Modernization Process Research Articles

Labour Relations and Modes of Production under Russia's Institutional Development

The article contributes to a discussion on the taxonomy of labour relations and its relationships with modes of production in the paradigm of post-Marxian historical institutionalism in the tradition by D.C. North and R.M. Nureev. From this perspective the author provides an outline of the concept of labour relations in Russia/ USSR, with the focus on transition processes. The author traces the transitions from kin-ordered and tributary slavery to serfdom, from tributary and commodified serfdom to wage commodified labour, then to tributary and commodified labour under socialism. The outline is based primarily on the quantitative and qualitative evidence from the previous research literature. From the cross-country comparative perspective the author highlights that the cases of slavery during the early modern capitalism, inherited by the Antebellum Southern United States during the Industrial Revolution, as well as mass use of penall abour during the Soviet industrialization effort, moderately replicated in the pre-reform China, demonstrate resumption of institutions of forced labour on the path to modern economy and society. The evidence indicates that this is associated with the processes of military modernization and expansion of the war economy. In its turn, the weakening of the military threat created the possibility of commodified labour relations development. From this perspective, the trend towards expanding their share was formed in the USSR in the 1950s, and Russia’s transition to market relations in the late 1980s – 1990s appeared to be a new stage in the development of this process.

Sustainable preparation of nano monodispered ATP based color master batch and its application in PA6

AbstractAs a representative of dope‐dye, the color masterbatch method has been widely applied in modern dyeing processes, while it has difficulties in solving the dispersibility of inorganic pigments color master batch in the polymer matrix. In this work, attapulgite (ATP) was used as the adsorption carrier of inorganic pigments to prepare color‐dyed attapulgite (CD‐ATP). The selected environmentally friendly inorganic pigments were well adsorbed by ATP in KOH aqueous solution, and could stably be monodispersed in KOH aqueous solution for more than 168 h. Moreover, the KOH aqueous solution could be reused repeatedly, thereby, a sustainable method to prepare novel CD‐ATP was realized. By blending the as‐prepared CD‐ATP with polyamide‐6 (PA6), a series of dope‐dyed colorful PA6 composites was prepared. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results indicated that the CD‐ATP was still monodispersed in the PA6 matrix, and endowed PA6 with a vivid color. Further studies show that the adding of CD‐ATP had little influence on the properties of PA6, but significantly reduced the water adsorption. This novel color‐dyed ATP has potential implications in making paper‐making blankets and is highly expected to have more extensive applications in many fields of life.

Review and Analysis of Modern Laser Beam Welding Processes.

Laser beam welding is the most modern and promising process for the automatic or robotized welding of structures of the highest Execution Class, EXC3-4, which are made of a variety of weldable structural materials, mainly steel, titanium, and nickel alloys, but also a limited range of aluminum, magnesium, and copper alloys, reactive materials, and even thermoplastics. This paper presents a systematic review and analysis of the author's research results, research articles, industrial catalogs, technical notes, etc., regarding laser beam welding (LBW) and laser hybrid welding (LHW) processes. Examples of industrial applications of the melt-in-mode and keyhole-mode laser welding techniques for low-alloy and high-alloy steel joints are analyzed. The influence of basic LBW and LHW parameters on the quality of welded joints proves that the laser beam power, welding speed, and Gas Metal Arc (GMA) welding current firmly decide the quality of welded joints. A brief review of the artificial intelligence (AI)-supported online quality-monitoring systems for LBW and LHW processes indicates the decisive influence on the quality control of welded joints.

