Directional Dependence Research Articles

China’s Economic Pressure Campaign against Lithuania: The Novelties and Limits of Chinese Economic Statecraft and Coercion

ABSTRACT In late 2021, Lithuania was targeted by the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) unprecedentedly assertive and multi-dimensional pressure campaign that included a rarely witnessed array of coercive economic measures. The Chinese party-state used its vast and diverse economic resources to punish Lithuania in response to the country’s comprehensive review of their bilateral relationship, and particularly the outreach to Taiwan. While largely conforming with previous examples of Chinese economic pressure, the variety and intensity of the punitive economic measures used by Beijing make the case of Lithuania especially significant in both empirical and theoretical terms. The campaign’s notable ferocity and ingenuity were related to Lithuania’s unusually low direct economic dependence on the PRC. Although Beijing failed to achieve any direct policy results in the short term, the impact of its coercive economic measures in the target country appears to be more nuanced and mixed.

Contribution of individual legs to overall attachment in the adult ladybird Harmonia axyridis depends on the relative leg orientation to an external force

AbstractThis study investigates the attachment ability of harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), focusing on the synergic action of opposite legs, the anisotropy of adhesive organs and sexual dimorphism. Contrary to expectations, experiments showed that beetles with fewer legs sometimes exhibited higher attachment forces, challenging the hypothesis that collective leg action enhances attachment. This result is attributed to differences in experimental set‐ups, where our centrifugal method highlighted the importance of pad orientation relative to external forces. The anisotropy of adhesive pads, characterized by the directional dependence of adhesion and friction, significantly influenced attachment performance. Results demonstrated that inward‐oriented legs enhanced attachment due to lower peeling angles, whereas outward orientation reduced effectiveness. Sexual dimorphism was evident in the structure of adhesive pads, with males possessing discoidal setae on fore‐ and midlegs. No significant difference in attachment was observed between intact males and females on smooth surfaces, although ablated males sometimes showed higher forces due to the presence of discoidal setae. These findings underscore that attachment strength in H. axyridis is not solely dependent on pad area but also on the orientation and anisotropic properties of adhesive organs, as well as the specific role of sexual dimorphism in leg morphology.

Relationship Between the Subsurface Velocity Structure and Directional Dependence of Observed Microtremor Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio and Phase Velocity, A Case Study of Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto

Relationship Between the Subsurface Velocity Structure and Directional Dependence of Observed Microtremor Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio and Phase Velocity, A Case Study of Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto

Methodological Aspects of Studying the Socio-Demographic Situation at the Municipal Level (The Example of the Irkutsk Re-gion and the Republic of Buryatia)

The article is devoted to the study of the socio-demographic situation in the regions of the Baikal region at the municipal level. The purpose of the study is to evaluate possible methodological approaches for studying the socio–demographic situation in the regions of Russia, to analyze the socio-demographic situation in the regions under consideration. The paper reviewed the experience of studying the socio-demographic situation at the regional and municipal levels, analyzed approaches to the term and presented the author’s definition. The most important task of the study was to assess the feasibility of using such an integrated approach in the study of regions. The work used data from the Federal State Statistics Service at the municipal level. To calculate the index of the socio-demographic situation, indicators of the population and the level of development of the social sphere were selected. The calculation of the complex indicator of the socio-demographic situation was carried out for each municipality in the period from 2013 to 2022. A comparative analysis of the territories allowed us to identify several groups according to this indicator. The use of the cartographic method to display the results of the study made it possible to assess the dependence of the socio-demographic situation on the geographical location – climatic conditions, the degree of development of transport infrastructure. The methodology adopted in the work gives a certain idea of the socio-demographic situation, but it also has several disadvantages. In general, it seems promising to refine such an indicator, since there is a direct dependence of demographic development on the level of development of the social sphere. Of particular interest in this regard will be the development of a multifactorial index. Thus, the economic and geographical location of the territories also has an impact on social development. In addition, the use of statistical data alone does not allow for a full assessment of the situation on the ground. In this case, it is possible to use the data of sociological research.

