Contemporary Opportunities Research Articles

Entrepreneurial Influencers: Harnessing History to Guide Contemporary Opportunities

This research utilizes management and entrepreneurial philosophies from Robert S. Abbott to highlight the life and accomplishments of an early influencer and the principles that contributed to his entrepreneurial success. In addition to exploring the influence of an early figure, the study employs essential pedagogy to develop an initial model that formulates a value proposition rationale for contemporary social media influencers who seek to leverage their influence for entrepreneurial gain.

Contentious emancipation. Processual frames on national self‐determination in Catalonia

AbstractThis paper looks into the frames of the Catalan quest for national self‐determination during the second decade of the XXI century. Specifically, it analyzes how pro‐independence actors frame the intermediate steps to move forward towards national sovereignty within a process that becomes contentious. In this regard, the Catalan pro‐independence movement is a good contemporary opportunity for analysis. From a combined view on nationalism, this paper deductively introduces two collective action frames: institutionalization and mobilization. Institutionalization frames are depicted as the agency‐oriented and material steps needed to advance towards a political goal. Mobilization frames, on the other hand, are focused on the contentious episodes of a process. This paper concludes that while the two frames are present in the Catalan case, mobilization frames stand out for its relevance.

Selected Aspects of Sustainable Construction—Contemporary Opportunities for the Use of Timber in High and High-Rise Buildings

Due to the favourable pro-environmental properties of timber, including the origin of the raw material from renewable sources, ease of reuse, negative carbon footprint, low specific weight, possibility of prefabrication, etc., there is increasing interest in the use of timber in construction. This paper takes a closer look at the new uses of timber as a load-bearing structure for high and high-rise buildings. Cases described in the literature concerning this type of building with residential and public functions erected worldwide were analysed. The first buildings of this type were put into use in 2009. The aim of this paper is to show new possibilities and to extend the use of timber as a load-bearing structure of high and high-rise buildings previously made of reinforced concrete or steel. The scope of the analysis includes two postulates of sustainable construction, directly related to the above-mentioned goals: limiting interference in the natural areas of cities through efficient use of building plots for high or high-rise buildings and the use of renewable materials—timber—for the load-bearing structure of buildings. A research method based on a case study was used. Conclusions were made on the pro-environmental spatial–functional and material–structural design of these high and high-rise buildings.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in Fe-doped SnSe bulk single crystalline semiconductor

The quest for pragmatic room-temperature (RT) magnetic semiconductors (MSs) with a suitable bandgap constitutes one of the contemporary opportunities to be exploited. This may provide a materials platform for to bring new-generation ideal information device technologies into real-world applications where the otherwise conventionally separately utilized charge and spin are simultaneously exploited. Here we present RT ferromagnetism in an Fe-doped SnSe (Fe:SnSe) van der Waals (vdW) single crystalline ferromagnetic semiconductor (FMS) with a semiconducting bandgap of ∼1.19 eV (comparable to those of Si and GaAs). The synthesized Fe:SnSe single crystals feature a dilute Fe content of <1.0 at%, a Curie temperature of ∼310 K, a layered vdW structure nearly identical to that of pristine SnSe, and the absence of in-gap defect states. The Fe:SnSe vdW diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) single crystals are grown using a simple temperature-gradient melt-growth process, in which the magnetic Fe atom doping is realized uniquely using FeI2 as the dopant precursor whose melting point is low with respect to crystal growth, and which in principle possesses industrially unlimited scalability. Our work adds a new member in the family of long-searching RT magnetic semiconductors, and may establish a generalized strategy for large-volume production of related DMSs.

Everything flows... On the role of knowledge sources and the significance of comparative research in the modern world

Contemporary changes in the socio-cultural reality, associated with the revolution in the field of information and the development of new technologies, provide a context for reflection on the problem of the sources of knowledge. The wide access to resources of various data, information and knowledge, related nowadays, in particular, to questions about the manners and limits of using artificial intelligence (AI) at the borderlines of science and education, provokes reflection on the role of contemporary science and its representatives. The reflections are undertaken from the perspective of comparative education, which is treated as a scientific discipline that studies different materials (sources) and constitutes also a field (source) of knowledge. The text presents three aspects of reflection: the origins and development of pedagogical comparativism; its contemporary opportunities and challenges; and the role of the researcher embedded in a vision of the future. Comparative education is presented as the discipline which, through actions and works of comparativists, establishes the value of progress and continuity as inherent developmental forces in culture.

