Entire Community Research Articles

Forest cover is more important than its integrity or landscape configuration in determining habitat use by mammals in a human-modified landscape in Colombia

Human activities shape the structure of landscapes in different ways and hence modify animal communities depending on the type and intensity of these activities. The Montes de Maria subregion of Colombia has experienced a heavy transformation of most areas despite covering one of the last remnants of dry forest, a critically endangered ecosystem. However, the effects of this transformation have been little explored. Here, we used a multispecies occupancy model (MSOM) to understand the relative influence of three components of land-use change – deforestation (remaining forest amount), degradation of forest integrity (forest quality) and fragmentation (landscape configuration) on mammalian habitat use across a mosaic of tropical dry forest in Colombia. Our data suggest that the percentage of forest cover was substantially important for herbivores, and consistently showed a moderate effect on the entire community and some individual species. High variability in species-specific responses to the examined variables hindered broad taxonomic generalizations, nevertheless, we detected a moderate positive effect of forest cover in both diet specialists and generalists species, as well as in species with small home ranges. Although omnivores responses, tended to use less complex landscapes (mosaics of land uses), there was high uncertainty in this response. The lack of substantial effects on most species, and the absence of threatened species across this anthropogenic landscape, suggests that the current community is composed of species tolerant to habitat modifications, but not only diet generalist species. This is most likely the result of a long filtering process caused by land use transformation and hunting which could have caused non-sensitive species to distribute relatively homogenously across this landscape. Our results suggest that conservation strategies in the study area should focus on conserving and expanding as much forest as possible rather than only improving the quality of already existing forest patches.

MASLD: What We Have Learned and Where We Need to Go-A Call to Action.

Since its introduction in 1980, fatty liver disease (now termed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease [MASLD]) has grown in prevalence significantly, paralleling the rise of obesity worldwide. While MASLD has been the subject of extensive research leading to significant progress in the understanding of its pathophysiology and progression factors, several gaps in knowledge remain. In this pictorial review, the authors present the latest insights into MASLD, covering its recent nomenclature change, spectrum of disease, epidemiology, morbidity, and mortality. The authors also discuss current qualitative and quantitative imaging methods for assessing and monitoring MASLD. Last, they propose six unsolved challenges in MASLD assessment, which they term the proliferation, reproducibility, reporting, needle-in-the-haystack, availability, and knowledge problems. These challenges offer opportunities for the radiology community to proactively contribute to their resolution. The authors conclude with a call to action for the entire radiology community to claim a seat at the table, collaborate with other societies, and commit to advancing the development, validation, dissemination, and accessibility of the imaging technologies required to combat the looming health care crisis of MASLD.

The credentialism trap: are IT certifications overrated?

Purpose This paper aims to explore whether certifications are sufficient for comprehensively evaluating the IT sector, focusing on DevOps, as this branch has the widest range of certifications. It examines the limitations of relying solely on certifications and highlights the gap between certified knowledge and practical competence in real-world settings. Design/methodology/approach The study includes a survey of 72 certified DevOps professionals with varying years of experience to gather insights on the impact of certifications. It also reviews existing literature on the origins, psychological aspects and role of certifications in recruitment within the IT sector. Findings The findings indicate that while certifications enhance technical knowledge and boost confidence among IT professionals, they do not consistently lead to career advancements and sometimes do not adequately assess practical skills and soft skills essential for DevOps roles. The survey revealed that only a minority experienced promotions postcertification, highlighting a disconnect between certifications and career progression. Research limitations/implications The survey sample was limited to 72 respondents, which may not represent the entire DevOps community. Future research with a more extensive and diverse sample could provide more generalisable results and deeper insights into the impact of certifications across different contexts. Practical implications Organisations should consider certifications as one component of a candidate’s qualifications, alongside practical experience and soft skills. Professionals are encouraged to pursue certifications for skill validation and knowledge enhancement but should integrate them with practical application and continuous learning to ensure effectiveness in DevOps environments. Social implications An overemphasis on certifications can contribute to a “credentialist” culture, potentially undervaluing practical skills and leading to stress and burnout among professionals. A balanced approach that values both certified knowledge and experiential learning can promote a healthier professional environment and improve team collaboration. Originality/value This paper provides a nuanced examination of the role of certifications in evaluating DevOps skills by combining survey data with a literature review. It offers original insights into the limitations of certifications and emphasises the importance of balancing them with practical experience and soft skills in the IT industry.

