50th Anniversary Research Articles

From the President

In this column, NCLA President Dawn Behrend describes the financial outcomes of the 2023 Biennial Conference and celebrates the 25th anniversary of the NCLA Endowment.

«УЧРЕДИТЬ НА ЮЖНОМ БЕРЕГУ КРЫМСКОГО ПОЛУОСТРОВА В СЕЛЕНИИ ЯЛТАХ ТАМОЖЕННУЮ ЗАСТАВУ…»: К ИСТОРИИ СОЗДАНИЯ И ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ЯЛТИНСКОЙ ТАМОЖНИ И ЮЖНОГО ОТРЯДА ТАВРИЧЕСКОЙ БРИГАДЫ ПОГРАНИЧНОЙ СТРАЖИ

The article examines the history of the creation and activities of the Yalta customs outpost (later the Yalta customs), which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2024. Based on archival documents, some of which are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, as well as previously published statistical materials, collections of the customs department and other official publications of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire, the main stages of interaction between customs institutions, border and quarantine guard units operating in the Taurida province are determined in the 19th century. The work of these authorities in peacetime and the features of their functioning during the Crimean (Eastern) War of 1853–1856 and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had been analyzed. Measures aimed at optimizing the work of these units in difficult conditions of combat operations and occupation of the Crimean Peninsula by the enemy had been studied. The specifics and sources of formation of personnel of the Yalta customs outpost, units of the Taurida border guard brigade, and quarantine guard units stationed in the province had been identified. It is concluded that the organization of customs, quarantine and border services on the territory of the Taurida province, namely, on the southern coast of Crimea in the 19th century was well thought out and fully consistent with local specifics, since the peninsula was not only the center of external and internal trade operations in the Northern Black Sea region, but also the most important region in geopolitical and strategic terms. Russia, which has repeatedly faced the need to eliminate external threats while simultaneously increasing its economic potential, has taken the necessary steps to ensure the normalization of the activities of customs institutions in the region.

Chinese Professional Consumers at 30: The Rise and Impending Fall

Abstract This paper introduces a unique phenomenon with a distinctive Chinese regulatory approach. Since 1994, the Consumer Rights Protection Law has afforded consumers the right to seek punitive damages in instances of fraudulent practices. This has given rise to a special profession with Chinese characteristics: professional consumers. Their status as enigmatic figures is a consequence of the fluctuating stance of public authorities. Thirty years of consistent inconsistency has been a rarity in China’s legislative history. The year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the CRPL, China’s Consumer Rights Protection Law and the birth of its implementing regulation. It is an opportune moment to reassess the regulatory system that enabled this group and reconstruct it for the future. This paper presents a comprehensive regulatory review of the emergence, growth, and projected decline of professional consumers. It examines the reasons for this long-standing regulatory inconsistency through a detailed investigation of China’s legal system. It concludes by projecting two upcoming legal positions. The first is the transformation under the state’s co-governance strategy. The second is the displacement by procuratorial public interest litigation. Although seemingly contradictory, these two positions exemplify a distinctive Chinese approach to the co-governance strategy, which is characterized by the preponderance of public authority.

Towards Desirable Futures

The 20th anniversary of The Journal of Community Informatics signifies a milestone in the evolution of community informatics (CI) as a field dedicated to empowering communities through the strategic use of information and communication technology (ICT). This article offers some personal reflections on the origins and evolution of CI, tracing its roots to seminal works by scholars such as Michael Gurstein. It also tells the story of how urban informatics was inspired by CI as a distinct field of scholarship to study the interplay between people, place, and technology in urban environments. Building on this foundation, the present challenges and opportunities facing CI are explored, including issues of digital inclusion, ethical implications of emerging technologies, and the transformative potential of ICTs for social change. Looking ahead, the article envisions desirable futures for CI grounded in a life-centred approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of humans and non-humans within larger ecological systems. Embracing a more-than-human paradigm, CI is uniquely positioned to advocate for ecological justice, amplify the voices of marginalised human and non-human communities, and foster collaboration between humans and the environment to create and protect resilient and sustainable habitat for life on this planet. Through these efforts, CI can contribute to a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for all living beings, averting the planetary ecocide that threatens our shared existence.

