Popular Concepts Research Articles

Financialization of Life: A Review and Critic from Perspective of Individuals

Globalization, neo-liberalization, and financialization are three popular concepts used to understand and explain the political, social, and economic transformations that have taken place worldwide since the 1970s. While researchers and thinkers are sometimes criticized for their tendency to create new concepts (especially those ending with the "-ization" suffix), almost everyone agrees that this period is distinct from previous ones in terms of its unique dynamics. Among these three concepts, financialization, the youngest, has gained more attention after the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. In this study, the topic of financialization will be explored within the framework of how individuals are affected by and interact with the financial system.

Niccolo Machiavelli’s views on public security

The article investigates and reveals the comprehension of how the concepts of the public security phenomenon are constructed in the philosophical and legal views of Niccolo Machiavelli.
 In Europe at that time, ensuring public security was an extremely urgent task for almost every state, which involved concern for the individual human salvation, i.e. the search for confidence in faith, at the individual level, and at the collective level – concern for the protection of subjects from violence, war, injustice, hunger, rising prices, poverty, and concern for public welfare in the broadest sense. It is emphasised that one of the most popular and detailed concepts of public security at that time was proposed by the prominent Italian philosopher, diplomat and politician Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527). There have been and still are heated academic discussions around its content, meaning and focus, which touch upon some controversial aspects of the security concept and help to clarify important nuances of Machiavellian vision of public security and key instruments for its guarantee better.
 According to the results of the study, it has been concluded that Machiavelli's security concept is characterised by rationalism, secularism, pragmatism, nationalism, an emphasis on a combination of power and legal elements with the predominance of the former, institutional and personal factors of public security with the priority of the former, instruments of psychological pressure (intimidation to keep the people in line), military force and diplomacy (to prevent external threats), separation of ethics and politics in the field of public security, a balanced attitude to the need to maintain internal and external security, and a high appreciation of the historical experience of ensuring security in antiquity and in modern centralised and absolutist states at an early stage.

ПОЛИТИЧЕСКОЕ ТЕЛО, МИКРОКОСМ И ЗОДИАКАЛЬНЫЙ ЧЕЛОВЕК: МЕТАФОРА ТЕЛА В АНГЛИЙСКОМ И ФРАНЦУЗСКОМ РЕЛИГИОЗНО-ФИЛОСОФСКОМ И ПОЛИТИЧЕСКОМ ДИСКУРСЕ XIV–XV ВВ.

One of the most popular concepts during the Antiquity and Middle Ages was the metaphor of the body which manifested the ideas of unity and coexistence in harmony of various parts of the whole. It was closely tied up with the mythological imagery of protoplast on one hand and with the conceptualization of social unity on the other, for example, with the concept of Church as the mystical body of Christ. Microcosm was one of the embodiments of this image representing the idea of the indissoluble existence of the individual, his body and the rest of the world — this concept continued to be reproduced in the religious/philosophical texts of XIV–XVth cc. From this doctrine of microcosm also arose the Medieval medical theory of humors, fluids of human body, associated with four elements, at the meantime “zodiac man” was the equivalent of microcosm in Medieval astrology, visual representation of a belief in the impact of celestial bodies on the health and mental qualities of people. Finally, the metaphor of the body politic clearly demonstrated the unity of different estates in a single body of the state, it can be considered one of the first forms of reflection on society and politics in the XIV–XV centuries.

Islamic Animation: Netnographic Analysis on Digital Processing Transformation in Social Media

A phenomenon that is currently widely discussed is the massive growth of digital creators who are actively sharing unique and popular da'wah concepts, primarily through Islamic animation. The objective of this study is to explore and analyze Islamic animated content on social media and identify the recurring themes found in these contents. The research team collected data by utilizing advanced search features and relevant keywords to locate content that met the specified criteria. Between June 2022 and June 2023, the research team evaluated a total of 5,000 pieces of content sourced from various virtual communities on Indonesia's prominent social media platforms, namely Instagram and YouTube. The first two rounds of evaluation focused on identifying qualitatively significant themes, while rounds 3 to 4 expanded on the initial findings for each social media platform. Employing the Netnography method for analysis, four distinct themes emerged from all Islamic animated content on social media: "Ustadz in Animation," "Life Advice," "Stories of Prophets and Apostles," and "Indonesian Muslim Children."

