Practical Issues Research Articles

Automated Point Cloud Registration Approach Optimized for a Stop-and-Go Scanning System.

The latest advances in mobile platforms, such as robots, have enabled the automatic acquisition of full coverage point cloud data from large areas with terrestrial laser scanning. Despite this progress, the crucial post-processing step of registration, which aligns raw point cloud data from separate local coordinate systems into a unified coordinate system, still relies on manual intervention. To address this practical issue, this study presents an automated point cloud registration approach optimized for a stop-and-go scanning system based on a quadruped walking robot. The proposed approach comprises three main phases: perpendicular constrained wall-plane extraction; coarse registration with plane matching using point-to-point displacement calculation; and fine registration with horizontality constrained iterative closest point (ICP). Experimental results indicate that the proposed method successfully achieved automated registration with an accuracy of 0.044 m and a successful scan rate (SSR) of 100% within a time frame of 424.2 s with 18 sets of scan data acquired from the stop-and-go scanning system in a real-world indoor environment. Furthermore, it surpasses conventional approaches, ensuring reliable registration for point cloud pairs with low overlap in specific indoor environmental conditions.

Legal Foundations of the Local Community in the Russian Federation: Concept, Structure, Forms of Interaction with Local Self-Government Bodies

Introduction. In the light of the constitutional innovations of 2020 regarding the legal regulation of civil society as a whole, and in particular of its individual public law institutions, as well as the legal position of the Constitutional Court, formulated in a number of its resolutions and definitions, regarding the recognition of the local community as a source and subject of local self-government, the problem of legalization seems urgent the legal definition of “local community” in the current legislation. Theoretical Basis. Methods. The methodology of the study is largely determined by its goals, the main of which is to formulate a set of scientifically based conclusions about the concept based on a systematic legal analysis of various points of view of researchers, the legal positions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation regarding the place and role of the local community in the system of local self-government as its source and subject of implementation, the structure of the local community and the forms of its interaction with local self-government bodies and on their basis to develop practical recommendations for improving legislation in this area. The work uses general scientific methods (system analysis, dialectical, formal-logical) and special research methods (system-legal, comparative-legal, historical-legal, formal-legal). The application of these methods of scientific research makes it possible to determine the structure of the local community as an institution of civil society and a subject of local self-government, to identify intra-system connections, forms of interaction of the local community with local self-government bodies, patterns and trends corresponding to this process. Results. The theoretical, methodological, scientific and practical issues of defining the concept and structure of the local community, as well as the requirements imposed in the legislation to its elements in the face of organized associations of the population of the municipality are disclosed. A methodology has been developed for determining the grounds for classifying the forms of interaction of the local community with local self-government bodies depending on the forms of direct implementation of local self-government by the population, forms of participation of the population in the implementation of local self-government and forms of public control defined in the legislation. The criteria for determining the unity of the forms of interaction between the local community and local self-government bodies, enshrined in the Federal Law “On the General Principles of the Organization of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation” and the Federal Law “On the Basics of Public Control in the Russian Federation” in solving issues of local importance, are analyzed. Discussion and Conclusion. The formation of a local community as a public legal institution of civil society, a subject and source of local self-government is a necessary condition on the path of its development as the basis of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and one of the forms of democracy, which determines the advisability of introducing the legal term “local community” in current federal legislation.

Blockchain Technology and the Transformation of Financial Systems: From Decentralization to Innovative Solutions in the Global Economy

"The article outlines the essence of blockchain and the peculiarities of its application in the financial sector of the global economy in the context of its innovative development. The authors determined the directions of blockchain application in the accounting and audit of fuel and energy companies. These directions include smart contracts, collateral management, the use of stablecoins, tokenization of real assets, invoice factoring, crypto staking, transactions in the virtual world and reward tokens, the support of new types of B2B networks, simplification and tracking of data flow in a financial institution, and the replacement of paper money. The risks of using blockchain technologies in the financial sector were systematized and grouped into the following areas: the lack of familiarization and standardization; the high energy intensity of the system, cybersecurity, and other technical issues; financial practice issues, and technological barriers."

