Four-year Cycle Research Articles

Spatiotemporal Variations in Carbon Sources and Sinks in National Park Ecosystem and the Impact of Tourism

The capacity of carbon sinks varies among the different types of ecosystems, and whether national parks, as an important type of nature reserve, have a high carbon sink capacity (CSC) and whether eco-tourism in national parks affects their CSC are the main scientific issues discussed. Using MODIS Net Primary Production (NPP) product data, this study analysed the spatiotemporal variation in carbon sources and sinks (CSSs) in the ecosystem of Huangshan National Park from 2000 to 2020, as well as the impact of tourism on these carbon sources and sinks. The findings indicate that, while the ecosystems of national parks generally have a strong CSC, they may not always function as carbon sinks, and during the study period, Huangshan National Park served as a carbon source for four years. Temporally, the CSSs in the ecosystem of the national park exhibit a cyclical pattern of change with a four-year cycle and strong seasonality, with spring and autumn functioning as carbon sinks, and summer and winter as carbon sources. Spatially, the CSSs of the national park ecosystem exhibited a vertical band spectrum of spatial distribution, and the CSC showed a trend of gradual enhancement from low altitude to high altitude. Tourism is a major factor that has an impact on the CSC of national park ecosystems.

Putting students at the center: A critical-interpretive approach to assessment in the introductory communication course

ABSTRACT Dominant approaches to assessment have often limited students’ ability to share their perspectives on course experiences. Further, assessment approaches are often disconnected from pedagogical practice and reinforce the status quo. In this article, we outline our critical-interpretive approach to a four-year cycle of assessments examining instructor feedback in an introductory communication course. After each assessment, we adapted how we trained instructors to provide feedback. Ultimately, we utilized our assessment findings to reimagine curricula in ways that incorporate an equity-minded, iterative, and dialogic approach to provide feedback to students.

Selection for the club and national teams of Germany in four-year cycles of preparation for competitions

Discussions about the need for the development of youth and mass football in Ukraine for a long time have remained only conversational creativity. Attempts to do half-measures do not bring any positive results. At the same time, the long-term experience of other developed countries in the field of football shows that even full-fledged measures do not always immediately give the desired result. Only an exceptionally thought-out systematic approach over a long period of time is capable of ensuring the development and effectiveness of a multidisciplinary concept, methodology or program.
 The experience of such developed countries in terms of football as Germany has proven, and the football managers of England, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, France and many other leading football countries agree with them, that the bet on youth is a win-win, and in this case, universal profit is guaranteed can be considerable.
 In the long term, the Ukrainian Football Association could consider studying the German experience, both at the club and national level. For Ukrainian football clubs, the traditional management system with the rule "50% shares + 1 share" seems very appropriate. Such a model would not only develop the concept of developing young football talents, but also contribute to the de- oligarchization of Ukrainian football.

Developmental Stability, Population Dynamics and Climate Change, with Particular Reference to the Common Shrew (<i>Sorex araneus</i> L., 1758) in Central Siberia

We examine temporal variation in a measure of developmental stability, the degree of fluctuating asymmetry of the characters of skull morphology, of the common shrew (Sorex araneus L., 1758) in Central Siberia. Four-year cycles in this population in the last century were accompanied by significant changes in the level of developmental stability. Population fluctuations under the climate change conditions in this century commonly occur without essential changes in developmental stability. Deterioration of developmental stability takes place occasionally in case of adverse overpopulation impact in the year of peak population abundance that is beyond the certain threshold level increased due to the climate change.

Once again without touch: Endless day via Digital 1.5

Between May and November 2021, a series of performances entitled digital 1.5 took place at five different locations in Ljubljana, with five different casts under the direction of Jan Rozman. Last year the prolific young choreographer and performer honed his potential as the final resident author of the four-year cycle Ventilator. Other authors and past editions of this flexible project realized their mission to bridge the fields of music and performance; this time, however, it intensified a dialogue with technology.

