International Project Research Articles

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ МОДЕЛИ МЕЖДУНАРОДНОГО СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВА РОССИЙСКИХ МАЛЫХ И СРЕДНИХ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ В КОНТЕКСТЕ ПРОГРАММЫ «ОДИН ПОЯС И ОДИН ПУТЬ»

This article addresses the pressing issue of developing international cooperation among Russian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the framework of the global "Belt and Road Initiative". The study aims to analyze and assess the opportunities and prospects for Russian SMEs' participation in international economic projects initiated by this program. The research employs methods of economic analysis, comparative analysis, and case study methodology. A significant focus is placed on examining specific cooperation models adapted to the operating conditions of SMEs in Russian and international contexts. The study identifies key factors that contribute to the successful interaction of Russian SMEs with foreign partners under the initiative, as well as outlines the main barriers and risks. Recommendations for improving institutional and infrastructural support for the international cooperation of SMEs are proposed. The findings of this study can be utilized in the development of strategies for the international development of Russian SMEs and serve as a methodological basis for further research in this area.

MONITORING OF GLACIERS ON HORSESHOE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA BASED ON A DEEP LEARNING APPROACH FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION ORTHOPHOTOS (TAE-6 & TAE-7)

Abstract. Global climate change is a phenomenon that seriously affects the balance of a wide variety of ecosystems and is the intense focus of climate scientists and environmental researchers. In this context, periodic monitoring of glacier areas in terms of a better understanding of atmosphere-ocean interactions; thus, predicting the effects of climate change and planning against future threats by evaluating environmental impacts is an important research area. Especially the polar regions, where the melting of glaciers and the rise of sea levels are visibly observed, are important for climate scientists in providing crucial observations to understand and predict global climate change. In this study, within the scope of the international bilateral cooperation project carried out in cooperation with Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) (Project No: 121N033), the spatial changes in snow/glacier areas obtained from UAV Photogrammetry products generated during the 6th and 7th Antarctic National Science Expeditions. Snow/glacier areas were segmented with the K-Net deep learning approach which has been previously tested for accuracy and provides glacier mapping with accuracy metrics over 99%, on the high spatial resolution orthophotos produced during the two periods. The snow/glacier areas difference between the two periods were calculated and compared and water bodies which are critical areas, were specifically examined. The result of this comparison shows that the glacier area decreased by approximately 11% in just 1 year. However, to better understand these changes in snow/glacier areas, the region needs to be observed closely for longer time periods. It is thought that future studies will contribute to efforts to manage global environmental impacts and cope with climate change by focusing on monitoring and better understanding changes in these critical regions.

Lesson Study as a Professional Development Practice: Perspectives of Myanmar Teacher Educators

Lesson study (LS) is a professional development practice in which teachers collaborate to develop a lesson plan, teach and observe the lesson to collect data on student learning, and use their observations to refine their lesson. LS was introduced into education and teacher education in Myanmar through two international projects, but there has been barely any follow-up research exploring whether and how LS is practiced as a regular professional development activity since the international projects terminated in Myanmar. The present study aims to fill this gap by exploring Myanmar teachers' and teacher educators' understanding of lesson study, their LS practices, the benefits of LS they have identified, and the challenges they have experienced in establishing LS as a long-term, sustainable professional development practice. Mixed methodology was used in the research that forms the basis of this study, with an online questionnaire survey for the quantitative study and a semi-structured interview for the qualitative study. The results of the semi-structured interviews complement the results of the questionnaire and provide a deeper explanation along the following four themes: knowledge and practice of the method, the perceived benefits of the method and the challenges of its implementation. The quantitative research results show that 47% of the participants, i.e. all participating teacher educators, were aware of the method, while 53% of the participants, i.e. all participating teachers from public education, had no knowledge of LS. Therefore, the focus of the study had to be limited to teacher educators' understandings, perceptions, practices and experiences of LS. Their understandings of LS slightly vary, while their perceptions of the method are overwhelmingly positive; nevertheless, since the completion of the international projects, the use of lesson study has declined in their practice due to a marked decrease in administrative support, and, consequently, in their own commitmentto LS. The study can shed light on the factors that determine the success of the introduction and adaptation of a new method that can be called innovative.

Smart hospital: achieving interoperability and raw data collection from medical devices in clinical routine.