Greenness, whiteness, and blueness assessment with spider chart solvents evaluation of HPTLC-densitometric method for quantifying a triple combination anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy

Tackling environmental, economic, and practical issues necessitate analytical methods aligned with green and white chemistry principles. This study quantified a challenging combination of three anti-Helicobacter pylori drugs: omeprazole (OMZ), tinidazole (TNZ), and clarithromycin (CLR) using a novel high-performance thin-layer chromatographic approach. The eco-friendly mobile phase comprised a mixture of ethyl acetate and ethanol (6.5:3.5, v/v), with densitometric detection at 290 nm, yielding compact spots for OMZ (Rf 0.27), TNZ (Rf 0.63), and CLR (Rf 0.73). The method demonstrated excellent linearity (r2 > 0.999) over ranges of 0.5–20, 1–50, and 1–25 μg spot−1 for OMZ, TNZ, and CLR, respectively. Method validation showed good precision (<2 %), accuracy (101.94, 100.65, 101.06 %), and the limit of detections (0.161, 0.269, and 0.283 μg spot-1), for OMZ, TNZ, and CLR, respectively. To ensure sustainability, hazardous solvents were replaced with greener alternatives selected using the Green Solvents Selecting Tool and assessed via greenness index spider charts. The greenness evaluation of the developed method achieved a greener National Environmental Method Index (NEMI), and Complementary Green Analytical Procedure Index (ComplexGAPI) quadrants with higher Analytical Greenness Metric (AGREE) (0.81) and lower carbon footprint (0.037) revealing the method's favorable environmental profile. We further applied the concepts of 'blueness' and 'whiteness' assessment using the recently introduced Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI) and Red-Green-Blue 12 (RGB 12) algorithms. The high BAGI score (90) indicated excellent applicability, while the RGB12 score (88.9) confirmed cost-effectiveness and sustainability. This novel HPTLC approach offers a rapid, green-and-white alternative to conventional techniques for pharmaceutical analysis.

Data-driven monitoring for phase II clinical trial designs based on percentile event time test

ABSTRACT The goal of phase II clinical trials is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a new drug. Some investigators want to use the time-to-event endpoint as the primary endpoint of the phase II study to see the improvement of the therapeutic efficacy of a new drug in median survival time. Recently, median event time test (METT) has been proposed to provide a simple and straightforward rule which compares the observed median survival time with the prespecified threshold. However, median survival time would not be observed during the trial if the drug performs well and indeed cures most patients or if the accrual rate is so fast. To address the issues in clinical practice, we first propose a percentile event time test (PETT), which generalizes METT to any percentile of the survival time, and develop data-driven monitoring for phase II clinical trial designs based on PETT. We evaluate the performance of the method through simulations and illustrate the proposed method with a trial example.

MECHANISMS OF THE CULTURAL TRANSFER IN TRANSLATION

The article is the first attempt to reveal the mechanisms of “the cultural transfer” (the notion was first introduced by the French theorist M. Espagne) of the Armenian and Russian translations of Charles Dickens’s novels. Evidently, the Armenian translations of the novels were transferred and interpreted especially from the beginning of the 1880s, in Shushi (1890-91), Tiflis (different publications in the 1890s), Constantinople (1928), Baku (1898), Athens (1928), Cairo (1892), etc. The Armenian versions of Dickens’s creativity were either paraphrased or translated from the original language or from Russian as an intermediary language. The article outlines theoretical and practical issues related to the specifics of the artistic translation through the paradigm of cultural transfer. Being at the crossroads of West and East the Armenian national culture is characterized as a unique manifestation of cultural transmission and a pivotal basis of socio-cultural and geopolitical usus. The article sketches the situation of “cultural transfer” of Charles Dickens’s novels whose literary reputation was established in the Russian literary field, that consequently made an influence on Eastern Armenia.