Understanding the reparative effects of schema modes: an in-depth analysis of the healthy adult mode.

Evidence in favor of schema therapy's effectiveness in treating personality disorders is growing. One of the central and recently popular concepts of schema therapy is schema modes [i.e., temporary emotional-cognitive-behavioral states resulting from the activation of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs)]. A key aspect herein is self-reparenting, i.e., a healing relationship between the healthy adult (HA, i.e., compassionate and healthy emotional states, and functional dealing with reality) and the child modes (i.e., representation of fragile and hurt feelings and dysfunctional coping). Through an in-depth qualitative analysis, we aimed to better understand the components of the HA that enable self-reparenting. Purposive sampling procedures were used to recruit eligible participants (n = 10) with relatively strong HA modes, as determined by high scores on positive affect and satisfaction with life measures and low scores on EMSs and psychopathological symptom measures. Semi-structured 45- to 60-min face-to-face interviews were conducted individually, in which individuals were asked to help the child modes reflected in the pictures. Interviews were then analyzed using deductive thematic analysis in MaxQDA. The analysis revealed three superordinate themes comprising of a total of 10 group themes: (1) bonding between HA and the vulnerable child modes ("Bond"); (2) balancing expression and inhibition of adult and child mode emotions ("Balancing"); and (3) opposing demanding and critical voices and maladaptive coping styles ("Battle"). Furthermore, a strong HA mode seems to have a reciprocal relationship with the child modes: the HA gives nurturance and protection to the child modes, and the child modes boost up the HA with spontaneity and happiness. In conclusion, emotional stability and resilience may be highest when HA-child mode interaction happens bidirectionally; when the child modes get reparented by the HA, and the HA is informed by the child modes.

Research trends and content analysis of ocean literacy studies between 2017 and 2021

Ocean literacy (OL) refers to the ability of citizens to understand and explain the concepts and phenomena related to the oceans, and leads them to positive behavioral change for the protection and sustainability of the oceans. The study presents a bibliometric analysis of ocean literacy-based studies published between 2017 and 2021, in order to provide more meaningful information about (a) the academic journals that mostly publish ocean literacy studies, (b) the content analysis of the articles, (c) country rankings over the years (d) the keywords mostly used and (e) the funding source. The Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases were used to find ocean literacy-based articles. Seventy-nine articles from forty ocean literacy academic journals covered by WoS and Scopus were carefully selected using predefined criteria. The results revealed that most of ocean literacy-based articles were published in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal (n=23). The countries that published the most ocean literacy-based articles were UK, Italy, Canada, USA, and Portugal. Most of the studies were supported by governmental budgets (n=44). The most popular concepts in ocean literacy-based studies included “Global OL Perspectives’’, “Sustainability”, “Citizen Science”, “Students’ OL Improvement”, “Measuring and Evaluating Students and Teachers’ OL”, “Stakeholders’ Effects on OL”, “OL Based Books-iBooks-Textbooks” and “Individuals’ Affective Domain on OL”. By considering the large number of ocean literacy-based articles published in academic journals indexed in WoS and Scopus, this article can contribute significantly to ocean literacy studies and informed and responsible research, as well as to citizen input to policy development on ocean literacy.

Research on the Security Protection of Secondary Distribution System Based on Software defined Perimeters

<p>With the new technologies including big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile Internet, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) coming into widespread in the secondary distribution system, it makes the network boundary more fuzzy, and the network security risk points and exposed surfaces significantly increase. Therefore, the traditional boundary-based security protection model has been unable to meet the protection needs. As one of the most popular security concepts at present, the zero trust mechanism can achieve the dynamic protection of information intranets. Based on the concept of zero trust security and software defined perimeter (SDP) technology, this paper designs and implements a security scheme suitable for the secondary distribution system and proposes a novel identity authentication model which can solve the problems of port exposure that existed in the traditional authentication scheme. In addition, the model applies the SM9 identification algorithm to reduce the computational cost of the encryption and decryption in the proposed scheme. Finally, the performance analysis demonstrates that the proposed scheme is effective and suitable for the secondary distribution system which can effectively resist multiple types of network attacks.</p> <p> </p>

INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ASSURANCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY: CONCEPT AND MEANS OF ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of the article is to study the subject matter and sources of international legal peace and security, to analyze the means of international dispute resolution, and to investigate Ukraine’s security priorities in times of war. Research methods: the chosen topic of research requires the use of various scientific methods and approaches to obtain high-quality results. Therefore, to solve the tasks, we used the following research methods: analysis - study of modern scientific approaches to the study of "international security"; systematic method helped to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the features of international legal documents on international security issues; analytical method provided an opportunity to analyze the state of cooperation between Ukraine and European security structures. Results: in accordance with the principles of international law, the structure of the international system and, ultimately, international relations themselves, different concepts of international security have been formed. All of them are based on scientific considerations, explain international processes, and are capable of making certain predictions about the future. At the same time, as we have noted, these concepts contain specific methods and means of ensuring international security. Among the most popular concepts are balance/balance of power, global/common/comprehensive security, collective security, cooperative security, as well as hegemonic stability, balance of threats, and peaceful coexistence. They are based on different principles: balance of power, hegemony, balance of interests, etc. Discussion: defining the essence of modern threats and challenges helps to determine the methodology for substantiating the tasks of ensuring international security in general, as well as the security of the state of Ukraine in particular, and to develop a regulatory framework for ensuring peace and security in the world.

Nauczyciele języków obcych: Iluzje – fakty – badania

The article aims to analyze meanings underlying the popular concepts of a good teacher, efficient teacher, novice, expert and experienced non-expert from a diachronic perspective. Criteria used across developmental stages of second language acquisition/ foreign language teaching in the process of teacher accreditation are examined, as well as social contexts influencing teacher evaluation. Reasons for teachers’ dissatisfaction with European school systems are presented, as well as coping strategies employed by frustrated teachers. New challenges springing from economic, social and cultural student diversity are also discussed. Implications are sought for pre- and in-service teacher education.

Effectuation and Lean Startup in Swiss start-ups: an integrative analysis

Founding a start-up entails numerous risks and uncertainties. To minimise these risks and to deal with uncertainties, the popular concepts of Effectuation and Lean Startup, among others, are discussed in entrepreneurship research. Although both concepts are not new, they have gained importance in recent years. Effectuation focuses on dealing with uncertainty and contrasts with causation, which focuses on planning. The starting point for Effectuation is the resources available to the founders, which leads to different business ideas. The core of Effectuation includes four key dimensions: available means, affordable losses, exploiting contingencies and building partnerships. Lean Startup can be understood as a framework for decision-making in which direct interaction takes priority over extensive planning. The approach is based on three fundamental principles: experimentation rather than planning, focus on customer feedback and iterative learning. The core elements include a clear entrepreneurial vision, close contact with the customer, the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop and the Minimum Viable Product. The key dimensions of Effectuation and the core elements of Lean Startup also form the frame of reference for the empirical investigation. The article examines the extent to which these concepts are applied by Swiss entrepreneurs and whether a combination of the two takes place. The data comes from the business plans of 25 finalists of a Swiss innovation competition from 2022. The business plans are evaluated and analysed in a multi-stage process. The study provides insight into the behaviour of Swiss start-ups, whether they proceed according to Effectuation and apply the Lean Startup principles. Surprisingly, the study reveals that many start-ups proceed according to Effectuation, while relatively few start-ups apply the Lean Startup principles. We were able to show the extent to which the two approaches are used and how they relate to each other. We also found that the origin of the start-up (research-based or industry experience-based) plays a significant role.

