Beginning Of Century Research Articles

Trading locomotives between the USA and Japan: Okura & Co. at the beginning of the twentieth century

Abstract This article examines international transactions related to steam locomotives at the beginning of the twentieth century while focusing on Japanese trading companies. In particular, it considers in detail how Japanese trading companies acquired the knowledge and know-how of locomotive trading to carry out their business transactions through a case study of Okura & Co.'s New York branch office. The analysis highlights the following three factors that supported Okura's locomotive trade in New York: first, the company took advantage of business opportunities by collecting information through networks of Japanese contacts in New York and local experts; second, it utilised social and technological infrastructure, including international communication lines, transportation, and financial systems, as key fundamentals of its overseas activities; third, a former oyatoi (hired foreigner) played a critical role as its consulting engineer. In particular, the overseas activities of Japanese trading companies drew heavily on formerly hired foreign engineers, whose technological knowledge and networks became an essential route of knowledge transfer in cross-regional commercial management. These will contribute to the evolution of history related to the starting points of global activities of Japanese trading companies.

Mellan tradition och reform: Pedagogiska examensuppsatsämnen vid två svenska folkskoleseminarier 1915–1937

Between tradition and reform: Pedagogical essay topics at two Swedish teacher training seminars, 1915–1937. During the beginning of the twentieth century, a series of school reforms was carried out in Sweden. One concerned the education of elementary school teachers. In this article, we examine which knowledge and teaching ideals that was posed by some of those who had the task of putting this reform into practice. At the center are the nearly five hundred essay topics that were offered at the teacher training seminars in Lund (only male apprentices) and Falun (only female apprentices) 1914–1937. The results advocate that two rather different local cultures of knowledge were developed at the two seminars. While the essay topics that were offered in Lund mostly seems to promote a more traditional reproductive view on teaching, the ones proposed in Falun rather appears to encourage a much more reformistic understanding of schooling. Hence it is suggested that the latter might be understood as an aspiration to establish a more autonomous and independent women teacher identity.

Modern problems of state legal regulation of migration in Kyrgyzstan

Relevance. Today, a reasonable approach to solving problems related to migration processes, which largely determine the socio-economic and political landscape of the country, is an important task on the way to successful state development, which is especially relevant for Kyrgyzstan.Purpose. The aim is to identify the elements related to the peculiarities of legislative regulation of migration processes in Kyrgyzstan by analysing various factors of state policy in the sphere.Methodology. The main methods of research were statistical, using which the indicators of migration process in the Republic were determined, and historical, using which the stages of formation of the legal framework in the sphere of employment of citizens abroad were named.Results. In the course of studying the dynamics of migration policy in Central Asian countries, the issues of legal regulation and the formation of a legislative framework for the protection, information, and service support of labour migrants were the main topics of discussion on the agenda at different levels of government. The most difficult situation was observed in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, where the able-bodied population is actively moving within the region and around the world in order to find work and secure a safer life. Analysing migration trends in the context of searching for certain regularities, the following features can be traced: if in the early 1990s people with higher education left Kyrgyzstan en masse, by the end of the 1990s � low-skilled workers, then in the beginning of the XXI century, there is an increase in migration processes among scientists, teachers, and representatives of other academic specialities.Conclusions. The results and conclusions of the work can be used as a practical basis for future scientific research on this topic, as well as for the development of strategies to regulate migration policy.

Studies of Raspy Crickets: The Status of the Wingless American gryllacridines (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae).

In this contribution based on the American wingless gryllacridines, the two genera described for the New World Camptonotus and Neoeremus are defined and differentiated, resulting in three additional genera: Neortus stat. resurr., Fiancogryllacris n. gen. and Camposgryllacris n. gen. The species of these genera were described at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, and in most taxa, there are no records since their description, so the iNaturalist platform provided additional distributional data for some species. Taxonomic keys are provided for the identification of the genera and species studied. Finally, the evolutionary interpretation of the appearance and disappearance of wings in leaf-rolling crickets are discussed.