Use of Mixed Methanesulfonic Acid/Sulfuric Acid as Positive Supporting Electrolyte and the Study of Ion Crossover in Zn-Ce Redox Flow Battery

The development of a highly efficient and inexpensive energy storage technology is central to the operation of a sustainable smart grid and widespread utilization of intermittent renewable energy sources. An emerging and promising grid-scale technology for electrochemical energy storage is the redox flow battery (RFB). A unique and particularly valuable aspect of the design of RFBs is that their energy and power capacities can be scaled independently. Some of their other advantages include short response time, long life-cycles and no detrimental effects associated with being fully charged or discharged [1]. The Zn-Ce RFB, first developed by Plurion Inc (UK) in 2005 [2], has an open-circuit voltage as high as 2.4 V which is one of the highest among the various RBFs.To further improve the efficiency of Zn-Ce RBFs, the effect of different positive supporting electrolytes on the performance of a bench-scale Zn-Ce RFB has been studied. The effectiveness of mixed methanesulfonic/sulfuric acid, mixed methanesulfonic/nitric acid and pure methanesulfonic acid has been assessed and compared on the basis of the cyclic voltammetry response for the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) redox couple and galvanic charge-discharge of a bench-scale Zn-Ce RFB. We have observed the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) reaction to exhibit faster kinetics and the battery to attain higher coulombic efficiency and long-term performance over ~40 charge-discharge cycles in the mixed 2 mol/L MSA–0.5 mol/L H2SO4 electrolyte compared to that achieved in the commonly used 4 mol/L pure MSA electrolyte due to lower H+ crossover and the prevention of CeO2 precipitation. The coulombic efficiency fade rate in the mixed MSA-H2SO4 electrolyte is 0.55% per cycle over 40 charge-discharge cycles, while the fade rate is 1.26% in the case of 4 mol/L MSA. Furthermore, the positive electrode reaction is no longer the limiting half-cell reaction even at the end of long-term battery charge-discharge operation [3]. Our results show that a mixed MSA–H2SO4 acid electrolyte may be a better option for the positive side of a Zn-Ce RFB as a large-scale energy storage device.At the same time, undesired ion crossover is a practical issue that cannot be neglected since it decreases the concentrations of electroactive species in both negative and positive electrolytes and can cause battery self-discharge and thereby lower battery efficiency and longevity. The concentrations of electroactive species in both the positive and negative electrolytes after each charge-discharge cycle have been monitored as a function of cycle number. We have found that as much as 48.6% of the Zn(II) ions are transported through the Nafion 117 membrane from the negative to the positive electrolyte and 11.1% of Ce(III) ions are transported from the positive to the negative electrolyte by the end of 30 cycles (~55 hours of battery operation). A simple and efficient method to mitigate this problem is to add a certain amount of Zn(II) to the positive electrolyte and Ce(III) to the negative electrolyte at the outset of operation in order to reduce the concentration gradients between the two sides. From our cyclic voltammetry results, the addition of Zn(II) ions into the positive electrolyte has no deleterious effect on the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) redox couple and in fact appears to slightly reduce the separation between the reduction and oxidation peaks, suggesting better reversibility of the positive electrode reaction. In addition, experiments involving 30 cycles of battery charge-discharge have been conducted using Zn(II)-containing pure MSA positive electrolyte as well as Zn(II)-containing MSA-H2SO4 mixed acid electrolytes to analyze battery efficiency. Our results show that both the coulombic and voltage efficiencies are increased compared to that attained using the original electrolytes without Zn(II) initially added to the positive electrolytes. The energy efficiency increases by 19.7% in the case of the Zn(II)-containing pure MSA electrolyte and 6.1% for the Zn(II)-containing H2SO4-MSA mixed acid electrolyte (see Figure 1). Another benefit of adding Zn(II) ions to the MSA pure positive electrolyte is that it prevents the precipitation of CeO2 routinely observed to occur in MSA-only electrolytes after 10 – 15 charge-discharge cycles, which further enhances the energy density of the Zn-Ce RFB.References Nguyen, T. and R.F. Savinell, Flow Batteries. Electrochemical Society Interface, 2010. 19(3), 54.Clarke, R., B. Dougherty, S. Harrison, P. Millington, and S. Mohanta, US Patent 2004/0202925 A1. Cerium Batteries, 2004.Yu, H., M. Pritzker, and J. Gostick, Use of Mixed Methanesulfonic Acid/Sulfuric Acid as Positive Supporting Electrolyte in Zn-Ce Redox Flow Battery. J. Electrochemical Society, 2023. 170(2), 020536. Figure 1

When to conduct student evaluation of teaching surveys: before or after the final examination?