Institutional design of Ghana and the Fourth Republic: on the checks and balances between the state and society

The paper interrogates Ghana’s institutional design efforts since the 1950s and argues that the longstanding political stability of the current Fourth Republic notwithstanding, a perennial feature of all regimes is the assumption that the state has the capacity and willingness to check itself. The Fourth Republic has two flaws. First, the three arms of government – executive, legislature and judiciary – must put each other in check, and society is only mainly invited to vote in four-year cycles. Society must trust the state to exhibit goodwill. The second flaw, which is the more problematic, is the apportioning of unfettered power of appointment and dismissal to the executive, which disproportionately overshadows the two other arms of government. Using extensive archival data, local media and secondary sources, the paper interrogates the power dynamics between the state and society over time. The conclusion is that neither a very strong state nor a disproportionately assertive society is good for political stability. A weak state and a dormant society are no better options either. Ghana’s civil society has contributed to taming the power of a strong state, and that is the best promise for sustaining the current regime if it continues on this pathway responsibly.

Aluminum Bioaccumulation in Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) from Rivers in Southwestern Poland.

This study aimed to determine aluminum levels in reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea L.) in rivers in southwestern Poland—Bystrzyca, Strzegomka, and Nysa Szalona, together with their tributaries. The samples were collected in spring and autumn 2015–2018. The highest amounts of aluminum were recorded in the Nysa Szalona, and the lowest in the Bystrzyca. During the four-year cycle of studies, the highest values were recorded in the last year, and the lowest in the first year. The highest amounts of aluminum were found in all three rivers in the lowland tributaries. In the main rivers, higher amounts of aluminum were found at the mouth of the Nysa Szalona and Strzegomka reservoirs, while the opposite situation was found for the Bystrzyca. Higher aluminum contents were recorded in autumn than in spring, and the values of BCFW (aluminum bioaccumulation factor in relation to water) and BCFB (aluminum bioaccumulation factor in relation to bottom sediments) coefficients were also higher. The MPI (metal pollution index) was arranged in a series: Bystrzyca < Strzegomka < Nysa Szalona, while the degree of pollution was high for Bystrzyca and very high for the other two rivers. The variability in Al levels may be attributed to pollution level in the catchments, but also to successive modernization works carried out in the beds of the main rivers and their tributaries. All these works were carried out in a variable way and often covered only a fragment of the riverbed; therefore, the consequences of activity may have been visible in the catchment but not necessarily in the same vegetation cycles.

Aluminum in Bottom Sediments of the Lower Silesian Rivers Supplying Dam Reservoirs vs. Selected Chemical Parameters.

The study was carried out on sediments collected from three rivers: Nysa Szalona, Strzegomka and Bystrzyca flowing in southwestern Poland. The content of Al in sediments and in bottom water was determined in relation to chemical conditions. The study was carried out in a four-year cycle, during spring and autumn. The aim of the study was to determine the level and accumulation of aluminum in sediments of rivers supplying dam reservoirs storing water for consumption. The sediments studied were mineral in nature, with neutral pH and moderate sulfate content. The level of Al and heavy metals in the sediments was the highest in the Nysa Szalona River and the lowest in the Strzegomka River, which was also evident in the concentration factor (CF). In terms of season, higher Al contents were recorded in sediments in autumn than in spring, which was also reflected in the concentration factor (CF). Along the course of the river, a gradual decrease in Al levels was observed in successive tributaries in the Nysa Szalona and Strzegomka Rivers, while there was no apparent regularity for the Bystrzyca. Against this background, a comparison of extreme sites below the springs and at the reservoir outlet shows that values were higher in the Nysa Szalona below the springs, and lower in the Strzegomka and Bystrzyca below the reservoir outlet. The general picture of Al and heavy metal loading of the studied sediments shows the lowest loading for the Strzegomka, only the enrichment factor (EF) was the lowest for the Nysa Szalona: metal pollution index (MPI)—S < B < NS, contamination factor (Cf)—S < B < NS, degree of contamination (DC)—S < NS < B, EF—NS < B < S, geoaccumulation index (Igeo)—S < B < NS, CF—S < NS < B. There was no effect of catchment size and river length on Al levels in sediments.