Today, modern technology is used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease. These medical devices provide exact measures and raw data such as imaging data or biosignals. So far, the Broad Integration of These Health Data into Hospital Information Technology Structures-Especially in Germany-is Lacking, and if data integration takes place, only non-Evaluable Findings are Usually Integrated into the Hospital Information Technology Structures. A Comprehensive Integration of raw Data and Structured Medical Information has not yet Been Established. The aim of this project was to design and implement an interoperable database (cardio-vascular-information-system, CVIS) for the automated integration of al medical device data (parameters and raw data) in cardio-vascular medicine. The CVIS serves as a data integration and preparation system at the interface between the various devices and the hospital IT infrastructure. In our project, we were able to establish a database with integration of proprietary device interfaces, which could be integrated into the electronic health record (EHR) with various HL7 and web interfaces. In the period between 1.7.2020 and 30.6.2022, the data integrated into this database were evaluated. During this time, 114,858 patients were automatically included in the database and medical data of 50,295 of them were entered. For technical examinations, more than 4.5 million readings (an average of 28.5 per examination) and 684,696 image data and raw signals (28,935 ECG files, 655,761 structured reports, 91,113 x-ray objects, 559,648 ultrasound objects in 54 different examination types, 5,000 endoscopy objects) were integrated into the database. Over 10.2 million bidirectional HL7 messages (approximately 14,000/day) were successfully processed. 98,458 documents were transferred to the central document management system, 55,154 materials (average 7.77 per order) were recorded and stored in the database, 21,196 diagnoses and 50,353 services/OPS were recorded and transferred. On average, 3.3 examinations per patient were recorded; in addition, there are an average of 13 laboratory examinations. Fully automated data integration from medical devices including the raw data is feasible and already creates a comprehensive database for multimodal modern analysis approaches in a short time. This is the basis for national and international projects by extracting research data using FHIR.

Video Microteaching as an Innovation in University Students' Teaching Practice

Increasing the quality of undergraduate teacher training programmes and responding to the current needs and requirements are necessary in the modern world. So, DTI University in Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia, has implemented an international grant project focusing on applying video microteaching as an innovation in teacher training. The proposed paper aims to draw attention to the benefits of video microteaching as a suitable, effective, and attractive alternative to the traditionally applied methods of teacher trainees’ teaching practice, with particular attention paid to the necessity of preparing students for it. The paper presents information about a series of interactive workshops with experienced teachers carried out within the project, where teachers shared their expertise with teacher trainees and provided them with space to develop the knowledge and skills essential for delivering lessons and classroom observations. Also, the results of a brief survey are presented, where teacher trainees provided feedback on the quality and the content of the interactive workshops and expressed their overall satisfaction.

Integration of STEM education into the undergraduate teacher training

Although teachers' opinions on implementing integrated thematic education in schools (its incorporation into traditional teaching) and designi ng school curricula based on cross-curricular relations are different, its application in the educational process undoubtedly brings various benefits. The authors deal with the possibilities of integrating STEM topics teaching into pre-gradual teacher training. For this purpose, unique teaching materials were created in the frame of an international project. Primary attention within the paper is paid to the presentation of these materials. However, the authors deal more specifically with teaching materials supporting firstly technology and engineering education. In this context, topical and pedagogical aspects of overlaps of these two areas are pointed out.

A simulation-based risk interaction network model for risk management in international construction projects

The inherent complexity in International Construction Projects (ICPs) brings forth the intricate interactions between risks, invalidating the risk analysis under the conventional perception of independent risks. The diverse phases of ICPs feature the temporal dynamics of risks and interactions, exacerbating the challenge of pinpointing critical risks. This study aims to model how the risks are interconnected and amplified by proposing an ICP risk management framework, in which the project phase-based Risk Interaction Network (RIN) is constructed. An integrated index is designed to evaluate each risk’s criticality and discern key risks within a two-part procedure, where the simulation-based model estimates risk sensitivity to predecessor risks and captures the stochasticity of risk occurring, and network analysis gauges risk spread power on the entire network. An example of an application is provided to illustrate the utility of the proposed framework.