Novel processing of micro-channels in micro-grinding with automated laser-assistance

AbstractMicro-structures are widely utilized in various fields such as optical, medical, defense, and aerospace. The accuracy and performance of micro-structures depend on fabrication methods, including conventional and non-conventional machining. High-quality micro-channel fabrication is challenging by conventional micro-grinding (CMG) which uses a micro-pencil grinding tool during micro-machining. However, in CMG, high-cutting forces act in the machining zone leading to tool deflection, tool failure, high temperature, and poor surface finish. The challenges of CMG can be overcome by using automated laser-assisted micro-grinding (LAMG), one of the modern micro-machining processes for fabricating high-quality, precise micro-channels. The novel processing of micro-channels in this work is through the in tandem use of LAMG and CMG. In this, the laser structuring is performed using LAMG followed by a micro-pencil grinding tool processing in a sequential manner on a same machine tool to achive high-quality parts and accuracy. This helps in fabrication of a micro-channel directly in one go without the need to remove the part to perform the two operations on two different machining setups, thereby reducing systematic fixturing errors which are significant when we are working at the micro-scale. This paper thus investigates the effect of various parameters viz. laser input energy densities and laser power on cutting forces and surface roughness on the tool as well as the work surface with two distinct scan patterns. In LAMG, at lower laser input energy density (pattern 1), the tangential and normal forces decreased by 10.3% and 20.5%, and surface roughness Sa and Sq reduced by 24% and 22% compared to CMG. Similarly, a normal force decreased by 20.5% in pattern 1 and 38% less in pattern 2. Still, the higher laser energy density (pattern 2) is unsuitable for structure due to an increase in Sa and Sq by 11% and 14.6%, respectively. Results have shown a maximum reduction in the normal and tangential force magnitude by 31 and 44% at 25 W compared to CMG. The work concludes that LAMG with novel laser assistance scan patterns has lower dynamic deflections resulting in better dimensional accuracy and surface finish compared to CMG with a lower tool.

The national idea in the Ukrainian legal area

The study is based on the assumption that at the current stage of development of the State and society, there is a need to form a national idea of the State, which is a theoretical expression of the Ukrainian people's self-awareness of their identity and individuality, and which, based on common values and interests, can be one of the important factors in consolidating Ukrainian society, a general vector for further development of the country and a guideline for its role and place in the world community. The national idea is an expression not only of the psychological and cultural model of society, but also a manifestation of the national legal sphere, which has a complex and ambiguous composition that requires a detailed scientific study. The purpose of the study is to identify the prerequisites and components of the formation of the national idea at the current stage of development of Ukrainian society and the State in the legal plane. The theoretical basis of the study is based on analytical developments in the theory of state and law, political science, constitutional law, and sociology of law in the study of various aspects of the national idea in the context of globalization. Numerous tasks and the diversity of the material under study have led to the use of various research methods: formal legal, systemic and structural, specific sociological, logical. The work uses the socio-cultural and civilizational approaches to the analysis of legal ideology, legal policy, legal doctrine, as well as axiological, geopolitical, and institutional approaches to the national idea of the State. It is noted that when forming the national idea, laying a progressive national-state ideology as its basis, it is necessary to take into account both the cultural uniqueness of Ukraine and the legal component of society, as well as global trends in the modern world. In the context of state-building, the national idea should be an integrative ideological basis on which to consolidate the political nation and create a project for the country's development for the future. It can be argued that the modern state-building process in Ukraine requires modernization of the concept of the national idea and certain adjustments to its value content. In order for the national idea to become an effective basis for the development of the rule of law, it must be correlated with legal ideology, legal policy and legal doctrine, and must be consistent with such values as national interest and national mentality. The implementation of the national idea should have a specific content and be filled with practical steps in the development of the Ukrainian state.

THE CONCEPT OF THE FORMATION THE ELECTRONIC DEMOCRACY AS A TOOL OF REGIONAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

The article proposes a conceptual model of regional electronic democracy as a cognitive scheme for the analysis of this tool of local public administration in Ukraine. It is noted that the local levels of the implementation of electronic democracy are theoretically capable of demonstrating the greatest effectiveness of using this tool, as they are related to the immediate environment of everyday life of citizens and relate to solving urgent problems of community residents. The author emphasizes the predominant research interest in e-democracy at the national level and insufficient attention to regional features of e-democracy. The key role of digital participation in the formation and development of electronic democracy is argued. The author examines various scientific approaches to considering the forms and levels of public participation in regional public administration and supports the conclusion that there is a tendency to expand the meaningful characteristics of participation in administration and the arsenal of electronic tools for its implementation Using the analytical method and the method of theoretical generalization, the author analyzes the functioning of electronic democracy at the local level. For formulating her own concept, the author relies on the theoretical work of foreign e-democracy researchers, in particular, the concept of invited and invented public space and the classification of types of e-democracy. The model of regional e-democracy is defined as a set of types of electronic participation of the citizens in governance and e-democracy tools as electronic means of implementing this participation. Forms of participation and their corresponding e-tools are grouped into three blocks: transparent e-democracy, deliberative e-democracy and participatory e-democracy. The author draws attention to the heterogeneity of the public sphere as a place for the implementation of local electronic democracy and claims that the identification of the invented space as a place for the implementation of civil self-organization contributes to a deeper understanding of the modern processes of transformation of public administration under the influence of information and communication technologies. The importance of taking into account the social context and the possibilities of technological support for evaluating the effectiveness of the processes of local democracy is emphasized.