The influence of the highlands on the performance of athletes in freestyle men’s and women's wrestling at the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo

The article analyzes the performance of participants and winners in men's and women's freestyle wrestling at the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo after the training camp in the highlands during the 2nd final stage of preparation for these competitions, which took place in Ivano-Frankivsk region . at the educational and sports base "Zaroslyak" taking into account the age and qualifications of athletes. The base is located at an altitude of 1330 m above sea level. Tokyo, the host of the Olympic Games, is located at an altitude of 40 meters above sea level. The meeting was held from June 17 to July 4, 2021 (17 days) for the men's team and from June 12 to July 3, 2021 (21 days) for the women's freestyle wrestling team. The duration of the meeting and the period of time after it when returning to the plain and the immediate days of the competition were also taken into account.&#x0D; The topical of training athletes also lies in the fact that this is the first Olympic Games after the coronavirus pandemic. The training plan was changed from the usual four-year training cycle to a five-year one. And the next games will take place in three years in Paris.&#x0D; Analysis of the results of the study indicates that the best result and, accordingly, the peak of functionality and endurance at the Olympic Games showed athletes who underwent a training camp lasting 21 days and in which competitive fights came on the 30-32nd day after descending from the mountains.&#x0D; Each sport has its own optimal range of heights for training before the main start, the duration of the training camp and the day the body reaches the peak of functionality and efficiency.

Austrian Transition to Open Access: a collaborative approach

This article presents a collaborative project, the ‘Austrian Transition to Open Access’ (AT2OA), initially running from 2017 to 2020, which had the overarching goal of enabling the large-scale transformation of publishing outputs from closed to open access (OA) in Austria. The initiative, which has recently secured funding for a second four-year cycle from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, brings together all key players: universities, research institutes, the national library consortium and a cOAlition S funding member, the Austrian Science Fund. The project outcomes include a transition feasibility study that builds on the methodology of the 2015 Schimmer et al. article, the seeds of a national OA monitoring data hub and transformative agreements with major publishers. In addition, the project helped launch institutional OA Publishing Funds across the country and explored alternative publishing models. Furthermore, it saw the emergence of a nationwide network of OA experts. The authors also share their thoughts on lessons learned.

Participation tactics of elite freestyle wrestlers in competition system in 2013-2016 Olympic cycle

Background and Study Aim. Tactics is one of the basic terms underlying the management of competitive activities of athletes. In freestyle wrestling, the participation tactics of athletes in the competition system is covered fragmentally and needs proper justification. The purpose of the study was to determine the features of the participation tactics of elite athletes in the competition system in freestyle wrestling during 2013-2016 Olympic cycle.&#x0D; Materials and Methods. This study analyzes the dynamics of performances and results of 24 elite freestyle wrestlers who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Games of XXXI Olympiad 2016 in Rio de Janeiro in different weight categories (four athletes in each of six weight categories). To do this, we used athletes’ individual profiles on the United World Wrestling. Used an expert assessment devoted to the issues of tactics and tactical training. The experts (n = 8) were well educated (3 among them held Ph.D. diplomas) and experienced – 2 coaches of Ukrainian national team, and 1 athlete–national team’s member. On average, experts had almost 10 years of experience in training wrestlers of different ages. The results were processed using Microsoft Excel software.&#x0D; Results. The volume of competition practice of elite athletes during 2013-2016 changed in each season. In the 2013 season, the average group number of competitions in which athletes participated was 3.84 ± 2.06, in 2014 – 3.50 ± 1.79. In the 2015 season, those indicators were the highest – 4.17 ± 1.87, but in 2016 they decreased to 3.71 ± 1.52. The participation tactics in the competition system in freestyle wrestling during the season and the four-year cycle differed depending on the dynamics of sports results. Four types of tactics used by the elite athletes in freestyle wrestling in 2013-2016 were identified: leadership holding, gradual improving of results, combined, leadership returning. It was found that during 2013-2016, most athletes (58.33-79.17%) used a variety of tactics that involved performances in one Olympic weight category. In 2014 and 2015, some athletes (20.83 and 25.00%, respectively) used different options in other weight categories, choosing one of them as a priority and one or two – as additional.&#x0D; Conclusions. There are four types of participation tactics in the competition system in freestyle wrestling. In 2013-2016 Olympic cycle they included leadership holding, gradual increase of results, combined, leadership return. The main differences between types of tactics are the volume of competition practice, the dynamics of results, the choice of weight category. The most relevant was the type of tactics with performances exclusively in the Olympic weight category during four seasons.

