Critical Comments Research Articles

Constituent power and democracy ‘across generations’: A reply

The paper comprehensively responds to critical comments by F. Michelman, D. Rasmussen, J. van der Walt, S. Winter, P. Niesen, and B. Schupmann on Sovereignty Across Generations. Constituent Power and Political Liberalism. The themes debated include: whether Rawls’s dualist view of democracy, including his idea of legitimation by constitution, intimates or calls for a concretistic view of a subject of constituent power as creator of the constitutional order (Michelman); the relation of the normative to the historical in political liberalism and whether Plato’s allegory of the cave is helpful for elucidating the meaning of the ‘most reasonable for us’ (Rasmussen); Rawls’s stance vis-à-vis the unbridgeable divisiveness of pluralism, the virtuality of overlapping consensus, and the dissolution of constituent power into a panoply of constituent powers (Van der Walt); democratic sequential sovereignty contrasted with serial sovereignty, the sensibleness of distinguishing legal principles from the cognitive assumptions undergirding their application, the justification of sequential sovereignty, and the nexus of vertical reciprocity and freedom across generations (Winter); the implications of the gap between ‘the people’ and the population for constitutional legitimacy, and the distinct prospects for a Habermasian and a political liberal conception of constituent power to be applicable at a supranational level (Niesen); the cogency and effectiveness of ‘implicit unamendability’ for safeguarding constitutional essentials compared with entrenching them via eternity clauses, the extent to which measures of militant democracy are compatible with political liberalism (Schupmann).

Integral Representations of Solution in the Problem on Skew Incidence of a Surface Wave on the Straight Shoreline Water Wedge

In the linear approximation of the surface gravitational waves of small amplitude a classical model problem about the incursion of a surface wave under some angle on the shoreline is solved. The problem is formulated for the harmonic potential of velocity of the fluid in the 3D water wedge with the Robin-Steklov boundary condition on the free surface and with the no-flow condition along the normal on the bed of the water domain. Some critical comments about a known in the literature solution having a “non-physical” singularity of the logarithmic type on the coastal line are given. The asymptotics with respect to distance from the shoreline of the obtained solution, bounded on the edge, is constructed. The reflection coefficient of the wave reflected from the shoreline is calculated.

The Concept of Digital Property in the Context of Doctrinal Disputes

The article analyzes in detail the points of view expressed in the doctrine on the legal nature of digital financial assets, digital currency, as well as critical comments regarding the category of “digital property” proposed by the author, which the author substantiated in a number of his other works. In the work, the author argues the legal position that digital financial assets and digital currency are independent objects of civil law, included in the group called “digital property.” The opponents’ arguments that digital financial assets cannot be considered as an independent object of civil law, since they are digitized securities — an object long known to civil law — are examined in detail. The author proves that the tokenization of “paper rights” has seriously changed their legal regime, which gives grounds for the conclusion that tokens for virtual securities (digital financial assets) are currently an independent object of civil law. Digital currency and digital financial assets are part of digital property. Digital property can become the subject of relative and absolute digital rights.

Risky decision-making and nonsuicidal self-injury among university students: Examining the role of criticism feedback.

Risky decision-making putatively contributes to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) yet empirical support for this association is inconsistent. Studies have not simulated socioemotional contexts most closely linked to NSSI, which may partially explain mixed findings. Accordingly, we examined the association between NSSI and risky decision-making following the receipt of criticism from a close other, a key interpersonal context. The study included 286 university students (Mage = 21.11) oversampled for a lifetime history of NSSI. Participants completed a modified Iowa Gambling Task, in which they chose to play or pass on "good" and "bad" decks associated with monetary gains and losses. Participants also completed the Criticism Gambling Task, which was identical to the Iowa Gambling Task except critical audio comments preceded each block of trials. Based on results of multilevel growth curve analyses, decreases in risky decision-making were steeper on the Iowa Gambling Task compared to the Criticism Gambling Task, suggesting poorer learning in the context of criticism. Further, how past-month NSSI was related to changes in risky decision-making across blocks differed between the two tasks, b = -0.004, t(3140.00) = 2.48, p = .013. On the Iowa Gambling Task, all participants decreased their risky decision-making, whereas on the Criticism Gambling Task, higher past-month NSSI frequencies were associated with riskier decision-making. Our findings support associations between risky decision-making and NSSI in negative socioemotional contexts, consistent with functional models of NSSI.

