Computational Research Methods Research Articles

VARIABILITY OF QUANTITATIVE PLANT CHARACTERS OF EGGPLANT COLLECTION SAMPLES

Purpose. To determine the peculiarities of the variability of the quantitative characteristics of the plant in collection samples of eggplant of different origin during different years of cultivation Methods. During 2021-2023, an eggplant collection consisting of 21 varieties and 10 F1 hybrids of various geographical origins was studied at the experimental base of the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of the National Academy of Sciences. Samples were evaluated by plant height, plant width, number of shoots per plant. Field, biometric, computational and analytical research methods were used. Results. It was found that the height and width of the plant had a tendency to decrease in 2023. The average height of the collection for this year by varieties was 97.4 cm, by hybrids – 98.7 cm. The width of the plant this year was 41.3 cm on average by varieties, by hybrids – 43.4 cm. The lowest plant height was noted variety Hangqi No.1 (81.0 cm on average over the years), the highest plant height is the variety Bambina. (120.7 cm). Among the hybrids, Piatachok F1 was the shortest, Gordita F1 was the tallest (121.7 cm). The smallest plant width among the varieties was the Xingyuun variety (35.3 cm on average over the years), among the hybrids – the Farama F1 hybrid (38.7 cm). The largest plant width is in the Thai Long Green variety (51.3 cm) and in the Gordita F1 and Briska F1 hybrids (49.3 cm). The smallest number of shoots was formed in plants of the Xingyuun variety (2.7 pcs. on average over the years) and the Galchonok F1 hybrid (3.3 pcs.). The variety Luisiana Long Green (6.9 pcs.) and the Purple Dragon F1 hybrid (8.1 pcs.) had the most shoots on the plant. Almost all studied varieties and hybrids were distinguished by weak and medium variability in three characteristics. Only the Zelenenky variety showed itself to be very variable in the number of shoots (CV = 21.16). Among the varieties, the variety Tai Long Green was distinguished by the least variability in height and width of plants, and Louisiana Long Green in the number of shoots on the plant. Among the hybrids, the lowest variability of plant height and width was observed in the Izumrudny F1 hybrid, and the number of shoots per plant in Bibo F1. Thai Long Green and Daejeon Purple varieties showed the least response to the change in growing conditions by plant height, Hangqi No. 1-2 variety by plant width, and Luisiana Long Green by the number of shoots per plant. The most stable among the hybrids were Izumrudny F1 in terms of plant height and width and Bibo F1 in terms of the number of shoots. Conclusions. Thus, breeding studies allowed to determine the levels of variability of quantitative traits of the eggplant plant and to identify valuable collection samples for use in breeding programs.

Numerical simulation in musculoskeletal biomechanics : Application perspectives and possibilities

Computational research methods, such as finite element analysis (FEA) and musculoskeletal multi-body simulation (MBS), are important in musculoskeletal biomechanics because they enable abetter understanding of the mechanics of the musculoskeletal system, as well as the development and evaluation of orthopaedic implants. These methods are used to analyze clinically relevant issues in various anatomical regions, such as the hip, knee, shoulder joints and spine. Preoperative simulation can improve surgical planning in orthopaedics and predict individual results. In this article, the methods of FE analysis and MBS are explained using two practical examples, and the activities of the "Numerical Simulation" cluster of the "Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Network (MSB-NET)" are presented in more detail. An outlook classifies numerical simulation in the age of artificial intelligence and draws attention to the relevance of simulation in the (re)approval of implants.