Availability of aluminum in river water supplying dam reservoirs in Lower Silesia considering the hydrochemical conditions

The study included water from the rivers (Nysa Szalona, Bystrzyca, Strzegomka and their tributaries) supplying dam reservoirs. An assessment of water contamination with aluminum and heavy metals was made using the MPI (Metal Pollution Index) contamination index considering the hydrochemical parameters. The study was conducted in a 4-year cycle, twice during each year.It was found that the levels of aluminum, heavy metals and other physical and chemical parameters were low and met the environmental criteria of the limit values for surface waters. The highest amounts of aluminum were recorded in the Nysa Szalona and Strzegomka rivers, and the lowest in the Bystrzyca. In the four-year cycle, the level of aluminum depended on the modernization works carried out in the riverbeds and did not reflect changes in environmental conditions. The level of aluminum in the Nysa Szalona was higher in autumn, while in the Strzegomka and Bystrzyca in spring.Waters of the studied rivers flowing into dam reservoirs do not pose a threat to the quality of water collected from the reservoirs for municipal purposes (drinking water).

The influence of CEO political ideology on labor relations and firm value

PurposeThis article aims to examine the influence of chief executive officer (CEO) internal political beliefs on labor relations. Prior research has paid little attention to channels through which the internal personal value system of managers enhances or deteriorates firm value. The authors provide evidence consistent with CEOs adopting labor policies impacting incumbent management–labor relationships based upon their political ideologies.Design/methodology/approachThe research design tests the impact of CEO political ideology on labor relation using an individual CEO’s personal information and firm affiliation, employee lawsuit information, financial contributions to candidates and committees, and firm financial information. The authors compiled a sample of 4,354 unique CEOs from 2,558 US firms that are covered by ExecuComp and used 18,404 firm-year observations for the study’s analysis. A Heckman two-stage estimation process is used to address a potential sample selection bias and match the requirements of exclusion and relevance criteria.FindingsFindings indicate that firms led by Republican-leaning CEOs are more likely to be sued by their employees, especially for violating union rights. Moreover, the findings of the study uncovered that Republican-leaning CEOs have fewer cases dismissed or withdrawn compared to Democrat-leaning CEOs and are also less likely to settle court cases prior to trial. Results indicate that Republican-leaning CEOs are associated with more substantial decreases in firm value compared to Democrat-leaning CEOs when facing labor allegations. The authors further show that firm value is lower for all firms facing litigation, with the magnitude of the decrease being more pronounced for firms with Republican CEOs.Research limitations/implicationsFirm affiliations are identified using ExecuComp, employee lawsuit information from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), financial contributions to candidates and committees from the Federal Election Committee (FEC) website, and financial information from Compustat. To the extent that these websites are inaccurate, such as financial contributions being underreported, the findings reported here may understate the relationships reported in this article.Practical implicationsThe authors capture CEO political ideology using political contributions. There may be other means, such as physical space and personal effort, by which one could also estimate the party and intensity of CEO political ideology. This information is unavailable.Social implicationsWhile presidential politics has four-year cycles, managerial finance is a daily activity. While political affiliation is most clearly measurable through monetary contributions, one can see implications of manager political leaning through their relationship with labor throughout the election cycle.Originality/valueThe analyses of this study indicate that labor unions are more likely to sponsor lawsuits and stronger allegations in firms with Republican CEOs and show that withdrawal, settlement or dismissal rates are lower when firms are managed by Republican managers, resulting in higher subsequent legal costs and potentially damaged employee morale. Also, this paper investigates whether lawsuits have a greater negative consequence on firm value when the firm is run by a Republican CEO. The authors find that lawsuits significantly lower Tobin's Q for Republican-led firms compared to companies with Democratic and apolitical CEOs. The authors further show that firm value is lower for all firms facing litigation, with the magnitude of the decrease being more pronounced for firms with Republican CEOs.

