bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining the Effect of Building Geometry on Energy Use Patterns of Office Developments
Authors: Ferdous Tonima
Published: May 2021

The project investigates potentials of building geometry to minimize energy consumption in office developments. Five distinct building geometries are developed to represent mid-size office occupancies in the context of Toronto (located at southern Ontario, Canada). A square, a rectangle elongated on eastwest, a rectangle elongated on north- south, an H-shape, and a cruciform are examined with varied design parameters; such as: window to wall ratio and external static solar control devices (horizontal overhangs and vertical fins). The IES VE software is applied to predict the yearly energy consumption results for 40 analysis permutations. The outcome of this research shows that, the deviation of energy use values from one shape to another is relatively small. In addition to that, window to wall ratio appears slightly overpowering on the energy use pattern of a building than its shape. Shading design is found particularly helpful in reducing cooling energy demand in offices spaces. Overall, the energy performance of five archetypes is observed to comply with individual building aspect ratios (i.e. compactness). Thus, the findings of this project are expected to provide useful guidelines to the architects to utilize building geometry as an energy saving measure when designing office buildings.
The use of animation to improve art education
Authors: Bohart Andrew  Steven
Published: May 2021

In this major research project, I explore the ways in which animation can be developed to improve art education. I developed an animated short film titled The Art Collector as an educational tool that incorporates computer animation technology with art theory, to educate about art theory and art history in a unique way through paintings from three different surrealist artists: Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and Max Ernst. I also provide some background information as to how this animation project came to be, including the development of the script, the main character, and the animation itself. I draw upon several studies that illustrate the ways in which animation can be used successfully as an education tool to motivate student learning.
See me, hear me, talk to me, exploring the transformative potential of participatory video with street involved youth
Authors: Glen Sarah
Published: May 2021

Very few interdisciplinary participatory video research projects have critically assessed how an individual first engages and then continues Freire's "conscientization" or the transformative process toward civic agency, and the role participatory video plays in this process. See Me. Hear Me. Talk To Me. is a participatory video research project that aimed to break new ground in professional participatory video practice by focusing on the individual transformative processes of a small group of at-risk, street involved youth engaged in a participatory action research (PAR) video project. This participatory video research project aimed to gain a small, but specific insight into the transformative processes of at-risk, street involved youth by exploring their experiences and personal perspectives before, during and after the project. In doing so, it intended to add to the current, but very limited research in participatory video projects with street involved youth in order to encourage further interdisciplinary study, as well as the development of some preliminary reference tools to help governments, non-profits and other interested organizations critically engage street involved youth today. -- Page 8
Parametric time-frequency analysis and its applications in biomedical and multimedia
Authors: Shen Ying
Published: May 2021

Analysis of non-stationary signals is a challenging task. The purpose of this thesis is to explore an efficient and powerful technique to analyze and classify two types of non-stationary signals, that is, multimedia signals in higher frequency range (44.1 kHz) and biomedical signals in lower frequency range (2 kHz). An adaptive true non-stationary time -frequency signal analysis tool - matching pursuit, is introduced and applied to decompose the sample signals into time-frequency functions or atoms. Atom parameters are analyzed and manipulated, and discriminant features are extracted from atom parameters. Besides the parameters obtained using matching pursuit, several additional features, such as central energy and octave activeness ratio, are also derived. Linear discriminant analysis and the leave-one-out method are used to evaluate the classification accuracy rate for different feature sets. In the 6-group classification of 96 pieces of 5-second music signals, such as, christmas choir, country, greek music, jazz, rock and scottish music, the accuracy reaches 89.6%, when the feature set includes standard deviation of octave (the scale factor which controls the width of the window function), median of octave, standard deviation of innerProdI (imaginary part of the inner-product between the signal and the atom), standard deviation of realGG (real part of the inner-product between the complex atom and its conjugate), and central energy. For the database of 112 pieces of 10-second music sugnals, the 2-group classification (rock-like and classical-like) accuracy achieves 100%, having a standard deviation of octaves in the first 2,000 atoms as the discriminant feature. An accuracy of 74.2% is obtained for the 2-group knee sound signal classification, and optimum feature set comprises octave activeness ratio, central energy and standard deviation of innerProdI. From our experiments, it is evident that the matching pursuit algorithm with the Gabor dictionary decomposes non-stationary signals, including multimedia signals in higher frequency and biomedical signals in lower frequency ranges, into atoms whose parameters contain strong discriminant information sufficient for accurate and efficient signal classifications.
Solidarity Cities in Germany and Switzerland: A Brief Overview of Initiatives
Authors: Bauder Harald , Weisser Timo
Published: May 2021