Flux jumps, cluster distribution model and vortex phase diagram of oxygenated YBa2Cu3-xAlxO6+δ single crystals for H|| ab

This work reports magnetic field direction dependent second magnetisation peak (SMP) anomaly in single crystals of oxygenated for ab. Detailed investigations on crystal A revealed the direction dependence of SMP anomaly at temperatures below 25 K, above which the direction dependence vanishes. The state of spatial order of the vortex lattice was found to be correlated to the vortex lattice symmetry that underwent a change at certain fields and was captured via single flux jumps observed in the third and fifth quadrant of magnetisation hysteresis loops. Bean’s critical state profiles drawn to explain the flux jumps required the presence of clusters of in the basal plane of with closely lying binding energies. Large full width at half maximum observed in Cu, O, Y and Ba photoelectron spectra confirmed the validity of the proposed cluster model. A vortex phase diagram incorporating all features in the magnetisation hysteresis loops has been made for oxygenated for || ab depicting various phases.

Hotel HR management: modern features

The importance of studying the issues of HR management development strategy for the formation of competitive potential is obvious, since the human factor determines the success of the implementation of management decisions and the quality of service in the hotel business. The article examines the peculiarity of HR management and its direct dependence on external factors, such as exchange rate volatility and state economic policy, seasonal occupancy of the hotel room stock and variability of consumer demand, etc.

Должностное лицо полиции как субъект административно-процессуальных отношений: теоретико-правовой аспект

Introduction. A wide range of tasks facing internal affairs bodies, a significant load on police officials, as well as the direct dependence of law and order on the effectiveness of their activities – all this determines the relevance of the search for ways to optimise the administrative and procedural status of a police officer. On a daily basis, police officials carry out proceedings on cases of administrative offences, regularly conduct reception of citizens (including complaints proceedings). A police official often has an official need to take part in administrative proceedings. In addition, within the framework of intra-organisational service relations, each police officer is a potential participant in disciplinary, performance appraisal and promotion proceedings. The aim of this article: on the basis of achievements of administrative-procedural theory to formulate new conclusions about the concept and content of the status of a police official as a participant of administrative-procedural relations, to classify types of administrative-procedural proceedings with the participation of police officials. Methods. General methods of cognition (comparison, analysis, synthesis, abstraction, system, structural and functional approach) were used in the work. Results. The concept of administrative-procedural relations, a participant of which is a police official, is formulated; types of administrative proceedings, a potential participant of which is a police official, are defined, and their classification by various criteria is carried out; some shortcomings of administrative-procedural legislation, enshrining the status of a police official as a participant of administrative-procedural relations, are revealed.

STUDY OF HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURES IN TIN DIOXIDE BASED NANOSIZED FILMS

Among a large number of physical and chemical methods for obtaining materials with various functional characteristics, one of the very interesting and simple methods is sol-gel technology. Materials synthesized using sol-gel technology have high chemical homogeneity, which is definitely a big plus. And by changing the initial environmental conditions and solution parameters, it is possible to control the size and shape of the particles obtained, as well as the pore structure of the synthesized products. At present, much attention is paid to the study of hierarchical structures based on tin dioxide. Since they are distinguished by a large surface area, stable physicochemical properties, low cost of production, environmental friendliness of the method, as well as high surface permeability and low density. This article describes the results of the synthesis of hierarchical structures in thin films based on tin dioxide. The initial solution is a lyophilic film-forming system SnCl4/EtOH/ NH4OH. A direct dependence of the formation of hierarchical structures on the volume of ammonium hydroxide additive was found. This helps to control the shape and size of the synthesized structures when changing the ratio of the initial precursors. And as a consequence, it allows influencing the final physical and chemical characteristics of the obtained samples for their further use as transparent conductive coatings, sensors for various gases (including toxic ones), in solar panels, etc.