Оптимізація пробопідготовки для визначення 90SR У харчових продуктах

The aim: To determine the possibility of conducting studies of the radionuclide 90Sr in food products in accordance with GN 6.6.1.1-130-2006 «Permissible levels of radionuclides 137Cs and 90Sr in food products and drinking wate»" without concentration by the ashing method. Materials and methods: The article describes the method of calculating the minimum measuring concentration of food products. According to the results of the calculations, the products that can be measured without concentration are determined. Analytical, statistical and computational research methods were used during the work. At the stage of sample preparation for measurement, the question often arises in which form to measure the sample - native or ashed. The specific activities of food products in their native form are in many cases lower than the minimum measurable concentration (MMС) on the spectrometer. Therefore, in order to decide in what form to prepare the sample for research, before starting work, it is necessary to compare the capabilities of the spectrometer, the minimum measured concentration and the permissible level of 90Sr content in the research product. In order to solve the question of the need for ashing of the sample, calculations of MMC were carried out for each food product, as well as the weight of the raw product, necessary to obtain 0.01 kg of ash per measurement was calculated. Results: Tables are compiled based on the results of the calculations. One includes products whose activity can be measured without ashing, and the other includes products with ashing. The use of such tables makes it possible to optimize sample preparation for the study of 90Sr by the spectrometric method. Of the 50 groups of food products, 17 have been identified that can be studied in their native form, which saves time for sample preparation and increases the performance of the spectrometer.

The Challenges of Engaging African American Communities During a Public Health Crisis: The Role of Government Information, COVID-19 Discourse, and Emotional Content on Social Media

ABSTRACT During a public health crisis, social media platforms play a pivotal role in circulating information and influencing public reactions. This research investigates the dynamics of public engagement with COVID-19-related content and government information sources within African American online communities, a population that has experienced significant health risks and inequities. Using advanced computational research methods, we analyzed 199,542 posts from 1,152 communities created between January 2020 and December 2022. The present research focused on the presence of COVID-19-related content, government information sources, the emotions of anger and fear in these posts, and their associations with user engagement metrics. The results indicated that posts discussing COVID-19 and those incorporating government information sources tend to receive lower levels of engagement. On the other hand, posts with higher levels of anger generated more shares and comments. The findings suggest a “triple disadvantage” in user engagement for social media messages that reference government sources and discuss public health risks without delivering strong negative emotions. These patterns are crucial not only for understanding the challenges faced by the at-risk population but also for aiding researchers and practitioners in developing more effective communication strategies during public health crises.

Functioning of the internal control system in construction organizations based on the business processes regulation

Subject. This article deals with the issues of regulation of business processes of the internal control system in the organizations of the construction complex of Russia. Objectives. The article aims to formulate the main methodological approaches to the arrangement of the internal control system based on the regulation of business processes. Methods. For the study, we used statistical, case, computational and constructive research methods, as well as analytical and substantive procedures. Results. The article finds that business processes need regulation, which helps systematize actions that are interrelated, which also helps implement strategic, tactical and operational plans of an economic entity. The article identifies the main reasons that hinder the development of building companies, and presents the regulations of the business process Apartment Sale in the form of a clear sequence of actions, which made it possible to develop a methodology for internal control with the involvement of almost all structural divisions of an economic entity. Conclusions and Relevance. Regulation of business processes is an important tool for improving the effectiveness of the internal control system, it contributes to the establishment of clear procedures and rules, standardization, business transparency and the efficiency of the business entity. The results of the study can be used as methodological recommendations for the creation of an internal control system based on the regulation of business processes.

Abstract 7432: Improving FAIRness of computational approaches for cancer: The computational resources for cancer research portal

Abstract The Computational Resources for Cancer Research website is a public portal supported by NCI that democratizes access to available computational resources for the cancer research community. In supporting an emerging FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data science ecosystem inclusive of software, models and data, the goals of the portal are to serve cancer data scientists by increasing understanding, access, and adoption of computational resources for cancer research, and to foster new collaborative research projects. Initially populated with resources developed in NCI supported collaborations with the US Department of Energy, the portal is serving as a unified reference and resource for computational resources developed broadly by the cancer community. These collaborative projects include CANDLE (the Cancer Distributed Learning Environment), IMPROVE (Innovative Methods and data for PRedictive Oncology model Validation and Evaluation), ADMIRRAL (AI Driven Multi-scale Investigation of Ras-Raf Activation Lifecycle), MOSSAIC (Model Outcomes using Surveillance Data and Scalable AI for Cancer) and ATOM (Accelerating Therapeutics for Opportunities in Medicine). The resources include software, models, and datasets as well as descriptive use cases and references to tutorials associated with many of the described resources. The portal also integrates content from the Predictive Oncology Model and Data Clearinghouse (modac.cancer.gov) which can be accessed through REST APIs. Ongoing development of the portal is driven by community insights and contributions including input from an interdisciplinary advisory committee, working groups, early users, and preliminary feedback received at AACR 2023. The portal will also support community contributions of computational resources. In addition, the portal highlights computational approaches in emerging and challenging areas, such as digital twins for cancer. The portal will enable the cancer research community to learn about new computational research methods through use cases and educational material, access cancer related software, datasets, and AI models, engage with peers and cross-disciplinary researchers at different career levels through an interactive forum, explore emerging areas, such as computational imaging, community-based standards for data management, predictive radiation oncology, and digital twin technologies, learn about in industry and community events, conferences, and workshops, and create new collaborative research projects. The presentation will deliver insights into key resources offered through the Computational Resources for Cancer Research Portal, how the portal will help the cancer research community identify and adopt computational resources of interest, and how researchers can join and participate in this growing community. Citation Format: Eric Stahlberg, Lynn Borkon, Ruth Frost, Sara Jones, Amar Khalsa, Lauren Lewis, Emily Greenspan, Sunita Menon. Improving FAIRness of computational approaches for cancer: The computational resources for cancer research portal [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7432.