Mesopredator release moderates trophic control of plant biomass in a Georgia salt marsh.

Predators regulate communities through top-down control in many ecosystems. Because most studies of top-down control last less than a year and focus on only a subset of the community, they may miss predator effects that manifest at longer timescales or across whole food webs. In southeastern US salt marshes, short-term and small-scale experiments indicate that nektonic predators (e.g., blue crab, fish, terrapins) facilitate the foundational grass, Spartina alterniflora, by consuming herbivorous snails and crabs. To test both how nekton affect marsh processes when the entire animal community is present, and how prior results scale over time, we conducted a 3-year nekton exclusion experiment in a Georgia salt marsh using replicated 19.6 m2 plots. Our nekton exclusions increased densities of plant-grazing snails and juvenile deposit-feeding fiddler crab and, in Year 2, reduced predation on tethered juvenile snails, indicating that nektonic predators control these key macroinvertebrates. However, in Year 3, densities of mesopredatory benthic mud crabs increased threefold in nekton exclusions, erasing the tethered snails' predation refuge. Nekton exclusion had no effect on Spartina biomass, likely because the observed mesopredator release suppressed grazing snail densities and elevated densities of fiddler crabs, whose burrowing alleviates soil stresses. Structural equation modeling supported the hypotheses that nektonic predators and mesopredators control invertebrate communities, with nektonic predators having stronger total effects on Spartina than mud crabs by controlling densities of species that both suppress (grazers) and facilitate (fiddler crabs) plant growth. These findings highlight that salt marshes can be resilient to multiyear reductions in nektonic predators if mesopredators are present and that multiple pathways of trophic control manifest in different ways over time to mediate community dynamics. These results highlight that larger scale and longer-term experiments can illuminate community dynamics not previously understood, even in well-studied ecosystems such as salt marshes.

Future Finland – A nationwide Finnish multidisciplinary birth cohort initiative

Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that early-life conditions may have substantial consequences on individual health and wellbeing throughout the lifecycle. Development of complex social and health issues may be best understood through longitudinal studies that combine the perspectives of social and health sciences. Future Finland aims to collect a nationwide lifelong data resource that through collaborative multidisciplinary research will strengthen future population welfare. Future Finland will be based on index children born in Finland (43.000/year) during a specific time period. National registers and other administrative data sources will provide data for the age cohort (children), their parents and siblings, with special effort on data from more rarely used sources (e.g., electronic health records, school records). Subsets of cohort members will be recruited in early pregnancy (consent) to undergo deeper data collection through questionnaires, biological and environmental samples and measurements, and digital monitoring data (e.g., physical activity, citizens digital footprint). The Future Finland preparatory phase started in 2023 at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The Future Finland design and focus areas are currently being planned based on identified information gaps and with consultations of experts from other birth cohort studies. Data collection is planned to start in 2025 by piloting and foreseen to expand to full-scale in 2027-2028. The Future Finland data resource will be made available for the entire research community as openly as possible, at the same time maintaining the highest possible data security standards to protect privacy now and in the future. Future Finland enables novel interdisciplinary research and intervention setups, which will strengthen the knowledge base for societal decision-making and promote the future population welfare. Future Finland is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation. Key messages • Future Finland initiative will collect a nationwide lifelong data resource enabling novel cross-disciplinary research designs to produce groundbreaking and impactful scientific results. • A larger-scale use of data enables novel interdisciplinary research and intervention setups strengthening the knowledge base for societal decision-making and promoting the future population welfare.

