External Action Research Articles

Extériorité des définitions versus réalité des usages : où va se blottir la subjectivité des lexico-graphes ?

Kinesthesia, the internal sensation of movement, is most often assessed through sight, in relation to its external correlates – action and spatial position. This paper investigates a symptom of this tension in French: the discrepancy between dictionary definitions and written uses of the verb blottir or the adjectival participle blotti. On the one hand, from Furetière (1690) to the online Grand Robert, lexicographers restrict their definitions to an external action that makes the ‘blotti’ object less voluminous and/or less visible. On the other hand, from as early as 1844, authors have used this lexical field to refer to intimate interaction with the environment. A search of the Frantext database reveals that for the last century and a half, dictionary entries have lacked a meaning such as: [to seek bodily contact with something or someone in order to achieve physical and/or emotional well- being]. Today, this meaning accounts for almost half of all occurrences. The study thus points to a twofold omission in the work of lexicographers: the late and partial consideration of the ‘subjective interaction with people or objects’ component in favour of exteriority alone, and the complete neglect of the tactile-kinesthetic implications of movement in favour of spatial position alone.

Influence of the shape of abrasive soil particles on the regularities of destruction of structural steels during wear

The article presents the results of studying the patterns of destruction and their influence on the wear resistance of structural steels: steel 45, steel 65G and steel 28MnB5 when moving in soils with different abrasive particle shape factors. The phenomenon of the presence of a critical abrasive particle shape factor (CPSF) was established, up to which the wear resistance of steels decreases. In the supercritical region, wear resistance is stabilized, and the differences between its values of the studied steels are significantly reduced. When forming wear resistance, the role of the particle shape factor is to regulate active deformation and fatigue phenomena by means of the level of external force action on the working surface and is realized through the rheological-fatigue parameter, which is controlled by the cyclic viscosity of steel deformation. In this regard, the choice of structural steel grade for the manufacture of machine parts intended for use in soils with different abrasive particle shape factors must be made based on its ranking by the rheological-fatigue parameter. It is shown that in the strength basis of the steel wear mechanism under sliding friction in soils with different particle shape factors, in addition to the resistance to the propagation of axial and radial fatigue cracks in the destructive deformation layer, an important role is played by the resistance to the initiation and propagation of lateral fatigue cracks at its boundary with the plastic-destructive deformation layer, and the mechanical component of the contact interaction is decisive. It is established that under wear in soils with different particle shape factors, the action of the softening process is more effective than the hardening process. In the supercritical region, the intensity of steel softening is significantly reduced due to the increase in the effectiveness of the hardening action due to the dispersion hardening of steel. However, no qualitative changes in the metal wear process are observed

Assessing and monitoring with ultrasonic pulse velocity testing the critical effects of hygrothermal actions on the infill masonry walls of the envelope of buildings with reinforced concrete structure

The external envelope of buildings with reinforced concrete structures (RCS buildings) is usually subjected to various external environmental actions. Among these external environmental actions, hygrothermal actions are particularly relevant, mainly related to external temperature and humidity variations. These variations could negatively influence the hygrothermal behavior of that envelope and lead to problems related to an increased risk of material degradation of the external face of unreinforced masonry (URM) infill walls of the building envelope URM infill. In the survey of the degradation of these URM infill walls and of concrete elements, nondestructive evaluation (NDE), such as ultrasonic pulse velocity testing (UPV testing), had been used before. The main objective of the study is to assess the potential use of UPV testing in the evaluation of the influence of moisture content in the behavior of URM infill walls, and the methodology of the study consists, firstly, concerning the hygrothermal actions, which RCS buildings are subjected, which are here described summarily. An assessment is made of the most usual types of degradation of URM infill walls of the envelope of RCS buildings, mainly due to moisture and thermal effects in URM infill walls. UPV testing in the survey of the degradation of the external face of URM infill walls of the building envelope, essentially due to hygrothermal actions, is analyzed, based on an example of the use of UPV testing in a building façade. Subsequently, the potential use of UPV testing in evaluating the influence of moisture content in the behavior of URM infill wall is made, particularly with the use of UPV testing in a compression test of a masonry specimen with variable moisture content during the test. Their results are presented, followed by a discussion of these results, and finally by the conclusions of the study.