Research on Loss Aversion and Its Formation in Prospect Theory

One of the most popular concepts in the social sciences is loss aversion, the idea that losses loom larger than rewards [1]. This paper begins with an overview of previous research on loss aversion and demonstrates the importance of the impact of loss aversion on social and individual decision-making. At the same time, this paper also lists three applications of loss aversion and their related research in psychology. Finally, the paper makes recommendations for future research on loss aversion. Few theoretical and mostly experimental studies have been done in the past on loss aversion. The endowment effect, the winner's curse, and consumer choice behaviour are the three specific areas of applied research that are covered in this paper. Future research on loss aversion is advised by this paper to consider the unique situational circumstances when examining people's exposure to losses and gains, as well as the psychological drivers of loss aversion formation.

O.5.3-8 Prospects and challenges of real-world labs in physical activity promotion

Abstract Purpose Participatory health promotion uses an array of different concepts to describe project processes and effects, including empowerment, capacity building, and capabilities. In practice, however, these concepts may hamper project scalability, compatibility with state-of-the-art health concepts, and efforts to counteract social inequities. We introduce the concept of real-world labs as a potential solution for current problems in participatory health promotion and investigate its practical applicability using the case example of an existing physical activity promotion project. Methods We analyze current problems in participatory health promotion that emanate from the utilization of certain popular theoretical concepts. We then introduce real-world labs as a potential solution. Using the PArC-AVE-Project (Physical Activity-related Health Competence in Apprenticeship and Vocational Education) as a case example, we show how the approach can be used retrospectively to address the aforementioned issues. Results Real-world labs are a type of transdisciplinary approach at the intersection of research and society. They help create an environment for flexibly testing innovative solutions under changing conditions using small-scale “real-world experiments” and feedback loops. However, the approach is so far not commonly used in participatory health promotion. The example of PArC-AVE illustrates that existing participatory projects can potentially be developed towards becoming real-world labs. Relevant perspectives for this include (a) the targeted integration of different actors into the participation process, (b) more variable approaches to scaling-up interventions, (c) a more flexible utilization of different participation methods, and (d) a better recognition of concepts such as planetary health. Conclusions The real-world lab approach has the potential to increase the range of options available to participatory health and physical activity promotion. However, only further practical testing will show whether it is indeed effective in overcoming social inequities and ameliorating the high degree of context-dependence of many participatory projects.

Absorption matters: A closer look at popular oral bioavailability rules for drug approvals.

This study examines how two popular drug-likeness concepts used in early development, Lipinski Rule of Five (Ro5) and Veber's Rules, possibly affected drug profiles of FDA approved drugs since 1997. Our findings suggest that when all criteria are applied, relevant compounds may be excluded, addressing the harmfulness of blindly employing these rules. Of all oral drugs in the period used for this analysis, around 66 % conform to the RO5 and 85 % to Veber's Rules. Molecular Weight and calculated LogP showed low consistent values over time, apart from being the two least followed rules, challenging their relevance. On the other hand, hydrogen bond related rules and the number of rotatable bonds are amongst the most followed criteria and show exceptional consistency over time. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that topological polar surface area and total count of hydrogen bonds cannot be used as interchangeable parameters, contrary to the original proposal. This research enhances the comprehension of drug profiles that were FDA approved in the post-Lipinski period. Medicinal chemists could utilize these heuristics as a limited guide to direct their exploration of the oral bioavailability chemical space, but they must also steer the wheel to break these rules and explore different regions when necessary.

Change of paradigms in popular culture on the example of the concepts of "maiden-in-distress" and "maiden-warrior"

The article deals with two popular concepts in modern mass culture - "maiden-in-distress" and "maiden-warrior". These concepts are basic in the construction and creation of a product of mass culture. Meanwhile, there is a greater interest in the "maiden-warrior" phenomenon than in its opposite, "maiden-in-distress". The author shows that the study of femininity, feminine, the woman and her role and place in modern society and its interpretation in modern popular and mass culture is of scientific interest for researchers in literary criticism, cultural studies, philosophy, and sociology. The article provides examples of mass culture products where these archetypal images are used, as well as film and television adaptations of modern female images. It is shown how their interpretation is influenced by public opinion and modern and mainstream trends, which, most often, offer a "different vision" for ordinary and traditional things. The materials of the article can be useful within the framework of areas related to philosophy, history, and cultural studies.