Wastewater-Based Epidemiology of Influenza Viruses: a systematic review

Abstract Background Influenza viruses (IVs) are responsible for annual epidemic outbreaks during the winter months. Beyond conventional surveillance systems, the circulation of these pathogens can be monitored using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE), an epidemiological tool that describes the health status of an entire community by analyzing the presence of pathogens within wastewater. Systematically reviewing existing experiences in this emerging field is crucial to highlight the best practices to establish a WBE surveillance system providing useful information for public health actions. Methods The study protocol for this systematic review has been registered on the PROSPERO website (registration ID: CRD42024532435). Three academic databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus) were accessed to collect studies examining the presence of IVs in wastewater. Studies included were those reporting quantitative measures of viral concentration or detailing molecular/phylogenetic characterization of IVs in wastewater. Results Databases were searched on July 8th, 2024. After de-duplication and screening of the 400 remaining records, 42 were included in the review. IVs detection in wastewater was reported in all papers except from one, although with high variability in terms of positivity titers and concentration levels. More than half of the collected papers (52.4%) evaluated association between environmental viral concentration and clinical data, generally showing concordance between the two aspects. Moreover, 28.6% of papers described subtyping of IVs in wastewater through different methods (specific PCR assays being the most used). Conclusions WBE is a promising approach for surveilling viral circulation, and IVs represent a high value target for implementing this innovative system. Systematically reviewing previous experiences can be useful to obtain information for the establishment of a novel environmental surveillance system of Influenza Viruses Key messages • Nucleic acids belonging to Influenza Virus are detectable in wastewater, even though we report high levels of variability in sampling techniques, laboratory methods and data management systems. • Association between environmental data and number of clinical cases is reported to be generally strong in collected papers; subtyping of IVs present in wastewater is also feasible.

Supporting inclusion in teaching and learning STEM subjects within the DISCO+ project

Aim. The objectives of DISCO+ (Dropout and Inclusion at SChOol) project are two- fold: to implement an inclusive approach and prevent early school leaving in STEM sub- jects. The participating partner institutions apply cooperative engineering to develop units in mathematics and science subjects that can be implemented in different European educational contexts to meet the project objectives. Within the project (WP2) 16 transna- tional groups of pre- and in- service teachers take part in an eTwinning digital training sessions on the notion of school inclusion in Europe, the implementation of the principle of equality between girls and boys, the development of the critical thinking in learning scientific disciplines. Small group discussions refine each participant’s understanding of the issues involved, and the work carried out makes it possible to go beyond the local character of the definitions and to reach a common and shared understanding of the intercultural nuances present in each country. These exchanges will help build links be- tween participants and create a network of European colleagues. The groups’ experience books will serve as a basis for posters, which will be presented in June 2024. These pres- entations can be filmed and contribute to a 5-hour MOOC, which will be developed at a later phase in the project. Methods. By adopting a methodology which includes collectively designing teach- ing-learning sequences in transnational context, the project applies transnational engi- neering. Each partner involved in the creation of one or more teaching-learning sequenc- es must question the conditions of transferability of its point of view, its analyses and its testimonies in different educational contexts. In other words, the intercultural component of sequences designed jointly by partners from different countries should be ensured by addressing socially relevant issues and enriching their treatment with a variety of cul- tural viewpoints. The design of sequences on a transnational scale from this intercultural perspective will also make it possible to deal with the language issue in subjects such as mathematics and science. This methodology intends to develop a common culture on key issues such as sustainable development, inclusion and gender equality and to contribute to the creation of a European citizenship. Results. The activities will result in several deliverables, which include a round ta- ble, dedicated to the notion of school inclusion on a European scale, a four-month long eTwinning digital training in 16 transnational groups (teacher trainees, practioners) dis- cussing and exchanging ideas on inclusion in European education systems, teaching Sci- ence subjects, equality of girls and boys and developing critical thinking. Group experi- ence notebooks will be published as the result of exchanges between students, and will be dissemminated through the realisation of a poster session allowing the mutualisation of the work of the different working (16 transnational) groups. During the implementa- tion of „cooperative engineering” around inclusion and STEM teaching approaches by deconstructing representations of these objects to identify European variables and in- variants, an „online serious game”, and an accompanying guide is to be developed. The production of at least 4 teaching units (one per transnational team), two of which will be in mathematics and two in earth sciences (at least one unit is taught in the mother tongue and another in a CLIL approach) will be filmed and analysed by each “cooperative en- gineering” group on the eTwinning platform. Several activities will be used to produce resources, which in turn will be scripted into am5-hour MOOC training module to be made available on the platform already developed as part of the DICO+ project. Conclusions. In conclusion, the structure of the DISCO+ project will enable it to ad- dress the entire educational community in each country, including pupils, teachers, fu- ture teachers, trainers of trainers and inspectors.

