Academic Studies Research Articles

The Multilateral Integration of Blockchain, Ethical Packet Sniffing and AI for Cybersecurity in BRICS Countries

This policy brief proposes that the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa) should plan and coordinate on ways to mitigate cybersecurity risks on a multilateral level. The BRICS countries are ideal for such a meta-governance mechanism which could coordinate toward the circumvention of some cyber risks. This Policy brief proposes that there should be an integration of blockchain technologies, packet sniffing technologies and AI detection tools to help mitigate emerging cybersecurity risks. The policy brief outlines the risks and challenges prevalent in this current climate, whilst also proposing potential remedies sourced from rigorous academic studies. The precise amendments include the synthesised mechanism of blockchain-based internet registries, packet sniffing technologies AI verification tools and capacity building to aid in the mitigation of cybersecurity risks. In 2007, a cyber-attack in Brazil plunged more than 3 million people into darkness. Cyberattacks collectively cost the BRICS countries $50.3bn in 2013. These funds could have been reinvested into the economy. BRICS needs the rapid technological integration of cyber-crime mitigation tools, tools which this policy brief will outline.

Türkçe Öğretimi Üzerine 2020 Yılından Sonra Yazılmış Makalelerin Kaynakça Bölümlerinin Apa (7)´ya Uygunluk Durumu

The list showing the sources used in a research or review is called bibliography. It is important to cite references in the studies carried out. Because other people who read our work can access the sources we use by looking at the bibliography. In this way, it turns out that our article is reliable. In order for a study to be reputable, it must comply with certain scientific research methods and rules. The purpose of this study is to examine the compliance of the bibliography sections of articles written after 2020 in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language to APA (7) rules. For this purpose, data was collected using the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods. To conduct research, a literature review was conducted by accessing relevant studies on the subject. Prof., associate professor regarding the study. 20 articles written by people with the title of faculty member or faculty member were randomly selected and the data were tried to be integrated systematically. Descriptive analysis, one of the qualitative analysis techniques, was used to analyze the collected data. The findings obtained were categorized in accordance with APA (7) bibliography rules and shown in tables. At the end of the study; periodical publications in the reviewed article bibliographies; books, reference books and book chapters; technical and research reports; meetings and symposiums; doctoral and master's theses; It has been determined that APA (7) bibliography rules are not strictly followed in writing the web page sources. Based on the results, suggestions were made that journals that conduct and publish academic studies should be more meticulous in complying with the specified bibliography writing rules. Key Words: Teaching Turkish as a foreign language, doing academic work, APA bibliography rules, bibliography

Predicting the Adhesive Layer Thickness in Hybrid Joints Involving Pre-Tensioned Bolts.

While most academic studies focus on the properties of cured joints, this research addresses the manufacturing process of hybrid joints in their uncured state. Hybrid joints that combine adhesive bonding with pre-tensioned bolts exhibit superior mechanical performance compared to exclusively bonded or bolted joints. However, the adhesive flow during manufacturing in hybrid joints often results in a nonuniform adhesive thickness, where obtaining an exact thickness is crucial for accurate load capacity predictions. This paper presents experiments involving three different adhesives, providing precise measurements of the adhesive layer thickness distribution, which served as a reference when evaluating and validating the subsequent numerical predictions. The numerical predictions were performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to model the flow behavior of the adhesives during the bonding process and their interactions with the metal substrates. The CFD predictions of the adhesive layer thickness showed good agreement with the experimental data, with the relative differences between the average experimental and numerical thickness values ranging from 4.07% to 27.1%. The results were most accurate for the adhesive with sand particles, whose particles remained intact, ensuring that the adhesive's rheology remained unchanged. The results highlight the importance of the rheological behavior of the adhesive in the final distribution of the adhesive layer thickness, thereby expanding the understanding of these joints.

Study of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Breast Carcinoma and Their Association With Pathological and Prognostic Factors and Pathological Tumor-Node-Metastasis (pTNM) Staging.