From interoception to control over the internal body: The ideomotor hypothesis of voluntary interoaction.

When it comes to body movements in external space, people are experts in learning fine-grained voluntary control, for example, when manipulating tiny objects. Voluntarily controlling actions in the internal body (e.g., decreasing heart rate), however, is far more difficult and requires dedicated training, for example, in meditation or yoga. Not much is currently known about the learning mechanism underlying the acquisition of voluntary control over internal visceromotor actions (i.e., interoaction) or why it is so difficult compared to controlling our external somatomotor actions (i.e., exteroaction). We propose the ideomotor hypothesis of voluntary interoaction in this article, which asserts that voluntary exteroactions and interoactions are governed by the same general principle, namely, the anticipation of sensory feedback. We apply this hypothesis to two techniques that can be used to acquire voluntary control over interoactions, that is, autogenic training and biofeedback training. As the afferent signal we receive from interoaction (i.e., interoceptive signals from the internal body) is of lower sensory quality than the afferent signal that we receive from exteroaction (i.e., exteroceptive signals from the external environment), this hypothesis explains why learning to control interoactions is more difficult. We propose ways in which to test predictions from this hypothesis and show its theoretical value by comparing it to other frameworks in the literature. We hope that this work motivates future empirical studies directly examining voluntary interoaction and its clinical applications, such as autogenic and biofeedback training, and mind-body practices more generally. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT FACTORS ON THE STABILITY BY ROLLING PROCESS IN THE WIRE BLOCK

One of the leading trends in the development of modern metallurgical manufacturing is the improvement of wire rod production using wire blocks. For existing continuous rolling mills, it is important to maximize the use of equipment capabilities both to improve the quality of products and to reduce the loss of metal and other resources for the adjustment and realize of technological modes at production. Effective technical solutions require scientific justification based on research results. To assess the boundary conditions of the stable rolling process, the average integral of the longitudinal forces at the plastically deformed metal is used. In physical terms, the vector of this force, which opposes the movement of the metal, cannot be directed along the motion of the sample, so the values of the force itself cannot be positive. The assessment of the longitudinal stability of the strip in the rolls (the possibility of a stable rolling process) is as follows: the process is implemented at negative values of the force value, zero value is the limit, at positive values the process is impossible. Analysis of the deformation process in the wire block of rolling mill 200 proved that the specific stresses in the stands should be insignificant because the resource of the forces that draw the metal into the rolls is limited. A more significant influence on the longitudinal stability of the process is the back tension. To ensure the stability of the process, especially in the first passes, the grip angle must be close in value to the coefficient of friction. With an increase in the coefficient of friction, the rolling of wire rod in the wire block becomes more stable. The results of the research show that in the case of external actions on the object, it is theoretically possible to find the limits of self-regulation for the rolling process in a wire block.Whenimplemented, thetechnique makes it possible to assess the limits of self-regulation not only by changes in the size of the workpiece, but by the amount of gauges wear in the rolls, in accordance with changes in friction conditions, temperature of the strip and other parameters.

The EU’s Geopolitical Awakening Following the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: How the Commission Shifted from a Regulatory Market-Based Approach to a Geopolitical Approach in Its External Energy Policy

The Ukraine invasion has been a watershed moment in EU-Russia gas relations, which has resulted in a shift in the European Commission’s (EC’s) approach towards Russia and European energy policy. Whilst the EC has traditionally followed a rule-based market approach in its external energy relations with Russia, there appears to have been a shift from the prevailing liberal market model to a more strategic and geopolitical approach focused on energy security.Although the EC has sometimes displayed tendencies of a realist nature, these realist elements in its external action have been exacerbated following the invasion of Ukraine. This article engages in a theoretical debate between the conceptualizations of the EU as a liberal actor versus the perception of the EU as a realist actor. Whilst there is literature to support both views, the debate can be further developed after the war in Ukraine. Since the invasion, the EC appears to have undertaken a more robust and coherent stance towards Russia in its commitment to decouple European economies from Russian gas to ensure EU energy security. The change in objectives illustrate a shift in the EU’s energy policy from the liberal paradigm of markets to geopolitics, as the new dynamics of EU-Russia energy relations, following the invasion of Ukraine.