[From Introduction]: "Cities play a central role in the reception of migrants and refugees and their participation in the social and political life of the arrival society. While the nation state deliberately excludes many migrants and refugees through immigration and refugee policies and various visa, permit, and status categories (Bauder, 2013), cities often react with approaches of their own which enable migrants and refugees to belong to and participate in the urban community, independent of national status. Following such approaches, an increasing number of cities in the countries of the global north declare solidarity with excluded migrants and refugees (Ridgley, 2008; Darling & Bauder, 2019)."
We matter too: Black women and their experiences due to applied streaming in the Ontario secondary school system
Authors: Ward Marlesa Olivia
Published: May 2021

This narrative and arts-based qualitative research study examines life experiences of Black women due to applied streaming in the Ontario secondary school system through an Anti-Black Racism (ABR) and a Black Canadian Feminism framework Two Black women adults in Toronto or the greater Toronto area who went to an Ontario secondary school in the past and were streamed into applied courses were interviewed. Also, an expert in the educational field was interviewed to bring in insider knowledge about social workers role with respect to streaming. ABR and Black Canadian Feminism helped to gain an appropriate and detailed understanding of what Black females experiences look like. Black Canadian Feminism allowed for Black women’s stories to finally be heard and valued. The data was analyzed via line by line analysis which captures every topic and discourse in order to display a proper portrayal of Black women’s narratives.
Licensing and Registration of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in Canada and Australia: an Explorative Study
Authors: Fiodorov Igor
Published: May 2021

Canadian and Australian licensing and registration policies regarding International Medical Graduates (IMGs) display some noticeable similarities and differences. Both receiving countries verify IMGs educational credentials, medical training, and language proficiency, apply examinations assessing the skills of this group of foreign trained doctors and tend to place IMGs in underserviced areas responding to health care workforce shortages. However, the Australian nationally regulated, focused on specific labour market needs approach to registration allows IMGs to use various pathways to registration. IMGs who enter Australia utilizing different immigration options have to be registered by the designated registration bodies and, in most cases, to have a verified offer of employment before they are granted visas by the immigration authorities. Consequently, they can start practicing medicine right after their arrival. On the contrary, their Canadian counterparts begin their licensing process only after they enter Canada as permanent residents. The urgent need for nationally consistent, pragmatic and flexible approach to licensing of foreign trained doctors in this country is emphasized.
Ontario Early Childhood Educators’ understandings of care, carework and care practices in ECEC Program
Authors: Mohamed Sophia
Published: May 2021

This major research paper presents findings from a critical qualitative inquiry study, that includes how seven registered early childhood educators (RECEs) understand care, carework and care practices in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The study used a political economy of care theoretical framework. Findings suggest that RECEs feel: (1) their carework is devalued; (2) care and education activities are different; and (3) there are barriers to caring well in ECEC programs. This paper provides recommendations that can potentially assert the value of care in the ECEC sector and aims to modestly give a voice to the marginalized perspectives of RECEs on the value of their carework in ECEC programs.

Key words: Early childhood education and care, care, carework, registered early childhood educator, political economy of are, maternalism, feminization, marginalized, racialization, critical qualitative inquiry
Removal of tetracyclines in wastewater : accumulation and distribution of chlortetracycline in bulk water and biomass compartments in activated sludge
Authors: Farkh Ruba F.
Published: May 2021

A study was conducted to examine the removal of chlortetracycline and its distribution and accumulation in three compartments; bulk water, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and the microbial cells in activated sludge. Also the effect of different environmental conditions on the distribution and accumulation in the three compartments was investigated. Effluent samples collected from a municipal activated sludge treatment system were set up in bath experiments to test the distribution and accumulation of chlortetracycline under aerobic and anoxic conditions for 14 days. In addition, the impact of the activity of the microbial community on the amassing of the antibiotic in the biomass was examined. The effect of divalent cations on import and accumulation of chlortetracycline was tested.

Sorption in believed to be the main removal pathway in wastewater treatment systems for tetracyclines in general and chlortetracycline in particular. In this study that notion was confirmed, and it was found that the removal via sorption under anoxic condition (43.2%) is almost double of that under aerobic conditions (27.0%). The amount of what accumulated in the cells compared to that sorbed in the EPS is twice as much in the former and triple as much in the latter. These findings suggest that changes in the structure and charge of the EPS could be the reason of higher accumulation in the polymeric substance.