Breast carcinoma is the second most frequent type of cancer globally, with an estimated 2.08 million new carcinoma cases identified in 2018. Breast cancer prognosis is influenced by a number of variables, including the patient's age, morphological variant, stromal inflammatory reaction, elastotic, fibrotic focus, lymphovascular emboli, recurrence of tumor, etc. Recently, the morphological evaluation and extent of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have also been studied in breast cancer. An attempt is being made to understand the role of TIL in determining the prognostication of carcinoma breast. Thus, the goal of the current academic study is to assess TILin breast carcinoma. The study was performed at a medical institution's pathology department, which covered newly diagnosed cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast on histopathology during the January to December 2019 time frame. The gross and hematoxyline-eosin-stained paraffin sections were studied for histopathological examination. The study included 50 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast with a female-to-male ratio of 24:1. Stromal TIL was negative (0-10%) in 12 cases, while was positive (11-100 %) in 38 cases. The results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve study indicated that the specificity was 70.7% and the sensitivity was 85.3% when the cutoff of stromal TIL<11% was used to predict the live status of patients. Stromal TILis an important parameter that must be reported in breast carcinoma cases. Positive stromal TIL shows a statistically significant difference with pathological tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) staging, tumor laterality, size of the tumor, and involvement of nipple and areola.

Information Requirements for Effective Risk and Contract Management in Public-Private Partnerships: A Delphi Approach

Effective risk and contract management are crucial in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and require adequate collection and utilisation of the project and financial information. Although access to sufficient information is indispensable, there is a lack of empirical literature documenting the information requirements in PPPs. This research aims to identify the information items the public party needs for effective risk and contract management in PPP projects undertaken in the construction sector. Information requirements were determined in three steps including (1) a structured literature review to identify the information items from academic studies, (2) identification of the information items currently used in the industry via expert interviews, and (3) validation of the information items via the Delphi Method, which included three rounds of consultations with 12 PPP experts. The findings present 52 qualitative project information requirements under various categories. In addition, 33 quantitative financial items were determined as essential information requirements for effective risk and contract management. The proposed information requirements were utilized to develop a qualitative risk assessment tool for the public party and its consultants to streamline structured data collection, avoid overlooking important project and financial information in risk assessment, and facilitate knowledge management in PPPs. The developed tool was tested by 21 PPP experts and found usable as a customizable knowledge-based system for qualitative risk assessment utilizing extensive project information during early risk assessment, feasibility studies, contract drafting and management in PPPs.

W(h)Ither Fullerenes in Medicine? Challenges and Opportunities in Industrial Translation

The fullerenes—C60 and its derivatives in particular—have been lauded for three decades now as having revolutionary potential for next-generation medical applications. These span therapeutics (e.g. enzyme inhibition and photodynamic therapy for treating cancers) and diagnostics (e.g. improved contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging). But translating this potential beyond academic research studies and into scaled-up production and clinical practice has proved far more elusive than the much-sought-after widespread industrial adoption of graphene.In this talk I will first outline why the fullerenes do indeed offer such promise in these clinical application areas, before providing an exploration of many of the intersecting factors that have contributed to making the clinical translation of fullerene-based therapeutics and diagnostics such a seemingly insurmountable barrier up to this point. These factors include: A uniquely multi-dimensional chemical design space when considering fullerene size and both exohedral and endohedral functionalisation possibilities;The relationship of the above with understanding functionality and safety in vivo;Regulatory requirements pertaining to the above;The presence of unregulated fullerene-based products in the beauty and wellness sector;The fuzzy borderlands between science and pseudoscience that much of the narrative around fullerenes occupies;Loss of funding momentum;Lack of industrial bridges between materials manufacturers and technology developers. After characterising the state of affairs in this way, I will offer some specific suggestions for hope and opportunity as we move into a world where synthesis and testing bottlenecks can be overcome with the help of artificial intelligence and automation, and increased awareness of the diverse properties of different types of nanomaterials changes the regulatory and industrial landscapes. Thus, I hope to provide a case study of how one family of carbon nanomaterials could finally realise its promise of advancing medicine in the Industry 4.0 era.

Do you practice the critical study of religion?

ABSTRACT The term ‘critical’ has become ubiquitous in academia these days. It is always a term of praise, but, for many in the academic study of religion, being critical also provides a marker that distinguishes the kind of scholarship that belongs in the academy from the non-academic approaches that do not belong there. Over the past few hundred years, however, the term has been used to identify very different virtues. In this paper, I distinguish five broad senses of the term. I explain what is distinctive about each one, and I identify tensions generated between them. I close with my own proposal that one can combine all five senses of critique in a single coherent academic field, and that this integrated vision would be the best approach for the academic study of religion.