Тактика участі провідних спортсменок світу у системі змагань з жіночої боротьби упродовж олімпійського циклу 2013-2016 рр.

Purpose: to analyze the features of the participation tactics of the world's leading athletes in the system of women's wrestling competitions during the Olympic cycle of 2013-2016. Materials and methods. Theoretical analysis, documentary method, generalization of literature and Internet data allowed to identify the problematic field of tactics in martial arts, to summarize current trends in Olympic martial arts, to identify commonalities and differences in the systems of Olympic selection. Analysis of the competitive performance of the world's leading women-athletes who took first-third places at the Games XXXI of Olympiad 2016 in Rio de Janeiro in wrestling competitions (a total of 24 athletes – four in six weight categories). The results were processed using Microsoft Excel. Results: features of the competition system in women's wrestling were revealed. It is characterized by the presence of a large number of tournaments of different categories, a multi-stage system of Olympic selection, the discrepancy between the number of weight categories represented at the World Championships and the Olympic Games. During the first-third seasons of the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle, most of the world's leading athletes gradually increased their competitive practice from 3.96 to 5.13 tournaments per year, while in the fourth, they reduced it to 4.29 tournaments. Conclusions. The participation tactics of the world's leading athletes in the system of women's wrestling competitions during the season and the four-year cycle has differences depending on the dynamics of sports results. There are four types of tactics: retention of leadership, gradual increase of results, combined (during the first or second seasons - gradual increase of results, in the third-fourth - retention of leadership), return of leadership. Six types of tactics for choosing a weight category have been identified. They were used by different sportsmen within a season or the whole Olympic cycle. Keywords: competitions, Olympic Games, Olympic cycle, calendar, season, tactics, results

FEATURES OF SELF-ESTEEM AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY OF QUALIFIED TAEKWONDO ATHLETES

Introduction. The article discusses the features of self-esteem in taekwondo athletes of various skill levels and gender. The important role of diagnostics of the level of self-esteem of taekwondo athletes in the process of purposeful preparation of athletes for international competitions is pointed out. The interrelation of self-esteem with the effectiveness of competitive activity of qualified taekwondo athletes is shown.Aim is to study the level of self-esteem of taekwondo athletes of various qualifications and to establish its relationship with the effectiveness of training and competitive activity of athletes.Material and methods: analysis of literary sources and Internet, expert survey, pedagogical observation,methods of psychodiagnostics, methods of mathematical statistics.Results. It was found that more experienced taekwondo athletes who train in the second and more Olympic four-year cycle have a higher level of self-esteem in comparison with young athletes who are preparing for the Olympic Games for the first time. The lowest level of self-esteem (63.10 ± 11.34, p&lt;0.05) was observed in young athletes who are preparing for the first time for responsible international competitions.Experienced male and female athletes had approximately the same high level of self-esteem manifestation (p&gt; 0.05). Statistically significant correlations between the level of self-assessment of taekwondo athletes and the effectiveness of their competitive activity were established. Athletes with a higher level of self-esteem were distinguished by higher rates of impact efficiency (%) during performance in real competition conditions. Conclusion. The importance of research and further correction of the level of self-esteem of taekwondo athletes in the process of training athletes in the framework of four-year Olympic cycles is emphasized.

