is paid to data preprocessing in order to eliminate transients and trends.
The emergence of green finance a conceptual framework for environmental sustainability: innovation viewpoint
Authors: Ali Farman , Sayal Anu , Suri Pradeep , Ahmad Vasim , Chauhan Sanjay Singh , Panwar Diksha
Published: November 2024

Background of the study This study intends to contribute to the continuing discussion about green economic growth by objectively investigating the consequences of clean energy generation, cutting-edge green practices, and ethical business on global sustainability. This study also examines how green finance laws effectively handle the financial limitations that companies face when pursuing green innovation. Green finance enables the development and implementation of sustainable business models, investments, trade, economic, environmental, and social projects through the effective utilization of financial resources. Methods This article offers a complete evaluation of the current state and advancements in green finance research using a mixed-methods approach, which includes bibliometric and qualitative analysis. We analysed a big dataset of research papers after entering the keywords into the Scopus database. Results This study found that green bank products include green securities, investments, climate financing, carbon finance, insurance, credit, and infrastructure bonds. Sustainability, sustainable development, investments, environmental economics, sustainable finance, green bonds, and the green economy dominate as a most prevalent theme. China has the strongest bibliometric linkages to other nations, followed by the US and UK. This study also examines whether green finance policies address firm financial restrictions while pursuing green innovation. VOS-viewer generates co-authorship-based keyword occurrence links and network maps. Conclusion Green finance strives to increase funding flows to sustainable development goals while mitigating environmental and social hazards. “Going green,” pricing, forecasting, modelling, picking the most efficient tool, and influencing investor behaviour toward environmentally friendly operations are all challenges. Environmental policies, interest rates, religion, risks, social inclusion, and banking laws all have an impact on bank green financing initiatives. The study’s main contribution is an overview of green finance breakthroughs for sustainability, which may help scholars and practitioners understand the trend and future research directions.
Twelve tips for developing institutional student - faculty/staff boundaries guidelines and training
Authors: Chosie Kim , Helms Kristen , Vasauskas Audrey
Published: November 2024

Boundary issues between students and faculty in medical school can arise due to the power dynamics inherent in these types of relationships. Students may feel vulnerable and unable to assert their needs or boundaries, while faculty members may struggle to discern and maintain professional boundaries with their students. Personal relationships outside of the academic setting, such as social events or extracurricular activities, can create conflicts of interest or inappropriate power dynamics. Sexual relationships are not permitted, and discriminatory behavior towards students is illegal and can lead to serious consequences. It is important for medical school faculty members to prioritize the well-being and safety of their students and uphold professional standards. Faculty members must also maintain strict confidentiality and avoid any behavior that could compromise a student's privacy. Institutions should provide training and policies to help faculty members navigate these issues and ensure a positive learning environment for all students.
Do stress and anxiety lead to belief in conspiracy theories?
Authors: Fox Nick , Williams Matt N.
Published: November 2024

Conspiracies happen, and some conspiracy theories are warranted by evidence. Nevertheless, a non-trivial proportion of the public express belief in conspiracy theories that are not warranted by evidence. Psychological research has therefore investigated the motives that might lead someone to believe a conspiracy theory even where the available evidence for the theory is weak. Two potential causes that have been proposed in the literature and embedded in theorising are psychological stress and anxiety. Prior studies have provided some evidence that stress and anxiety are positively correlated with belief in conspiracy theories, but it remains unclear whether this apparent effect might be accounted for by plausible confounding variables. Furthermore, there have been few preregistered examinations of the proposed effects of stress and anxiety, rendering it unclear to what degree this proposition has yet been subjected to a severe test. In two preregistered cross-sectional survey studies, we tested whether higher perceived stress and anxiety significantly predicted belief in conspiracy theories while controlling for plausible confounding variables (age, education, subjective social status, and political orientation). We analysed data using structural equation models, allowing measurement error to be explicitly modelled and accounted for. In Study 1 (N =502), a cross-sectional survey of Australasian participants indicated that perceived stress and anxiety did not have significant estimated effects on belief in conspiracy theories. In Study 2 (N =1020), a cross-sectional survey of US participants showed a small significant positive effect of perceived stress, but not anxiety, on belief in conspiracy theories. The present results provide very tentative evidence for an effect of perceived stress on belief in conspiracy theories. However, it is increasingly evident that this effect, if it exists at all, is not large.
ORGANIC CARBON CONTENT IN STRUCTURAL UNITS OF LEACHED CHERNOZEM WITH INCREASING DOSES OF MINERAL FERTILIZERS IN THE FOREST-STEPPE ZONE OF THE URALS
Authors: Demin Evgeniy , Nakov Daniil , Volkova Natal'ya
Published: November 2024