The Role of Municipalities in Communicating for Community Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Niagara Region’s Crisis Communication

Background: Municipal governments have played an important but underappreciated role in crisis communication for community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis: This study analyzes the Niagara Region municipal webpage communication from web archives over the first two years of the pandemic, employing computational research methods and close reading to understand the strengths and deficiencies of municipal COVID-19 communication. Conclusion and implications: This study finds that the communication of the upper-tier municipality Niagara Region addressed the needs of citizens; however, the communication of the lower-tier municipalities varied and showed deficiencies.

ТЕНДЕНЦИИ И ФАКТОРЫ УМЕНЬШЕНИЯ ЗЕМЕЛЬ СЕЛЬСКОХОЗЯЙ-СТВЕННОГО НАЗНАЧЕНИЯ В РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ И КРАС-НОДАРСКОМ КРАЕ

The article examines changes in the structure of land resources in the Russian Federation and the Krasnodar Territory over certain periods of time. The dynamics of the main categories of land are shown. The purpose of the study is to identify key trends and factors influencing changes in the structure of land resources by category using the example of the Russian Federation and the Krasnodar Territory. The reporting data from national and regional reports on the state and use of land in the Russian Federation and the Krasnodar Territory are analyzed. Statistical, monographic, computational and con-structive research methods were used. A conclusion is made about the decrease in agri-cultural land due to their transfer to other categories. An analysis of these changes has been carried out, the causes and possible consequences of the future development of ag-riculture and the state of food security of the country have been established. The study highlights the importance of rational use of agricultural land in agricultural production. A conclusion is made about the imperfection of legislation on the transfer of agricultural land to other categories, about the need to enhance the functionality of institutions and land management. Possible ways to change the existing trend are proposed.

Exploring DNA Damage and Repair Mechanisms: A Review with Computational Insights.

DNA damage is a critical factor contributing to genetic alterations, directly affecting human health, including developing diseases such as cancer and age-related disorders. DNA repair mechanisms play a pivotal role in safeguarding genetic integrity and preventing the onset of these ailments. Over the past decade, substantial progress and pivotal discoveries have been achieved in DNA damage and repair. This comprehensive review paper consolidates research efforts, focusing on DNA repair mechanisms, computational research methods, and associated databases. Our work is a valuable resource for scientists and researchers engaged in computational DNA research, offering the latest insights into DNA-related proteins, diseases, and cutting-edge methodologies. The review addresses key questions, including the major types of DNA damage, common DNA repair mechanisms, the availability of reliable databases for DNA damage and associated diseases, and the predominant computational research methods for enzymes involved in DNA damage and repair.