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) involves numerous conceptual and methodological problems. This paper focuses on a specific methodological dilemma: whether to conduct SET surveys before or after the final examination. This decision is a critical administrative and practical issue that can affect the level and quality of SET results. To address this problem, a systematic literature search was initially performed. However, it found only 17 studies and inconclusive results. In the empirical component, a replication survey (n = 5,077) was conducted. It posed seven course-related questions to the same students before and after their final examination. A slightly higher but statistically significant (p < 0.001) average score was obtained in the after-examination survey (a 0.06 difference on a 1–5 scale). This increase was partly attributed to a positive examination experience. The overall test–retest correlation (r = 0.61) indicated relatively low reliability, suggesting that the before-examination survey better reflected students’ attitudes. The data quality was also higher in the before-examination survey, although the before-examination survey could not properly assess the examination-related aspects of the course. From a methodological perspective, the most comprehensive insight seems to be derived from conducting SET surveys before the examination and following up with a brief after-examination survey.

I INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “DOCTORS AND NURSING – MEDICAL FRONT IN UKRAINE AND THE WORLD”

On May 11–12, 2023, the I International Scientific Practical Conference “Doctors and Nursing – Medical Front in Ukraine and the World” took place in Lutsk, Ukraine. The conference was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Shevchenko Scientific Society (SSS).&#x0D; The conference was organized by the Municipal Institution of Higher Education Volyn Medical Institute of Volyn Region Council, in collaboration with Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, I.Y. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, Vilnius University (Lithuania), Higher Private Educational Institution Lviv Medical University, the Shevchenko Scientific Society, and Health Tech Without Borders (Switzerland, USA). The conference was held with the support of the State Institution “Center for Nursing Development of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”. Partners in conference organization also included Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy, Maastricht University (the Netherlands), Volyn Region Emergency Medical Center and Disaster Medicine Municipal Enterprise, German-Ukrainian Association of Nurses, NeanderklinikHarzwald (Germany), “Myloserdia” Association of Volyn Nurses PO and Lviv Association of Allergists, Immunologists, and Rehabilitologists Charitable Organization.&#x0D; During the course of the event, a total of over 100 speeches were delivered by medical scientists and practicing physicians, as well as researchers in diverse disciplines from Ukraine, the United States, Great Britain, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Workshops were conducted on relevant issues in medical practice in times of war.&#x0D; A total of approximately 1100 individuals participated in the conference, comprising physicians from diverse disciplines and nurses, emergency medical professionals and disaster medicine specialists, scientific and pedagogical personnel, employees of the State Emergency Service, physical rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, representatives of the clergy and public organizations, and young scientists.&#x0D; A new interdisciplinary format of scientific dialogue has been started between representatives of medical and nursing specialities, the education sector, psychologists, and clergy. It helps find ways to address relevant issues in the medical sector in complex conditions of the present day.

The next bastion to be conquered in immunotherapy: microsatellite stable colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its incidence continues to rise, particularly in developing countries. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has represented a significant advancement in CRC treatment. Deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) serves as a biomarker for immunotherapy, with dMMR/MSI-H CRC exhibiting significantly better response rates to immunotherapy compared to proficient mismatch repair (pMMR)or microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC. While some progress has been made in the treatment of pMMR/MSS CRC in recent years, it remains a challenging issue in clinical practice. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role not only in the development and progression of CRC but also in determining the response to immunotherapy. Understanding the characteristics of the TME in pMMR/MSS CRC could offer new insights to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this review, we provide an overview of the current research progress on the TME characteristics and advancements in immunotherapy for pMMR/MSS CRC.

К вопросу о неравенстве процессуальных прав и процессуальных возможностей участников уголовного судопроизводства со стороны обвинения

The article is devoted to topical issues related to unequal procedural rights and procedural capabilities of participants in criminal proceedings on the part of the prosecution. The article analyzes the most problematic issues of the current law enforcement practice in this area, provides the most characteristic examples of the lack of procedural equality of participants in criminal proceedings on the part of the prosecution, the lack of rights and procedural capabilities of such participants as the victim and the civil plaintiff in comparison with such participants as the investigator, investigator, head of the investigative body, prosecutor and others. A brief comparative analysis of the procedural capabilities of the plaintiff in civil proceedings and the civil plaintiff in criminal proceedings is given. Proposals have been developed and formulated on the need to make the necessary changes to the criminal procedure legislation in order to expand procedural opportunities for the realization of the rights of the victim and the civil plaintiff to full access to justice.