The impact of microbial activity on the sorption and distribution of the chlortetracycline in the three compartments showed almost a similar behaviour to that under aerobic and anoxic conditions. It was clear that the more viable the microbial community, the less the antibiotic accumulated in the [sic] both biomass compartments; the EPS and microbial cells. Biomass with inhibited respiration accrued 90% of the initial concentration; where as the active microbial community was more resistant and only 24.2% of the initial concentration accumulated within the cells. The findings suggest that the antibiotic makes its way to the cells thus bypassing the EPS, and is trapped in the EPS as it is pumped out of the cells in an energy dependent mechanism.

The presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) which is a strong chelator had no import effect. Nevertheless it did indicate that the accumulation in the EPS could be attributed to the presence of cations since there was a high negative correlation (-0.98) between the disappearance of the antibiotic from the EPS compartment and the EDTA concentration used in incubation.
Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite
Authors: Li Zhi
Published: May 2021

The carbon nanotube (CNT) was first discovered by Iijima in 1991. Carbon nanotubes have remarkable mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Aluminum alloys are commonly used in various fields due to low density, good mechanical properties and excellent corrosion resistance. To enhance their strength, aluminum matrix composites reinforced by carbon nanotube have been recently developed.
In the present work, the composite composed of 2 wt.% carbon nanotubes as the reinforcement and aluminum alloy 6061 as the matrix has been studied. It is fabricated by powder metallurgy and friction stir processing (FSP) followed by heat treatment. The main objectives of the research are to characterize the microstructure, mechanical properties as well as deformation behaviors. Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction test, compression tests, tension tests, fractography and low cycle fatigue tests have been conducted. The prediction model for yield strength and the calculation model for Young’s modulus are analyzed and discussed.
A hybrid approach to characterization and life assessment of trilayer assemblies of dissimilar materials under thermal cycles
Authors: Shirazi Alireza
Published: May 2021

The  current  study  puts  forward  non-local  closed-form  solutions  for  interfacial  peel  and  shear  stress, as well as warpage deformation, of trilayer structures under thermal cycling. Based on the solution,  a  hybrid  experimental-analytical  inverse  method  (HEAIM)  has  been  proposed  for  characterizing  the  constitutive  behaviour  of  the  trilayer  constituents.  The  method  is  applied  to  optimize  the  correlation  between  the  experimentally  measured  thermal  warpage  of  a  trilayer  structure and the analytically solved warpage.

Furthermore, a localized analytical and experimental method is suggested for characterizing the stress-strain relation of a joint alloy at the interfacial level in the trilayer structure. The resulted viscoelastoplastic model of the joint alloy is further employed in predicting the life of a trilayer structure  that  consists  of  a  failure  dominant  adhesive  layer  made  of  the  same  joint  material.  A  method for  the  thermal  fatigue  life  prediction  is  proposed,  which  applies  critical  plane-energy fatigue damage parameter in combination with a modified Coffin-Manson life model.

The  experimental  evaluation  of  the  proposed  models  and  approaches  for  the  characterization  of  thermally induced trilayer structure deformation and stress, as well as the fatigue life prediction is conducted on several custom-made trilayer structures as well as real microelectronics.  In the study  if  trilayer  structure  reliability  and  durability,  experimental  validation  of  numerical  and  analytical modeling has been rare.  The current study has obtained good agreement between the measured  trilayer  warpage  and  the  predicted  one  using  the  thermomechanical  properties  of  the  trilayer constituents determined by HEAIM, owing to its more accurate prediction for the creep behaviour of the joint alloy. The study of thermal fatigue of the trilayer structure follows a new method  that  involves  the  critical  plane-energy  fatigue  damage  parameter.    The  resulted  fatigue  life prediction has been promising. 
Effects of tetracycline and ibuprofen on the relative abundance of protozoan and bacterial populations in wastewater treatment semi-batch reactors
Authors: Abdel Rahman Hossam
Published: May 2021