Soil landscapes of the United States (SOLUS): Developing predictive soil property maps of the conterminous United States using hybrid training sets

AbstractDetailed soil property maps are increasingly important for land management decisions and environmental modeling. The US Soil Survey is investing in production of the Soil Landscapes of the United States (SOLUS), a new set of national predictive soil property maps. This paper documents initial 100‐m resolution maps of 20 soil properties that include various textural fractions, physical parameters, chemical parameters, carbon, and depth to restrictions. Many of these properties have not been previously mapped at this resolution. A hybrid training strategy helped increase training data by roughly 10‐fold over previous similar studies by combining commonly used laboratory data with underutilized field descriptions tied to soil survey map unit component property estimates (to help represent within polygon variability) as well as randomly selected soil survey map unit weighted average property estimates. Relative prediction intervals were used to help select which training data sources improved model performance. Conventional and spatial cross‐validation strategies yielded generally strong coefficients of determination between 0.5 and 0.7, but with substantial variability and outliers among the various properties, types of training data, and depths. Internal review of the maps highlighted both strengths and weaknesses of the maps, but most of the critical comments were in areas with high model uncertainty that can be used to guide future improvements. Generally, previously glaciated areas and complex large alluvial basins were harder to model. The new SOLUS 100‐m maps will be updated in the future to address identified issues and feedback as users interact with the data.

On the contents and agents of commentary in modelling

ABSTRACT Economics is a societally influential discipline, but the relationship of its theoretical activity to social reality and practical policy is chronically puzzling. Its theoretical models appear to involve a lot of falsehood, and modellers seem unconcerned about this and about any possible future uses of the models, while sticking to the same unifying theoretical framework. Gilboa et al. (2014, 2022) aspire to resolve the puzzle in terms of varying interpretations of models. I offer critical comments on their ideas while expanding and refining my own account of what I call model commentary whose task is to help understand and evaluate the process of modelling. I point out the rich complexity of adequate commentaries and discuss the issue of whose responsibility it is to construe and communicate them.

Notice the comment? Chinese government responsiveness to public participation in the policymaking process

AbstractWe investigate government responsiveness in the notice and comment process, a prominent instrument of consultative authoritarianism through which policy is made in contemporary China. We conduct an extensive data collection effort, assembling draft policies, public comments, and government responses for more than one thousand instances of notice and comment policymaking over a 17‐year period. Our statistical analysis demonstrates both the promise and limitations of consultative authoritarianism in the context of the notice and comment process. Government responsiveness in salient policy areas and to lengthy and critical comments demonstrates that public scrutiny matters to policymakers. These patterns are consistent with the notion that autocrats seek to remain in power not only through repression but also by bolstering exchanges of information between state and society. Central government ministries, however, are relatively unresponsive, indicating that significant aspects of policymaking are not characterized by robust attention to public sentiment and information.

Should a physician use the Beers criteria when prescribing direct oral anticoagulants to elderly patients?

The Beers Criteria are a tool for optimizing pharmacotherapy in elderly patients, containing information on potentially inappropriate drugs, which is only advisory in nature and is not mandatory for use in Russian Federation. In the updated version of the Beers Criteria from 2023, the expert opinion on rivaroxaban has changed — instead of "use with caution", as stated in the previous document from 2019, the experts now believe that "long-term treatment with rivaroxaban in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and venous thromboembolic complications (VTE) should be avoided in favor of safer alternative anticoagulants". This statement is based on moderate-quality evidence obtained from observational studies and network meta-analyses, which are significantly inferior to randomized controlled trials and have numerous limitations. The available evidence base for the use of rivaroxaban in elderly patients with AF and VTE and critical comments on the Beers criteria methodology, indicate the recommendations of the American Geriatrics Society experts regarding direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) should be treated thoughtfully and carefully. When choosing a DOAC in elderly patients with AF or VTE, one should primarily focus on current clinical guidelines mandatory for use in Russian Federation, and on the data of studies that studied the efficacy and safety of specific DOACs in this category of patients. Rivaroxaban is a well-studied anticoagulant in elderly patients with AF and VTE, since its efficacy and safety have been established in RCTs and specially designed multicenter prospective observational studies with a fairly high quality of evidence. Based on this, rivaroxaban is a justified treatment option for elderly and senile patients with AF or VTE.