Carbon reserves concentrated in the soil determine its fertility and buffering capacity. Structural aggregates are formed due to organic matter, which serves as a binding material in the formation and stabilization of soil structural units. Intensive use of soil during cultivation of agricultural crops has a significant impact on its biological activity. This leads to significant changes in the natural process of soil evolution and its degradation. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of mineral fertilizers on the content and reserves of organic carbon in various structural units of leached chernozem in the forest-steppe zone of the Urals. Long-term use of soil for arable land without the application of mineral fertilizers worsens the soil structure Kstr=1.6 units. Fertilizers applied in the calculation of obtaining 3.0 and 4.0 t/ha of grain contribute to the improvement of the soil structure (Kstr=2.0 ... 2.1 units). The maximum amount of organic carbon (Corg) in the control variant was noted in aggregates > 10 and < 0.25 mm in size - 4.77 and 4.61%. Systematic application of fertilizers in the calculation of the formation of 3.0 and 4.0 t/ha of grain provides an increase in Corg content in soil aggregates from 1.0 to 0.25 mm in size by 0.70 ... 0.72%. When applying fertilizers for the planned yield of 5.0 t/ha, a loss of carbon from aggregates of 10 ... 3 mm in size is observed by 0.45%. At the maximum agricultural background, Corg content in aggregates > 10 and < 0.25 mm decreases to 3.70 and 4.11%. In the control Corg reserves in agronomically valuable aggregates reach 59.3% of the total reserves. Systematic application of fertilizers based on a yield of 3.0 ... 4.0 t/ha of grain increases the carbon reserves in valuable soil aggregates to 66.2 ... 68.0% of the total reserves. Planning higher yields leads to a decrease in carbon reserves in agronomically valuable aggregates.
PROVISIONS OF USING THE METHOD OF ASSESSING FINANCIAL LEVERAGE FOR AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Authors: Morgachev Il'ya , Daeva Tat'yana , Melikhov Victor Alekseevitch , Gavrineva Natal'ya , Lebed' Anna
Published: November 2024

The financial leverage effect assessment model is universal for all enterprises. However, agro-industrial complex organizations are significantly dependent on the use of bank loans, so the model under study is relevant for them. In addition, the proposed provisions clarifying the concept of its use were formed on the basis of a study of the dynamics of asset profitability of Russian agricultural holdings. Average asset profitability by profit before taxes for the period 2009-2022 for average statistical agricultural holding’s profitability was 7.23%, the return on current assets was 14.73% with an average bank loan rate for agricultural organizations in this period of 11%. This situation determines the possibility of a negative effect of financial leverage for the subjects under study, which requires clarification of the model for assessing its effect. It is justified to consider the effective interest rate on a bank loan as the price of borrowed capital. It is justified to consider only the amount of credit, the use of which is decided at the current moment in time without taking into account all accounts payable of the organization, as the amount of borrowed capital used in the model for assessing the effect of financial leverage. The results obtained according to the application of the financial leverage assessment model are predictive with a certain level of error, and the model itself is dynamic and allows obtaining approximate results due to the variability of micro- and macroenvironment factors. This model is largely a concept with a set of specific rules, the implementation of which leads to the economic feasibility of using a bank loan to scale up a business. Taking into account the relatively low rates of return on assets in the agro-industrial complex sector, the possibility of using the rate of return on current assets in the model for assessing the effect of financial leverage is justified, but only in the case of targeted use of loans for the acquisition of this type of assets, and as an additional step of analysis, when the return on all assets is less than or equal to the cost of using a bank loan.
EVALUATION OF THE SPECIES DIVERSITY OF APHIDS (HEMIPTERA, APHIDIDAE) IN THE AGROCENOSIS OF VIZR EXPERIMENTAL FIELD IN PUSHKIN DISTRICT OF SAINT-PETERSBURG IN 2021-2023
Authors: Ovsyannikova Elena , Berim Marina
Published: November 2024