Who calls the shots? Development banks and the politics of de-risking in European external finance

To confront global challenges and to assert itself more firmly on the international stage, the EU has not only expanded its overall budget for external action. It has also increasingly deployed de-risking instruments, like blending and guarantees, aimed at leveraging financial resources from other actors. This raises important questions regarding the governance of European external finance. To unpack these issues, this paper reviews the rise and consolidation of blending and guarantees in the institutional and budgetary architecture of EU development policy. It traces how these instruments – originally conceived as vehicles for leveraging private sector finance – have instead led to the rise of European development banks, most notably the European Investment Bank. We argue that development banks offer a middle-ground, as the European Commission seeks to manage the tensions and trade-offs between leveraging financial resources, on the one hand, and retaining a strong steering role in its external action, on the other.

The influence of external action on the dynamics of elastic, thermal and concentration waves propagation

This paper presents the nonlinear coupled mathematical model allowing investigating the interrelation between the mechanical, thermal and diffusion processes in solid body. The model takes into account the finiteness of relaxation times of mass and heat fluxes. This is of interest for dynamical processes with characteristic times comparable to relaxation times, when the changes in the temperature and impurity concentration are described by hyperbolic thermal conductivity and diffusion equations. Additionally, the model takes into account the temperature and concentration dependencies of the diffusion coefficients; it gives rise to additional nonlinearity. The model is thermodynamically consistent and follows from the nonlinear equations of the thermoelastic diffusion theory. The implicit difference scheme of second approximation order in time and spatial steps, linearization relatively to known time moment and double-sweep method are used for the numerical implementation of the equation system. Examples of interrelating wave propagating under external actions are considered. The results show that distortions in the strain/stress and temperature distributions appear due to the interaction between the phenomena of different physical nature. The specific rates of different physical processes are different. Although diffusion is the slowest of them all, the influence of the diffusion wave is reflected in stress and strain waves far beyond the diffusion wave front. It is shown that regardless of the external action character and impulse form, the influence of the considered processes on each other does not change, but the wave picture becomes much more complicated with increasing number of actions.

Cultural heritage as a field for EU’s action in external relations: the evolution of strategy and the Ukrainian check

The European Union’s systemic engagement in the field of cultural heritage in the external relations is a relatively new and still emerging area. This is a complex action field that requires the Union to find systemic solutions that will enable it to act effectively and make full use of cultural heritage as an instrument of its foreign policy. The process of conceptualising and adopting political decisions in order to introduce the protection, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage as a field of EU action in external relations lasted from 2016 to 2022. Influenced by internal and external factors, the concept on EU Approach to Cultural Heritage in External Action evolved. A few months before the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, the Council of the European Union adopted Conclusions on EU Approach to Cultural Heritage in Conflicts and Crises. The war in Ukraine and Russia's destruction and threat to Ukrainian tangible and intangible cultural heritage has become a significant test of the EU's capabilities in this field. The text is divided into two parts. The first is an analysis of the process of integrating cultural heritage into the EU's strategy in external relations, while the second attempts to answer the question of how the EU has activated the mechanisms and instruments adopted to protect Ukraine's endangered cultural heritage in the face of Russia's systemic destructive measures.