Longitudinal pathways between parent depression and child mental health in families of autistic children

Abstract Autistic children and their parents are at risk for mental health problems, but the processes driving these connections are unknown. Leveraging three data cycles (spaced M = 11.76 months, SD = 2.77) on 162 families with autistic children (aged 6–13 years), the associations between parent–child relationship quality (warmth and criticism), child mental health problems, and parent depression symptoms were examined. A complete longitudinal mediation model was conducted using structural equation modeling. Father depression mediated the link between child mental health problems and father critical comments (β = −0.017, p = 0.018; CI [−.023 – −.015]). Father report of child mental health problems mediated the association between father depression and father critical comments (β = 0.016, p = 0.040; CI [0.003–0.023]) as well as the association between father positive remarks and father depression (β = −0.009, p = 0.032; CI [−0.010 – −0.009]). Additionally, father positive remarks mediated the connection between father depression and child mental health problems (β = 0.022, p = 0.006; CI [0.019–0.034]). No mediation effects were present for mothers. Findings highlight that the mental health of parents and autistic children are intertwined. Interventions that improve the parent–child relationship may reduce the reciprocal toll of parent and child mental health problems.

Digital information repackaging: best practices from university library website managers

Purpose This paper aims to explore the digital information repackaging process from the perspective of library website operators. The digital info repackaging process consists of analysis, synthesis, editing and presenting. Design/methodology/approach Interviews with 17 library website operators regarding their experience in information repackaging. The library website observation also conducted to gather the data on information repackaging. Findings Librarians who manage library websites repackage digital information using a process of user analysis, content analysis, editing and transforming and translating. Librarians who are in charge of repackaging usually collect, check, group and present information based on the raw data and information. Librarians rarely did criticize or argue the information. They just deliver it in the pact and attractive format. In the future, librarians can add critical comments on their digital information content, such as give recommendation, provide point of view, add some suggestion or make comparison. Practical implications This paper can provide an overview of the process of repackaging digital information carried out by university libraries which can be provided by libraries via websites. Apart from that, it is hoped that the presence of this research can help librarians in carrying out the process of repackaging digital information. Originality/value This paper can add to the scientific development of information science and library studies related to the field of information repackaging, especially in the repackaging of digital information in creating website content to efficiently meet the information needs of university library users.

Influencers y reputación: Chiara Ferragni,Instagram y el escándalo Pandoro Gate

Chiara Ferragni is one of the most important fashion influencers in the world. A pioneer in the profession, with the creation of her blog The Blonde Salad, she has reached more than 29 million followers on her Instagram account. At the end of 2023, her image and reputation suffered a serious deterioration after thePandoro gate scandal. This article analyses the evolution of its content creation routines before and after this crisis. The main objective is to analyse the evolution in the behaviour of the influencer, her followersand the brands with which she collaborated. The results show a significant transformation in her digital behaviour, characterized by a month of silence followed by a notable decrease in her publications. This trendcontinues after her separation and the agreement with her husband not to show the faces of their children. It is striking how the engagement of her Instagram account, despite the lack of content published by theinfluencer, increases. However, there has been a rise in critical and controversial comments. Despite the decrease in content, the activity of her community intensifies, suggesting that the interest of her followers isfocused more on Ferragni’s personal and professional history than on her controlled posts.