Are Users of Digital Archives Ready for the AI Era? Obstacles to the Application of Computational Research Methods and New Opportunities

Innovative technologies are improving the accessibility, preservation, and searchability of born-digital and digitised records. In particular, Artificial Intelligence is opening new opportunities for archivists and researchers. However, the experience of scholars (particularly humanities scholars) and other users remain understudied. This article asks how and why researchers and general users are, or are not, using computational methods. This research is informed by an open-call survey, completed by 22 individuals, and semi-structured interviews with 33 professionals, including archivists, librarians, digital humanists, literary scholars, historians, and computer scientists. Drawing on these results, this article offers an analysis of user experiences of computational research methods applied to digitised and born-digital archives. With a focus on humanities and social science researchers, this article also discusses users who resist this kind of research, perhaps because they lack the skills necessary to engage with these materials at scale, or because they prefer to use more traditional methods, such as close reading and historical analysis. Here, we explore the uses of computational and more “traditional” research methodologies applied to digital records. We also make a series of recommendations to elevate users’ computational skills but also to improve the digital infrastructure to make archives more accessible and usable.

Cleansing Frames: How Digital ‘Consumer Reports’ of Cannabis and Psychedelics Normalise Drug-Taking and Neutralise its Counter-Cultural Potential

Electronic drug markets enable calculative, impersonal trade between faceless strangers, but also intimate interaction between pseudonymous users. In this space, do people treat banned drugs as ordinary consumer products that can be purchased from anyone? Or do drug-takers frame their consumption as a counter-cultural activity? To answer these questions, I use qualitative and computational research methods to analyse 3788 electronically published consumer reports of cannabis and psychedelic drugs from the period 2011–2017. I find that report writers emphasise product quality, customer service and transaction value, and devote less attention to the social and political sides of drug-taking. Discussions about legality, morality and counter-cultural ideas are completely absent from the texts, even in psychedelic reports, which detail profound effects. These findings suggest that drug e-commerce is primarily a normalising force, and that widening access to banned drugs is unlikely to disseminate counter-cultural perspectives.

Towards a Large-Scale “Green Energy”: Multifunctional Protective Coatings for Nuclear Engineering Structural Materials

The main task of the research is to analyze the possibility of using tungsten protective coatings in fast nuclear power reactors cooled by a lead. The author uses computational and optimization research methods. A comprehensive analysis of the properties of tungsten, including the properties of thin tungsten coatings, has been carried out. The results obtained make it possible to consider tungsten coatings of structural materials as multifunctional protective coatings. They perform the functions of protecting against corrosion and erosion of structural materials in liquid lead. They increase the thermal conductivity of fuel claddings and contribute to a decrease in the maximum fuel temperature in the nominal and emergency operating modes of the reactor. The only disadvantage of tungsten when used in nuclear technology is associated with a high neutron absorption cross section. This disadvantage can be an advantage in minimizing the void reactivity effect. The necessary neutron balance is ensured by using a coolant based on lead thorium ores and innovative ceramic fuel with the addition of uranium metal nanopowder. The significance of research is determined by the possibility of the transition of nuclear energy to the status of “green” environmentally acceptable and safe energy in the near future.

Brand anthropomorphism on Twitter: communication strategies and consumer engagement

Purpose Anthropomorphized brands have been widely used as marketing communication tools to engage consumers on social media, especially on Twitter. Guided by the social exchange theory (SET) and the dialogic theory, this study aims to investigate how anthropomorphized brands leverage different communication strategies on Twitter and how these strategies are related to consumer engagement. Design/methodology/approach Supervised machine learning was used to identify the communication strategies (i.e. message types and dialogic principles) of 125,887 tweets from 21 brand characters. Some statistical analyses (e.g. frequency analysis, Chi-square analysis and Poisson regression analysis) were performed to explore the relationships between communication strategies and consumer engagement (i.e. retweets and replies). Findings The majority of anthropomorphized brands’ tweets belonged to the socioemotional category and the most adopted dialogic principles were generation of return visits and conservation of visitors. Consumers engaged more with socioemotional tweets as well as the tweets that adopted the principles of dialogic loop and conservation of visitors. There were clear relationships between message types and dialogic principles in anthropomorphized brands’ tweets, and certain dialogic principles were found to effectively improve consumer engagement with certain message types. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the communication strategies of anthropomorphized brand characters on Twitter using computational research methods. It not only provides brand managers a systematic review of how current anthropomorphized brands communicate with consumers on Twitter and what strategies work more effectively to trigger consumer engagement but also contributes to theory building in brand management by integrating the SET and the dialogic theory in brand anthropomorphism research.