The research was carried out in order to analyze changes in species diversity and the dynamics of aphid abundance within the same agrocenosis under different weather conditions. The species composition and abundance of aphids were monitored using the Malaise trap at the VIZR experimental field (Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg) during the growing season 2021-2023. During this period, 34 species of phytophages were identified, of which 20 are pests of crops, including 9 species in 2021, 11 species in 2022 and 27 species in 2023. The smallest number of individuals in the trap was observed in 2021 (36 pcs.), in 2022 and 2023 it was about the same (97 and 101 pcs., respectively). The largest number of insect species and individuals in one trap was identified in 2023, which was the result of a favorable interaction of abiotic and biotic factors. In 2021, the traps were dominated by dendrophilous aphids, among which the largest was the European birch aphid.
EFFICIENCY OF BIOSTIM BIOPREPARATION ON ROSS 140 SV CORN CROPS
Authors: Safiollin Faik , Yakhin Ildar , Khismatullin Mars , Lukmanov Anas , Karimov Almaz
Published: November 2024

The studies were conducted to study the effect of mineral fertilizers and the certified biopreparation Biostim Corn on the growth of the Ross 140 SV corn hybrid under irrigation. The field experiment was carried out in the conditions of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2021-2023. The object of the study was the Ross 140 SV hybrid zoned in the seventh region (Middle Volga region), bred by Krasnodar Research Institute of Agriculture named after P.P.Lukyanenko. In the experiment, various schemes for using the Biostim Corn preparation separately and in combination with Maksim Gold fungicide were studied. The use of Biostim Corn as a seed dressing before sowing at a dose of 2 l/t helps to increase the productivity of green mass. Its combined use with Maksim Gold seed dressing is even more effective. Against the background of the application of the calculated rates of mineral fertilizers, this ensures the formation of an additional 1.8 t/ha of green mass and an excess of the planned yield of 50 t/ha. Replacing Maksim Gold seed dressing with Biostim Corn increases the efficiency of using mineral fertilizers and foliar feeding. The profitability of green mass production of corn in the variant with the integrated use of agrochemicals is 73.3%, the conditional net income is 33.9 thousand rubles/ha, the cost of 1000 feed units is 4.6 thousand rubles. The use of the biopreparation Biostim Corn in the technology of cultivating the hybrid crop Ross 140 SV on irrigation allows you to improve the quality of seeds, increase the productivity of green mass and reduce the cost.
OPTIMIZATION OF MEDIUM COMPOSITION NUTRIENT AND CULTIVATION CONDITIONS FOR IN VITRO MICROPROPAGATION OF THYMUS SERPYLLUM L. AND THYMUS CAUCASICUS L.
Authors: Tevfik Arzy , Egorova Natalya
Published: November 2024

The study was conducted to optimize the cultivation conditions for the second stage of clonal micropropagation of Thymus caucasicus Willd. and Thymus serpullum L. Stem segments with one node (8…10 mm), obtained by microcutting of shoots, were cultured on 10 different Murashige and Skoog (MS) nutrient media containing 2% sucrose and 0.8% agar-agar, with the addition of kinetin, thidiazuron, benzylaminopurine (BAP), indoleacetic and gibberellic acids. Various culture vessels (jars, flasks, test tubes) were used for micropropagation. The duration of the cultivation cycle varied from 40 to 70 days. The highest reproduction coefficient of T. serpyllum was noted on the MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l BAP and was 6.7, while that of T. caucasicus was on the MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l kinetin (16.1). The highest efficiency of culturing both thyme species was achieved in jars, with the use of which the reproduction coefficient was 1.4…2.1 times higher than when grown in test tubes or flasks. It is advisable to cultivate the studied thyme species with a standard cycle of 40 days. The best combinations of various thyme reproduction factors contributed to the maximum manifestation of the morphogenetic potential in in vitro experiments. The greatest influence on the multiplication coefficient was exerted by the type of culture vessel, the interaction of the composition of the nutrient medium and the genotype, as well as the composition of the nutrient medium (the shares of the influence of factors ranged from 20.0% to 25.3%). The results of the studies served as the basis for the development of a protocol that can be used for accelerated micropropagation of T. caucasicus and T. serpullum.
GENETIC SCREENING OF PROMISING POTATO HYBRIDS OF KOMI REPUBLIC
Authors: Tulinov Aleksey
Published: November 2024