The activated sludge process in Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTPs) relies on the activities of microbes to reduce the organic and inorganic matter and produce effluent that is safe to discharge into receiving waters. This research examined the effects of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen and the antibiotic tetracycline on the microbial population in activated sludge from the Humber WWTP. The current investigation was designated to observe the impact of these contaminants, at low (environmentally relative concentrations) as well as extremely high concentrations of tetracycline and ibuprofen. Using 16S and 18S rRNA gene primer sets, and qPCR the abundance of each population was monitored as well as the relative abundance of two populations under the various conditions. It was found that current environmental concentrations of ibuprofen stimulated protozoan growth but higher concentrations reduced their numbers especially in the presence of tetracycline. Finally using DGGE, the identity for some of the more abundant protozoa were identified and it was noted that high ibuprofen and tetracycline concentrations favored the abundance of some genera.
Children's trust in the testimony of physically disabled or obese individuals
Authors: Jaffer Sara
Published: May 2021

Previous research has examined various factors that influence children’s trust in testimony. However, no studies have yet looked at children’s willingness to trust physically disabled or obese individuals. Evidence shows that children’s perception of the physically disabled may be both positive and negative, whereas their perception of overweight individuals is negative. Given these attitudes, Study 1 examined the possibility that children may place less trust in these individuals and their testimony. Four- and 5-year-old children were asked to endorse the testimony of one speaker (physically abled and non-obese vs physically disabled/obese) when conflicting testimony was provided. The results showed that children favoured the testimony of the physically abled and non-obese individual at a level significantly above chance. In Study 2, physical condition was pitted against past reliability, and 4- and 5-year-olds were asked to choose between a previously unreliable physically abled and non-obese individual or a previously reliable physically disabled or obese individual. The results indicated that overall children did not show a significant preference for one individual over another. In line with previous findings on children’s negative perceptions of physically disabled and obese individuals, children place less trust in their testimony, and past reliability might cancel out this effect.
Cryptographic Key Management for Role-Based Access Control Model in Power System Computer Networks
Authors: Li Celia J.
Published: May 2021

This thesis research has successfully completed two developments: an efficient Power-system Role-based Access Control (PRAC) and a secure Power-system Role-based kEy management (PREM). The PRAC significantly increases the security of computer networks for power systems, and surmounts the challenges caused by typical security and reliability concerns due to current technological and political changes faced in the electricity power industry. The PREM is designed to support the efficient operation of the PRAC using one-way hash functions and utilizing their advantages of computationally efficient and irreversibility security. PRAC and PREM are not only developed for handling single local computer network domain, but also extended for supporting multiple computer network domains. A platform for the comprehensive assessment of PREM is established for the fast and economical assessment of the key management developed in this thesis research.
“You told me it was too late”: An autoethnographic reflection on (not) knowing and bereavement
Authors: Dulysh Nicole
Published: May 2021

A parent diagnosed with terminal cancer is focused on their own struggle with life and death. They often do not have the mental capacity to think rationally about what is in the best interest of their child at this time. Without a doubt, the grieving process of a child 1who is informed about their parent’s diagnosis will have a different experience than a child who is not informed. Following on an autoethnographic approach I will revisit my past experience of my mom’s diagnosis with lung cancer and my father’s diagnosis of a cancerous tumor on his vocal cords as I share, explore, and reflect upon my involvement in both matters. These experiences will be shared along with the six stages of grief by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler as I provide a deeper understanding of how a child being informed or uninformed throughout the diagnosis can impact their feelings of guilt and sorrows leading up to death.

Keywords:

Palliative care, Cancer, Children, Parental Cancer, Communication, Relationship, Behaviour
"This is for fighting, this is for fun": popular Hollywood combat (war) films from the first Gulf war to the present (1990-2015)
Authors: Schofield Andrea Marie
Published: May 2021

Hollywood has been making war movies since it began making movies. Widely credited as the first ‘Blockbuster,’ and one of the first films to establish Hollywood narrative techniques and conventions, D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film, Birth of A Nation, is an epic melodrama about the American Civil War ending with a literal marriage of the North and the South in the form of a young white heterosexual couple, solidifying the connection between war, families, and nation-building that has become the framework of the genre; hetero-nuclear families are the basis of the nation and war is a threat to these families, but ultimately also a critical component of nation-building/strengthening. These ideologies persist in contemporary combat films. The First Gulf War and those in Iraq and Afghanistan have had a major impact on this genre and this project investigates the (sometimes radical) shifts in representations of gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and nationality in popular Hollywood combat films made and released since the first Gulf War (1990) with a particular emphasis on more recent films (2005-2015) since these are the films which have received the least, if any, scholarly attention. Building on existing cultural, feminist, film, and postcolonial theory using a case study of selected popular Hollywood combat films and based primarily upon close textual analysis of the films themselves, this dissertation argues that these post-Cold War combat films are vital in creating and reinforcing cultural scripts about gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, nationality, and war. This analysis adds to the field by identifying key cycles in the genre and arguing that, in fact, the ideologies of these films whether intentionally or not, reinforce the idea of a white, American, male-headed household as the norm to be protected, removing ‘Others’ from the frame, and implying that war is somehow natural, unending, and/or unavoidable, thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophesy wherein the more it happens, the more we seek to represent it, to gain mastery over it, the more natural and unavoidable it seems, and the more it continues to happen and seem normal and on and on into perpetuity.
The Projector's Noises: A Media Archaeology Of Cinema Through The Projector
Authors: Egan Kelly F.W.
Published: May 2021