Lessons from long‐term research: Diptera species turnover and dominance shifts with respect to climate‐driven changes

Abstract The diverse pressures of climate change have influenced many habitats, especially freshwater ones, due to their greater sensitivity to stressors. Aquatic Diptera make up more than 50% off all aquatic insect species described, which makes them an ideal group to monitor changing climate as their diverse assemblages can reflect functions within the entire community. The aim of this research was to identify variations in the aquatic dipteran community during a 15‐year period at a tufa barrier in a karst barrage lake system and to determine the environmental factors that have the highest influence on this community. We analysed monthly data collected between 2007 and 2021, when we collected adult specimens using 6 pyramid‐type emergence traps. In total, 167 taxa from 13 different families were gathered. NMDS based on Bray–Curtis similarity analysis amongst assemblages revealed the segregation of samples based on different current velocities and substrates, indicating the importance of microhabitats in dipteran community structuring. Dipteran taxa indicative of specific 5‐year time periods within the research were identified and were associated with changes in environmental conditions especially discharge. The threshold indicator taxa analysis revealed specific species' responses to changing discharge rates. The study shows that discharge rate, not water temperature, is the critical factor shaping dipteran composition, whether by removing or adding taxa to the community. Species turnover showed an overall decrease in species numbers, that is, species richness, throughout the research period. We conclude that changes in the dipteran community, because of the vast functional traits, niches, adaptations and species diversity of the group, are not visible when analysing just the diversity indices. When determining environmental influence on the community in long‐term research, they should be combined with other data such as the overall abundance, the total number of species, as well as the species turnover.

Dignified Branding and Its Role in the Cryptomarket

The advent of decentralized digital economies, particularly in the cryptomarket, necessitates new and ethical marketing approaches that prioritize transparency, trust, and long-term value. Dignified Branding (DB), a concept introduced by Mandeep Gupta, proposes a revolutionary shift away from the traditional commission-driven network marketing model by focusing on community-driven, volunteer-based product promotion. This paper examines the core principles of Dignified Branding and its potential impact on the cryptomarket. The absence of financial incentives, commissions, and competitive influences in DB creates a novel approach, one that aims to build trust, promote education, and ensure that the entire community benefits rather than individual investors.

A Collaborative Approach to Promote Sustainable Learning for Vulnerable Learners in Zimbabwean Rural Secondary Schools

Purpose. Many children who attend rural schools are faced with challenges which make them vulnerable. Vulnerability does not only affect those learners, but it also disrupts the teaching and learning process; that is teachers and other learners and the well-being of people in the community. Arguably, the responsibility of supporting learners who are vulnerable so that they can attain an education which is sustainable rests in the hands of the entire community. The purpose of this study was to explore how a collaborative approach utilising community capitals can promote sustainable learning for vulnerable learners in Zimbabwean rural secondary schools. The study used the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) as the analytical framework for the study. Methodology. The study employed a qualitative methodology using Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) paradigms. Data were generated through discussion meetings and photovoice with learners, teachers, and parents from two rural secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Fairclough’s (1992) critical discourse analysis principles and a photovoice methodology were used for data analysis. Results. Results show that there is a need to develop a good learning environment, community engagement, and untap opportunities in local capitals to support the vulnerable learners, enhancing sustainable learning. The study also stresses the need for a positive relationship and engagement with communities, alongside leveraging all the types of capital in the community, including human capital, cultural capital, built capital, and social capital to mitigate some of the risks that learners may face. Conclusions. From the study, it is evident that a stakeholder-supported approach and leveraging on community capital is an appropriate way of addressing learner vulnerability and fostering learning in the rural secondary schools in Zimbabwe. The involvement of the community can also be used as a force to encourage the development of an environment conducive to learning that will foster the achievement of the education goals for vulnerable learners.