(Invited) air/Liquid Interfacial Formation Process of Electrically Conductive Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheets

Development of rational methods for creating ordered two-dimensional (2D) structures with nanometer scale precision is one of the central issues in the nanoscience and nanotechnology fields because of their intrinsic physical-chemical properties which are seen in those of their equivalent bulk state. Inclusion of highly regulated nanopores into the nanosheet structure will further open the possible applications such as nanosieves, molecular/ion storage and sensor devices as well as introducing guest molecules into the nanopores tune variedly the sheet properties (electric conduction, nanoheterojunction). Utilizing molecular building units are suitable for creating such porous nanosheets because of rich variety of design and facile modification of size and shape.Here, I present a facile bottom-up synthesis of molecular nanosheets with both positional and size regulated nanopores utilizing air/liquid interfaces[1-5]. By applying liquid interfaces, growth direction of the object can be well controlled with utilizing self-assembly feature of the molecules under mild conditions. We have succeeded to tune finely the nanosheet structures by rational modification of molecular building units . The highly crystalline structure remains after transferring a solid substrate from the liquid surface as well as without any supports. Notably, such highly oriented porous crystalline structure is obtained specifically by applying bottom up synthesis at air/liquid interfaces, not by other techniques.I also present detailed insights into the formation process of electrically conductive MOF nanosheets composed of 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene (HITP) and Ni(II) ions (HITP-Ni-NS) at the air/liquid interface [6-8]. The morphological and structural features of HITP-Ni-NS strongly depend on the standing time—the time without any external actions involved, but leaving the interface undisturbed after setting the ligand solution onto the metal-ion solution. We find that the fundamental features of HITP-Ni-NS are determined by the standing time with conductivity sensitively influenced by such pre-determined HITP-Ni-NS characteristics. These findings will lead towards the establishment of a rational strategy for creating MOF nanosheets at the air/liquid interface with desired properties, thereby accelerating their use in diverse potential applications.1. R. Makiura et al. Nature Mater. 9, 565 (2010).2. S. Motoyama, R. Makiura, O. Sakata, H. Kitagawa, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 5640 (2011).3. R. Makiura, O. Konovalov, Sci. Rep. 3, 2506 (2013).4. R. Makiura et al. ACS Nano, 11, 10875–10882 (2017).5. R. Makiura et al, Coord. Chem. Rev. 469, 214650 (2022).6. R. Makiura et al, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 13, 54570 (2021).7. R. Makiura et al, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 651, 769 (2023).8. R. Makiura et al, Langmuir. 39, 8952 (2023). Figure 1

Sensing expectation enables simultaneous proprioception and contact detection in an intelligent soft continuum robot

A high-level perceptual model found in the human brain is essential to guide robotic control when facing perception-intensive interactive tasks. Soft robots with inherent softness may benefit from such mechanisms when interacting with their surroundings. Here, we propose an expected-actual perception-action loop and demonstrate the model on a sensorized soft continuum robot. By sensing and matching expected and actual shape (1.4% estimation error on average), at each perception loop, our robot system rapidly (detection within 0.4 s) and robustly detects contact and distinguishes deformation sources, whether external and internal actions are applied separately or simultaneously. We also show that our soft arm can accurately perceive contact direction in both static and dynamic configurations (error below 10°), even in interactive environments without vision. The potential of our method are demonstrated in two experimental scenarios: learning to autonomously navigate by touching the walls, and teaching and repeating desired configurations of position and force through interaction with human operators.

Positional asphyxia: Potpourri of cases

A legal medicine specialist will likely be able to observe a variety of situations in which positional asphyxia, a deadly condition resulting from the adoption of specific body positions that cause mechanical interference with pulmonary ventilation, can occur (work, car accidents, torture, kidnapping, etc.). In these circumstances the cause of death is typically difficult to determine because the patient typically presents with a distinct anatomo-pathologic appearance.Because of chest compression, positional asphyxia can occasionally be difficult to differentiate from asphyxia. The primary distinction is in how the incident happened: that is, if the specific posture that resulted in asphyxia was acquired voluntarily or was due to an external mechanical action that led to traumatic asphyxia.Three basic criteria are used to diagnose positional asphyxia: the body posture must impede normal gas exchange , moving to a different position must be impossible, and alternative cause of natural or violent death must be ruled out. The authors here present a series of five cases drawn from the professional experience to highlight the primary patho-physiologic and diagnostic causes of positional asphyxia.