Going Viral: Sharing of Misinformation by Social Media Influencers

This paper tackles the issue of health and well-being misinformation, the dissemination of false or misleading information related to medical treatments, diseases, mental health, nutrition, exercise or general well-being, propagated by social media influencers. It investigates the virality of misinformation posts by TikTok and Instagram influencers exploring users’ appraisals and their sharing tendencies. Grounded in social influence and cognitive appraisal theories (CAT), three online experimental studies dissect the dynamics of virality, user comments and their effects on perceived deception, parasocial interaction and sharing intent. The results of Study 1 demonstrate heightened post virality reduces perceived deception, fostering stronger parasocial connections and sharing intentions. Conversely, lower virality levels heighten deception perceptions. In Study 2, critical comments are shown to enhance deception in high virality posts. Whereas supportive comments are shown to enhance the indirect effect of low virality posts on sharing intentions, via deception and parasocial interaction. The study contributes by demonstrating how social influence theory and CAT together explain how social media influencer misinformation posts based on their virality and user responses are likely to be shared and what consumer appraisals explain this effect. It provides directions of how marketers can tackle this issue.

Application of Nanofibrous Clay Minerals in Water-Based Drilling Fluids: Principles, Methods, and Challenges

Nanofibrous clay minerals, specifically palygorskite (Pal) and sepiolite (Sep), have been becoming a new generation of rheological additives for drilling fluid systems due to their unique nanostructure, high performance, environmentally benign nature, and cost-effectiveness. These nanoclay minerals exhibit excellent colloidal and rheological properties in aqueous systems, even in saline and high-temperature environments. Although Pal and Sep have been employed as auxiliary rheological additives in a few cases to enhance the salt resistance of conventional water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs), these two clay minerals have not yet been used on a large scale due to a lack of understanding of their structures and properties, as well as the control of their performance. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the clay mineralogy, colloidal chemistry, rheological behaviors, and filtration properties of nanofibrous clay minerals in WBDFs, with critical comments. It also discusses the challenges and prospects for further research. This review provides new insights into fundamental and applied studies of nanofibrous clay minerals and helps promote the large-scale application of nanofibrous clay products in drilling fluids.

Luminescent photon-upconversion nanoparticles with advanced functionalization for smart sensing and imaging.

Photon-upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) have already been established as labels for affinity assays in analog and digital formats. Here, advanced, or smart, systems based on UCNPs coated with active shells, fluorescent dyes, and metal and semiconductor nanoparticles participating in energy transfer reactions are reviewed. In addition, switching elements can be embedded in such assemblies and provide temporal and spatial control of action, which is important for intracellular imaging and monitoring activities. Demonstration and critical comments on representative approaches demonstrating the progress in the use of such UCNPs in bioanalytical assays, imaging, and monitoring of target molecules in cells are reported, including particular examples in the field of cancer theranostics.

The relationship between media use and social trust in China: An exploratory study based on data analysis

This study employs an interdisciplinary and comprehensive research approach, integrating questionnaire surveys, statistical analysis, and qualitative interviews to delve into the relationship between media use and social trust in China. By carefully selecting samples, designing questionnaires, collecting data, and conducting data analysis, the study gathered 3257 valid responses. Findings show that Weibo and WeChat have become the primary channels for the public to access news information, while traditional media still enjoy relatively high levels of trust. Moreover, negative news reports decrease trust in the media, whereas critical comments increase it. The study also reveals variations in trust in the media across different groups and institutions, with universities being trusted more than businesses and ordinary employees having more trust than business managers. The qualitative interview component of the study further enriches the research data and provides deeper understanding and interpretation. The results demonstrate a significant relationship between media use and trust, calling for tailored management and policy measures taking into account the characteristics of different media platforms and diverse population groups.

Static autoregulation in humans.

A recent publication in JCBFM, "Static autoregulation in humans" gives rise to critical comments. Autoregulation of cerebral blood flow implies that flow is rather constant within a certain blood pressure (BP) range with a lower and an upper pressure limit. The physiology at the two limits is very different, making comparison of the brain's vulnerability at the limits questionable. The recent publication in JCBFM claims a narrow autoregulatory range based on pooling of data from several studies. However, we argue that such pooling blurs the autoregulatory limits. We summarize the classical literature, therefrom we argue for a broad autoregulatory range.

Reply to Damaševičius, R. Comment on “Cárdenas-García, J.F. Info-Autopoiesis and the Limits of Artificial General Intelligence. Computers 2023, 12, 102”

The author thanks and acknowledges the many positive and critical comments by Robertas Damaševičius [...]