Determinants Brand Loyalty For Wardah Skincare in Riau Provinsi

This research discusses the influence of brand image, halal awareness and Islamic branding on brand loyalty among muslim consumers. This research aims to understand how these three variables interact and influence consumer decisions to remain loyal to a brand, particularly in the context of sharia based products. The method used is a quantitative approach with data collection through questionnaires distributed to consumers who use halal labeled products. The research population is the entire muslim community spread across cities in riau province. Convenience sampling is a type of sample where respondents are obtained randomly totaling 200 respondents. Research results show that a good integration of halal awareness can positively enhance brand loyalty, as consumers feel that halal awareness aligns with their personal and religious values. Unlike brand image and Islamic branding is not well integrated with brand loyalty. This research identifies gaps in the existing literature regarding the simultaneous influence of the three variables, with a significance value of 0.000.

Crimes against Palestinian Civilians Under Zionist Occupation

Throughout its long history, humanity has coexisted with conflicts, power, influence, policies of violence and distress, bloodbaths, massacres, racial calamities and famines. Its present and future visions are still subject to horrors, hardships and tragedies. International humanitarian law has come to express these values in legal language that imposes the obligation on the States parties that make up these agreements. The basic rules and principles of this law have become a set of values accepted by the entire international community and to know that the civilian population is the first to be exposed in most cases to acts of aggression and violence. In different parts of the world, we are witnessing the process of ethnic cleansing, mass killings and atrocities committed against civilians and destroying their homes and property. This is what prompted the researcher to choose his research ( crimes committed against Palestinian civilians under the Zionist occupation) to answer many questions, including knowing who are civilians through the concept of crimes against civilians. The international trend of retaliation against civilians was rejected during the military operations. In the UN General Assembly resolution adopted in 1970, it is not permissible to retaliate against the civilian population, whether they are a group or individuals in armed conflicts. Civilians, in particular, within the framework of international humanitarian law, which is a newly established law that includes a set of international legal rules targeting situations of armed conflict and the protection of civilians suffering from the scourge of this conflict , and the subsequent military occupation. The rules of international humanitarian law are characterized by moral highness, as they codify the rules of morality that must prevail during armed conflict and military occupation

Implementation Dynamics and Project Delivery: A Case Study of Tullow Oil Exploration in Turkana, Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of community stakeholder involvement in the implementation process on project delivery by the Tullow Oil Exploration Company in South Lokichar Basin in Turkana, Kenya. Methodology: The study utilized a descriptive research design that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection. While qualitative design was predominantly utilized, a small amount of quantitative methodology was included to assess perceptions. A triangulated methodological design was employed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data. The study involved the use of questionnaire method to collect quantitative data and key informants guide and focus group discussion to collect qualitative data. This research adopted multistage sampling utilizing cluster sampling as one of the sampling methods and the first stage of sampling, where villages were divided into clusters which were later randomly sampled based on their proximity to the oil wells. Two villages from Lokori / Kochodin Ward in Turkana South Sub-County and eight villages in Lokichar Ward in Turkana South Sub-County were randomly picked. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive analysis and inferential analysis (cross-tabulation with chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses) by use of SPSS version 25. Qualitative data was analysed based on Content Analysis (CA) method. Findings: The study revealed community stakeholder involvement in the implementation process had statistically significant effect on community project delivery by Tullow Oil Exploration Company in South Lokichar Basin in Turkana, Kenya (X2=8.161, df=1, p-value = .000 and p-value=.037 (<0.05 respectively). Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Stakeholder Theory emphasizes the need for companies to take a wider view of their economic activities and consider all other stakeholders' interests, not just the shareholders. Its contributions to the descriptive, normative, and instrumental elements of Stakeholder Theory are thus underlined by the fact that community engagement may make or break the success and sustainability of community projects in this industry even during the implementation phase itself. It hence requires a balancing of the expectations of a Company with those of the community so that all the stakeholders really share goals and vision in similar ways concerning the community project at hand. The actual study indicates that, in practice, the effective participation of community stakeholders throughout the entire community project cycle-identification, planning, and especially implementation-enhances project delivery while at the same time enhancing ownership and cooperation at the local level. Such understanding of stakeholder management is key when companies operate their business in marginalized areas for the purpose of mitigating risks, community resistance, and ensuring easier ways of executing community projects. This research, therefore, calls for legal and regulatory environments that enhance stakeholder involvement in resource extraction projects. From a policy perspective, the government of Kenya and any other relevant country should develop policies that ensure that companies adopt formal mechanisms involving direct consultations of communities in the decision-making and operations processes. It is through this that the process reflects transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability-one of the facets of successful long-term community projects in resource-rich areas. These contributions are aimed at the improvement of project delivery in a sustainable manner together with social harmony across large-scale extraction-impacted areas.