From “Decisive Hostility” to “Cordial Agreement”: “The Times” on the Evolution of Britain’s Image in Russian Press at the Beginning of the 20th Century

The article deals with the reflection of the image of Britain in the analytical reviews of “The Times” newspaper on the pages of the Russian periodical press at the beginning of the 20th century.
 The study covers the period from the turn of the 19th–20th centuries until 1907, when the relations between Russia and Britain transitioned from extreme tension and rivalry in different regions of the world to an alliance within the Triple Entente. At this time, the press became truly massive and exerted a stronger influence than ever on the development of international relations. One of the leading English newspapers, “The Times”, took a largely pro-government stance and reflected the official position on foreign policy issues. It regularly reviewed the publications in the Russian press concerning Anglo-Russian relationship or British politics in general.
 As a result of the analysis of “The Times” reviews, it is possible to show the significance of the British political image, the dynamics of public opinion in the Russian Empire regarding a possible confrontation or Anglo-Russian rapprochement. The Russian press formed among readers a certain perception of Britain in the context of the Anglo-Boer War, the events in the Far East, the process of resolving contradictions, and the conclusion of the 1907 agreement, while the English press reflected on this image. The transformation of rhetoric in the press happened as rapidly as the changes in relations between the two powers.

ФОРМУВАННЯ СИСТЕМИ КОНСУЛЬТАЦІЙНОГО СУПРОВОДУ ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ СІЛЬСЬКОГОСПОДАРСЬКИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ — СОЦІОЛОГІЯ ПРОБЛЕМИ

Innovation is one of the most important forms of expanding the economic system's capabilities and competitiveness in a modern, dynamic world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the theory of innovation has been developing, changing, and improving significantly and many scientific papers have been created on the topic of types of innovation. However, even today, scientists are confused in basic concepts, replacing one with another and taking one for the other without proper and in-depth terminology understanding. Although from innovation direction point of view, there is a clear distinction between types, some uncertainty in the levels (degrees) of innovations is present. For many years there have been many differences in the scientific literature, which significantly influenced both the in-depth understanding of the innovation concept and the quality of approaches to assessing the levels of innovation. The purpose of this paper is to in-depth review the literature on innovation types to identify approaches that emphasize the degree of innovation. We considered the different conclusions of the researchers step by step and argue that there is the problem of identifying one or another innovation in terms of its degree and find the disagreements in the scientific literature in basic concepts to understand high degree innovation. The most complete and extended definitions of incremental, semi-radical, radical, disruptive, and breakthrough innovation were proposed as well as Degree of Innovation matrix was created to clearly demonstrate the existing distinctive features of each individual degree of innovation. This paper contributes to the theoretical analysis of the impact of innovative knowledge, as well as broadens previously published scientific literature, analyzing its impact on understanding the types and degrees of innovation, as well as the relationships, characteristics and key differences between them. The results of the research is the conceptual basis supported by the scientific literature for the modern understanding of terminology in the field of innovation activities.

Trend analysis of MODIS NDVI time series and its relationship to temperature and precipitation in Northeastern of Iran.

Vegetation plays a crucial role in providing organic matter and regulating energy exchange on the Earth's surface. This study investigates the changes in vegetation cover, temperature, and precipitation in northeastern Iran during 2001-2020. MODIS-NDVI time series data and climatic data from 11 synoptic stations were utilized. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall method was employed to detect trends in vegetation cover and climatic variables. Additionally, the correlation between climatic parameters and vegetation was examined. Trend analysis revealed significant increases/decreases in vegetation cover in 32%/26% of the region, respectively. The increasing trend in vegetation cover was predominantly observed in highlands, suggesting that a warmer climate has enhanced the living conditions for plants in these regions. The vegetation trend map indicates an expansion of vegetation cover in the northern and central parts of Iran during the past 20years, whereas the southern and eastern portions experienced declines. The relationship between vegetation and elevation revealed that vegetation increased above 1,850m and decreased below 850m. Trend analysis showed no significant trend in precipitation data since the beginning of the twenty-first century, but an increasing trend in temperature was observed in 82% of the region's area, excluding the western strip. Correlation coefficients between temperature, precipitation, and vegetation indicated that declining temperatures are the limiting factors for vegetation in the highlands, while in lowland areas, the decrease in precipitation significantly diminishes vegetation growth.