Post-war Soviet elections 1947–1953: features of conduct and social significance (based on materials from the city of Gorky)

The article examines the features of the conduct and social significance of elections to Soviet authorities in 1947–1953. The importance of studying this topic is associated with the need to study the state of Soviet society during the designated period. The study of elections to local authorities allows us to reconstruct the tasks that the Soviet authorities set when conducting election campaigns, the features of their conduct in different localities, the reaction of citizens, their orders and expectations from election campaigns and electoral actions. In the course of the study, using new data from archival documents, it was possible to establish the dates and features of the election campaigns to the Soviet authorities in 1947, 1950, 1953. It was noted that regular election campaigns contributed to increasing the political knowledge of citizens, introducing them to Soviet political culture, and also formed a «positive image» of the authorities in the eyes of Soviet citizens. At the same time, election campaigns revealed that Soviet citizens had a number of critical comments about the nominated deputies, which suggests the existence of dissatisfaction with certain aspects of everyday life that did not affect the main directions of Soviet state policy.

New guidelines on radiation survey and sanitary assessment of residential, public and industrial buildings and facilities in terms of radiation safety indicators. Part 1

The paper (in two parts) presents an overview of the new guidelines MR 2.6.1.0333-23 (approved on 01 December 2023) that supersede guidelines MU 2.6.1.2838-11, which were used for organizing radiation surveys of residential, public and industrial buildings and facilities and their sanitary assessment in terms of radiation safety indicators over the past 12 years. Due to a large number of critical comments on the document received during this period, a need for significant revision emerged. The scope of the revised document was expanded and now covers all stages of the life cycle of buildings and facilities: commissioning; operation period; overhaul and reconstruction; demolition. In the first part of the paper, the structure and legal status of the new guidelines are considered, as well as the main innovations in terms of measuring the ambient dose equivalent rate of gamma radiation, searching and identifying local radiation anomalies and sites of radioactive contamination, measuring surface contamination levels, and determining the minimum number of premises to be surveyed. The reasons for the introduction of certain changes are outlined. The issues of evaluation of measurement uncertainty, reporting of measurement results and registration of test reports are covered in detail. In the second part of the paper, numerous innovations will be considered in terms of estimating the indoor average annual equilibrium equivalent concentration of radon isotopes.

Preface

We are glad to introduce you that the 2024 International Conference on Smart Grids and Power Systems (ICSGPS) was successfully held on January 12–14, 2024 in Zhangjiajie, China. The vision of the ICSGPS 2024 is to provide a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, and educators to come together and discuss the latest innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Smart Grids and Power Systems. At ICSGPS 2024, participants have the opportunity to present their research findings and engage in meaningful discussions with experts and scholars from universities and research institutions worldwide. During the conference, the conference model was divided into three sessions, including oral presentations, keynote speeches and Q&A discussion. There were 3 keynote speeches, 4 invited talks both from local and international presenters. The time spent delivering the talks by each keynote speaker was 45 minutes, the oral presentation speaker was 15 minutes following by a Question Answer (Q & A) Session 5 minutes for each. Thanks for wonderful speeches from our keynote speakers Professor Loi Lei Lai, Professor Fushuan Wen and Professor Zhaoyang Dong. ICSGPS 2024 has attracted participants from over 40 universities, their support is greatly appreciated. We would also like to thank all the members of the Technical Program Committee and the Organizing Committee for providing competent, efficient, and friendly help that made this conference success. We also appreciate for all the reviewers for their hard work in providing constructive critical comments, improvements and corrections to the authors. A particularly thank for Professor Wenxuan Yao from Hunan University and Professor Chengxi Liu from Wuhan University for their valuable advice as guest editors to ensure the quality of the submissions. Moreover, thanks for the excellent publishing service from Journal of physics: Conference Series. Finally, many thanks for all the participants and we wish you enjoyed and were inspired by the conference. We are convinced that this gathering of minds will foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, enabling participants to gain valuable insights into practical challenges encountered. The Committee of ICSGPS 2024 List of Committee Member and Workshops are available in this pdf.