Utopia by design. Contemporary opportunities for a timeless ideal

Utopia by design. Contemporary opportunities for a timeless ideal

Slava Ukraini: Exploring Identity Activism in Support of Ukraine via the Ukraine Flag Emoji on Twitter

Identity Activism is a new phenomenon afforded by the massive popularity of social media. It consists of the prominent display of a social movement symbol within a space reserved for description of the self. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine provides a contemporary (yet unfortunate) opportunity to observe this phenomenon. Here, we introduce and explore this concept in the context of the recent Twitter trend of displaying the Ukraine flag emoji in bios and names to signal support of Ukraine. We explore several questions, including: how has the popularity of this trend changed over time, are users who display the flag more likely to be connected to others who do, and what types of users are and are not participating. We find that Ukraine flag emoji prevalence in both names and bios increased many-fold in late February 2022, with it becoming the 11th most prevalent emoji in bios and the 3rd most prevalent emoji in names during March. We also find evidence that users who display the flag in their bio or name are more likely to follow and be followed by others who also do so, as compared to users who do not. Finally, we observe that users who share politically left-leaning messages were most likely to display the emoji. Those who share account information from alternative social media sites and non-personal accounts appear least likely. These findings give us insight into how users participate in Identity Activism, what connections exist between participating users, and, in this particular case, what types of users participate.

Iklan Aesthetics in Niger: Identity and Adornment from Servility to Self-agency

<i>Iklan</i> Aesthetics in Niger: Identity and Adornment from Servility to Self-agency

Teaching Medieval Literature and Culture in Contemporary Universities Challenges and Opportunities from Past to Present. Exemplary Case Studies of the Roman de Silence and Mauritius von Craûn

In face of an ever-changing academic framework, all scholars working with pre-modern literature, art history, philosophy, are currently deeply challenged to explain and justify their fields of investigation. More and more foreign and language departments in the United States decide to cut out the Middle Ages and the early modern period as irrelevant to their teaching and research portfolio. Nevertheless, medieval research continues strongly, as the wealth of relevant publications indicates, coupled with energetic conferences, symposia, and other activities. But there are hardly any academic job opportunities, which make it harder and harder to convince graduate students to pursue a degree in medieval literature, for instance. The present study does not promise to offer a panacea against this general malaise, but will indicate, through the close reading of two literary examples, the enormous potentialities of this primary material to attract students and to provide meaningful, relevant, and perhaps even transformative seminars on the undergraduate and graduate level.

Enhanced feedback interventions to promote evidence-based blood transfusion guidance and reduce unnecessary use of blood components: the AFFINITIE research programme including two cluster factorial RCTs

Enhanced feedback interventions to promote evidence-based blood transfusion guidance and reduce unnecessary use of blood components: the AFFINITIE research programme including two cluster factorial RCTs

From Chiapas to Palestine: Historicizing Social Movement Media Before and Beyond the Arab Uprisings

Critical scholarship investigating media and the Arab uprisings has called for “a return to history.” This article argues that researching the contemporary constraints and opportunities of social movement media in the Arab region requires historicizing such practices. Reflecting on the role of media activism within the Arab uprisings necessitates broadening the historical context of social movement media in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by investigating the diversity of media tactics and alternative political economies mobilized to resist the military-industrial communications complex. This article develops a political economy framework to historicize social movement media practices from Chiapas to Palestine and provides a critical reflection on the use of media for revolution before and beyond the Arab uprisings. Learning from the long and global history of revolutionary media struggle is beneficial to media activists and researchers working in the MENA region.

Evaluation of Contemporary Opportunities in Theological Studies: The Example of al-Mektebetü’ş-şamile

The literature on Islamic sciences is expanding every year due to both current issues and the re-examination of previous works from different perspectives. For this reason, Miftah" and Etraf type works, which have been written from past to present in order to obtain information quickly and systematically, have gained a different dimension today. In our age, reaching information in the fastest way is a bigger problematic area than reaching information. In this context, although there were different examples before it, al-Maktaba al-Shamela, which is the most comprehensive online study at the moment, was released for the first time with approximately one thousand books in twenty-five topics. In each subsequent year, it has become more comprehensive by improving itself and its database. In this paper, the use of this program, which has reached a very useful level at the moment, the possibilities and conveniences it offers and the problems that can be encountered if it is not used correctly will be discussed. First, the installation of the program and the introduction of shortcuts will be made; Subsequently, each chapter’s own sub-headings will be discussed. Especially; Special search methods, search saving options, creating special folders, chronological lists of works and authors, and importing and exporting works will be introduced. In addition, intellectual problems arising from the minds of producers who are likely to be present in such programs and reflected in the selection of books, software problems related to the program itself, problems with writing during the transfer of works to the program, and most importantly, academic problems that such applications detach one from the holistic view of the works and push them to a fragmentary approach will be discussed. Because learning the program superficially can lead to both obtaining wrong results and misinterpreting the results obtained. Therefore, the aim of such a study is to prevent the problematic issues in question and to channel the researchers to the right methodological elements in this way. The importance of research is that it offers clues to do this in the fastest and most effective way, without forgetting the fact that the main thing is to access the right information. As a result; In scientific studies, all kinds of systems and applications that will facilitate the search are becoming increasingly necessary. al-Maktaba al-Shamela program is an extremely important and valuable work that cannot be ignored when used correctly.