Life Story Analysis of the Longer-term Effects of Kenya’s Strengthening of the Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education Project on the Attitudinal and Behavioural Changes of Former Secondary Students

The aims of this study were to (a) qualitatively determine former students’ perceptions of environment, personal and behaviour factor changes that were due to the teachers involved in the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) project in Kenya and (b) reveal the long-term influence of these qualitative changes on their lives. The study also clarified the significance of using life story analysis to this end. The theoretical framework we utilised is social learning theory. Data collected from interviews were examined using Steps for Coding and Theorisation (SCAT) analysis, as well as NVivo, to identify respondents’ experiences as former SMASSE students. First, SCAT analysis revealed that participants’ lives were influenced in the long term owing to changes in: (a) environmental factors, such as interaction with SMASSE teachers and collaboration with other students; (b) personal factors, such as changes in cognitive and affective aspects; (c) behavioural factors, such as learning methods. Second, by using NVivo to integrate all the stories, we showed that former students’ perceptions of the environmental, personal and behaviour changes that were due to the teachers involved the SMASSE project were mutually interrelated. The analysis has also identified long-term effects on various aspects of human resource development: post-graduation career development, employment opportunities, and mindset. Finally, the results of this study emphasise the robustness of qualitative research in identifying the qualitative changes in the participants in a multi-dimensional manner for this international project.

Conceptual approaches to the design of advertising and information support for the exhibition of contemporary art

The article discusses the principles of the artistic organization of advertising and information support for international periodical exhibition projects of contemporary art of the XX-XXI centuries, the development of which is due to a wide range of artistic practices and the search for effective and dynamic means of communication with the audience. The object of research is the media of information about the exhibition project - printed materials, outdoor advertising, digital media, information content of the exhibition environment. The purpose of this article is a comprehensive analysis of conceptual approaches to the design of advertising and information support for modern Russian and foreign periodic exhibition projects. The periodicity allows us to trace the dynamics of the transformation of individual elements of the exhibition design, their relationship with the ideological content of exhibitions, to identify expressive means and artistic and imaginative solutions for the design of advertising and information support, to identify general cultural factors influencing its formation. In order to reproduce the holistic development of the advertising and information support of the biennale, the article uses a systematic approach, formal stylistic and comparative methods. The analysis of the elements of the graphic design of the international exhibition systems and the Ural Industrial Biennale of Modern Art made it possible to identify the specifics of the exhibition identity, the connection with the conceptual content and organizational structure of the projects. The author of the article comes to the conclusion that the development of the design of advertising and information support, as a synthetic activity, is due to the constant creative search for new conceptual content of the exhibition and the rethinking of compositional means of graphic design of media about the project, experiments with new materials that involve visitors in a discussion about the nature of modern art.

Overactive Bladder Medication Access.

The price range, insurance coverage, and side effect burden of overactive bladder medications is broad and varied. An internal quality improvement project was undertaken to improve patient ability to access and ultimately adhere to preferred medication therapy for treatment of overactive bladder. Our objective was to increase the percentage of patients per month at an academic Urogynecology practice who receive their preferred overactive bladder medication from baseline 39.5% to 45%. Data were extracted via Epic report. Manual chart review and calls to patients and/or pharmacy were completed to obtain status of medication access and reasons why medications were not taken. A targeted intervention was implemented with creation of a written document to help guide patients with options to decrease prescription costs. After this document was embedded into Epic after visit summary documentation, a repeat analysis was performed. The most common barrier to medication access was cost; specifically, the medication was not covered and a prior authorization was not initiated. Before the intervention, more than 60% of patients did not persist with their initially prescribed overactive bladder medication at a 6-month follow-up interval from office visit. Following implementation of a cost-navigation guide, persistence increased to 45.5% at a 3-month follow-up interval. A targeted intervention on cost navigation of prescriptions can have a positive effect on patient access and persistence of using overactive bladder medications. Our practice continues to use our prescription navigation handout.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LAB PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION AS AN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN-BUILD STUDIO: TEACHING AND LEARNING EXPERIENCE

This working paper explores experiential learning and teaching experiences that aim to create socially responsible architects and buildings who prioritize sustainability and innovation and offer some questions for further research. The ideas presented in this work are the evaluation of a cross-cultural Design-Build studio established in 2022 by design units from universities in Ecuador, Chile, and Germany to reflect on various aspects of architectural design, civil engineering, management, and other aspects of sustainable construction that are often overlooked in traditional teaching programs. The Design-Build methodology, explores such potential linkages: 1-Interactive and dynamic learning environment allow to establish the design of an architectural project through a cooperative process, 2-The application through scientific inquiry and critical thinking of local construction techniques in international projects update the methods to comply with current building codes, and 3-Active involvement of the team planning in the construction of the building, allow to test and establish sustainable constructions methods that are suitable for informal self-build and can be reproduced by the local population. Over one hundred participants contributed to the completion of the building. A questionnaire was conducted to evaluate the academic experience. Most respondents reported an increase in their academic and practical knowledge in construction, as well as in architectural skills, self-confidence and personal skills.