Population Growth and Age Structure of the Pikeperch <i>Sander lucioperca</i> (Percidae) from the Lake Necheritsa (Sebezhsky National Park, Pskov Oblast)

The size, age, sex structures of pikeperch Sander (L.) from Lake Necheritsa (Sebezhsky National Park) have been studied, as well as linear growth using back-calculation according to the Leo direct dependence function. Growth of pikeperch is described formally by linear equation L ( t ) = 5.4 × x + 0.2 (cm). The length frequencies of individual age groups are normally distributed, which corresponds to ideas about linear fish growth. The population is represented by 13 age classes, the maximum length of an individual in the sample is 872 mm. The analysis of the diet showed the presence of 6 mass fish species observed in the catch, including the young pikeperch; the ratios of individual species in the diet and the sample indicates an absence of electivity of nutrition. According to the estimates, the proportion of pikeperch in the ichthyocenosis in the period 1989–2022 in the Lake Necheritsa has increased by ~ 8 times. A comparative analysis of the linear growth of pikeperch from populations of different regions under environmental conditions, differing in a number of values of key parameters, is carried out. Growth rates of pikeperch from southern populations are generally higher and more consistent with asymptotic growth, while the size limits and life expectancy are generally higher in northern populations. A hypothesis has been tested about the causes of differences in the nature of linear growth.

Digital Inequality: Current Trends in Formation and Research

Introduction. At the beginning of the XXI century, information and communication resources appear, under the influence of which the intensive digitalization of society begins and, as a result, the transformation of most social phenomena: processes, institutions, communities, etc. The purpose of the article is to analyze digital inequality as a type of social inequality based on existing sociological approaches in domestic and foreign science. The main problem lies in the lack of systematization of scientific publications analyzing approaches to defining the concept, mechanism of occurrence and social consequences of digital inequality.Methodology and sources. The research methodology is based on a sociological and interdisciplinary approaches. The reports of the United Nations, the Okinawa Charter of the Global Information Society, and the World Bank are used as a source base. In the domestic field, the development of a methodology for research on digital inequality was undertaken by O.M. Slepova, T.S. Martynenko, O.N. Vershinskaya, O.V. Volchenko and others. Western discourse is primarily represented by the ideas of the J. Van Dijk, P. DiMaggio, M. Castells, E. Hargitay, D. Garip. The works of Chinese researchers Huang Rongui, Gui Yun, Chen Yongson, Yan Hui, etc. are analyzed.Results and discussion. There had been revealed a direct dependence between the growth of the level of economic development and the growth of the level of digital inequality. The role of digitalization, which makes cardinal adjustments to the classical criteria for analyzing the social structure of society, was also revealed. It is shown that, in contrast to the growth of digital inequality, social support connections are formed, which involve equalizing relationships to the potentials of the information space.Conclusion. Digital inequality, as a phenomenon that appeared at the turn of the century, continues to intensify and has a direct impact on the development of new forms of social inequality. New criteria of inequality are being added to the traditional ones, and a new profile of social stratification is being formed.

The ideal gas law: derivations and intellectual background

A detailed overview of the origins and possible derivations of the ideal gas law are given in this lecture text. The tacit assumptions in the usual textbook derivations are identified and ways of thought are proposed to justify their use. It is shown that the solution of the Schrödinger equation for the particle in a box model is very closely connected to the ideal gas law. A detailed derivation is presented on how equipartition and the Boltzmann distribution lead to the velocity and speed distributions observable in ideal gases. Major emphasis is given to the mathematical consequences of the lack of direction dependence in these properties. General formulas are introduced and proved to describe the thermodynamics of ideal gases. During the derivations, a method for students to employ computer-aided symbolic calculations using the Wolfram Alpha web-based service is also described.

In vitro screening of potential echinochrome delivery systems for the treatment of eye diseases

An important task of topical application of medicines in the treatment of eyes is to achieve a compromise between their effectiveness and safety. The development of new multifunctional local ophthalmic drug delivery systems and in vitro screening of potential medicinal eye products are key areas in solving this problem. In this study, primary in vitro screening of the effect of echinochrome (Ech), the carrageenan complex of echinochrome (CRG/Ech) and its liposomal form (CRG/Ech-Lip) was performed on cultured epithelial cells of the outer shell of the eyeball: conjunctival epithelial cells (Chang Conjunctiva, Clone 1-5c-4) and corneal epithelium human (HCE). The cell viability was assessed by their morphology and metabolic activity using light microscopy and MTT test methods. The direct dependence of the intensity of the cytotoxic effect of Ech on its concentration in the nutrient medium, the form of use, the cellular test system and the incubation time of cells was revealed. Ech in the form of an alcoholic solution in its final concentration of 0.1 mg/ml of the nutrient medium exhibits pronounced cytoxicity against both cellular test systems. The same final concentration of Ech in the nutrient medium, but already as part of the carrageenan complex of echinochrome (CRG/Ech), turned out to be critical only for the viability of corneal epithelial cells, the survival rate of conjunctival cells under these conditions was about 50 %. A high biocompatibility of the liposomal form of the carrageenan complex of echinochrome (CRG/Ech-Lip) with cells of both test systems and a stimulating cytoprotective effect against the cells of the conjunctiva epithelium was revealed.