Well-being among university students in the post-COVID-19 era: a cross-country survey

University students have to handle crucial challenges for their future lives, such as succeeding in academic studies and finding attachment figures. These processes could potentially involve their well-being and mental health, with possible sociocultural differences based on the country of study. In order to explore such potential differences, a cross-sectional, multi-center survey was performed involving students from the University of Torino (Italy), Sevilla (Spain), and Lusòfona (Portugal). The survey, conducted from May to November 2023, investigated students’ demographic and educational details, socioeconomic status, social support, mental health, academic environment, perceived COVID-19 pandemic impact, and future plans. Demographic profiles showed a predominance of female participants and straight sexual orientation, followed by bisexuality. Italian students showed the lowest levels of mental well-being and the highest rates of mental problems (anxiety and depression) and suicidal risk across the three countries despite the relatively similar profiles of social support. The prevalence of the students’ confidence in their professional future is higher in Spain than in Italy and Portugal. This study provides a comprehensive examination of university students’ mental health and well-being in three Southern European countries, addressing the major mental health challenges among university students and offering valuable insights for public health purposes.

Recent Research on the Identification, Assessment, and Response to Fraud Risks: Implications for Audit Practice and Topics for Future Research

SYNOPSIS The financial statement auditor’s identification of fraud risk factors, their assessment of fraud risk, and their fraud risk responses are key to the auditor’s consideration of fraud and fraud detection. Given that the last review of research related to the search for fraud during the audit occurred nearly a decade ago, we provide a summary of recent academic research to update and inform practitioners, researchers, standard setters, regulators, and other stakeholders in the financial reporting process. We categorize and summarize findings from recent academic studies that focus on the auditor’s identification, assessment, and responses to fraud risks. Implications for practice are presented for each of these areas, along with topics and questions for future research. JEL Classifications: M40; M41; M42; M48.

Global Citizenship Education and Its Role in Sustainability at the University Level

The contents linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be introduced in studies in the field of education. This research analyzes the knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda among 477 participants from the University of Murcia and the University of Valencia in the Degree of Primary Education, Social Education, and the Master of Teacher Training in the Faculty of Education. A descriptive–comparative methodology with a quantitative approach was used based on an ad hoc questionnaire. The educational intervention included theoretical–practical modules on the SDGs and citizenship, with academic readings and case studies on the implementation of the SDGs in various sectors, which positively impacted future education professionals who were to be part of their initial training. The results showed significant differences in the knowledge of the SDGs between the experimental group and the control group at the end of the term, especially among the experimental group, which worked on the SDG concepts in the subjects taken. Greater knowledge was also observed among the students with a Social Education degree who took a subject related to this topic.

The Effectiveness of Blended Learning, Digital Literacy Programs, and Teacher Training on Student Outcomes in 2024

This study examines the effectiveness of blended learning, digital literacy programs, and teacher training on student outcomes in 2024. The primary objective is to qualitatively analyze the literature to understand how these educational strategies impact student performance and engagement. The research employs a qualitative literature review methodology, synthesizing findings from academic articles, industry reports, case studies, and empirical studies to provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge in this field. The literature review methodology involves systematically collecting and analyzing scholarly sources that discuss various aspects of blended learning, digital literacy programs, and teacher training. The study categorizes the literature into key themes, such as the benefits of blended learning in providing flexible and personalized education, the role of digital literacy programs in equipping students with essential skills for the digital age, and the impact of continuous teacher training on instructional quality and student achievement. Thematic analysis is used to identify patterns and trends in how these factors influence student outcomes. The findings indicate that blended learning enhances student engagement and learning outcomes by combining traditional and digital instructional methods, offering flexibility and personalized learning experiences. Digital literacy programs are shown to be critical in developing students' competencies in using digital tools and navigating online environments, which are essential skills in the modern educational landscape. Teacher training is highlighted as a key factor in improving teaching practices and, consequently, student performance.

Investigating conspiracy theories – introduction to the special issue

ABSTRACT This introduction to this special issue of Inquiry looks at recent work in the philosophy of conspiracy theory theory. Looking at two related worries expressed in the wider conspiracy theory theory (the academic study of conspiracy theories) – the Problem of Conspiracy Theories and the Problem of Conspiracy Theorists – this special issue argues that recent work in the philosophy of conspiracy theories is getting all the more closer to not just an epistemic understanding of what, if anything, is wrong with belief in conspiracy theories, but also a framework for both investigating conspiracy theories and understanding how we should talk about the beliefs of conspiracy theorists.

The feasibility and acceptability of an inoculative intervention video for gambling advertising: a focus group study of academics and experts-by-experience.