This dissertation provides a media archaeology of the film projector, concentrating on the conceptualization and use of projector noise through the lens of the modernist and contemporary avant-garde, that offers new ways of understanding cinema, interpreting embodied cinematic space, and extending the discourse on audiovision in general. Looking toward the projector allows us to see how it is a productive labourer in the construction of cinematic experience. Listening to its noises— which have been framed as insignificant and/or unwanted—allows us to understand the way cinema is in fact a performative art with a certain kind of liveness. Part One of this dissertation traces an alternative history of cinema focused on the projector beginning with the pre-cinema technologies of the camera obscura, the telescope and the magic lantern. Part Two analyzes how the avant-garde has engaged with the projector-as-instrument during three major technological transitional moments in cinema: first, early cinema and the rise of the Cinématographe by looking at the Italian futurists, specifically Arnaldo Ginna and Bruno Corra’s interest in the projector-as-instrument and the relationship between the Cinématographe and Luigi Russolo’s
Study Of The Variability Of Air Leakage Rate Between In-Situ Tested and Laboratory Tested
Authors: Pakzadianmoghaddam Negar
Published: May 2021

The air leakage measured using the laboratory test of fenestration is important to gauge its initial performance and for certification. Field testing based on a statistical approach was carried out in this study on newly installed fenestration product to study the nature of distribution of air leakage measurements. The measured values from these tests were also compared to the laboratory tested value of the same product and to the values as suggested in field testing guidelines as provided in AAMA 502. Results indicate that field measured values at standard pressure difference follow a normal distribution with a mean and a variance. The results also show that while number of test results fall within a certain range of the laboratory value and the AAMA 502 stipulated value, there are number of values that are higher than them.
Public Legal Education Podcasting for Newcomers in Ontario: Affective Interventions in Participatory Action Research
Authors: Govindasamy Meera
Published: May 2021

Due to the high cost of legal advice, language barriers, and other matters of social inequality, newcomers to Canada often have difficulty accessing legal information and resolving their legal problems. My Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aims to better understand the barriers newcomers face to accessing their legal rights, as well as to improve access to workers’ and tenants’ rights through the creation of Rights Bites, a legal rights audio podcast. Each podcast episode features interviews with newcomers, community workers, and lawyers, who share personal experiences and practical legal rights information about common housing and employment law problems. By applying affect theory as a lens for examining the podcast interviews, as well as the PAR process more broadly I argue that the complex expressions of anger, fear, distress, and pleasure displayed by my immigrant interviewees is a form of cultural citizenship, which reimagines belonging as a contested and ongoing project.
Perpetual Shift
Authors: Aloisi Paul
Published: May 2021

Perpetual Shift, a responsive art installation, exists at the intersection of digital media, art and architecture, bearing a range of connections to the realm of ubiquitous computing and adding to evolving perspectives in the fields of installation art and interactive architecture by proposing a new mode of engaging with data through the physical built environment.
The physical embodiment of the sculpture has the functional properties of a Tangible User Interface and employs an innovative approach to material application to generate multi-modal dynamic output (sight and sound). Though as a device Perpetual Shift is capable of being programmed to function as a form of data-physicalization, this artwork is a form of data-sculpture whereby location of the human body is interpreted as data which drives the actuation of the built environment.
An in-situ hygrothermal investigation of an externally highly insulated enclosure in a cold climate with simulated extension to climate specific performance
Authors: Flynn Mark Andrew
Published: May 2021