Trade unions in the age of digital technologies: new challenges for the freedom of association

This article explores the impact of digital technologies on the activities of trade unions and their ability to uphold workers’ rights. Special attention is given to the challenges for the freedom of association in the context of labor market changes and digital transformation. Based on the analysis of current trends, the article discusses how digital tools can both enhance and limit trade union activity. Recommendations for the development of trade unions in the digital age are also provided. From the perspective of protecting workers’ rights, the article examines certain digital tools as opportunities for trade unions to modernize their operations, particularly through online communication and mobilization of workers. It also analyzes the challenges to freedom of association in the digital age, including the rise of unstable forms of employment and the impact of algorithmic management. Examples of trade union adaptation are presented, along with recommendations aimed at strengthening their role to ensure resilience and activity in the face of the digital transformation of the labor market, in accordance with proposals from the International Labour Organization. In the contemporary environment, the protection of workers’ rights has become complicated, as most non-standard and innovative forms of employment typically lack a direct dependency of the worker on the employer. The most complex employment situations arise in the context of the development of the Internet and mobile communication devices, where it is not always clear whether labor relations exist, and it is even more challenging to determine whether protections designed for standard labor relations should apply to individuals engaged in such forms of employment. These circumstances highlight the need for the implementation of appropriate mechanisms that would extend collective bargaining regulation to workers with non­standard (precarious) employment, particularly those working on online platforms. One possible guarantee for the realization of such rights may be the inclusion of these workers among social partners by granting them the independent right to collective bargaining and/or representation in the labor market through sectoral trade unions.

An extended study of syntactic breaking changes in the wild

Libraries assist in accelerating the development of software applications by providing reusable functionalities. Libraries and applications that declare these libraries as dependencies become their clients. However, as libraries evolve, maintaining the dependencies in client projects can be challenging if the new version contains breaking changes. Yet, limited research focuses on analyzing the impact of breaking changes on client projects when updating dependencies in the wild. Hence, we conduct an empirical analysis using Java projects built using Maven to investigate the impact of breaking changes introduced between two library versions. Our dataset included 18,415 Maven artifacts, declaring 142,355 direct dependencies, out of which 71.60% were not up-to-date. We automatically updated these dependencies and discovered that 11.58% of the dependency updates resulted in breaking changes that affected the client, and almost half of them were introduced during a non-major update. We analyzed the changes in the libraries that contributed towards these breaking changes, and our results indicate that changes in transitive dependencies were a significant factor in introducing breaking changes. We further investigated if it was common for clients to use functionalities of transitive dependencies directly without declaring them. This showed that over half of the clients use transitive functionality. Therefore, we analyzed actions suggested to resolve these breaking changes introduced by transitive dependencies under the discussions on open-source platforms, and the frequently suggested action was to exclude the transitive dependency from the project configuration.

High-Performance Porous Supports Based on Hydroxyl-Terminated Polysulfone and CO2/CO-Selective Composite Membranes.