The studies were conducted with the aim of genetic screening of promising selection hybrids of potatoes to identify genotypes resistant to a complex of phytopathogens. The study was carried out at A.V.Zhuravskiy Institute of Agrobiotechnology of Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Sintol company (Moscow) using the GenExpert reagent kit “Markers of potato resistance genes” (“Syntol”). For the study, 10 markers of genes encoding resistance to potato cancer, golden potato cyst nematode, pale potato cyst nematode, X-virus and Y-virus were selected (genes H1, Gro1-4 were detected using markers TG-689, 57R, N195 and Gro1-4-1, gene Sen1 – using marker NL25, gene Gpa2 – Gpa2-2). The objects of the study were leaves of plants of five potato hybrids undergoing selection testing in breeding nurseries: 2341-265 (Amur × Gala), 2339-8 (Oksania × Gala), 2339-9 (Oksania × Gala), 1992-14 (Udacha × Elmundo), 2000-60 (Colette × FZ 1867). The maximum number of markers (five in each) linked to resistance genes was revealed in samples 2339-8 and 1992-14: TG-689, 57R, N195 and NL25 in both hybrids; Gro1-4-1 marker in 2339-8 and Gpa2-2 in 1992-14. Only the marker of potato wart resistance gene, NL25, was noted in selection number 2341-265. Sample 2339-8 was characterized as a valuable source of R-genes, having in its genome the genes of resistance to golden potato cyst nematode (H1, Gro1-4) and potato wart (Sen1). The genotype of the 1992-14 hybrid, carrying the Gpa2 gene, is recommended for breeding new potato varieties resistant to various types of nematodes.
SYSTEMATIZATION OF MODERN MEAT CUTTING EQUIPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF MALFUNCTIONS OF INDUSTRIAL GRINDERS
Authors: Starunov Aleksandr , Gricenko Aleksandr , Lukin Aleksandr , Ganenko Sergey , Starunova Irina
Published: November 2024

Based on the analysis of the designs of modern meat cutting equipment used by processing plants, their great diversity has been established, justified by the design and technological requirements for this type of machines. (Objective of the study) To establish the features characterizing industrial grinders, compile their classification, determine the main faults and the degree of their influence on the operability of industrial grinders. (Materials and methods) Design and technological requirements for industrial grinders have been determined. An analysis has been carried out and the main causes of malfunctions of industrial grinders have been identified. Structural parameters characterizing the technical condition of industrial grinders have been established. A priori ranking technique has been selected based on an expert assessment by specialists of the main faults of industrial grinder units. (Results and discussion) The features characterizing industrial grinders have been established, based on this, their classification has been compiled. A structural diagram of the "Industrial grinder" technical system is presented. The main faults and the degree of their influence on the loss of operability of the devices under consideration during operation have been determined. The entire set of industrial grinding machine malfunctions is grouped relative to three subsystems: cutting, feeding and driving. During the malfunction analysis, 10 most important of them were identified, affecting the grinder operability and its technological process performance. (Conclusions) The entire set of presented industrial grinding machine malfunctions was ranked by weight. A 10-point system was used for their assessment and points were assigned in accordance with complexity within the range from 1 to 10. The first group included malfunctions with ranks higher than 238 (malfunctions with a higher probability of occurrence). The second group included malfunctions with a rank value lower than 150 (malfunctions with a lower probability of occurrence). It was found that the maximum weight has malfunctions designated as n6, n10, n9. They characterize the technical condition of the cutting and feeding subsystems. Priority for maintenance and control should be given to these subsystems
THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE IN ENSURING THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STABILITY OF SOCIETY (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN)
Authors: Gaynutdinov Ilgizar , Mukhametgaliev Farit , Khismatullin Marsel , Avhadiev Fayaz , Aleksandrova Natal'ya
Published: November 2024

Agriculture plays a critical role in ensuring the economic and social stability of society, since the production of domestic agricultural products and their provision to the needs of the population creates the basis for food security, jobs, contributes to the development of rural areas and influences the economic growth of the country. The cost and natural indicators of the development of the agricultural sector of the Republic of Tatarstan, its effectiveness show ambiguous trends. Thus, the value of gross agricultural output in the republic for 2018-2023 increased with an annual growth rate of 22.88 billion rubles. However, the natural volumes of crop production are decreasing, while the production of the main types of livestock products, on the contrary, has a growth trend. The level of profitability of crop production is decreasing, while livestock production has increased slightly. In general, the provision of the main agricultural products in the republic remains stably high. But this result is achieved through the use of internal reserves of agricultural enterprises, which can be exhausted, since the existing profitability in the main branches of agriculture does not allow conducting economic activity at the level of self-sufficiency. The socio-economic efficiency of agriculture in the region remains at a fairly low level, which is reflected in a further decrease in the rural population, birth rate and excess of mortality over birth rate in rural areas and, as a consequence, in the aging of the rural population. A way out of this situation may be a change in macroeconomic policy within the country aimed at ensuring the growth of investment in the innovative development of industries of the real sector of the economy.
A New Approximation Algorithm for Minimum-Weight (1,m)–Connected Dominating Set
Authors: Zhou Jiao , Ran Yingli , Pardalos Panos M. , Zhang Zhao , Tang Shaojie , Du Ding-Zhu
Published: November 2024