Transformation of Post-Soviet Russia’s Interests in the Asia-Pacific Region

The relevance of this study is due to the significant transformation of the system of international relations caused by the geopolitical transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. In the context of modern global changes and dynamic processes in the international arena, the study of the transformation of Russia’s interests in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) is becoming especially important. It provides an opportunity to predict future trends in international relations and develop specific recommendations for the development of Russia’s foreign policy strategy. In the context of worsening relations with the West and Russia’s turn to the East, this study allows us to better understand key trends in the region and develop strategic solutions to strengthen Russia’s geopolitical status in the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, it is important to take into account the economic, political and military aspects of Russia’s presence in this dynamically developing region. Thus, this study plays a key role in shaping Russia’s long-term foreign policy strategy and its adaptation to new geopolitical realities, not only in order to strengthen its position in the Asia-Pacific region, but also to respond more effectively to the challenges and opportunities arising from the transformation of the global system of international relations.

Enhancing fault detection in multivariate industrial processes: Kolmogorov–Smirnov non-parametric statistical approach

The accurate detection of abnormal events in modern process plants is extremely important. The detection of faults of small magnitude and in a noisy process environment is still a challenge that many industries face. In this paper, a Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) based non-parametric statistical fault indicator is proposed to identify a variety of sensor faults in process plants. The data collected from most modern process plants are randomly varying and non-Gaussian, due to which the multivariate scheme based on Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is considered. The KS-based indicator is amalgamated with the ICA multivariate model, which yields a novel ICA-KS-based fault detection (FD) scheme. The KS statistical indicator compares any two distributions and checks if they are similar or dissimilar. The potential of the KS indicator is extended in the FD domain, where the residuals of training and testing data are compared in a sliding window. The ability of the proposed ICA-KS-based FD strategy is validated on a simulated Distillation column (DC) process and the benchmark Tennessee Eastman (TE) process to identify a variety of sensor faults. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the detection performance of the ICA-KS scheme, which outperforms conventional FD-based methods with a high detection rate.

The problem of quality of qualified professional teacher training in Turkey

The education system of Ukraine is at the stage of European integration changes and internal modernization processes. The characteristic trends of this period are the realization of one's own national experience, its comparison with European and world traditions, as well as the need to analyze and highlight the most effective progressive ideas and advanced concepts that exist in the world space, the possibility of their adaptation to the needs of national education. Therefore, institutions of higher education must train qualified teachers, creative, possessing a high level of pedagogical skills, realizing their own autonomy and capable of developing original solutions. The novelty of the problematics of the studied topic is that the problem of the quality of professional training of a qualified teacher in Turkey has not yet found a comprehensive reflection and systematic generalization in the Ukrainian scientific and pedagogical discourse. Therefore, the goal of the study was to formulate the problem of the quality of professional training of a qualified teacher in Turkey. To implement the goals and objectives of scientific research, the authors relied on the following materials and methods of scientific research: 1) theoretical – analysis of scientific databases, electronic repositories of institutions of higher education, scientific institutions and libraries where dissertation abstracts, scientific publications and other scientific works are stored; systematization and generalization of research results; 2) empirical – conversations, correspondence with Turkish scientists and university professors; pedagogical supervision. The authors formulated the problem of the quality of training of a qualified teacher, which is a widely discussed problem for many years in the world and in Turkey itself, which proves the need to rethink the definition and boundaries of the teaching profession. On the basis of the generalization and systematization of the obtained results, the authors formulated the concept of "qualified teacher" – this is a novice teacher who has successfully completed training on an accredited educational program of initial teacher training. Scientific and practical recommendations on the use of constructive ideas of the Turkish experience to improve the quality of teacher training in the system of continuous pedagogical education of Ukraine are substantiated