Gambling advertising employs a range of persuasive strategies. We therefore aimed to evaluate a counter-advertising intervention video to increase resilience to gambling advertising persuasion. Three in-depth focus groups were conducted, and each group contained a mixture of gambling-related academics (N=12) and experts with lived experience of gambling-related harm (N=10). Participants were given access to the intervention video and provided feedback during the focus groups. Qualitative data were audio recorded and thematically analysed by the research team. Three main themes were identified. First, participants recommended a shorter video that had a simplified and digestible structure. Second, frequent real-world examples of gambling advertisements within the video were discouraged, and the inclusion of a relatable human voiceover was considered imperative to the receptiveness of the video. Finally, participants deemed it important to deliver psychologically grounded yet jargon-free content via a conversational style. An overall narrative framed by consumer-protection was also preferred in order to increase acceptance of the video content, rather than a more didactic framing. Evaluating the acceptability of a counter advertising intervention video provided valuable insight from both an academic and lived-experience perspective. Such insight is instrumental to the meaningful co-design of counter-advertising interventions.

Identification of Expected Growth in Crypto Currency

Identifying the expected growth in cryptocurrency involves analyzing a combination of market trends, technological advancements, regulatory developments, and economic indicators. Historical performance and adoption rates of major cryptocurrencies provide insight into market trends, while innovations in blockchain technology, such as Ethereum 2.0 and Layer 2 solutions, along with the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), highlight significant technological advancements. Regulatory developments, including supportive legislation and the involvement of institutional investors through financial products like Bitcoin ETFs, play a crucial role in shaping market confidence and investment. Economic indicators, such as inflation, monetary policies, and global events, also influence interest in cryptocurrencies as alternative assets. Investor sentiment, driven by public perception, media coverage, and social media activity, impacts market dynamics. Additionally, research from financial analysts, market research firms, and academic studies, along with corporate partnerships and the integration of crypto solutions with traditional systems, contribute to growth predictions. Monitoring market capitalization and trading volumes further helps gauge market interest and liquidity. By considering these multifaceted factors, a more comprehensive understanding of the potential growth in the cryptocurrency market can be achieved.

Learning from the United States' experience: Private equity and financing healthcare in Canada.

Private Equity (PE) investment in healthcare has grown substantially in recent years, raising alarm about its impact on patient care, healthcare professionals, and the overall integrity of the healthcare system. The influx of PE investments into healthcare has sparked debates regarding profit-driven motives, cost-cutting measures, and potential risks to patient safety and access to essential services. This article examines the extent and possible impacts of private equity in Canadian healthcare using data from a proprietary database. Drawing upon evidence from academic studies in the United States, this paper provides evidence on the adverse impacts on the quality of care, the deterioration in working conditions, and degradation of the healthcare system. It provides suggestions to limit the predatory impacts of PE investment.

Unveiling the Future: Decrypting Mobile Investment Resistance with Multi-Stage SEM-ANN-NCA Approach

Mobile commerce has transformed business over the past decade with various m-commerce applications. Despite the growing popularity of digital investment, there is still global resistance to using mobile applications for investment purposes. This work aims to develop a model for analyzing and predicting mobile investment resistance (MIR) by investigating the main hurdles identified in Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT). In addition, this study has extended the IRT theory by integrating demographic factors and mobile innovativeness. Data has been collected from 920 investors. The tri-stage SEM-ANN-NCA strategy, which introduces a new methodological paradigm for mobile investment resistance forecasting, makes this academic study powerful and exceptional. The researchers found that risk is the most influential barrier, followed by usage, tradition, value, image, education, age, and mobile innovativeness. This study helps mobile investment service providers and Fintech companies identify the most significant challenges, solve them, and improve the user experience for mobile investors.

Potential of ChatGPT in academic research: exploring innovative thinking skills

ABSTRACT Academics, scholars, and learners are increasingly turning to AI-based language models like ChatGPT for a variety of academic and non-academic applications including essay writing, speech creation, literature summarizing, and idea production. However, the use of ChatGPT in academic research has sparked debate and raised concerns about its influence on research and publishing. By offering an actual scenario and suggestions, this study intends to shed light on the practical implementation of ChatGPT in academic research. The dataset for this study includes 3,860 students from Thailand's basic and secondary school levels. The survey data gathered focuses on investigating innovative thinking skills. The findings suggest that ChatGPT might be a useful technique for generating first ideas in academic studies. However, it is crucial for researchers to exercise caution as they may encounter certain challenges during the process. As a result, while using ChatGPT in academic research, researchers must be aware of these issues and make educated judgments appropriately. Given the possible uses and ramifications of ChatGPT, the academic community must develop detailed protocols governing its usage in research and subsequent publishing. These rules will ensure the proper and ethical use of ChatGPT in the academic setting.