The scope of this work was to develop a thin-film composite (TFC) membrane for the separation of CO2/CO mixtures, which are relevant for many processes of gas processing and gasification of carbon-based feedstock. Special attention was given to the development of highly permeable porous polysulfone (PSF) supports (more than 26,000 GPU for CO2) since both the selective and support layers contribute significantly to the overall performance of the TFC membrane. The PSF porous support is widely used in commercial and lab-scale TFC membranes, and its porous structure and other exploitation parameters are set during the non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) process. Since the casting solution properties (e.g., viscosity) and the interactions in a three-component system (polymer, solvent, and non-solvent) play noticeable roles in the NIPS process, polysulfone samples in a wide range of molecular weights (Mw = 76,000-122,000 g·mol-1) with terminal hydroxyl groups were synthesized for the first time. Commercial PSF with predominantly terminal chlorine groups (Ultrason® S 6010) was used as a reference. The PSF samples were characterized by NMR, DSC, and TGA methods, and the Hansen solubility parameters were calculated. It was found that increasing the ratio of terminal -OH over -Cl groups improved the "solubility" of PSF in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and water. A direct dependence of the gas permeance of porous supports on the coagulation rate of the casting solution was identified for the first time. It was shown that the use of synthesized PSF (Mw = 76,000 g·mol-1, Mw/Mn = 3.0, (-OH):(-Cl) ratio of 4.7:1) enabled a porous support with a CO2 permeance of 26,700 GPU to be obtained, while the support formed from a commercial PSF Ultrason® S 6010 (Mw = 68,000 g·mol-1, Mw/Mn = 1.7, (-OH):(-Cl) ratio of 1:1.9) under the same conditions demonstrated 4300 GPU. The siloxane-based materials were used for the selective layer since the thin films based on rubbery polymers do not undergo the same accelerating physical aging as glassy polymers. Two types of materials were screened for the selective layer: synthesized polymethyltrifluoroethylacrylate siloxane-polydecylmethylsiloxane (50F3) copolymer, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). 50F3 siloxane was studied for gas separation applications for the first time. It was shown that the permeance of composite membranes based on high-performance porous supports from the PSF samples synthesized was 3.5 times higher than that from similar composite membranes based on supports from a commercial Ultrason® S 6010 PSF with a permeance value of 4300 GPU for CO2. It was found that the enhanced gas permeance of composite membranes based on the highly permeable porous PSF supports developed was observed for both 50F3 polysiloxane and commercial PDMS. At the same time, the CO2/CO selectivity of the composite membranes with a 50F3-selective layer (9.1-9.3) is 1.5 times higher than that of composite membranes with a PDMS-selective layer. This makes the F-containing 50F3 polysiloxane a promising polymer for CO2/CO separation.

Phosphorus Partition in an Industrial Basic Oxygen Furnace Process in Ukraine

Phosphorus partition data from Ukrainian integrated steel plants are analyzed, focusing on the influence of parameters such as the basicity (CaO/SiO2), optical basicity, tapping temperature, and the contents of (FeO), (MgO), and (Al2O3) in the slag. It is found that the phosphorus partition decreases with increase in tapping temperature and increases with the optical basicity. An increase in the phosphorus partition (P)/[P] followed by a decrease with increase of (CaO/SiO2) are observed. It is found that the optimal value, break point at which phosphorus partition changes its dependence to opposite, has a direct dependence on tapping temperature. At (CaO/SiO2) = 1.9–2.1, (P)/[P] increases linearly with increasing (FeO). However with higher value of (CaO/SiO2) the breaking point when (P)/[P] starts to decrease with increase in (FeO) is noticed. Thereby the optimal value of (FeO) decreases with increasing tapping temperature. In case of (Al2O3) there is only decreasing of (P)/[P] with all (CaO/SiO2) and tapping temperatures. Moreover, the effect of (MgO) varies with (CaO/SiO2). These industrial results are supported by thermodynamic simulations using FactSage 8.1 and aligned with existing results from the literature.

The effect of particle elongations on incremental behavior of granular materials using discrete element method

This study offers a novel investigation into the incremental behavior of granular materials by focusing on the effects of particle elongation on mechanical properties and microstructural evolution. Through a series of Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations, samples with varying elongation coefficients (η) are systematically analyzed using two strain decomposition methods: the energy dissipation constraint method and the loading cycle method. The results show that as η increases, the strain envelope size decreases, indicating greater stiffness. A ‘memory effect’ is observed in the elastic strain envelope, suggesting internal rearrangement and partial microstructural recovery in later stages. The plastic strain envelope exhibits distinct patterns that vary with loading conditions, with magnitude decreasing as η increases. Despite identical initial stress states, the orientation of the plastic strain envelope shifts significantly, highlighting the impact of loading history and anisotropy. Notably, the misalignment between the normal direction of the yield surface and the incremental plastic flow direction indicates a non-associated flow rule for the generated granular materials. This misalignment varies with η and loading conditions. The study also reveals a transition from contraction to dilation behavior across different probing states, with increasing η leading to a denser packing of particles with a lower void ratio. As η increases, the anisotropy within the granular assembly becomes more pronounced, leading to a stronger directional dependence of the mechanical response.