Comparing acute hospital outcomes for people with post-stroke aphasia who do and do not require an interpreter

ABSTRACT Background People with communication differences are known to have poorer hospital outcomes than their peers. However, the combined impact of aphasia and cultural/linguistic differences on care and outcomes after stroke remains unknown. Objectives To investigate the association between cultural/linguistic differences, defined as those requiring an interpreter, and the provision of acute evidence-based stroke care and in-hospital outcomes for people with aphasia. Methods Cross-sectional, observational data collected in the Stroke Foundation National Audit of Acute Services (2017, 2019, 2021) were used. Multivariable regression models compared evidence-based care and in-hospital outcomes (e.g., length of stay) by interpreter status. Models were adjusted for sex, hospital location, stroke type and severity, with clustering by hospital. Results Among 3122 people with aphasia (median age 78, 49% female) from 126 hospitals, 193 (6%) required an interpreter (median age 78, 55% female). Compared to people with aphasia not requiring an interpreter, those requiring an interpreter had similar care access but less often had their mood assessed (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.32, 0.76), were more likely to have physiotherapy assessments (96% vs 90% p = 0.011) and carer training (OR 4.83, 95% CI 1.70, 13.70), had a 2 day longer median length of stay (8 days vs 6 days, p = 0.003), and were less likely to be independent on discharge (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.33, 0.89). Conclusions Some differences exist in the management and outcomes for people with post-stroke aphasia who require an interpreter. Further research to explore their needs and the practical issues underpinning their clinical care pathways is required.

(Invited) Facile and Scalable Production of an Intermetallic Nanocatalyst for High-Power Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell

With universal attention to sustainable development, the eco-friendly generation of energy has been emerging as one of the most important tasks. Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are one of the key solutions to this urgent problem due to their clean energy generation. However, a complicated reaction environment has been limiting its power performance for industrial applications, such as 1) catalytic activity, 2) oxygen mass transfer, and 3) proton conduction at the cathode catalyst layer. To handle all these critical factors, a holistic design and elaborate synthesis of catalyst are imperative without compromising the scalability of synthesis. Here, we present a straightforward but exquisite synthetic approach that addresses the aforementioned practical issues and demonstrate an excellent PEMFC power performance. The crystalline ionic compound ([Co(bpy)3]2+[PtCl6]2-, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) enabled a carbon shell-protected growth of intermetallic nanoparticles with N-doping on the entire mesoporous carbon support via a simple thermal annealing process. The overall structure of the catalyst simultaneously tackled the critical issues in PEMFC, including ORR kinetics (by strained Pt-skin surface on intermetallic Pt-Co core), oxygen mass transfer (by high ECSA and mesoporous N-doped carbon support), and proton conduction (by stabilized Co species in intermetallic core and Pt-skin) with desirable durability. This study highlights the importance of meeting all the critical parameters to achieve much higher fuel cell power performance through the development of a facile and scalable production method of catalyst.

(Invited) Heterogeneous Integration of Ultrawide Bandgap III-Nitrides and Diamond