Tackling early medieval circulation of glazed ware in Sharq al-Andalus using a multidisciplinary approach: El Tolmo de Minateda (Spain)

This paper offers an analysis of a group of glazed ceramics that comes from El Tolmo de Minateda site and have been dated in the second half of the ninth century and beginning of the tenth century, before the proclamation of the Umayyad Caliphate by Abderraman III (929 CE). Three technological groups have been distinguished: transparent glazes of one or two colours, transparent polychrome glazes (represented by two pieces) and opaque polychrome glazes (represented by two ceramics) studied by SEM-EDS analysis. After the study, different al-Andalus glaze workshops have been identified as providers of glazed ware to El Tolmo de Minateda site. The initial hypothesis was that the ware consumed in El Tolmo was manufactured in Pechina, the closest early production centre. However, after the archaeometric analysis, it has been discarded, and all the indications of this study seem to point to Córdoba as a significant supplier. The data of this study provides a new perspective on how the internal regional distribution and marketing of goods took place in Al-Andalus during the late Emiral period (c. 875–929 CE), a subject that has yet to be explored.

Taxonomic notes on the genus Afghanicenus Heyrovsk, 1941 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), with the first record of Afghanicenus nuristanicus (Heyrovsk, 1936) from Pakistan.

Afghanicenus nuristanicus (Heyrovsk, 1936) is hereby newly recorded from Pakistan based on a specimen collected at the beginning of the 20th century and preserved in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. High quality colour images of the type material (a male syntype of Purpuricenus nuristanicus and a female syntype of P. nuristanicus f. bisignata) are presented for the first time. Some literature information on the genus Afghanicenus Heyrovsk, 1941 is summarised, and taxonomic problems are highlighted and further discussed.

AZERBAIJANI REALITIES MANIFESTED IN “ONE THOUSAND AND A QUARTER OF AN HOUR. TATAR TALES”

At the beginning of the 18th century a new literary trend with an Eastern orientation was emerging in Europe, especially in French literature. This innovation began when Antoine Gallen first translated “One Thousand and one nights” into French in 1704, and Western readers showed great interest in that ancient Arabic monument. As orientalists and translators of the time saw that Arab tales that caused a stir in Europe were loved and gained with fame, they turned to Eastern sources and tried to create new translated works in this style. Over time, the readers, who were impressed by the tales about the mysterious Eastern environment, eagerly waited for the continuation of the topic, and deeply sympathized with the new works created in the example of “One Thousand and one nights”. As a result of contemporary studies, it has become clear that the mentioned examples are not independent works, but imitations of translations. One of the translation imitations created within the framework of that period, when such a literary trend flourished, is “One Thousand and a quarter of an hours. Tatar tales”. This article entitled “One Thousand and a quarter of an hours. Tatar tales” illuminates a number of important points related to the history, geography, culture and literature of Azerbaijan.

Unveiling the Reaction Mechanisms of the Synthesis and the Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine.

Given its wide variety of applications in the pharmaceutical industry, the synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines has been extensively studied since the beginning of the last century. Here, we disclose the mechanism for the synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines by means of the Ortoleva-King reaction. We also reveal the reaction pathway leading to the formation of a iodinated byproduct, demonstrating the challenge of preventing the formation of such a byproduct because of the low energy barrier to access it. Moreover, quantum chemistry tools were employed to investigate the mechanism of intramolecular proton transfer in the excited state, and connections with aromaticity were explored.