Prediction of thermophysical characteristics of fuel rods based on calculations

The paper analyzes operating conditions, thermophysical characteristics were calculated as applied to WWER-1000 fuel rods in a four-year cycle for unified core. The paper gives a summary of models for calculating gas release, pressure of gases within fuel rod cladding, fuel swelling and thermal conductivity, fuel-cladding gap conductance. The thermophysical condition of fuels in a reactor core is one of the main factors that determine their serviceability. The stress-strained condition of fuel claddings under design operating conditions is closely related to fuel rod temperature, swelling, gas release from fuel pellets and the mode in which they change during the cycle and transients. Aside from this, those parameters are an independent goal of studies since their ultimate values are governed by the system of design criteria.

Fluctuating Asymmetry and Population Dynamics of the Common Shrew, Sorex araneus, in Central Siberia under Climate Change Conditions

We examine possible temporal variation in a measure of developmental stability, providing insight into the degree of fluctuating asymmetry of several characters of skull morphology, of the common shrew, Sorex araneus L., 1758, in Central Siberia. The level of fluctuating asymmetry during the study period in the beginning of this century (2002–2013) is not correlated with population abundance, while at the end of the last century it was correlated with population abundance, suggesting that high density was the important negative factor affecting breeding females. The absence of an adverse effect of high abundance on developmental stability in the current situation can be related to both an impact of oscillations in environmental conditions and an increase in habitat carrying capacity due to the climate change. Positive correlation of population abundance with the number of adults born last summer and young specimens born this summer indicates the influence of winter and summer conditions on population size. If in the last century developmental stability was correlated with breeding success, indicating that both parameters were affected by the physiological condition of breeding females, in this century these two parameters vary independently, suggesting that breeding success may be affected by other population and habitat factors. Thus, the situation in the population under study is more similar to the noncyclic dynamics than to the four-year cycles, which were revealed for the population in the last century. The results indicate an importance of monitoring possible changes in developmental stability measure, as another population parameter, under climate change.

Особливості систем відбору спортсменів-кандидатів у національну збірну команду України для участі в іграх олімпіад (на прикладі спортивних єдиноборств)

The article presents the analysis of the peculiarities of the selection systems for athletes-candidates to the Ukrainian national team for participation in the Olympic Games (on the example of combat sports). The urgency of the work is due to the need to develop and implement a modern model of Olympic training in combat sports, which would allow the athletes to compete successfully in the international arena. The purpose of the study was to determine the features of the current selection systems for athletes-candidates to the Ukrainian national team to participate in the Olympic Games (on the example of combat sports). Material and methods. Theoretical analysis, generalization of literature and Internet data, documentary method allowed to identify trends in modern Olympic combat sports and analyze the selection systems governing the inclusion of Ukrainian athletes in the starting lineup of participants in the Olympic Games in modern combat sports (fencing, boxing, Free and Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, taekwondo, karate). Results and discussion. Most of the provisions of the selection systems for athletes-candidates to the Ukrainian national team to participate in the Olympic Games are similar. In most combat sports, selection is based on an analysis of the performances of athletes in national and international competitions, competitiveness and the results of personal fights with major rivals who will participate in the Olympic Games. Selection for the starting lineup of the team at the main competitions of the season or four-year Olympic cycle consists of several stages, each of which determines a different number of athletes-candidates for the national team. As the year of the next Olympic Games approaches, the number of candidates is decreasing proportionally. The peculiarity of all systems of national selection in modern Olympic combat sports is that the athlete needs to realize his (her) potential in almost every competition during the annual macrocycle, as it depends on the prospect of his inclusion in the starting lineup of the national team at major competitions. Taking into account the fact that the body's adaptive capabilities are limited, it is important to determine the appropriateness of the athlete's performance in a particular tournament, taking into account his (her) position in national and world rankings, and other conditions governing its inclusion in the starting lineup. Conclusion. Differences in the selection systems are the mechanisms for determining the starting lineups of the team in the main competitions of the season or four-year Olympic cycle (demonstration of a certain result or winning a place in a particular tournament, position in the world rankings, obtaining an Olympic license)