High performance enclosures reduce building energy consumption, however, may vary from expected RSI values and be at risk of moisture damage. This research investigated the hygrothermal performance of a high performance enclosure for use in Toronto and other cold climates. The proposed enclosure utilized 228mm of exterior mineral wool attached to a typical wood frame structure. The in-situ thermal resistance was compared with the nominal thermal
resistance and found to differ by up to 14.4%. Three-dimensional thermal modelling determined a range (-4.2% to -24.4%) of potential RSI reductions caused by metal-screw fasteners. In-situ measurements and calibrated one-dimensional WUFI-Pro models determined that the enclosure is not at risk of moisture damage in Toronto and other cold climates. A parametric analysis identified several climatic and materialistic variables that had an influence on the hygrothermal performance of the enclosure. The combined use of collected in-situ data and calibrated modelling allowed for a comprehensive hygrothermal analysis of the proposed enclosure.
Characterization Of Human Stability Using Vector Acceleration Signals
Authors: Santarcangelo Joseph
Published: May 2021

Biomedical signals carry information about a physiological event. The part of the signal pertaining to a specific event is called an epoch. Once the event has been determined, the corresponding waveform may be segmented and analyzed based on many parameters[1]. As falls have increased in recent years due to an aging population, it is important to gain insight to the reaction of an individual to perturbations. One common method of studying human reaction is by using a balance aperture. This thesis describes the physical actions that produce acceleration on a balance apparatus and captures the acceleration on an accelerometer. Algorithms were developed to segment the unstable periods of the accelerometer signal. Wavelets were used as well as non-linear filters. The non-linear filters increased the amplitudes of periods of instability, simple signal models of the output of the non-linear filters where formulated and analyzed. Vector processing techniques were also developed. The experimental results demonstrate that the acceleration during unstable periods can be differentiated by its frequency content, by its discontinuous nature and by using vector relationships. The algorithms were tested with five individuals and had over 80% accuracy.
Black love can know no limits: centering the subjugated voice and experience of pride and wellbeing of a black queer woman
Authors: Booker Jessica
Published: May 2021

This MRP provides unique insight into the lived reality of a black queer woman as it creates an intricate picture of what oppression entails. Auto-ethnography is used to discuss some experiences that black queer women face, as they strive for authentic self-love and wellness in a social climate of adversity. Personal transformative recollections are used to allow readers to gain an in-depth understanding as to why black queer women systemically struggle to experience authentic belonging in the queer and black communities. The powerful stories are shared in hopes of raising critical awareness and empathy within readers as they interact with black queer youth throughout society
Financial Technology in Banking Business: Realities and Prospects
Authors:   National University «Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Politechnic», Khudolii Y. S. , Khalievina M. O. ,   National University «Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Politechnic»
Published: May 2021

The article aims at studying the place of and prospects for financial technology development in the banking business during the digitalization process in the economy by using both the theoretical and empirical research methods. Having analyzed research works on the topic, the authors systematize the key trends in banking innovations in Ukraine and prove the relevance of financial technology in the banking business during the current digitalization. As a result, the current place of financial technology in the banking business is determined by identifying modern customers’ needs and current market conditions in the field of money services (the growing number of Internet users, gadgets, and hence the growth of the cashless money transfer turnover), and the following prospects are suggested: customer value and the quality of service provisioning (i.e., quickness, flexibility of the business structure and extensive use of various technologies). The results are based on the synthesis and analysis of the achievements of financial technology companies in the Ukrainian and world markets, their cooperation with banks, as well as their actions in the global pandemic, the latter reducing the financial inflow, but at the same time encouraging innovations. Research prospects in this context lie in suggesting the key trends of the future, such as including financial services in non-financial relations, the Internet of Things (seamless payments, where the focus shifts from payment to the service itself, providing long-term interaction between the seller and the buyer); the nature and consequences of changing the format of payment services in the domestic market (PSD2). Still, much will depend on further results of the work of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the actions of the regulator, i.e. the National Bank of Ukraine, concerning the digital development of the financial sector
State Social Policy: Essence, Models, Directions
Authors:   National University «Lviv Polytechnic», Drymalovska K. V. , Bala R. D. ,   National University «Lviv Polytechnic»
Published: May 2021