Management and organizational research in Asia Pacific: insights from a 40th anniversary review of the Asia Pacific Journal of Management

AbstractGrasping the evolving landscape of management and organizations in Asia Pacific is vital for addressing the challenges and opportunities they both face in the region and beyond. To do so, we conduct a systematic literature review using a bibliometric analysis of the Asia Pacific Journal of Management (APJM), the leading journal for management and organizational research in Asia Pacific that is celebrating its 40th anniversary. A total of 915 articles published by APJM from 2001 to 2024 were retrieved from the Scopus database and subsequently subjected to a performance analysis of productivity (publications) and impact (citations) alongside a science mapping of knowledge (themes). This study reveals a steady increase in APJM publications and citations, underscoring the journal’s growing influence. The globalization of collaboration networks is a noteworthy trend, highlighting the interconnectedness of research efforts across borders. Major themes include cultural understanding and interpersonal networks, as well as the adaptability of organizations in emerging economies. Areas such as innovation, performance, and corporate governance highlight the importance of growth, competitiveness, and responsible management structures, while research on major Asian markets like China, India, and Thailand underscores the relevance of globalization and multinational strategies. The findings offer future directions in key areas such as emerging economies and institutional environments, relationship networks and social resilience, innovation and digital transformation, managing internationalization, and methodological innovation.

Revisions to the Declaration of Helsinki on Its 60th Anniversary

This Viewpoint discusses the 2024 revisions made to the Declaration of Helsinki as it continues to work toward ensuring research is subject to ethical standards that promote respect for all human participants and protect their rights and interests.

Mapping the Evolution of Digital Health Research: Bibliometric Overview of Research Hotspots, Trends, and Collaboration of Publications in JMIR (1999-2024).

While bibliometric studies of individual journals have been conducted, to the best of our knowledge, bibliometric mapping has not yet been utilized to analyze the literature published by the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR). In celebration of the journal's 25th anniversary, this study aimed to review the entire collection of JMIR publications from 1999 to 2024 and provide a comprehensive overview of the main publication characteristics. This study included papers published in JMIR during the 25-year period from 1999 to 2024. The data were analyzed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the "Bibliometrix" package in R. Through descriptive bibliometrics, we examined the dynamics and trend patterns of JMIR literature production and identified the most prolific authors, papers, institutions, and countries. Bibliometric maps were used to visualize the content of published articles and to identify the most prominent research terms and topics, along with their evolution. A bibliometric network map was constructed to determine the hot research topics over the past 25 years. This study revealed positive trends in literature production, with both the total number of publications and the average number of citations increasing over the years. And the global COVID-19 pandemic induced an explosive rise in the number of publications in JMIR. The most productive institutions were predominantly from the United States, which ranked highest in successful publications within the journal. The editor-in-chief of JMIR was identified as a pioneer in this field. The thematic analysis indicated that the most prolific topics aligned with the primary aims and scope of the journal. Currently and in the foreseeable future, the main themes of JMIR include "artificial intelligence," "patient empowerment," and "victimization." This bibliometric study highlighted significant contributions to digital health by identifying key research trends, themes, influential authors, and collaborations. The findings underscore the necessity to enhance publications from developing countries, improve gender diversity among authors, and expand the range of research topics explored in the journal.

Celebrating Ten Years of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Solar Energy Conversion: Past, Present and Future

AbstractAccelerated anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases due to increasing energy demands has created a negative impact on our planet. Therefore, the replacement of fossil by renewable energy resources has become of paramount interest, both societally and scientifically. It is within this setting that organic photocatalysts have emerged as a new generation of earth‐abundant catalysts for the conversion of solar radiation into chemical energy. In 2014, the first example of a covalent organic framework (COF) photocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction was reported by our group, which has not only marked the beginning of COF photocatalysis for solar fuel production but also helped to accelerate research into “soft photocatalysis” based on porous polymers in general. In the last decade, significant progress has been made toward developing COFs as robust, molecularly precise platforms emulating artificial photosynthesis. This mini‐review commemorates the 10th anniversary of COF photocatalysis and gives a brief historical overview of the milestones in the field since its inception in 2014. We review milestones in the development of COFs for solar fuel production and related photocatalytic transformations, including hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, overall water splitting, CO2 reduction, N2 fixation, oxygen reduction, and alcohol oxidation. We discuss lessons learned for the design of structure‐property‐function relationships in COF photocatalysts, and future perspectives and challenges for the field of “soft photocatalysis” are given.

Celebrating Ten Years of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Solar Energy Conversion: Past, Present and Future.

Accelerated anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases due to increasing energy demands has created a negative impact on our planet. Therefore, the replacement of fossil by renewable energy resources has become of paramount interest, both societally and scientifically. It is within this setting that organic photocatalysts have emerged as a new generation of earth-abundant catalysts for the conversion of solar radiation into chemical energy. In 2014, the first example of a covalent organic framework (COF) photocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction was reported by our group, which has not only marked the beginning of COF photocatalysis for solar fuel production but also helped to accelerate research into "soft photocatalysis" based on porous polymers in general. In the last decade, significant progress has been made toward developing COFs as robust, molecularly precise platforms emulating artificial photosynthesis. This mini-review commemorates the 10th anniversary of COF photocatalysis and gives a brief historical overview of the milestones in the field since its inception in 2014. We review milestones in the development of COFs for solar fuel production and related photocatalytic transformations, including hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, overall water splitting, CO2 reduction, N2 fixation, oxygen reduction, and alcohol oxidation. We discuss lessons learned for the design of structure-property-function relationships in COF photocatalysts, and future perspectives and challenges for the field of "soft photocatalysis" are given.