Industry demands for power switching, amplification and photonic applications are continually pushing the limits of semiconductor device technologies leading to increasing applied voltages and, thus, higher electric fields while simultaneously requiring reduction in the size, weight and power consumption. In addition, recent heightened interest in higher temperature (and other extreme environment) applications, while simultaneously maintaining high-voltage and high-power performance, has inexorably led to ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor materials. This interest in UWBG materials stems from superior properties that include high material hardness, breakdown strength to withstand large electric fields and mitigation of power dissipation during device switching, deliver high current density while operating at higher junction and ambient temperature. Among these materials are boron nitride in its hexagonal and cubic phases, gallium oxide, diamond, and aluminum gallium nitride. The versatile alloys of wurtzite AlxGa1-xN have long been demonstrated across the full composition range. The variation in Eg with AlGaN composition, along with select WBG and UWBG materials, is shown in Figure 1 versus (in-plane for non-cubic) lattice constant.Premier WBG materials to date for electronics and photonics are SiC (Eg = 3.3 eV) and GaN (Eg = 3.4 eV). The latter has been successfully applied to high-power transistors and near ultraviolet photonics. In both electronics and photonics applications, the polarization fields of the wurtzite crystal structure, generally grown along (0001) direction, produce design challenges. In photonics, for example, the fields and band alignment couple to spatially separate electrically injected electrons and holes to reduce wavefunction overlap in quantum wells. In electronics, the internal fields have contributed to difficulties in the design of logic and bipolar transistor devices based on these materials. Despite this, the inherent polarization field and band offsets were successfully employed in the design of high electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs). The inherent AlGaN/GaN HEMT band offset produces a high electron concentration at the interface that spontaneously forms a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Because charge flow in these devices is restricted to the 2DEG, current crowding results in intense self-heating. The local heating decreases electrical conductivity to produce a runaway scenario for elevating the Joule heating. Dissipating this heat, therefore, is the principal limiting factor in operating at power higher than 40 W/mm.The various temperature dependences of semiconductor device parameters are the principal drivers in the operation of semiconductor devices. The physics has inextricably led to UWBGs for future high temperature applications, > 300 °C, due to their lower intrinsic carrier density and thus the effects of leakage are orders of magnitudes less than Si-based devices. Furthermore, AlGaN and diamond offer superior high temperature mechanical stability due to their structural hardness and chemical inertness. Thermal management is essential for achieving higher power densities. Diamond is highly attractive for many applications due to its high hardness, transparency, chemical inertness, promising semiconductor properties, and its high thermal conductivity (κ) to 2500 W/m·K in natural material. Factors related to the consequences of self-heating in devices have motivated extensive research to improve the properties of diamond and produce better approaches to determine the thermal properties. Laboratory-grown diamond films exhibit significantly poorer κ than natural diamond and, when integrated with other electronic materials, a low thermal boundary conductance (TBC in W/m2·K) that inhibits heat transfer between materials. The former originates from the ubiquitous polycrystalline nature of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond and the presence of non-diamond carbon (NDC) in the layer. The low TBC stems from fundamental barriers to phonon propagation between two materials and from practical issues of poor diamond quality in the initial growth regime. Continued research is needed to improve κ in the polycrystalline diamond and mitigate the negative impact of the initial diamond layer on TBC.The current status of hetero-integration of UWBG AlGaN and diamond will be reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to high Al content AlGaN for near-bandgap matching with diamond. Patterned diamond grown using hot-filament CVD to realize unique three-dimensional lateral device structures in a self-aligned, as-grown fabrication process is employed. Engineering the AlGaN-diamond bandgap alignment is noteworthy at the nonpolar AlGaN – diamond interface including diamond surface terminations that produce either negative or positive electron affinity. The review will focus on improvements in material properties, especially the interfaces, that are critical to both charge and heat transport for UWBG device structures. Figure 1

Modeling Seasonality of Emotional Tension in Social Media

Social media has become an almost unlimited resource for studying social processes. Seasonality is a phenomenon that significantly affects many physical and mental states. Modeling collective emotional seasonal changes is a challenging task for the technical, social, and humanities sciences. This is due to the laboriousness and complexity of obtaining a sufficient amount of data, processing and evaluating them, and presenting the results. At the same time, understanding the annual dynamics of collective sentiment provides us with important insights into collective behavior, especially in various crises or disasters. In our study, we propose a scheme for identifying and evaluating signs of the seasonal rise and fall of emotional tension based on social media texts. The analysis is based on Russian-language comments in VKontakte social network communities devoted to city news and the events of a small town in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia. Workflow steps include a statistical method for categorizing data, exploratory analysis to identify common patterns, data aggregation for modeling seasonal changes, the identification of typical data properties through clustering, and the formulation and validation of seasonality criteria. As a result of seasonality modeling, it is shown that the calendar seasonal model corresponds to the data, and the dynamics of emotional tension correlate with the seasons. The proposed methodology is useful for a wide range of social practice issues, such as monitoring public opinion or assessing irregular shifts in mass emotions.