The article aims at analyzing domestic and foreign experience in social policy provision (the essence of the concept, its basic models and directions), as it acts as a kind of lever to determine the principles, priorities, directions of the social sphere development. The article suggests a new definition of the "social policy" concept through analyzing the content of the category in question. The public administration approach to understanding the "social policy" concept is also outlined. The article identifies the priority directions of transformations in the EU member states’ social policy, which are taking place due to globalization challenges. Based on these areas, the main principles of European social policy are identified, namely: inclusiveness, gender equality, digitalization, support for youth policy development (employment, education), and financial education of citizens. Social policy in such countries as Canada, Germany, China, and Australia is analyzed, and peculiarities of its changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic are considered in the following areas: support for employment, social protection and the unemployed; social support for certain social groups; support for business development. The main means helping to implement the outlined areas are identified, namely: creation of funds to support certain social groups; formation of favorable conditions for lending to small, medium and large businesses; financing of various social programs (providing employment, training, and wage subsidies). The main directions of domestic social policy in the COVID-19 pandemic are also given. Relevant conclusions on domestic and foreign experience in the implementation of social policy are formed. Further research can be related to the issues of creating a mechanism for an effective social policy implementation.
Adaptation of International Approaches to Creating a Statistical Indicators System for the Water Management Analysis at the City Level
Authors:   V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Chala T. G. , Slavuta O. I. ,   O. M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, Korepanov G. S. ,   V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Chernenko D. I. ,   V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Published: May 2021

The article aims at substantiating the theoretical and methodological foundations for creating a unified statistical indicators system and statistical analysis of the water resources management at the city level. The advantages of using standardized indicators in the field of sanitation and water supply at the city level are identified and characterized in accordance with ISO 37120: 2014 «Sustainable cities and communities – indicators of urban services and quality of life». Both the main and auxiliary indicators of urban services and quality of life on «Water and sanitary conditions» and «Sewage» topics are systematized as for their formulas, application features and data sources. It is established that, according to the Water Risk Filter, Ukraine can be divided into four regions depending on the water risk, namely, low, moderately medium, medium, and high water risk levels. Based on these data, such cities from the Global Register of Cities developed by the World Council on City Data (WCCD) were selected: Amsterdam (Netherlands), Barcelona (Spain), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Guadalajara (Mexico). Their indicators in the field of sanitation and water supply were analyzed. It is established that these cities are characterized by a high level of water supply and sewerage services, as well as a fairly high level of the access to high-quality sanitary and hygienic conditions. The situation with quality indicators of water management is worse. For example, advanced waste treatment is only carried out in Dubai. In Guadalajara, 21% of urban wastewater is not treated at all. It is established that in general, Dubai is the leader in the quality of water supply and sanitation services, while Guadalajara is the outsider city, showing the lowest quality levels of most of the studied indicators. The national system of indicators is suggested to be expanded by including such an indicator as «Average annual duration of water supply outages per 1 household»
Problems and Prospects of Greening Tourism in Ukraine
Authors:   V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Нaponenko H. I. , Yevtushenko O. V. ,   V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Shamara I. M. ,   V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Published: May 2021

The article considers modern tendencies in tourism development and analyzes the existing approaches to greening tourism; ecological problems of managing tourism development in Ukraine. The article aims at substantiating scientifically and theoretically the prospects for developing the national tourism market in Ukraine, taking into account the environmental factor. To attain the aim, the following general scientific and special methods were used: analysis and synthesis were used to study the scientific principles of tourism development; statistical analysis, comparison and generalization helped us to study the impact of environmental factors on the tourism market development in Ukraine. The authors draw attention to the need to increase the level of environmental safety of travelling in accordance with the sustainable development criteria. It is determined that greening tourism is a consistent implementation of the ideas within the "green" economy paradigm and international experience in nature conservation and sustainable environment in environmental legislation, recreational tourism, regional management, development of "green" technologies, environmental education and recreational nature management. The main directions of greening tourism at the macro- and micro-levels have been identified by analyzing the state of the environment and the tourism industry in Ukraine. Thus, the authors believe that an ecologically safe tourist product should include the following points: environmentally friendly transportation, food consumption, garbage collection and processing throughout the journey; environmentally friendly building materials used for tourist accommodation; participation of tourism business entities in solving environmental problems in the region
The Essence of the Competitiveness of Coastal Regions
Authors:   Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, Bezkhlibna A. P.
Published: May 2021