Structural health assessment of existing dams based on non-destructive testing, physics-based models and machine learning tools

The safe operation of dams is ensured by monitoring systems that collect periodic information on environmental conditions (for example, temperature and water level) and on the structural response to external actions. In newly built or retrofitted facilities, large networks of sensors can take daily measurements that are automatically transferred to servers. In other cases, additional information can be acquired, occasionally or systematically, through emerging drone-based non-contact full-field techniques.The measurements are processed by various analytical and machine learning tools trained on historical data sets, capable of highlighting any anomalous recordings. Monitoring data can also support the accurate calibration of a physics-based model of the structure, usually built in the finite element framework. The analyses carried out by the digital twin allow the experimental database to be expanded with the displacements evaluated in the event of extreme environmental conditions, damage or collapse mechanisms never occurred before.This contribution illustrates an integrated approach to the safety assessment of existing dams that combines experimental, computational and data processing methodologies. Attention is particularly focused on model calibration procedures and on the uncertainties that influence the characteristics of the joints. The presented results of the validation studies performed by the Authors on benchmark and real-scale problems highlight the merits and limitations of alternative approaches to data exploitation and remote measurement.

Tend to one's own house: The effect of firm CSR on employee effort

AbstractWe examine whether a firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions that benefit external parties can cause the firm's employees to reduce their effort. We expect employees will reduce their effort in response to their firm's external CSR actions when they perceive that they are treated poorly by the firm and that the firm's external CSR actions use resources that could have been readily transferred toward improving employee treatment. We expect that, when employees hold both of these perceptions, they will react negatively to the firm's CSR actions due to heightened feelings of unfairness. Results support our expectations and theory. We find that employees respond negatively to CSR only when they perceive that they are treated poorly by their firm and that CSR uses transferable resources. Further, we find these effects are driven by employees' perceptions of the fairness of their firm's actions toward employees. Our study suggests that firms should consider how employees perceive their treatment by the firm and the transferability of the resources used for CSR actions that benefit external parties.

Changing Nature of Consumer Values Toward Negative Word of Mouth: Voice and Risk Avoidance as Moderators

ABSTRACTGiven the increasing role of word of mouth (WOM), and primarily the impact of negative WOM on the decision‐making of today's retail consumers, it is essential to understand the changing nature of consumer values (monetary, functional, emotional and social), emotion and attitude toward negative WOM. The current study's data were collected using two online surveys in 2015 and 2019, with 290 participants in Study 1 and 201 in Study 2. The intention behind using two different time points over a 4‐year span was to capture the differences in consumers' views over the two periods. The study's findings suggested that social and emotional values remained unchanged; however, monetary and functional values changed over time. Interestingly, attitudes altered toward complaining, although the relationships between taking external action and negative WOM were unchanged in both studies. Consumers raising their voice and consumers' risk‐taking attributes were found to be significant moderators in Study 1 but not in Study 2. The findings provide useful insights into the negative WOM literature and have implications for marketing practitioners, as highlighted in the paper's conclusion.

From inner needs to external actions: the impact of face consciousness on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior

ABSTRACT Research on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior has been receiving increasing attention, yet there remains a significant gap in understanding how to ensure the sustainability of such behavior. Drawing on the proactive motivation model, this study examines the influence of face consciousness on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior in China. Structural equation modeling analyzed data from 598 tourists in Chengdu. Findings show that gaining face promotes tourists’ pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, green self-efficacy, perceived insider status, and harmonious environmental passion mediate the relationship between face consciousness and tourists’ pro-environmental behavior. Sincere social interaction enhances the positive influence of gaining face through perceived insider status and harmonious environmental passion on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior. This study enriches the existing literature on the relationship between face consciousness and tourists’ pro-environmental behavior, and also provides management basis for promoting tourists’ sustained engagement in pro-environmental behavior.