Cyberspace and the Responsibility to Protect Populations from Atrocity Crimes

Abstract This article has two principal aims. First, it seeks to frame this special issue examining the intersection of cyberspace, digital platforms, and atrocity prevention frameworks – including the Responsibility to Protect (r2p). It does so by defining and scoping cyberspace, highlighting the limited extant research on cyber and atrocity prevention, and providing a brief overview of each article within this special section. By bringing together distinct perspectives – international law, political science, international relations, and policy – this special section hopes to ignite a timely, rich debate on 21st century technologies and atrocity prevention. Second, after setting the scene for the issue, this article offers its own novel contribution. In countering (continued) accusations of r2p’s irrelevance into the 2020s, this article argues that the norm’s three pillars must be re-examined in light of cyberspace. This is especially vital, as perpetrators of atrocities continue to employ cyber-enabled technologies and as r2p approaches its 20th anniversary.

The future of tourism: interview with emeritus professor Pauline Sheldon on regenerative tourism

PurposeAs the Journal of Tourism Futures (JTF) celebrates its 10th Anniversary, Dr Ian Yeoman (Hotel Management School Leeuwarden) interviews Emeritus Professor Pauline Sheldon (University of Hawaiʻi) about transformation and the regenerative future of tourism, a special issue published by the journal in 2022.Design/methodology/approachA personal interview.FindingsEmeritus Professor Pauline Sheldon highlights the importance of regenerative tourism for the future and the role the JTF plays in this field. In particular, Sheldon highlights the pioneering research and practice of Dr Dianne Dredge, who has championed a pathway on regenerative tourism.Originality/valueThe interview provides insights into the directions of regenerative tourism and research about the future of tourism.

Back to the future - 20 years of progress and developments in photonic microscopy and biological imaging.

In 2023, the ImaBio consortium (imabio-cnrs.fr), an interdisciplinary life microscopy research group at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, celebrated its 20th anniversary. ImaBio contributes to the biological imaging community through organization of MiFoBio conferences, which are interdisciplinary conferences featuring lectures and hands-on workshops that attract specialists from around the world. MiFoBio conferences provide the community with an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the field, and the 2023 event offered retrospective talks discussing the past 20 years of topics in microscopy, including imaging of multicellular assemblies, image analysis, quantification of molecular motions and interactions within cells, advancements in fluorescent labels, and laser technology for multiphoton and label-free imaging of thick biological samples. In this Perspective, we compile summaries of these presentations overviewing 20 years of advancements in a specific area of microscopy, each of which concludes with a brief look towards the future. The full presentations are available on the ImaBio YouTube channel (youtube.com/@gdrimabio5724).

Far from the Madding Crowd at 150: Seven Reflections

ABSTRACT Seven scholars of Victorian literature reflect on Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd in honor of the 150th anniversary of its publication. The authors reflect their personal responses to the novel, and each has a unique focus.

Centenary of Professor Jaroslav Číhalík

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Prof. Jaroslav Číhalík (1924–2005), an outline of the life and work of this important teacher and scientist of the Faculty of Science of Charles University is presented. His teaching activities, including the establishment of the new field of environmental protection, are summarized, and his most important publications in analytical chemistry are recalled. The personal dimension of his work at the faculty is also presented. Full text English translation is available in the on-line version.

The Glaring Gap: Undervalued and Unrecognized Knowledges and Expertise in International Migration Research

As we reach the 60th anniversary of the International Migration Review, a key question for those engaged in migration research remains: has migration studies become more inclusive of knowledges and expertise outside the Global North? In short, the answer is no, and both the passage of time and the persistent awareness of this inequality require urgent and immediate action. In this article, we draw on our experiences as first- and second-generation migrant women, and as practitioner-researchers working in the humanitarian sector, to reflect on the significance of undervalued and unrecognized knowledges and expertise on migration research. We share insights from our recent work with the Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab, an initiative established to conduct migration research that informs humanitarian operations and advocacy, and we reflect on key opportunities and challenges that have impacted our efforts to generate knowledge that is more inclusive of migrants, and of practitioners and researchers from the Global South. In doing so, we highlight the possibility—even if still limited—of doing research that engages more ethically and meaningfully with those whose knowledge and expertise has long been excluded from dominant debates. We do this with a sense of hope and urgency that, by the 70th anniversary of this journal, the landscape of migration research will have changed—as a result of a concerted investment of time, resources and new ways of working—to broaden the questions asked, the objects of study and the methodologies adopted.