The article aims at defining the key theoretical concepts related to providing the competitiveness of coastal regions and studying the essence of the terms "coastal region", "competitiveness", "competitiveness of the coastal region". The features and characteristics of the coastal region are determined, the classification of the region's competitiveness is expanded, which has helped to suggest a new interpretation of the "coastal region" term. A coastal region is an administrative-territorial unit that due to its geographic position has access to the sea coast with its own waters, specializes in coastal economic and ecosystem activities, creates its own maritime complex of industries with the appropriate infrastructure, faces specific social problems and environmental requirements, has its own cultural and historical heritage, the latter reflecting the maritime theme. A binary understanding of the “coastal region” term is suggested: coastal regions are treated as oblasts and as territorial communities, the administrative boundaries of which extend to the coastline. It has been found out that the competitiveness of a coastal region is an indicator emphasizing the region's ability to respond to external challenges; ensuring the use of ecosystem approach to designing the best possible region's economic structure; overcoming seasonality in tourism and recreation; taking into account the specifics of social and environmental problems of the region; preserving the cultural and mental identity of the region to create favorable conditions for the inhabitants. To create a concept for ensuring the competitiveness of coastal regions it is necessary to make not only theoretical generalizations, but also a comprehensive diagnosis of the current state of competitiveness, which is impossible without discussing the components of competitiveness, as comprehensive assessment will be done with regard to them.
Diagnostics of Problems and Measures to Overcome Professional Burnout
Authors:   Kyiv National Economic University named after V. Hetman, Vasylyk A. V. , Stoliaruk K. S. ,   Kyiv National Economic University named after V. Hetman, Buluy A. V. ,   Kyiv National Economic University named after V. Hetman
Published: May 2021

The main aim of the article is to update the research on identifying problems and developing measures to overcome professional burnout through a combination of instruments in the author’s sociological study, taking the staff of one of the domestic enterprises as the material for the research. The aim is also to identify and determine the key symptoms of burnout syndrome. Given the brisk growth of the service sector, it is obvious that it naturally affects the increase in the number of «man-man» professions, which are among the most vulnerable ones as for the burnout probability. That is why diagnosis of such problems has been performed at a restaurant from a popular chain in Ukraine. The key objectives of this study are the following: to determine the structure of the company’s staff by estimating the burnout level; to compare negative factors influencing the restaurant employees’ work; to assess the impact of working conditions on burnout; to find out the respondents’ attitude to work; to compare the respondents’ assessments of the components of the «Individuality» factor. The study has resulted in identifying the following problems: employees’ improper attitude to work; long working hours leading to overwork; conflicting clients; inadequate rest conditions for employees. Besides diagnosing these problems, the article also suggests measures to overcome them, naming some projected indicators of reducing the effects of employees’ burnout at the enterprise under study and the corresponding costs for taking these measures
Book Review: Data Feminism
Authors: O'Reilly Shannon
Published: May 2021

This book review critiques Lauren F. Klein and Catherine D'lgnazio's Data Feminism (2020). Klein and D'lgnazio take a visual approach to provide a synopsis—underpinned by social and political commentary—that explores the avenues through which data science and data ethics shape how contemporary technologies exploit injustices related to race and gender. Klein and D'lgnazio offer examples of this exploitation, such as the discriminatory surveillance apparatus that relies on racial profiling tactics. These examples are emboldened by the use of contemporary data strategies that—on the surface—strive to achieve a more equitable and ‘neutral’ hierarchal society. This review examines the text’s visual approach to demonstrating institutional inequities and the authors’ acknowledgement of their own privilege, specifically the role they play in upholding the oppressive systems they seek to dismantle through collaboration and intersectional analysis.
Participation of nitric oxide in different models of experimental hypertension
Authors: Török J
Published: May 2021

This review concerns the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the
pathogenesis of different models of experimental hypertension
(NO-deficient, genetic, salt-dependent), which are characterized
by a wide range of etiology. Although the contribution of NO may
vary between different models of hypertension, a unifying
characteristic of these models is the presence of oxidative stress
that participates in the maintenance of elevated arterial pressure
and seems to be a common denominator underlying endothelial
dysfunction in various forms of experimental hypertension.
Besides the imbalance between the endothelial production of
vasorelaxing and vasoconstricting compounds as well as the
relative insufficiency of vasodilator systems to compensate
augmented vasoconstrictor systems, there were found numerous
structural and functional abnormalities in blood vessels and heart
of hypertensive animals. The administration of antihypertensive
drugs, antioxidants and NO donors is capable to attenuate blood
pressure elevation and to improve morphological and functional
changes of cardiovascular system in some but not all
hypertensive models. The failure to correct spontaneous
hypertension by NO donor administration reflects the fact that
sympathetic overactivity plays a key role in this form of
hypertension, while NO production in spontaneously hypertensive
rats might be enhanced to compensate increased blood pressure.
A special attention should be paid to the modulation of
sympathetic nervous activity in central and peripheral nervous
system. These results extend our knowledge on the control of
the balance between NO and reactive oxygen species production
and are likely to be a basis for the development of new
approaches to the therapy of diseases associated with NO
deficiency.