Consider a graph with nonnegative node weight. A vertex subset is called a CDS (connected dominating set) if every other node has at least one neighbor in the subset and the subset induces a connected subgraph. Furthermore, if every other node has at least m neighbors in the subset, then the node subset is called a [Formula: see text]CDS. The minimum-weight [Formula: see text]CDS problem aims at finding a [Formula: see text]CDS with minimum total node weight. In this paper, we present a new polynomial-time approximation algorithm for this problem, which improves previous ratio by a factor of 2/3.

History: Accepted by Erwin Pesch, Area Editor for Heuristic Search & Approximation Algorithms.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant U20A2068] and the National Science Foundation [Grant III-1907472].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.0306 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2023.0306 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Digital Lyrebirds: Experimental Evidence That Voice-Based Deep Fakes Influence Trust
Authors: Schanke Scott , Burtch Gordon , Ray Gautam
Published: November 2024

We consider the pairing of audio chatbot technologies with voice-based deep fakes, that is, voice clones, examining the potential of this combination to induce consumer trust. We report on a set of controlled experiments based on the investment game, evaluating how voice cloning and chatbot disclosure jointly affect participants’ trust, reflected by their willingness to play with an autonomous, AI-enabled partner. We observe evidence that voice-based agents garner significantly greater trust from subjects when imbued with a clone of the subject’s voice. Recognizing that these technologies present not only opportunities but also the potential for misuse, we further consider the moderating impact of AI disclosure, a recent regulatory proposal advocated by some policymakers. We find no evidence that AI disclosure attenuates the trust-inducing effect of voice clones. Finally, we explore underlying mechanisms and contextual moderators for the trust-inducing effects, with an eye toward informing future efforts to manage and regulate voice-cloning applications. We find that a voice clone’s effects operate, at least in part, by inducing a perception of homophily and that the effects are increasing in the clarity and quality of generated audio. Implications of these results for consumers, policymakers, and society are discussed.

This paper has been This paper was accepted by D. J. Wu for the Special Issue on the Human-Algorithm Connection.

Funding: This work was supported by funding from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research Assistance Fund.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03316 .
Calling All Issuers: The Market for Debt Monitoring
Authors: Chen Huaizhi , Cohen Lauren , Liu Weiling
Published: November 2024

Ninety-five percent of long-term municipal bonds have callable features, and yet, we find new evidence of a substantial fraction of local governments exercising these valuable options suboptimally, with significant delays—resulting in sizable losses. Using data from 2001 to 2019, we estimate that U.S. municipals lost over $26 billion from delayed refinancing, whereas the entire U.S. corporate sector, facing the same low interest-rate environment, lost only a comparatively modest $1.4 billion. We present evidence that these delays are related to gaps in localized debt monitoring. For instance, when a bond becomes callable in a month that is the fiscal year end of a local government—a particularly busy time for finance departments—the decision to call is delayed significantly longer. A significantly longer delay also occurs when a municipality is faced with waves of calls all coming due at once. These effects are magnified in smaller municipalities staffed with smaller finance departments. Moreover, the market for outside monitoring (e.g., underwriters) is a fractured one. It is characterized by extreme stickiness; 87% of a municipality’s bonds are issued with the same underwriter over our sample period. The usage of a less locally focused underwriter is associated with significantly greater delays.

This paper was accepted by Tomasz Piskorski, finance.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.00444 .
Financial Statement Audits and Data Breaches
Authors: Liu Lisa Yao
Published: November 2024

Financial statement audits for public companies require auditors to test the internal controls over the client’s information systems that are material to the financial reporting process. Given the increasingly integrated nature of corporate data and control systems, a standard audit may have a positive effect on client firms’ other information systems, such as those that help prevent data breaches. In this paper, I provide evidence on whether and how auditors help prevent data breaches. Using plausibly exogenous improvements in auditing due to regulatory inspections and auditors’ cross-client learning, I find a decreased likelihood of data breaches among these auditors’ clients. Institutional insights gathered from interviews with accounting firm partners and industry professionals suggest two mechanisms for the role of auditors in preventing data breaches: the provision of relevant information and incentives for internal controls. Collectively, the findings provide evidence that improving accounting information systems can have a positive impact on nonaccounting systems.