European Institutional Discourse Concerning the Russian Invasion of Ukraine on the Social Network X

The outbreak at the end of February 2022 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine—and the Russian–Ukrainian hostilities that began in 2014 with the Euromaidan—has led to numerous dramatic episodes from both a humanitarian and an informative perspective. In this context, social media have been filled with rhetoric and narrative mechanisms, both from civil society organisations and from European media and institutions, in their eagerness to define their position within the dialectical battle. This research aims to address organisational communication in the European Union during the first year after the invasion, taking as its object of study the publications of four institutional bodies: European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, and European External Action Service. For this purpose, a content analysis of tweets was carried out, as well as in-depth interviews with specialised actors in institutional communication and disinformation at the EU level. Overall, the results show that the parallel narrative of the Commission, the Parliament, the Council, and the EEAS has been quite similar and lacks significant divergences, reflecting coherence and coordination in the communication strategies around the Ukrainian war, although there are interesting findings on the interaction of the institutions with the media and other civil society actors in communicating this international crisis via social media.

The Interaction of Substate Actors with the Global Public:

This article aims to explain the external persuasive actions of the Aceh Provincial Government in maintaining its Islamic identity through “The Light of Aceh” branding towards the global community. This action is referred to as paradiplomacy. As one of the subnational actors in Indonesia, Aceh Province is an area that has social and political dynamics from before independence to the present. Aceh has a distinctive identity and culture known as Serambi Mekah. Because of its efforts to maintain this identity, Aceh once fought for independence from Indonesia. Aceh's paradiplomacy certainly has different dynamics. However, the effort to maintain its identity has been a struggle from the past to the present. In the independence era, Aceh tried to fight for its identity with the struggle for independence, but in the post-independence era, Aceh fought for its regional interests through the framework of Regional Autonomy by establishing foreign relations and diplomacy to the global community. This research uses the theories of paradiplomacy and social identity to explain the persuasive actions taken by the Aceh Provincial Government through paradiplomacy to maintain its social identity. This research uses a qualitative method with data collection from interviews with relevant informants, documentation studies and internet-based studies. The results of this research show that the Aceh Provincial Government's paradiplomacy efforts to maintain its Islamic identity are carried out through branding “The Light of Aceh” by incorporating Islamic values in various components of the branding such as the main values of branding, logo philosophy, and branding commercial advertising videos. These values are socialised to the global community through various international activities by showcasing culture in dances, poems of clothing at international festivals, so that Aceh is better known by the global community with its Islamic identity.

Control of the Motion of an Inverted Spherical Pendulum on a Moving Base. Hybrid Impact Approach

A new hybrid method for the construction of control actions of a linear control system with constant coefficients is considered in this paper. It is assumed in this paper that a part of the discussed system meets some conditions. Some states of the main system are considered to be control actions for a subsystem for which and LQR stabilizer is acquired. Then, those control actions of the subsystem are used to construct the control actions for the main system. In the problem of controlling the motion of a complex linear system of an inverted spherical pendulum on a moving base, a new approach to the construction of control actions (hybrid action method) was used. It is assumed that a component of the complex system under discussion satisfies certain conditions. The inertial forces at the center of mass of the base of the composite system are considered to be the controlling influences on the inversion of the pendulum, for which the LQR stabilizer was purchased. The determined internal control actions on the inverted pendulum are then used to construct external control actions on the base of the composite system. In the end, a numerical analysis was carried out.

Disinformation challenges facing the Three Seas Initiative – frame analysis of the key narratives

By exploiting the potential of social media, disinformation has become an important element of warfare. The region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is particularly vulnerable to disinformation, primarily from Russia. One of the reasons for Russia’s activities in this region’s infosphere is that most CEE countries are members of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In this context, Russian disinformation activities aimed at the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) are particularly interesting. The image of the 3SI created in the media is crucial, for it translates into how the public understands, perceives and recalls this format of cooperation. The article aims to reconstruct the image of the 3SI in cases of Russian disinformation identified by the European External Action Service within the EUvsDisinfo project. The article’s methodology is based on a qualitative content analysis of disinformation cases identified by EUvsDisinfo. The article identifies four main frames of disinformation targeting the 3SI, showing that Russian disinformation is focused on undermining the credibility and integrity of this cooperation, both among Initiative countries and between them and their international partners.