On the Question of the Everyday Life of the Nobility at the end of the 17th – beginning of the 18th centuries

On the Question of the Everyday Life of the Nobility at the end of the 17th – beginning of the 18th centuries

From the History of the Popularization of “Nomadic” Theater in Central Asia through the Kazakh Periodical Press at the beginning of the XX century

From the History of the Popularization of “Nomadic” Theater in Central Asia through the Kazakh Periodical Press at the beginning of the XX century

Suffrage and Its Implementation by Kazakh Deputies of the State Duma of Russia at the beginning of the XXth century. Alikhan Bukeikhanov and Shaimerden Kosshygulov

Suffrage and Its Implementation by Kazakh Deputies of the State Duma of Russia at the beginning of the XXth century. Alikhan Bukeikhanov and Shaimerden Kosshygulov

Methods of interaction of Russian conservatives with society and government. The question of the status of the Grand Duchy of Finland at the beginning of the XX century

The subject of the study is the change in the methods of interaction of the Russian conservative trend with society and government structures within the framework of the anti-Finnish discourse in the early twentieth century. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the return of the "Finnish question" to Russian journalism after the assassination of Alexander II by the People's Deputies and a sharp change in the internal political course of the government; the influence of right-wing monarchical organizations (especially the "Russian Assembly") on the spread of anti-Finnish sentiments in Russian society and senior government circles; the actualization of the "Finnish question" in the context of the actions of the tsarist government by incorporation of the outskirts. Special attention is paid to the transition of anti-Finlandic sentiments from the plane of public controversy on the pages of Russian magazines into the practical activities of Russian officials to limit the autonomous rights of the Grand Duchy of Finland. The main content of the research methodology is the study from the point of view of objectivity and historicism of materials giving an idea that the strengthening of anti-Finlandic sentiments among representatives of the right-wing radical spectrum of the Russian social movement, which was caused by revolutionary shifts in the life of Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. The main conclusions of the study are: 1) disagreements over the status of the Grand Duchy of Finland became part of the ideological and practical confrontation between different social groups in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century; 2) the vector of Russian policy regarding the autonomous rights of Finland is changing, and this problem is again becoming part of the information agenda, mainly in conservative publications. The author's special contribution to the research of the topic is to identify the reasons for the change in the nature of the discussion of the status of Finland in the context of serious changes in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century. The novelty of the research lies in the analysis of the events of a crucial historical stage, when the activation of the revolutionary and national liberation movement caused a tendency to strengthen pro-monarchist groups seeking to counter the destructive anti-state challenges in the national issue of the idea of preserving the state.

About Some Properties of Structural Steel Used in the Construction of a Railway Bridge Over the Amur River in the Early XX Century

The main stages of construction in 1913–1916 of the railroad bridge across the Amur River near Khabarovsk are presented. The peculiarities of the construction of the structure in the difficult foreign policy conditions of the beginning of the last century, which caused a reduction in the pace of construction, are noted. The most honored organizers, designers and builders of the Amur Bridge are mentioned. Construction materials and places of their extraction, as well as suppliers of structural steel used in the construction of a unique transportation structure are specified. The methods of construction and assembly of the main load-bearing elements of the bridge structure are considered. Special attention is paid to the study of chemical composition, micro- and macrostructure, hardness of structural steels used in the manufacture of bridge spans. Conclusions about the conformity of the chemical composition of the investigated materials to the alloys specified in the current normative documentation, as well as the method of their smelting are formed. Modern metal materials used in the reconstruction of the bridge crossing at the beginning of the XXI century are given for comparison. The functionality of the bridge after reconstruction is reflected and the potential of its further development is given. A promising method of increasing the complex of characteristics of metal products by processing billets in solid-liquid state, which allows to reduce the metal consumption of structures, is considered.