This paper was accepted by Ranjani Krishnan, accounting.

Funding: I gratefully acknowledge financial support from Columbia Business School, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the Deloitte Foundation, and the Bradley Fellowship awarded by the Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.

Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.01357 .
Information Design and Sharing in Supply Chains
Authors: Caldentey René , Giloni Avi , Hurvich Clifford , Zhang Yichen
Published: November 2024

We study the interplay between inventory replenishment policies and information sharing in the context of a two-tier supply chain with a single supplier and a single retailer serving an independent and identically distributed Gaussian market demand. We investigate how the retailer’s inventory policy impacts the supply chain’s cumulative expected long-term average inventory costs [Formula: see text] in two extreme information-sharing cases: (a) full information sharing and (b) no information sharing. To find the retailer’s inventory policy that minimizes [Formula: see text], we formulate an infinite-dimensional optimization problem whose decision variables are the MA([Formula: see text]) coefficients that characterize a stationary ordering policy. Under full information sharing, the optimization problem admits a simple solution and the optimal policy is given by an MA(1) process. On the other hand, to solve the optimization problem under no information sharing, we reformulate the optimization from its time domain formulation to an equivalent z-transform formulation in which the decision variables correspond to elements of the Hardy space H2. This alternative representation allows us to use a number of results from H2 theory to compute the optimal value of [Formula: see text] and characterize a sequence of ϵ-optimal inventory policies under some mild technical conditions. By comparing the optimal solution under full information sharing and no information sharing, we derive a number of important practical takeaways. For instance, we show that there is value in information sharing if and only if the retailer’s optimal policy under full information sharing is not invertible with respect to the sequence of demand shocks. Furthermore, we derive a fundamental mathematical identity that reveals the value of information sharing by exploiting the canonical Smirnov–Beurling inner–outer factorization of the retailer’s orders when viewed as an element of H2. We also show that the value of information sharing can grow unboundedly when the cumulative supply chain costs are dominated by the supplier’s inventory costs.

Funding: R. Caldentey acknowledges the University of Chicago Booth School of Business for financial support.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/moor.2023.0008 .
A Hierarchical Approach to Robust Stability of Multiclass Queueing Networks
Authors: Zhao Feiyang , Gurvich Itai , Hasenbein John J.
Published: November 2024

Robust Stability in Multiclass Queueing Networks: A New Approach

In “A Hierarchical Approach to Robust Stability of Multiclass Queueing Networks,” F. Zhao, I. Gurvich, and J. Hasenbein introduce a framework to identify sufficient conditions under which a network’s stability is robust to the distributed choices of resources about their (local) prioritization of jobs. The framework produces sufficient conditions for such stability by relating it to robust optimization problems where the collection of priority policies plays the role of the uncertainty set. Interestingly, within the studied family of policies, robust stability for any policy is inherited from the stability of the special “corner” policies, which are none other than simple static-priority policies.
Güneybatı Anadolu’nun Türkleşmesi ve Attouda/Hisar Çevresinde Türk-İslam Döneminin Somut Kültürel Miras Ögeleri
Authors: Develi Tevfik Orkun , Sütcü Mehmet Sait
Published: November 2024

Attouda Antik Kenti, Denizli’nin Sarayköy ilçesi, Hisar (Köyü) Mahallesi’nde bulunan arkeolojik bir tepe yerleşimi ve birinci derece sit alanıdır. Şehrin iskânı, MÖ II. yüzyıla kadar uzanmakta olup neredeyse hiç kesintiye uğramadan günümüze kadar devam etmektedir. Ancak şimdiye kadar arkeolojik buluntular ışığında bölgenin Türk-İslam devrine odaklanan herhangi bir bilimsel çalışma yapılmamıştır. 2021 yılında Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı’nın izniyle gerçekleştirilen arkeolojik yüzey araştırmasında, Babadağ dağ sırasında bulunan tepeleri ve vadileri hilal biçiminde kuşatan yedi türbe tespit edilmiştir. Bölgede stratejik olarak batıya geçiş güzergahlarını tutan bu yapıların, İkinci Beylikler Dönemi’ne tarihlenen ve güneybatı Anadolu’nun Türkleşmesinde önemli roller üstlenen kolonizatör Türk dervişlerine ait oldukları değerlendirilmektedir. Arkeolojik bulgularla tarihsel verileri bir araya getiren bu keşif, bölgenin Osmanlı öncesi Türk-İslam devrine ilk kez ışık tutmaktadır.
Delayed fixation of distal radial fractures beyond three weeks after initial failed closed reduction increases the odds of reoperation
Authors: Nowak Lauren L. , Moktar Joel , Henry Patrick , Dejong Taylor , McKee Michael D. , Schemitsch Emil H.
Published: November 2024