Topology-optimized freeform broadband optical metagrating for high-efficiency large-angle deflection

A metagrating made of periodic arrays of subwavelength inclusions has great capability for efficient manipulation of the impinging wavefront at subwavelength scale. However, it suffers from a significant practical issue in that the diffraction efficiency declines rapidly along with the increase of deflection angle, especially for broadband application scenarios. Here, we comprehensively investigated different topology optimization approaches to design the broadband optical metagrating for high-efficiency large-angle deflection, including single-wavelength optimization (SO), max-min optimization (MO), and average optimization (AO). It is demonstrated that the AO approach is more appropriate to optimize the broadband high-efficiency metagrating. Specifically, a freeform metagrating of up to about a 70° deflection angle at a central wavelength of 10.6 µm with diffraction efficiency exceeding 80% over a broad bandwidth of 4.36 µm in the infrared range is demonstrated based on the AO approach. It is also shown that, for all three optimization approaches, the quasi-catenary metagrating optimized from initial catenary structures has the evident advantage on bandwidth compared to that optimized from initial discrete structures. Our results provide insights into the inverse design of metagratings and may find potential applications in broadband achromatic metalenses and other broadband meta-devices.

The Controversial Maternity Supplement Due to Demographic Contribution: Practical Issues and Regulatory and Judicial Responses

This paper addresses the study and analysis of the establishment of the maternity supplement towards the current contributory pension supplement for the reduction of the gender gap from three key points. In the first place, and to understand the establishment of the pension supplement, the basis and legal regime of the so-called maternity supplement is analysed. Secondly, the arguments of the CJEU of 12 December 2019, case C-450/18 are set out, which, as a result of the practical application of the maternity supplement for demographic contribution, declared that there was direct discriminatory treatment on grounds of sex between men and women and that the Spanish legislation was contrary to Council Directive 79/7/EEC, of 19 December 1978 on the progressive implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in matters of social security. Likewise, due to its relevant interest in the matter, the latest CJEU in the matter is addressed, specifically the CJEU of 14 September 2023, case C-311/22. Finally, the legal regime of the new pension supplement for the reduction of the gender gap is briefly described.

Dialogic carbon accounting: toward agonistic discourses and democratic governance in China

PurposeThis study aims to explore the conflicting issues of carbon accounting and trading practices in China through the lens of agonistic democracy.Design/methodology/approachBased on a framework of three interrelated levels, this study explores emitting entity carbon accounting debates and discussions in mitigating climate change. Interview data were collected from 20 emitting entity participants and external auditors.FindingsThis study identifies irreconcilable conflicts between emitting entities and the government in carbon accounting and trading activities. Under the strong influence of government power, emitting entities portray themselves as “responsible” and “legitimate” state-owned enterprises. This study further identifies possible democratic spaces and reveals the potential for agonistic discourse and a fallacy of “consensus” and monologues in institutional space. If the emitting entity and government can overcome their participation challenges, this would significantly facilitate vibrant and agonistic discourse in carbon activities and pave the way for democratic spaces.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates the potential and limitations of applying agonistic democracy and the significance of participation in institutional spaces in government-led carbon accounting and trading issues. It enriches prior research on promoting democratic participation in carbon accounting from the agonistic democracy perspective.

Pragmatic ethical approaches to evangelising in the medical encounter

This paper describes the practical ethical issues and addresses some of the difficulties that arise at the interface between religion and the practice of medicine.Situations that arise between the physician and the patient concerning religious and spiritual beliefs are described. Approaches and caveats to offering religious opinions, instructions and evangelising in the medical encounter are proposed by the author.

Payment for Non-Standard Forms of Labor and their Impact on the Economy and Social Status of Employees

Today, in the context of the formation of a new historical phase of social development of civilization - post-industrial society - there is a de-standardization of employment, i.e. the spread of flexible and variable forms of employment, which are called non-standard. It is the modification of traditional and the emergence of completely new forms of employment that actively influence the main parameters of the labor market (demand, supply, labor price, etc.). Therefore, today, personnel leasing, outsourcing, outstaffing, remote employment, non-standard working hours, etc. can be considered fundamental innovations in the field of employment. The following methods were used during the study: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, dialectical approach, analytical thinking, abstraction, and generalization. The purpose of the study is to define the essence of precarious forms of labor, their impact on the economy and social protection of the employee, advantages, and disadvantages. Also, to investigate problematic theoretical and practical issues related to the right to remuneration in Ukraine in the context of precarious employment, in particular, to summarize the main directions of reforming legal regulation in this area. &#x0D;