Problems and paradoxes of reliability and resilience in organizational networks

Both reliability and resilience have become popular concepts in the study of organizations. They have also been applied as performance standards to the assessment of particular organizations, often retrospectively in relation to their role in crisis situations or major disruptive events. Yet this essay argues that the concepts, reliability and resilience, as generally understood and applied to single organizations, have uncertain application to the ever-growing number of organizational networks. In this essay we will look particularly at: networks of contracted services or technology from private-sector organizations by government agencies or by other private organizations, interconnected critical infrastructure organizations, long-linked production and supply chains of various products and services, and interacting governments and private organizations in emergency management after natural disasters.The analysis of these networks will center around answering two basic and contrasting questions:A. Will the capacities for reliability or resilience of individual organizations within an organizational network create that capacity for the network overall to be reliable and resilient, and therefore, is improving individual organizational reliability and resilience an effective strategy for creating a more reliable and resilient organizational network as a whole?Or:B. Is it instead a paradox of organizational networks that unless reliability and resilience are first achieved as network properties, it is unlikely that the individual organizations in a network can themselves become reliable and resilient?The essay explores both questions in relation to current concepts of reliability (high-lighting high reliability organizations research) and resilience (of various types, including concepts of complex adaptive systems) and with illustrations from supply chains, interconnected infrastructures, contracted services, and emergency management networks. The essay concludes with an argument that current concepts of both reliability and resilience are ambiguous and incompletely specified – not clearly and fully enough developed to allow confident answers either question A or B. This, in itself, is a condition with both conceptual and practical implications, one that should compel further conceptual and case research.

The Four Racket Quadrants

This paper provides an overview of the article by Edward Zerin The Four Racket Quadrants (Zerin, 1980). Zerin assembled a strike of 15 popular concepts of Transactional Analysis, and a delicious pie consisting of four pieces of racket was born in his therapeutic kitchen. According to the author of this article, Transactional Analysis tools are akin to a matryoshka doll. The biggest one is the OK Corral, then the drivers become visible, and the adaptations emerge; then comes a smaller matryoshka the script matrix, and after it goes an even smaller one the racket system. Edward Zerin, referring to each of the 15 concepts of Transactional Analysis, created his own method of client diagnostics based on a minimal set. His diagnosis scheme through the four racket quadrants is a powerful diagnostic tool that allows us to take a good look at a client's life script. Zerin gives us ready-made maps and an anatomical reference book, which the author of this article mentions. These methods can become, in the author's opinion, a good help for the practice of a psychologist using TA.

Paranoid personality type: Relationships with the surroundings

The relevance of the study lies in the fact that the transience of changes in the social surrounding requires dynamism and competitiveness from a person, which forces the individual to actively transform the emotional regulation of behaviour, in particular in communication and relationships. However, the adaptive capabilities of a person who is characterised by increased sensitivity to frustration and persistent distrust of others can be considerably limited, and therefore maintaining the mental health of people at risk has become an urgent issue. The purpose of the study is to determine the basis on which character anomalies are formed, to uncover the cause-and-effect relationships in the issue of the development of mental disorders, and to identify possible ways to overcome complications in relationships with the surroundings caused by disturbances in mental activity. At the core of the theoretical and methodological approach lies the combination of methods involving structural-functional analysis of the issue of forming a paranoid personality type and an analytical investigation of the psychological support methods for neuro-mental disorders that affect individual behavioural self-regulation. The empirical basis of the study is questionnaires and diagnostics of the mental states of people prone to personality disorders. The paper clarifies the causes and features of the development of paranoid mental anomalies and the possibilities of prevention and correction of such mental disorders. The presented results reflect the problem of the adaptive capabilities of people with congenital or acquired pathological conditions of the psyche. The paper covers the issues of interaction with the paranoid personality type socially. The most popular concepts of providing psychological assistance are considered. The correctness of the assumption that it is much more difficult for people with a paranoid personality type to cope with frustration and adapt to society is analysed. The results obtained are of practical value for social workers who are engaged in identifying mental health disorders of people at risk and predicting deviant behavioural responses, for practical psychologists who support people with a paranoid personality type, in particular through psychotherapy.