The epidemiology of gynaecologic health: contemporary opportunities and challenges

The field of reproductive epidemiology has primarily focused on reproductive outcomes and gynaecologic cancers. The study of non-cancerous, gynaecologic conditions (eg, uterine fibroids, endometriosis) has not received serious treatment in...

Acute mastoiditis in children: contemporary opportunities and challenges.

Mastoiditis is the most common intra-temporal complication of acute otitis media. Despite potentially lethal sequelae, optimal management remains poorly defined. A retrospective case review was conducted of children diagnosed with mastoiditis at a tertiary referral centre, in North East England, between 2010 and 2017. Fifty-one cases were identified, 49 without cholesteatoma. Median patient age was 42 months (2 months to 18 years) and median hospital stay was 4 days (range, 0-27 days). There was no incidence trend over time. Imaging was conducted in 15 out of 49 cases. Surgery was performed in 29 out of 49 cases, most commonly mastoidectomy with (9 out of 29) or without (9 out of 29) grommets. Complications included sigmoid sinus thrombosis (3 out of 49) and extradural abscess (2 out of 51), amongst others; no fatalities occurred. A detailed contemporary description of paediatric mastoiditis presentation and management is presented. The findings broadly mirror those published by other UK centres, but suggest a higher rate of identified disease complications and surgical interventions.

Signing on the dotted line: the lived experience of book contracts in contemporary Australian small-press publishing

ABSTRACT The publishing contract is the central legal feature of any publishing professional's life, whether creator, literary agent, or publisher. And with small press becoming an ever more important part of the Australian publishing scene, the contracts landscape has diversified and become more complex. There's a wealth of information on what you should and shouldn't do, and what the perfect contract looks like. But what's it like in reality, beyond the clause and sub-clause? For though it's an important legal document, the contract also represents an intense lived experience for all those who are a party to it, especially in the small-press sector. This article, based on interviews with a range of creators (authors and illustrators), literary agents, small-press publishers and industry body representatives, presents an illuminating snapshot of the contemporary contract experience in the Australian small-press sector. Not intended as a formal analysis of the contracts landscape but rather as an intimate insight into the individual lived experience of contemporary Australian contracts, whether that be for creators or publishers, the article addresses questions covering the contemporary challenges and opportunities of ‘signing on the dotted line’.

Ukraine–China strategic partnership: current situation, problems and prospects

Purpose. The paper examines the peculiarities of the contemporary state and opportunities of further development of strategic partnership between Ukraine and China. The purpose of the paper is to study the state of implementation of the "Belt and Road Initiative" within the strategic partnership between Ukraine and China, as well as to identify threats and prospects for this form of cooperation for economic development of Ukraine. Scientific novelty. The paper analyzes the scientific achievements of domestic and foreign researchers on the possibilities of Ukraine's inclusion in the "Belt and Road Initiative", it has been analyzed the current state of strategic partnership between Ukraine and China in the aspect of the project implementation, analyzed the dynamics of bilateral trade between Ukraine and China over the past 10 years, and disclosed the commodity structure of foreign trade between the countries. Investment flows between China and Ukraine have been analyzed, implemented, projected and not implemented projects of Ukraine, which were financed by Chinese investments have been considered. SWOT analysis of straegic cooperation between Ukraine and China in terms of the "Belt and Road Initiative" was carried out and a set of recommendations for the strategic partnership development between Ukraine and China was proposed in the paper. Results. The dynamics of trade in services between Ukraine and China during the studied period had the following changes: growth was observed from 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019, a positive balance for Ukraine was from 2009 to 2013. The structure of Ukrainian exports of services to China was dominated by: transport services 54.3%, business services 22.8%, repair and maintenance services, which do not belong to other categories 8.2%. The structure of imports of services from China was dominated by: services related to financial activities 57.7%, transport services 6.2%. Currently there is a significant imbalance in trade operations between Ukraine and the People's Republic of China. The largest share in the sectoral structure of Chinese direct investments in the share capital occupies the industry – 33.1%, in particular processing industry - 30.6%, extractive industry - 1.8%; professional and scientific-technical activities – 24.3%, as well as agriculture – 19.9% (Fig. 2). The SWOT-analysis conducted of opportunities, advantages, threats and advantages of strategic cooperation between Ukraine and China in terms of the "Belt and Road Initiative" proves the presence of a large number of possible directions for cooperation between the countries, but their successful implementation of these opportunities largely depends on the desire for cooperation between the governments of both countries. Practical significance. The results of this study can be used by the authorities at the state level to improve the conditions of strategic partnership between Ukraine and China, to attract foreign investment in the necessary sectors of the economy.