Research Ethics, Fieldwork, and African Studies

In recent years, there has been a noticeable uptick in efforts to address the ethical, methodological, and security challenges of conducting field research. In fact, an entire scholarly community has emerged from different pockets of area and conflict studies to develop and share a body of literature and foster interactive forums to advance this important area of study.1 Much of this work builds on the influential accounts of individual researchers (Wood 2006), which has developed into more systematic categories for the myriad issues of fieldwork (Sriram et al. 2009), as well as frameworks to understand researcher-related, subject-related, and result-related problems (Baele et al. 2018). Some have noted that the challenges associated with ethics, security, and methods are “amplified in conflict zones” (Cramer, Hammond, and Pottier 2011). Others have observed the African context in particular may require its own approach (Thomson, Ansoms, and Murison 2013), prompting the journal African Affairs to dedicate space to a series of research notes that tackle fieldwork in particular (Cheeseman, Death, and Whitfield 2017).

Preservice Librarians and Principals' Hiring Practice

Every year, principals face the challenge of hiring staff to fill the open positions on their campus and may only hire one or two school librarians during their tenure. School principals can build a cohesive team to help ensure student success by hiring staff with strong leadership skills. School librarian preparation standards suggest that school librarians be educated to serve as leaders (American Library Association, American Association of School Libraries, & Council for the Accreditation of Educators Preparation, 2019). Moreover, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) advocates for the leadership role of school librarians in its mission statement (2018). Research indicates that transformational leadership behaviors apply to school librarians because they interact with the entire school community and may serve as change agents to positively transform their school’s culture (Smith, 2011). This study posits that principals often hire preservice school librarians instead of experienced school librarians. Therefore, there is a need to understand the relationship between the hiring criteria identified by principals and the leadership role specified in the school librarian standards. This mixed-methods study examines the criterion principals use to hire librarians and their alignment with the transformational leadership behaviors of preservice librarians.

Chronic Shame: Emotional Navigation Through Segregation, Migration, and Ethnic Phobia

This article explores the experience and implications of shame among migrants and refugees, illustrating how societal attitudes, particularly anti-Muslim and anti-Caucasian sentiments, perpetuate feelings of exclusion and self-depreciation. Utilizing the author’s personal narrative as a refugee, it unveils how negative stereotypes and the mass media’s portrayal of people from the North Caucasus in Russia contribute to a “them vs. US” mind-set. This division fosters a social environment where Caucasians and Muslims feel alienated, not only by their visible ethnicity but also through systemic oppression. Shame emerges as a crucial emotion for those stigmatized due to their ethnic or religious backgrounds, underscoring the need for more inclusive societal attitudes that recognize the diverse contributions of all cultural groups. The article argues that shame is not an individual failing but a consequence of broader social and political narratives that marginalize entire communities, pointing toward the necessity of acknowledging and addressing these issues to foster a more understanding and unified society.