Essential aspects of unit economics and its application in project activities

Subject. The concepts of unit economics are increasingly becoming part of economic practice. This is primarily due to the development of technological entrepreneurship, which is encouraged at the State level. However, in domestic economic science, there is still no consensus on what exactly is unit economics, its boundaries, methods, and specifics of application. Objectives. The article aims to consider unit economics from the standpoint of theoretical and methodological approach in relation to its use in project activities, rather than in terms of the general economic analysis. Methods. The study employs methods of analysis, synthesis, logical-epistemological and logical analysis, induction and deduction. Results. The paper offers definitions of unit economics in broad and narrow senses, takes steps to reveal the methodological essence of this approach, considers the most popular concepts of unit economics, defines reasons for its extension in Russia, barriers and prospects. The findings can be useful for the unit economics concept development, its formalization. The proposed classification features can help develop express analysis tools. The main areas of application include economic analysis, project activity, evaluation of investment project efficiency. Conclusions. Unit economics as a direction within the framework of economic analysis has not been fully formed. The unit-calculation toolkit is practice-oriented, which is an additional institutional barrier to its adoption by the economic scientific community. The development of unit-tools, application in project activities, and introduction into the system of higher education in the training of economists are inevitable.

An exploratory content and sentiment analysis of the guardian metaverse articles using leximancer and natural language processing

The metaverse has become one of the most popular concepts of recent times. Companies and entrepreneurs are fiercely competing to invest and take part in this virtual world. Millions of people globally are anticipated to spend much of their time in the metaverse, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, or culture. There are few comprehensive studies on the positive/negative sentiment and effect of the newly identified, but not well defined, metaverse concept that is already fast evolving the digital landscape. Thereby, this study aimed to better understand the metaverse concept, by, firstly, identifying the positive and negative sentiment characteristics and, secondly, by revealing the associations between the metaverse concept and other related concepts. To do so, this study used Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods, specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI) with computational qualitative analysis. The data comprised metaverse articles from 2021 to 2022 published on The Guardian website, a key global mainstream media outlet. To perform thematic content analysis of the qualitative data, this research used the Leximancer software, and the The Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) from NLP libraries were used to identify sentiment. Further, an AI-based Monkeylearn API was used to make sectoral classifications of the main topics that emerged in the Leximancer analysis. The key themes which emerged in the Leximancer analysis, included "metaverse", "Facebook", "games" and "platforms". The sentiment analysis revealed that of all articles published in the period of 2021–2022 about the metaverse, 61% (n = 622) were positive, 30% (n = 311) were negative, and 9% (n = 90) were neutral. Positive discourses about the metaverse were found to concern key innovations that the virtual experiences brought to users and companies with the support of the technological infrastructure of blockchain, algorithms, NFTs, led by the gaming world. Negative discourse was found to evidence various problems (misinformation, harmful content, algorithms, data, and equipment) that occur during the use of Facebook and other social media platforms, and that individuals encountered harm in the metaverse or that the metaverse produces new problems. Monkeylearn findings revealed “marketing/advertising/PR” role, “Recreational” business, “Science & Technology” events as the key content topics. This study’s contribution is twofold: first, it showcases a novel way to triangulate qualitative data analysis of large unstructured textual data as a method in exploring the metaverse concept; and second, the study reveals the characteristics of the metaverse as a concept, as well as its association with other related concepts. Given that the topic of the metaverse is new, this is the first study, to our knowledge, to do both.

Miyazaki Hayao: Influences on the Asian Animation Industry

Miyazaki Hayao is one of Japan's most influential animation directors, or maybe also worldwide. However, limited research was done to analyze his concepts and techniques and his contributions to the foundation of the Asian Animation Industry. This work is about the recent study in Asian Animation Industry, exploring the specific examples of Miyazaki's influence. Through this process, we could further and more clearly understand the foundation of today's animation industry and its popular trend or concepts.