Evaluation of Qualitative Data Analysis Software by a Visually Impaired Researcher: An Autoethnographic Study

Although computational methods facilitate research studies greatly, academics with visual impairment cannot utilize these tools to their maximum potential. Not only do computational research methods themselves have many shortcomings, but the needs and problems encountered by researchers with visual impairment in using these tools are not identified. In particular, the use of qualitative data analysis software (Q-DAS) by researchers with visual impairment has not been thoroughly examined. Thus, the current article addresses the benefits that visually impaired researchers can gain from employing commercial Q-DAS software packages in analyzing qualitative data. Further, Q-DAS problems that researchers with visual impairments experience are discussed. In addition, the article proposes solutions by which Q-DAS utilization in studies performed by/for the visual impairment community could improve. The article has many significant contributions, not only for scholars with visual impairment but also for elderly scientists whose vision declines over time. The article addresses this topic through critical disability studies.

Determination the influence of the rock mass density on the productivity of wheel loaders at the iron ore pit mining

Aim. To establish the dependence of the front loader performance on the bulk density of the rock mass at the mining of iron ore deposit. Research methodology. At the developing the methodology, analytical and computational research methods were used to determine the time of working off rock mass of different density by a front loader. Appropriate calculation methods are relevant for determining the required amount of technical equipment and are acceptable for modern mining. Research results. A method has been developed for establishing the duration of the working cycle and the productivity of a front-end loader when mining different types of rock mass at an iron ore pit mining. Efficient parameters of rock extraction have been established, depending on changes in rock density. In the course of the study, the relationship between the density of the rock mass and the coefficient of filling and the coefficient of loosening of the rock was established. The influence of these coefficients directly on the performance of front loaders is determined.The indicators of these coefficients depend on the physical and mechanical properties of soft and rocky rocks and can change the performance of front loaders up to 5 times. Scientific novelty. It has been established that the duration of the working cycle is based on the time of digging (depending on the specific gravity of the rock mass), the time of maneuvering and the time of unloading, which are determined by the technical characteristics of mining machines. The influence of the bulk density of the rock mass on the duration of the working cycle and the performance of the front loader is determined. The required number of front-end loaders of different capacities was calculated as excavation and loading equipment in the conditions of the iron ore deposit mining. Practical value. The developed method for calculating the performance of a front-end loader depending on the density of the rock mass makes it possible to determine the effective number of loaders in the conditions of mining iron ore pits, which is confirmed by the example of the Eristovsky MPP.

Lajos Kossuth and the Transnational News

The scale of newspaper digitization and emergence of computational research methods has opened new opportunities for scholarship on the history of the press–as well as a new set of problems. Those problems compound for research that spans national as well as linguistic contexts. This article offers a novel methodological approach for confronting these challenges by synthesizing computational with conventional methods and working across a collaborative multilingual team. We present a case study studying the transnational and multilingual news event of Hungarian revolutionary Lajos Kossuth’s journey to the United States in 1851–52. Our approach helps to demonstrate some of the characteristic patterns and complexities in transatlantic news circulation, including the pathways, reach, temporality, vagaries, and silences of this system. These patterns, in turn, offer some insights into how we understand the significance of this era for histories of the press.

Exploring the evolution of Chinese earthquake news from the constructive journalism perspective based on Chinese news of 35 significant earthquakes in China from 1966 to 2020

This paper intends to explore the concept and elements of constructive journalism in the Chinese context through the evolutionary principles and qualities of Chinese earthquake news to discover a future-proof path for constructive journalism. As the research sample, the study selects 35 earthquake news in China that were published between 1966 and 2020. Using the computational communication research paradigm and specific research methods like sentiment analysis, text mining, and econometric statistics, the study analyzes how these articles have changed over time. The research found that the Chinese earthquake news followed the abstract connotation and extension aspects of constructive journalism and had a "National Spirit" topic that differed from Western constructive journalism. From the nebulous "Socialist Spirit" and "Revolutionary Spirit" in the beginning to the symbolic "Anti-earthquake Spirit" and "Tangshan Spirit" in the middle period, and eventually to the distinctive "Disaster Association Community" and "National Community Awareness.” The emergence of the "National Spirit" topic has made it easier for news to switch between positive and negative moods, allowing for more objective and accurate reporting. This makes it possible for news to achieve its objective of promoting positive news and transforming positive feelings into positive action rationale.