Research on the Role of the Third Front Construction in China’s Modernization

The Third Front Construction was a major national strategy implemented by China in the 1960s, aimed at promoting the industrialization of the central and western regions while addressing external security threats. This initiative not only laid a solid foundation for China’s industrialization but also revealed unique paths of Chinese modernization, such as regional coordinated development and the integration of national defense and economic growth. However, the Third Front Construction also brought about environmental degradation and over-exploitation of resources, providing important lessons for contemporary China’s development. In the modernization process, it is crucial to draw on the experiences of the Third Front Construction, focusing on regional coordinated development and enhancing social mobilization capabilities. By summarizing the experiences and lessons of the Third Front Construction, this paper provides historical references and future directions for the development of Chinese-style modernization.

Интересы Саудовской Аравии в Центральной Азии в контексте внутренних и внешних реалий

The article analyzes the interests of Saudi Arabia in the Central Asian region taking into account the internal modernization processes in the Kingdom and in the context of global geopolitical turbulence. It is proved that at the present stage Saudi Arabia makes a lot of efforts to gain a foothold in Central Asia as an influential player using its religious authority along with financial and economic instruments of influence. The emphasis is placed on the fact that with the coming to power of the young reformer King Mohammed bin Salman Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy in the Central Asian direction changed from religious identity to a pragmatic approach to interaction with the countries of the region. In this context, the Kingdom positions itself as an attractive economic and investment partner. It is emphasized that the main ideological competitor of Saudi Arabia in Central Asia is Iran whose regional activity alarms the Saudis and encourages the Kingdom’s leadership to develop measures to contain it. It is concluded that Saudi Arabia actively joined the geopolitical processes in Central Asia symbolizing a new stage of the “Big Game” and confidently tries to integrate into regional energy and transport and communication projects through its generous investment injections.

Contribution of the time domain electromagnetic method to the study of the Kalahari transboundary multilayered aquifer systems in Southern Angola

AbstractThe Cunene Province (Southern Angola) is facing recurrent and pluriannual droughts. Surface water supply could be reinforced using the groundwater resources of the multilayered aquifer systems (MAS) hosted in the siliciclastic sediments of the Kalahari Group. The MAS were first identified in the early 2000s in Northern Namibia and recently in the Cunene Province, by studies of the PLANAGEO project based on modern processing and reinterpretation of legacy data from the 1960s and 1970s (electrical resistivity data and deep boreholes). This article presents the results of a time domain electromagnetic (TDEM) survey conducted in the Cunene Province to: (i) contribute to the design of the hydrogeological conceptual model of the transboundary MAS, namely their geometry and extension; (ii) validate the reprocessing of the legacy data; and (iii) guide the future location of boreholes. Results depict the geometry of the sedimentary basin and the characterization of the MAS, with particular emphasis on the intermediate and deep aquifers. The borehole siting, based on the interpretation of the new TDEM data and the legacy data (clay markers in borehole logs), was successful, with a good agreement between estimated and observed horizons of the deep aquifers. However, the presence of clayey layers, a clay-rich matrix in the detrital deposits and saline/brackish groundwater led to uncertainties in the interpretation of the electrical transects. As such, recommendations are made to improve future data collection and mapping of the MAS.