Anniversary Editorial: 15 Volumes of European Countryside Issued

Abstract The paper evaluates the first 15 editions of the European Countryside magazine in relation to the EURORURAL conferences and international projects of the Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology of the Mendel University in Brno.

Образовательные и мотивационные предикторы академических достижений (на материале данных PISA 2018 по чтению)

<p>Academic achievements of teenage students are an important indicator of their further success and adaptation to life in adult society. The material of the study was the data collected for the international project PISA 2018 on a representative sample of Russian teenagers (<em>N</em>=7608). The article presents the results of studying the role of educational and motivational factors (controlling for gender and family environment) of academic achievements of Russian teenagers based on the material of PISA 2018 on reading literacy. We confirmed that regarding the environmental (family and teacher) factors in the academic achievements of schoolchildren, the role of SES as an important predictor of schoolchildren's academic achievements, the role of teacher support for active involvement in reading is significantly positive factor, and Teacher-directed instruction is negative factor. The study confirmed an important contribution of motivational variables to reading literacy, reading engagement was proved to be a positive predictor, and fixed mindset about intelligence was proved to be a negative predictor of reading literacy competence. The discussion shows that the data obtained generally corresponds to international data on predictors of academic achievement among schoolchildren based on the PISA 2018. The results obtained can be used in the context of teacher training and for improving the quality of education in Russian schools.</p>

As Hype Fades, LLMs Gaining Acceptance in Upstream as New Age Research and Coding Tool

After using ChatGPT-4 for more than a year, Clinton Lott has made familiarity with the large language model (LLM), a requirement for new software programming hires. The director of Houston-based Spotter Tech gave this reasoning: “Taking 2 hours to do something that ChatGPT can do in 15 seconds is unacceptable today.” It’s a line you’re likely to hear from the most ardent champions of LLMs which have simultaneously reignited the world’s interest in and ire for artificial intelligence (AI). And while Spotter Tech, a small hydraulic fracturing data specialist, may be an exception with its hiring practices, it is far from the only upstream company embracing the new technology. Both BP and Shell have recently given thousands of employees access to Microsoft’s new cloud service called Copilot, which at its core is powered by GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest and most capable LLM. Others including ExxonMobil have placed use of LLMs under lockdown while still signaling a long-term interest in their embrace. As chair of SPE’s Data Science & Engineering Analytics Technical Section, Pushpesh Sharma has spent the past several months speaking with peers in the industry about how and where LLMs are being used. The product manager for field automation firm Aspen Technology told JPT that it’s clear from those conversations that a good number of energy firms are interested in tailoring the technology to their needs, albeit many are doing so quietly as it remains early days. “The big focus right now is on what they call fine tuning,” he said. “You take an existing base model that one of the big tech companies have created and make it more of a fit for your business. It’s kind of like taking a graduate student and then letting them work on their PhD with very specific subject matter.” While OpenAI’s ChatGPT has become the popular symbol of LLMs, there are a growing number of alternatives in the mix. In February, Google introduced its latest model called Gemini 1.5 which seeks to rival GPT-4. There are also open source LLMs that oil and gas companies can use as templates for internal projects. Or they may turn to other big tech firms such as NVIDIA and Amazon Web Services (AWS) which are in the business of helping industrials build and train their own private, custom LLMs. SPE joined the trend after inking a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October with AI firm i2k Connect and Aramco Americas. The collaboration is expected to result in a new domain-specific LLM that industry engineers and researchers can use to answer questions with more technical depth than can be done with the current slate of commercial offerings. One enabling aspect of this current phase of experimentation with LLM technology is retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). The method is considered essential for models to provide more-accurate and actionable responses by extending their scope beyond initial training datasets to include more authoritative and even real-time data.

Nanotechnology and its impact on achieving sustainable architecture in Egypt

Considering the significant growth of the global population, several severe issues have emerged, including pollution, economic challenges, and environmental problems. To tackle these ecological issues, many construction experts are actively seeking new flexible techniques. Among these, Nano-technology stands out as a crucial field aiming to enhance the efficiency of the built environment and play a vital role in addressing future challenges. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of integrating Nano-technology techniques in construction to harness the acquired properties of materials and their impact on the interior thermal environment. The paper is divided into three main parts, each providing a detailed and scientific depiction of the study. The first part begins by shedding light on the concept of sustainability in architecture and the evaluation of sustainable buildings. Additionally, it explores the definition of Nano-technology and its substantial impact on the field of architecture by discussing various architectural terms associated with Nano-technology. The emergence of Nano-architecture is seen as a significant advancement in scientific research, representing a fusion between architecture and Nano-technology. Moving on to the second part of the thesis, it focuses on how Nano-technology techniques influence the work of architects. Nowadays, architects consider the properties of construction materials, construction methods, and energy consumption. These factors are essential in achieving an ideal design that is defined as sustainable. The second part also examines the effect of Nano-technology on the thermal environment, analyzing both national and international projects that have implemented this technique.