Win, Lose and Draw: Outcomes from the 2019 World Radio Conference

This paper identifies the winners and losers at the 2019 meeting of the World Radio Conference, the global forum for developing harmonized spectrum allocations convened by the International Telecommunication Union (“ITU”). World Radio Conferences, convened in four-year cycles, seek global consensus on spectrum allocations and reallocation. At WRC-19, the 193 participating nations agreed to add 17.25 Gigahertz (“GHz”) in bandwidth for fifth generation (“5G”) wireless services, with a total 19.14 GHz bandwidth now available for domestic assignment by individual national regulatory authorities. Despite incremental progress at the ITU, senior-level United States government officials deem the ITU unable to make timely spectrum planning decisions. Federal Communications Commissioners, from both political parties, have largely rejected ITU consensus building, despite the fact that the U.S. assumed lead responsibility for creating the ITU’s rules and heretofore has complied with them. In the last eight years, the FCC has conducted 5G spectrum auctions that have contributed over $121.2 billion to the U.S. Treasury with an additional $12.05 billion awarded to incumbent broadcast television licensees as compensation for quickly abandoning a channel assignment, or changing frequencies. This paper reports on the decisions reached at WRC-19 with an eye toward assessing whether the ITU can reach timely resolution of spectrum allocation disputes. Additionally, the paper identifies the benefits and costs in the FCC’s unilateral 5G spectrum initiatives that include market-driven resource frequency assignments instead of full compliance with longstanding ITU “rules of the road” that seek to optimize technologies and harmonize spectrum allocations globally. The paper also assesses whether the ITU can remain a trusted and effective forum even though the FCC and other government agencies justify unilateralism as necessary to address national security, trade and 5G leadership concerns for which the ITU has no basis to resolve. The paper concludes that U.S. efforts to maintain or reacquire 5G market and technology leadership will generate positive “first mover” advantages, but also unanticipated and offsetting harmful consequences.

Exposure of U.S. population to endocrine disruptive chemicals (Parabens, Benzophenone-3, Bisphenol-A and Triclosan) and their associations with female infertility

Ubiquitous exposure to endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDC) among women of reproductive age is alarming. Exposure to EDCs could be contributing to infertility. We determined the association between common EDCs and self-reported infertility among U.S. women, 18–45 years of age using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) for periods 2013–2014 and 2015–2016. A cross-sectional study on reproductive age women was conducted. Available important sociodemographic variables, and urinary concentrations of parabens (methyl paraben [MP], ethyl paraben [EP], propyl paraben [PP], and butyl paraben [BP]), Benzophenone-3 (BP-3), Bisphenol-A (BPA), and triclosan (TCS) were obtained from the NHANES databases. Clustering among EDCs were obtained using variable cluster analysis. Relative risk regression models were used to estimate associations of individual and combined EDCs with self-reported infertility after applying appropriate survey weights to account for the complex survey design as well as to compensate for the four-year cycle. Results were summarized using prevalence ratio (PR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Of total 789 individuals included in the study, 14% (95%CI: 11%–18%) had infertility. MP and PP were detected in 99% of urine samples, BP in 46%, EP and BP-3 in 96%, BPA in 94% and TCS in 73%. Self-reported infertility was significantly associated with combined score of BP-3, BPA and TCS (PR = 1.13, p = 0.007), and above detection level of EP (PR = 1.57, p = 0.025) even after adjusting for potential confounders. Our results suggested the EP and mixtures of benzophenones, TCS, and BPA were associated with infertility among the U.S. women. However, because of the limitations inherent to the cross-sectional study design, prospective cohort studies are warranted to confirm these findings.