The dark side of critical thinking and the need to restore learning relationships

In the 20th century, critical thinking emerged as an important ideal in and aim of education. Hardly anyone opposes critical thinking, its weight is re-enforced in debates on education and its positive value is largely taken for granted because of the manifold promises it carries. However, in this paper I will challenge critical thinking as an aim of and unanimous positive value in education. The climate for critical thinking has changed in the course of modernization, since modern society no longer carries an open inviting view of the future; rather, it has been overloaded with dystopian energy and meaning as a result of negative and affirmative critical thinking to the extent that is it becoming self-crippling and existentially alienating. In the paper, I discuss different and significant views of critical thinking in education and higher education in order to highlight why and in what ways it is cherished and extolled in education. I argue that processes of reflexive modernization in society have altered the conditions for critical thinking to the extent that the imaginaries, institutions and practices we used to trust and still rely on in social life and in education are paradoxically dead and alive. In this context, I explicate a dark side of critical thinking that we can no longer neglect. I argue that quite common ways of doing critical thinking may have self-crippling, existentially alienating and dystopian dynamics and effects in times when we need confidence and trust the most. Consequently, no matter how much we cherish critical thinking we are no longer in a position to think of it as an unanimous good or as an ultimate aim of education. Critical thinking is, like many practices obstructed by reflexive modernization, full of self-serving fictions, nurturing its status as an all-but-only-good-purpose skill. There is a need to rethink critical thinking, its role and status in education and restore its learning relationships without falling prey to its darker dynamics, or so I argue.

The grave of a known soldier. De-anonymization of war memorials and mass graves as a modernization process in Central and Western European culture

The grave of a known soldier. De-anonymization of war memorials and mass graves as a modernization process in Central and Western European culture

The influence of ancestral temple on the landscape of traditional Chinese villages: based on landscape pattern analysis and spatial syntax approach

ABSTRACT The modernization process in rural areas negatively impacts on local traditional cultural landscapes, and some spatial elements in villages are of great significance in maintaining traditional cultural landscapes. However, it is unclear about the impact of ancestral temple on the landscape pattern of rural villages. In this paper, we take the ancestral temples and the other buildings of 25 traditional villages in Zhejiang Province of China as research objectives, applying landscape pattern analysis and spatial syntax approach to explore the ancestral temple’s association with village landscape. The results show that the ancestral temple has impacts on the landscape of traditional Chinese villages. In addition, although all ancestral temples in the 25 villages are currently within walking distance, those at village edges are more likely to have lower accessibility. Therefore, in heritage conservation, we need to protect the key spatial elements and their surrounding buildings; in village planning, we need to set sensible boundaries for the villages, and plan new construction areas and the road network reasonably in order to maintain or enhance the accessibility of key landscape elements.

Manufacturing processes, additional nutritional value and versatile food applications of fresh microalgae Spirulina.

Spirulina is capable of using light energy and fixing carbon dioxide to synthesize a spectrum of organic substances, including proteins, polysaccharides, and unsaturated fatty acids, making it one of the most coveted food resources for humanity. Conventionally, Spirulina products are formulated into algal powder tablets or capsules. However, the processing and preparation of these products, involving screw pump feeding, extrusion, high-speed automation, and high-temperature dewatering, often result in the rupture of cell filaments, cell fragmentation, and the unfortunate loss of vital nutrients. In contrast, fresh Spirulina, cultivated within a closed photobioreactor and transformed into an edible delight through harvesting, washing, filtering, and sterilizing, presents a refreshing taste and odor. It is gradually earning acceptance as a novel health food among the general public. This review delves into the manufacturing processes of fresh Spirulina, analyzes its nutritional advantages over conventional algal powder, and ultimately prospects the avenues for fresh Spirulina's application in modern food processing. The aim is to provide valuable references for the research and development of new microalgal products and to propel the food applications of microalgae forward.

Pathways to Modernity: Ottoman Reforms Before and During the Tanzimat

This study analyses the modernisation efforts within the Ottoman Empire during the pre-Tanzimat and Tanzimat periods, examining the intricate balance between Westernisation and genuine modernisation strategies. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Ottoman Empire faced significant military, economic, and administrative challenges, prompting a decisive shift towards comprehensive reforms in socio-cultural, military, and administrative domains. These profound reforms were primarily driven by the imperative to address the empire's perceived backwardness in comparison to Europe and to safeguard its territorial integrity. During the Tanzimat period (1839-1876), the Empire undertook extensive reforms in governance, fiscal policies, and civil rights, particularly through the Gülhane Hatt-ı Hümayunu and the Islahat Fermanı. While these reforms laid the groundwork for subsequent modernization efforts, they encountered substantial resistance from entrenched social and political structures and were subject to intense scrutiny. This article meticulously examines the inception of the Ottoman Empire's modernisation process, elucidating the Empire's strategic efforts to advance and sustain modernisation amidst the intricate balance between the influences of Western modernity and the preservation of Ottoman heritage and traditional values. Within this framework, it underscores the continuity of reforms and modernization from the late 18th century through to the Republican era.