Aims

We aimed to compare reoperations following distal radial fractures (DRFs) managed with early fixation versus delayed fixation following initial closed reduction (CR).

Methods

We used administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, to identify DRF patients aged 18 years or older from 2003 to 2016. We used procedural and fee codes within 30 days to determine which patients underwent early fixation (≤ seven days) or delayed fixation following CR. We grouped patients in the delayed group by their time to definitive fixation (eight to 14 days, 15 to 21 days, and 22 to 30 days). We used intervention and diagnostic codes to identify reoperations within two years. We used multivariable regression to compare the association between early versus delayed fixation and reoperation for all patients and stratified by age (18 to 60 years and > 60 years).

Results

We identified 14,960 DRF patients, 8,339 (55.7%) of whom underwent early surgical fixation (mean 2.9 days (SD 1.8)). In contrast, 4,042 patients (27.0%) underwent delayed fixation between eight and 14 days (mean 10.2 days (SD 2.2)), 1,892 (12.7%) between 14 and 21 days (mean 17.5 days (SD 1.9)) and 687 (4.6%) > 21 days (mean 24.8 days (SD 2.4)) post-fracture. Patients who underwent delayed fixation > 21 days post-fracture had a higher odds of reoperation (odds ratio (OR) 1.33 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.79) vs early fixation). This worsened for patients aged > 60 years (OR 1.69 (95% CI 1.11 to 2.79)). We found no difference in the odds of reoperation for patients who underwent delayed fixation within eight to 14 or 15 to 21 days post-fracture (vs early fixation).

Conclusion

These data suggest that DRF patients with fractures with unacceptable reduction following CR should be managed within three weeks to avoid detrimental outcomes. Prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(11):1257–1262.
ISTA Award 2023: Toward functional reconstruction of the pre-diseased state in total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Tzanetis Periklis , Fluit René , de Souza Kevin , Robertson Seonaid , Koopman Bart , Verdonschot Nico
Published: November 2024

Aims

The surgical target for optimal implant positioning in robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty remains the subject of ongoing discussion. One of the proposed targets is to recreate the knee’s functional behaviour as per its pre-diseased state. The aim of this study was to optimize implant positioning, starting from mechanical alignment (MA), toward restoring the pre-diseased status, including ligament strain and kinematic patterns, in a patient population.

Methods

We used an active appearance model-based approach to segment the preoperative CT of 21 osteoarthritic patients, which identified the osteophyte-free surfaces and estimated cartilage from the segmented bones; these geometries were used to construct patient-specific musculoskeletal models of the pre-diseased knee. Subsequently, implantations were simulated using the MA method, and a previously developed optimization technique was employed to find the optimal implant position that minimized the root mean square deviation between pre-diseased and postoperative ligament strains and kinematics.

Results

There were evident biomechanical differences between the simulated patient models, but also trends that appeared reproducible at the population level. Optimizing the implant position significantly reduced the maximum observed strain root mean square deviations within the cohort from 36.5% to below 5.3% for all but the anterolateral ligament; and concomitantly reduced the kinematic deviations from 3.8 mm (SD 1.7) and 4.7° (SD 1.9°) with MA to 2.7 mm (SD 1.4) and 3.7° (SD 1.9°) relative to the pre-diseased state. To achieve this, the femoral component consistently required translational adjustments in the anterior, lateral, and proximal directions, while the tibial component required a more posterior slope and varus rotation in most cases.

Conclusion

These findings confirm that MA-induced biomechanical alterations relative to the pre-diseased state can be reduced by optimizing the implant position, and may have implications to further advance pre-planning in robotic-assisted surgery in order to restore pre-diseased knee function.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(11):1231–1239.