Cybersecurity and Blockchain for Secure Financial Transactions: Evaluating, Implementing, and Mitigating Risks of Digital Payments

In an era of increasing digital financial transactions, ensuring security is paramount in maintaining trust and integrity within the financial ecosystem. This study delves into the role of cybersecurity and blockchain technologies in enhancing the security of digital payments. Utilizing secondary data from a range of academic journals, industry reports, and case studies, the research evaluates the effectiveness of these technologies in mitigating cyber risks associated with financial transactions. Key findings highlight the robust nature of blockchain in ensuring transparency, immutability, and decentralization, which are essential for secure payments. Furthermore, the study discusses various cybersecurity frameworks and their implementation strategies to thwart potential threats. The convergence of advanced cybersecurity measures with blockchain technology promises a fortified digital payment ecosystem. However, the study also identifies potential risks and proposes strategies to address them, ensuring a balanced and secure adoption. This comprehensive analysis is aimed at guiding financial institutions and policymakers in making informed decisions about integrating these technologies to safeguard digital financial interactions.

Anton Chekhov in school and university teaching in the 2000s&amp;#8722;2010s: discussion in the "Chekhov Herald"

The subject of the study is the features and main content of the discussion on the problems of teaching Chekhov's creativity in post-Soviet secondary and higher educational institutions presented on the pages of the information and bibliographic publication "Chekhov Herald" in the 2000s and 2010s. The problem of the need to create new educational and methodological manuals adequate to the post-Soviet socio-cultural situation, as well as the problem of spreading scientific knowledge about the life and work of A.P. Chekhov attracted the attention of leading modern Chekhov scholars, prompted them to create new educational materials, organize special conferences and, in general, to discuss this problem. The discussion allows us to judge both the latest problems and challenges of both academic Chekhov studies (and literary studies in general) and the school practice of teaching Chekhov's work and literature in general. The analysis of the materials presented on the pages of the information and bibliographic edition of the Chekhov Bulletin allows us to see the peculiarities of the dynamics of this discussion and modern Chekhov studies in general. The main conclusion of this analysis is that with the change in the socio-cultural situation from the turn of the 1990s&amp;#8210;2000s to the end of the 2010s, the challenges that the community of Chekhov scholars tried to answer, also changed. At the beginning of the 2000s, the appearance of new textbooks at the same time was accompanied by the problem of their inaccessibility, especially in the provinces; the widespread use of the Internet by the end of the 2000s – early 2010s partially solved this problem, but created a new one: the inaccessibility of high-quality information as the main problem was replaced by a decrease in the level of culture of reading and critical thinking among schoolchildren/students and, often, teachers, a decrease in the general cultural level leads to a widening gap between academic literary studies and school practice and an intensification of the intergenerational cultural gap, attempts by Czech scholars to influence the school study of Chekhov and Russian literature in general face the problem of unpopularity, lack of demand for scientific humanitarian knowledge in society.

Voxel-based evolutionary topological optimization of connected structures for natural frequency optimization

AbstractThe topology optimization methodology is widely utilized in industrial engineering for designing lightweight and efficient components. In this framework, considering natural frequencies is crucial for adequately designing components and structures exposed to dynamic loads, as in aerospace or automotive applications. The scientific community has shown the efficiency of Bi-directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization (BESO), showcasing its ability to converge towards optimal solid-void or bi-material solutions for a wide range of frequency optimization problems in continuum structures. However, these methods show limits when the complexity of the domain volume increases; thus, they are well-suited for academic case studies but may fail when dealing with industrial applications that require more complex shapes. The connectivity of the structures resulting from the optimization also plays a fundamental role in choosing the best optimization approach, as some available commercial and open-source codes nowadays return unfeasible sparse structures. An improved voxel-based BESO algorithm has been developed in this work to cope with current limits in lightweight structure optimization. A significant case study has been developed to evaluate the performances of the new methodology and compare it with existing algorithms. In contrast to previous studies, the method we developed guarantees that the final structure respects constraints on the initial design volume and that the structure’s connection is preserved, thus enabling the manufacturing of the component with Additive Manufacturing technologies. The proposed approach can be complemented by smoothing algorithms to obtain a structure with externally appealing surfaces.