Problems of international politics: impact of globalization on politics

The concept of globalization is associated with the process of expanding crossborder transactions and interactions in the political, socio-cultural, and economic spheres. It describes the phenomenon of denationalization, which tends to be perceived as a political project. Globalization in the international political system is considered centralized due to its impact on external relations and its close connection with political structures and mechanisms. The creation of the necessary international rules and institutions is characterized by the fact that the concept of global governance is a political response to the processes of economic and social globalization. The influence of the era of globalization on the development of international politics and economic structures has turned out to be deep and complex, being the background for the creation of new political forms and stages of its development. The modern process of globalization is focused on international transformations in the field of politics and economics. It is important to emphasize the fact that the concept of globalization is a broad issue that is an integral part of every field of public activity. It can be described as an acceleration of global economic and political interconnections; the analysis of this phenomenon made it possible to assess the problems caused by its development. This article shows the importance of the globalized world for the life of individual states and international cooperation. The large-scale changes caused by globalization have proved its significant role for cultural, social, economic, and political formation at the international level. The research was based on the theory of globalization, the concept of sustainable development, and the theory of competition. Conclusions. The impact of globalization is felt most strongly when it comes to identity, whether it is an individual or a community. Although globalization can have positive effects, this phenomenon needs to be critically assessed in order to ensure that its negative consequences are understood, studied, and effectively addressed.

Dynamic data reconciliation for enhancing the prediction performance of long short-term memory network

Abstract In modern process industries, long short-term memory (LSTM) network is widely used for data-driven modeling. Constrained by measuring instruments and environments, the measured datasets are generally with Gaussian/non-Gaussian distributed measurement noise. The noisy datasets will impact the modeling accuracy of the LSTM network and decrease the prediction performance of it. Aiming at addressing prediction performance impairment of the LSTM network under noisy datasets with Gaussian/non-Gaussian distribution, this study introduces dynamic data reconciliation (DDR) both into LSTM network training and into LSTM network test. Results show that DDR improves not only the data quality based on noisy datasets and the training outputs via the Bayesian formula in the model training step, but also the prediction performance based on offline measured information and the test outputs. The implementation scheme of DDR for Gaussian and non-Gaussian distributed noise is purposely designed. The effectiveness of DDR on the LSTM model is verified in a numerical example and a case involving a set of shared wind power datasets.

Religious and Educational Activities of the Tatars in the Turgai Region at the Second Half of the 19th – Beginning of the 20th Centuries

In the article the author for the first time analyzes legislative, religious and educational activities of Tatars in the Turgai region on the basis of archival, periodic, statistical sources. This ethnic minority activity is interesting from the point of view of studying the problem of interaction between the empire, the mobile diaspora and the local population in the context of the frontier modernization process. The aim of the study is to identify the main results of religious and educational activity of the Tatar population in the region. The author comes to the conclusion that the main directions of religious-educational work were missionary activities of Tatars in Kazakh auls, construction of mosques, functioning of mektebs and madrasas, theaters, libraries, public Muslim organizations, attempts to publish books, brochures and newspapers. Many of these initiatives were strongly opposed by the empire. The result of the activities of the Tatar population was not only the maintenance of ethno-cultural diversity, but also a versatile influence on the Kazakhs manifested in the religious, cultural, political sphere and in the formation of a multi-ethnic (Tatar-Kazakh) Muslim socio-cultural space of the empire, which became part of the global Islamic network community. The Tatars spread the ideas of Jadidism and became competitors of the Russians in familiarizing the local population with European culture and pedagogy. The article is intended for specialists in the field of history of Kazakhstan, Islam, Tatars, national policy of the Russian Empire.