Московская компания и английские экспедиции в Северную Америку в последней четверти XVI века

The introduction of the article includes the justification of the necessity to determine the role of the English Muscovy Company in the study of the geography of North America in the last quarter of the 16th century. The monopoly of the Muscovy Company and the significance of this commercial firm in the discovery of the northeast coast and Arctic waters of North America have not yet been studied. Documents (charters, reports, letters, petitions, and treatises) directly related to the organization of English voyages to the American Arctic waters, as well as diplomatic documents, are used as materials. Analysis. The reasons and circumstances of the Muscovy Company’s monopoly on the search for the North-West Passage in North America are studied. The company’s contribution to the organization of the expeditions of Martin Frobisher in 1576 and John Davis in 1585– 1587 is determined. The attempts of the Cathay Company and Humphrey Gilbert at the turn of the 1570s–1580s to deprive “Muscovite” merchants of this privilege are analyzed. It is proven that even at the beginning of the 17th century, the Moscow Company retained a monopoly on the exploration of the Arctic seas. Results. With its monopoly on the search for the North-West Passage and its organizational and financial support, the Muscovy Company made an important contribution to the exploration of the north-eastern coast of North America in the last quarter of the 16th century. English navigators had the opportunity to explore Arctic waters, step by step shaping the modern geographical shape of North America on maps.

THE FORMATION OF THE IDEOLOGY OF NATIONALISM PROPOSED BY SUN YAT-SEN

Political principles in China, formed under traditional Chinese ideology, were in some ways opposed to the teachings of Confucianism. Sun Yat-sen, the father of the Chinese state, mainly sought to create a strong liberal political state within society, based on the formation of China’s historical political culture, which is called “the reverse direction of totalitarianism”, and is considered to have unique national values compared to other countries. China's cultural and political ideologies are based on the idea of loyalty to historical heritage and traditions, and it is necessary to promote nationalism and identity by preserving ideological and humanitarian principles from the influence of globalization. At the beginning of the 20th century, the influence of the Western modernization model of development entered, and from the end of the 20th century, the national path of development was revived and the system of national ideological values became popular. The Chinese have never claimed economic, political or intellectual equality. An individual's upward or downward mobility economically, politically, or academically was believed to be slowed or accelerated by the influence of his family. However, hard work and mobility were constantly noticeable.

Unveiling Polychrome Printing Methods on Textiles: Preliminary Results from the Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo Collection in Venice

At the beginning of the 20th century, the eclectic artist Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo patented two innovative methods for polychrome printing on fabrics and textiles, giving life to Fortuny fabric production in Venice. The first patent was related to colour application, while the second to a special machine that allows continuous printing using cylindrical rollers. Despite the descriptions, the methodology and materials used remain a secret. In collaboration with the Fortuny Museum in Venice, this research aimed at studying and identifying the different steps of Fortuny printing methodologies. Printing matrices, fabrics and raw materials found in the artist’s studio were analysed in a multi-analytical campaign through digital microscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), μ-Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Three main pigments were identified in paper samples: ivory black, a copper-based pigment, and a carbon black pigment with ultramarine for blues. The pigments were bound with linseed oil and colophony in varying proportions. Polychrome silk fabrics were dyed with a base colour, and then the coloured patterns were superimposed by continuous printing. Prussian blue was identified as one of the textile inks. Results provided a better understanding of printing methodology.

Between Craft and Industry: Archaeological research on Rhenish pottery production of the late 18th to early 20th century

The process of industrialisation and its effects on traditional crafts can be studied archaeologically particularly well in the area of pottery production, as extensive production remains in the form of misfired pottery can be excavated in addition to workshops and kilns, and provide a good insight into the range of forms and decorations produced at the location. Archaeological research thus provides an insight that archival documents and museum collections can only offer in exceptional cases, as company archives are seldom preserved and everyday tablewares rarely become part of museum collections. Using two case studies from Frechen and Bedburg-Königshoven, this article shows how craftspeople retained their traditional vessel forms and tried to adapt to the changing tastes of consumers and compete with industrially produced ceramics. Excavations in Bonn-Poppelsdorf provide an insight into the emergence and development of a ceramic factory, which developed from a small faience pottery in the mid-18th century to an internationally operating company by the beginning of the 20th century, producing industrial whitewares and porcelain. The fourth example concerns a small factory in Bonn-Duisdorf, founded in 1908 as the Kunsttöpferei Gerhards & Wittelsberger and later renamed as the Lapitesta Werk Duisdorf. Here, research can be based not only on finds from archaeological excavation but also on objects in the Bonn City Museum and extensive archival sources dealing with the first 10 years of production.