On the History of the St. Petersburg Assyriological School: Rostislav Antonovich Gribov

The article is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the remarkable Orientalist and teacher Rostislav Antonovich Gribov, who trained several generations of Russian Assyriologists. It contains a biography of the scholar, supplemented by characteristics of his scholarly and pedagogical activities. The main directions of R.A. Gribov’s activity are considered: the creation of a new methodology for teaching the cuneiform languages of Mesopotamia, a study of the socio-political history of the city of Mari, works on the history of Russian Assyriology. A list of published and unpublished works is attached to the article.

Высокое служение Отечеству: к 75-летию Н.М. Валеева

The article is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Doctor of Philology, Professor, Academician of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Honoured Scholar of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation, the member of the Union of Writers of Russia and the Presidium of the Union of Local Historians of Russia – Nail Mansurovich Valeev. It describes him as an outstanding Russian humanities scholar, literary critic, art critic, historian, local historian, cultural studies scholar, major organiser of scientific events and a public official. His unique and resonant academic work, significant and conceptual projects contribute to the prestige of our republic and country. Over the three decades of his life in the city of Elabuga, he wrote hundreds of articles and ten books about the historical and cultural heritage of Elabuga, about the fate of Elabuga merchants-benefactors. His enormous work on organising a purposeful study of the history of the city led to the recognition of Elabuga as one of the tourist-attractive cities of Russia. Regularly held international scientific conferences devoted to the study of the fate of the merchant dynasties of the city and the creative heritage of the forgotten classic of Russian literature D.I. Stakheev, attracted the attention of scholars from all over Russia and around the world, as well as the descendants of the merchant dynasties of the Stakheevs from Australia, Switzerland, Great Britain, France, etc. to the rich history of the city. Huge work was carried out by N.M. Valeev to draw the attention of the Republic of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences academics and the scholars of the Federal Research Center “Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences” to the study and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the city of Chistopol. Academic works of N.M. Valeev about the life of Kazan art of the twentieth century, the Literary Chistopol encyclopedia, the monograph Boris Pasternak in Chistopol. To the origins of the “Doctor Zhivago” novel and other works caused a wide resonance around the country and the world, attracted the attention of specialists to the rich history of Tatarstan and Chistopol.

Family Planning, Reproductive Health, and Progress Toward the Sustainable Development Goals: Reflections and Directions on the 30th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development.

Family Planning, Reproductive Health, and Progress Toward the Sustainable Development Goals: Reflections and Directions on the 30th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development.

Celebrating our 2024 Biennial International LRRK2 Meeting winners

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the cloning of the Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene, and the field is witnessing major advances in our understanding of its function, its role in human disease and therapeutic intervention. The latest edition of the Biennial International LRRK2 Meeting was held from 18 to 21 June 2024 at the Aquila Atlantis Hotel in Crete, Greece, and showcased cutting-edge research of this key protein, the most common genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease. Kindly sponsored by the Biochemical Journal, Nevia Dule and Georgios Tsafaras were both presented with prizes for their outstanding poster presentations. Lucy Ollett, Grants and Awards Manager at the Biochemical Society, caught up with them to discover more about their work.

Zodchestvo in Siberia

Our annual Festival ZODCHESTVO IN SIBERIA (ZVS), as always, keeps pace with the times: the 24th Festival takes place in the year 2024, and for the third time in Krasnoyarsk. As you know, the Festival was held here in 2014 and 2017 on the initiative of Mayor Edkham Akbulatov, the chief architect of the city Andrey Makarov and the chairmen of the Krasnoyarsk Organisation of the Union of Architects of Russia Arkady Suponitsky and Evgeny Zykov. The themes chosen then were ‘Identity’ and ‘Nonmetropolitan Practices’. At that time it was a new trend, but now every masterplan starts with the search for identity. Again, the theme chosen by the Krasnoyarsk organisers was not trite: PERSONALITY, the influence of personality on the city and the influence of the city on the formation of personality. The ZVS-24 was full of round tables: there were 4 of them and, without any doubt, the discussions turned out to be useful and fruitful. And contests, as never before, had unexpected results. There were several stars from the capitals – Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg... As we know, the ZVS started to become nomadic in Krasnoyarsk in 2014 and 2017, and the final reformatting was in 2018 at the Altai destination. Nomadic does not mean homeless for the ZVS. Rather, it now has many homes. Some strange fellows live in two or even three cities, and there are more and more of them in my architectural environment. The ZVS already has a house in almost all major cities of Siberia – Krasnoyarsk, Barnaul, Tomsk, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk. So, we bring to your attention the results of the ZVS-24 in Krasnoyarsk. Well, to celebrate its 25th anniversary, our Festival is going to return to its birthplace, to Irkutsk.