«Автобиография профессора Николая Иосифовича Воробьева»

The publication is a commentary and the text of the handwritten autobiography of N.I. Vorobyev. The document is introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time. The undertaken analysis of the text allowed us to identify new facts from the life and work of the researcher and to grasp their context. The document is dated March 2, 1947 and was written by the scholar during his work at Kazan State University. N.I. Vorobyev lists in detail the facts about his parents, the process of receiving an education, the beginning of his teaching and research work. He reveals the evolution of his own academic interests, from geography to ethnography, and highlights the author’s scholarly papers that are of significance from his point of view. The document mentions N.I. Vorobyev’s research work in the Far East dedicated to the study of the life of the Nanai (the Golds) and in the Mari ASSR – limnological studies of lakes. The researcher emphasises his work on methodological support of teachers. A separate chapter of the autobiography contains a description of the academic’s participation in the work of various public scholarly organisations. N.I. Vorobyev focuses on the important aspects of his life that correspond to the spirit of those times. This is the recognition of his political unconsciousness in the first years of the Soviet power, service in the Red Army as a private soldier. The autobiography of N.I. Vorobyev is a valuable, informative source. It shows not only the significance of individual milestones in his life and work for the scholar himself, but also reveals the distinctive features of the Soviet era, which formed the conditions for work for the entire academic community.

Earth science for all? The economic barrier to European geoscience conferences

Abstract. Scientific meetings are vital for research development and networking. However, these events often reflect unconscious biases and barriers to diversity, particularly affecting marginalized groups. The future success of the geosciences depends on diversity, which enhances problem-solving and innovation through varied perspectives. This study examines the attendance diversity at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly from 2005 to 2024, focusing on the impact of economic factors, distance, and population size on participation. Using publicly available data from the World Bank and the EGU, this study finds that gross national income (GNI) is the primary determinant of attendance, especially post-COVID. Distance also influences attendance but to a lesser extent, while population size shows a weak correlation. To improve diversity in academic conferences, we suggest facilitating donations, offering affordable accommodations, establishing additional travel funds, and rotating the conference location. Our actions must go beyond the EGU General Assembly and other geoscience conferences, as these actions can also help dismantle barriers to inclusivity in other areas of our community. By addressing these financial and systemic barriers, geoscience conferences can become more inclusive, benefiting the entire scientific community.

Ground-breaking approach to enabling fully solar renewable energy communities

Renewable Energy Communities are an important strategy of the EU, to promote and optimize the distributed deployment of renewable generation systems. At current incentives and costs, RECs that share the energy produced by PV/battery systems are expected to take the lion's share of distributed generation. In this paper, we highlight some important critical issues in electric system management that could result from the deployment of RECs if PV/battery system generation cannot meet the entire community demand. Thus, we show how a flexible PV system (PV/battery systems able to provide firm/dispatchable generation) can be cost-effectively dimensioned to supply 24/365 96%–97 % of the demand of a residential users' community. We demonstrate that flexible PV systems of 1/10 MWp with 1.2/12 MWh of storage capacity can supply communities of 142/1420 residential users at a least production cost of 0.12/0.096 €/kWh. We further provide two business models based on power purchase agreement to demonstrate that, at these production costs, fully solar RECs are currently techno-economically feasible and provide mutual benefits to both flexible PV producers and REC members. Suitable virtual corporate PPAs can reduce the electric bill of the REC members by 11%–5% without requiring any investments and increase the producer incomes by 18%–22 %.

Современное состояние терроризма в Российской Федерации

The article analyzes the specific provisions of the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of countering terrorism in a rapidly changing reality, as well as problematic issues arising from the implementation of these provisions; identification of criminologically significant causes and conditions for the commission of terrorist crimes; identification of legislative gaps and law enforcement problems in this area, development of sound proposals for their solution. In this regard, the problem of terrorism turns out to be relevant not only for Russia, but also for the entire world community. This fact is due to the fact that terrorism poses a danger to the state, its integrity, sovereignty, various institutions (public, legal, state, economic, etc.), property, legitimate human and civil rights and freedoms, as well as encroach on the health and life of an individual, etc. The article notes that various manifestations of terrorism encroach on various.