Nurse managers’ perceptions of barriers to the mentoring of early career nurses

ABSTRACTMentoring is a unique educative workplace relationship which holds the potential to support the skill, knowledge, social and emotional needs of both new and experienced staff members. As promotion of mentoring in the nursing workplace can improve workforce retention and cohesion, understanding of nurse managers’ perceptions of the barriers to the mentoring of early career researchers in hospitals can offer insights that enhance the efficacy of mentoring in these dynamic contexts. In-depth interviews with 20 nurse managers were conducted to identify these barriers, with interpersonal conflict, competing priorities for time and financial resources, and lack of training emerging as recurring themes raised by participants. We explore how these barriers can be mitigated to strengthen the contemporary mentoring quality and opportunity in acute care hospitals.

Introduction to Future of Urban and Metropolitan Universities

On this occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU), we have invited past and present executive committee members to share their perspectives on the contemporary prospects, challenges, and opportunities for the members of this thriving organization.

Between ‘Freedom as Autonomy’ and ‘Freedom as Potentiality’

Abstract CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL POLICY PROMOTES THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES, INCLUDING PARTICIPATORY ART. HOWEVER, THIS EMPHASIS RENDERS CULTURAL POLICY SUBJECT TO THE ART COMMUNITY’S WIDESPREAD AND GENERALIZED SUSPICION THAT GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES INSTRUMENTALIZE ARTISTIC PRACTICES TO SERVE PURPOSES OTHER THAN THOSE PURSUED BY ARTISTS THEMSELVES. THIS ARTICLE ADDRESSES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARTICIPATORY ART, PARTICIPATORY CULTURE AND CULTURAL POLICY, FOCUSING IN PARTICULAR ON NOTIONS OF ARTISTIC AUTONOMY. SPECIFICALLY, THE ARTICLE USES ORGANIZATION THEORY’S DISCUSSION OF FREEDOM IN WORK TO FRAME ART THEORY’S SUSTAINED, ALBEIT DIFFERENTLY CONCEPTUALIZED, PREOCCUPATION WITH NOTIONS OF ARTISTIC AUTONOMY IN RESPECT TO THE BUREAUCRATIC ORGANIZATION OF LIFE IN MODERNITY. EMPIRICALLY, THE ARTICLE ANALYSES AN INSPIRATIONAL CATALOGUE THAT PROMOTES THE USE OF PARTICIPATORY ART AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN PUBLIC ART PROJECTS AS A WAY OF CHALLENGING THE ART COMMUNITY’S GENERALIZED SUSPICION, WHILE ALSO SUGGESTING THAT DANISH ARTS POLICY IS RENEGOTIATING THE ROLE OF ART IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CONTEMPORARY OPPORTUNITIES FOR SEIZING ARTISTIC FREEDOM. CONTEMPORARY PARTICIPATORY CULTURE, IT IS ARGUED, CONDITIONS AS WELL AS PROMOTES ARTISTIC PRACTICE, THUS GENERATING NEW ARTISTIC POSSIBILITIES, ALTHOUGH ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT ARTISTS ENGAGE IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE AFFECTING CULTURAL POLICY.

Peculiarities of mathematical modeling of combustion of hydrogen-air mixtures

Paper presents a comprehensive study of contemporary opportunities in the numerical analysis of transient combustion regimes on the example of the topical problem of hydrogen combustion. The elementary processes determining the development of combustion under different conditions are considered. In view of this analysis, it is concluded that the most appropriate for numerical modeling of classic deflagration inside confined space is the low-dissipation numerical schemes of low (second) order of approximation. For near-critical conditions where distinct mechanisms determine the combustion development one is able to utilize the simplifications such as low Mach number approximation.