Algorithmic Analysis of Political Tweets: A Systematic Literature Review

This study investigates the trends and challenges in information science with a special focus on political tweets. The past decade has witnessed a transformation in information mining, extraction and production using algorithms on social media platforms. The unique data structure of Twitter has gained scholarly attention for its intelligence to produce voluminous information which is convenient and rapid. But the efficiency of Twitter as a platform to obtain political knowledge remains a question. Various socio-technological research methods have emerged making Twitter an integrated topic of study for scholars from media studies, computer science and information science. The big data environment provides hashtags, @-mentions, and various digital affordances necessitating its study to be an integral part of social science research. Thus, the systematic literature review aims to examine tweeting patterns of political leaders to study variables such as ideology diffusion, polarization, political issues, digital campaigns etc. The study also examines computational research methods to retrieve Twitter data pertaining to political information. Academic investigation consists of approaches to automated data collection on Twitter, pre-processing techniques using R and Python, machine learning procedures and sentiment analysis used on Twitter data. The study showcases India’s stand in adopting the niche socio-technological methods in social science research.

ПУТИ СНИЖЕНИЯ ИЗНОСА ГРЕБНЕЙ КОЛЕСНЫХ ПАР В ТЕЛЕЖКАХ ГРУЗОВЫХ ВАГОНОВ

The study objective is to reduce the number of cases of current uncoupling repairs and operational costs associated with defects in wheel flanges of freight cars in conditions of increasing linear and axial loads and speeds. The paper is devoted to solving the problem of improving the interaction of the friction-mechanical system "wheel-rail" in curved sections of the track by reducing the anti-torque in the places of the supports of the car body on bogies. Computational and experimental research methods are used. The novelty of the work is that rational friction pairs in the unit of center plate – female center plate, friction and strength characteristics of composite polymer materials for installation in the support units of the car are experimentally determined; there are also calculated the moments of resistance forces to the bogie turning from the real values of the friction factors for different variants of supporting the car body, simulating the passage of transition and circular curves. As a result, the following is found: the lowest friction factor of 0.11 is shown by a pair of friction – metal-glass-filled polyamide 6, which reduces the moment of resistance to rotation when fully supported by a female center plate by 2.91 times, and when implemented on a side bearing, the total anti-torque also decreases by 2.91 times; the wearing of glass–filled polyamides by 2.5 two times lower than for other modifications, and hardness increases with an increase of glass fiber in the structure. This leads to making the following conclusions: a rational pair of friction in the unit of center plate – female center plate is metal - glass–filled polyamide 6; to reduce the wear of flanges in curved sections of the track, it is advisable to implement a simultaneous reduction in friction factor in the areas of female centre plate and side bearings for free rotation of the bogie in curves; Currently developed composite polymer materials, which simultaneously have high strength and anti-friction properties (polyamides modified with fiber glass, molybdenum disulfide, fullerene fillers), can have a positive effect on solving the problem of wear of wheel flanges.

An Integrated Experimental and Computational Platform to Explore Gas Hydrate Promotion, Inhibition, Rheology, and Mechanical Properties at McGill University: A Review

(1) Background: Gas hydrates are historically notable due to their prevalence and influence on operational difficulties in the oil and gas industry. Recently, new technologies involving the formation of gas hydrates to accomplish various applications have been proposed. This has created new motivation for the characterization of rheological and mechanical properties and the study of molecular phenomena in gas hydrates systems, particularly in the absence of oil and under pre-nucleation conditions. (2) Methodology: This work reviews advances in research on the promotion, inhibition, rheology, and mechanical properties of gas hydrates obtained through an integrated material synthesis-property characterization-multi-scale theoretical and computational platform at McGill University. (3) Discussion: This work highlights the findings from previous experimental work by our group and identifies some of their inherent physical limitations. The role of computational research methods in extending experimental results and observations in the context of mechanical properties of gas hydrates is presented. (4) Summary and Future perspective: Experimental limitations due to the length and time scales of physical phenomena associated with gas hydrates were identified, and future steps implementing the integrated experimental-computational platform to address the limitations presented here were outlined.