Risk management as a basis for assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of international innovation projects

This article defines a methodology for managing and accessing risks, and proposes a method for improving the risk management system. Also examines the specifics of implementing innovative projects in international activities. The features of the investment climate of countries are determined. The necessity of forming or optimizing the company’s risk management system has been proven. The main methods of risk management are presented.

Evaluation of the Impact of Informal Settlements on the Physical and Mental Health of Residents—Case Study Santa Marta—Bogotá, Colombia

The growth of the informal city in Latin America has caused its own dynamics related to urban unsustainability due to the disorderly occupation of the territory. The precarious characteristics of informal neighborhoods have increased the mortality processes in their inhabitants, increasing the poverty and marginality indexes in Latin American urban settlements. This work was developed within the international research project “Modeling informality in Latin America based on indicators of sustainable urban development. Case study Yomasa, Bogotá-Colombia”. This work was developed under the mixed research approach which allowed focusing on a nested concurrent design of dominant model (DIAC), which was carried out in the Santa Marta sector of the locality of Ciudad Bolivar, in Bogotá Colombia, with the participation of 20 people from the studied community and supported by 16 students of Civil Engineering of the Catholic University of Colombia. The work resulted in a total of 31 indicators related to neighborhood informality, 17 impacts on the territory, and 8 pathologies, establishing the intrinsic relationship between informality, poverty, and public health of the inhabitant at the urban level.

Exploring the Roots of Poor Mathematics Performance: A Stakeholder Perspective in Adamawa State, Nigeria

In numerous countries worldwide, poor performance in mathematics remains a critical concern, and Adamawa State in Nigeria is no exception. This study investigates the perspectives of key stakeholders, including students, teachers, and headmasters, regarding the roots of poor mathematics performance within Shangui and Hong Government Senior Secondary Schools, Adamawa State. Through quantitative and qualitative approaches, data were collected from 151 senior secondary school participants, including 121 students, 11 mathematics teachers, 10 heads of departments, and 9 head teachers from randomly selected secondary schools in the Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The findings revealed a prevalent negative attitude among students towards mathematics. Moreover, the study has identified a significant factor contributing to poor performance, which was the secondary schools' ineffective mathematics curriculum. In addition, many elementary school teachers lacked the aptitude and skills necessary to teach mathematics, which significantly impacted pupils' disinterest and resulted in low achievement in secondary education. The study recommends crucial interventions, including the revision of the final year mathematics curriculum, the incorporation of technology in mathematics education, enhancement of the quality of secondary mathematics teachers, a reduction in the emphasis on examinations, and the integration of internal assessments, projects, and fieldwork into the mathematics curriculum. This comprehensive stakeholder inquiry sheds light on the multifaceted challenges faced by the educational system in addressing and improving mathematics performance in Adamawa State.

Innovative Enterprise: Risk Management Strategies of International Project Investments in the Era of Industry 4.0

Innovative Enterprise: Risk Management Strategies of International Project Investments in the Era of Industry 4.0

Public health genomics research in Italy: an overview of ongoing projects.

Public health genomics (PHG) aims to integrate advances in genomic sciences into healthcare for the benefit of the general population. As in many countries, there are various research initiatives in this field in Italy, but a clear picture of the national research portfolio has never been sketched. Thus, we aimed to provide an overview of current PHG research projects at the national or international level by consultation with Italian institutional and academic experts. We included 68 PHG projects: the majority were international projects in which Italian researchers participated (n = 43), mainly funded by the European Commission, while the remainder were national initiatives (N = 25), mainly funded by central government. Funding varied considerably, from € 50,000 to € 80,803,177. Three main research themes were identified: governance (N = 20); precision medicine (PM; N = 46); and precision public health (N = 2). We found that research activities are preferentially aimed at the clinical application of PM, while other efforts deal with the governance of the complex translation of genomic innovation into clinical and public health practice. To align such activities with national and international priorities, the development of an updated research agenda for PHG is needed.