Antibacterial effect of new photocatalytically active "complex oxides/PMMA" composites under visible-light irradiation.

New photocatalytic materials based on complex oxides and a widely used and cheap polymer (PMMA) have been prepared. Among complex oxides previously investigated, the following have been used-RbTe1.5W0.5O6, CsTeMoO6, CsV0.625Te1.375O6, NaVMoO6, KVMoO6. For comparison, the binary oxides TiO2 and WO3 were used. The form of PMMA matrix was used as sponge and glass. The amount of powder in PMMA was selected based on retaining the polymer properties and getting the photocatalytic activity, which corresponds to 1% powder in sponge and 0.5% in glass. The "photocatalyst/PMMA" composites decompose the methylene blue under visible and UV light as well as possess antibacterial properties. The high electron-hole recombination was found out for composites photocatalysts, which significantly influences only on organic compounds decomposition in solutions. However, there is no direct dependence between effective photodegradation of simple organic molecules and antimicrobial properties. Inactivation of bacteria is determined by many factors such as active generated radicals, adsorption properties of the surface and the photocatalyst form, which can change the main active radicals. The comparison of photocatalytic action on organic solutions and bacteria of initial powders and PMMA composites allow choosing the most effective combination for further application. The most promising antimicrobial properties for composites have been obtained using compounds with β-pyrochlore structure.

Effect of the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Intensification on biosynthesis of Adipic Acid Through the Inverted Fatty Acid β-oxidation by Escherichia coli Strains

Using previously engineered adipate-secreting Escherichia MG1655 lacIQ, ∆ackA-pta, ∆poxB, ∆ldhA, ∆adhE, PL-SDφ10-atoB, Ptrc-ideal-4-SDφ10-fadB, ∆fadE, PL-SDφ10-tesB, ∆yciA, Ptrc-ideal-4-SDφ10-fabI, PL-SDφ10-paaJ, ∆aceBAK, ∆glcB as a core strain, the derivatives capable of enhanced synthesis of the target compound from glucose via the reversed fatty acid β-oxidation pathway were obtained. The respective effect was achieved due to the intensification of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the cells. Prevention of multiple cycle turnovers, resulting from the inactivation of succinate dehydrogenase, had no pronounced effect on the formation of adipic acid by the recombinant. Upon the cycle intensification due to enhancing anaplerotic oxaloacetic acetic acid formation from phosphoenolpyruvate, resulting from the increased expression of the native ppc gene, the synthesis of adipic acid rose 1.2-fold to ~390 μM. Enabling the formation of oxaloacetate from pyruvic acid, by introducing in the cells of heterologous Bacillus subtilis pyruvate carboxylase, resulted in a 1.5-fold intensification of the cycle, concomitantly with the proportional increase in adipic acid secretion to ~496 μM. Subsequent inactivation of sdhAB genes in the strain increased the secretion of the target compound only slightly and adipic acid titer reached ~520 μM. The obtained data indicated a direct dependence of the efficiency of adipic acid synthesis by the engineered strains on the degree of intensification of the tricarboxylic acid cycle.

Functional analysis of the constitutive role of temperature in compacted bentonites

A thermodynamically consistent expression is derived for the functional structure of effective stress understood as the work conjugate of elastic strain. The study, focussed on compacted clays, is valid for both non-isothermal conditions and constant temperature. As a result, it is found that there is no evidence to assume a direct dependence of the effective stress on temperature. Therefore, it is consistent to follow the usually employed strategies based on evaluating the implicit dependence through air pressure, macrostructural liquid pressure and macrostructural degree of saturation.