Integration Process Research Articles

A sustainable bioprocessing system leveraging gas fermentation and bipolar membrane electrodialysis system for direct recovery of acetic acid

This study examined the integration of gas fermentation with bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED) for sustainable production of acetic acid and bases, focusing on medium recycling and ion-exchange membrane optimisation. Gas fermentation was performed using an acetogenic microbe, Eubacterium callanderi KIST612, in a custom-designed gas bioreactor. The BPMED system was operated under specific voltage conditions to evaluate the proton and hydroxyl ion generation, ion concentration, and residual ratios. Gas fermentation consistently generated acetate with a stable CO2 consumption rate (0.167 mmol gcell−1) and an increased rate of conversion of carbon into biochemicals via methanol. The BPMED system efficiently produced acetic acid (acetate extraction rate of 99.72 %–99.82 %) and hydroxide ions (from 8 to 18 V), with operational challenges identified at higher voltage levels (≥20 V). The BPMED process, which includes additional membranes and exhibits a lower acetate flux than the ED process, had remarkable cost-effectiveness, surpassing the ED integration process by 17.6 %. This economic advantage was paralleled by a significant environmental benefit, where the BPMED process reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 7.4 % compared with the ED process. These results suggest that integrating gas fermentation with BPMED is a viable and sustainable approach for acetic acid production.

Hayder Aliyev's Perspective of the Turkic World: A Qualitative Research on the Concept of Savior Leadership in Political Communication

Subject: Individuals, who form the building blocks of society, can play different roles within their structure. Although it has a controversial and comprehensive terminology, one of the most prominent roles is leadership. Leadership is a crucial role within society, often associated with authoritarian, participatory, and charismatic concepts. The leadership of Heydar Aliyev, the founding leader of Azerbaijan, is often referred to as savior leadership. Despite the Soviet Union's long rule, Azerbaijan quickly built its identity and gained independence in 1991. Various names have been used to describe his leadership style. Purpose: In this regard, in the relevant study, the meaning categories related to the concept of savior leadership towards Haydar Aliyev will be determined and its relationship with this concept at the discourse level will be questioned. In this context, the summit declarations published regularly every year by the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking Countries (Turkic Council), which was established in 1991, constitute the sample of this study. Method: In the study, an attempt was made to comparatively analyze Haydar Aliyev's relationship with savior leadership in the context of his discourses and policies, in the declarations of the council established under the leadership of Turkey in order to integrate the newly independent Turkic Republics in Central Asia and the Caucasus into each other and into the international system. In addition, while content analysis was conducted based on qualitative data to determine which research model they reflect in terms of their content and to what extent they meet the dialogical principles, qualitative content analysis was conducted based on thematic coding to describe the topics included in the papers. MAXQDA 20 package program was used while making the analyses. Results: In the seven summit reports made between 1992-2002; Content analysis was conducted with thematic coding of regional and international integration, cultural integration, political integration and dialogue. As a result of the analysis, "One nation, two states", used by Haydar Aliyev for Turkey and Azerbaijan at the relevant summits, stands out as the most frequently used discourse under the theme of cultural integration. In addition, the Turkic World discourse, which the Republic of Azerbaijan sees in parallel with its own identity construction, is another prominent concept in regional and international integration. Under the theme of political integration, he underlined that Azerbaijan should develop friendly relations with both the region and other countries, and maintained its pro-peace attitude until the last moment, even in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which started with Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands in the early 1990s. This situation also shows us the importance Aliyev attaches to dialogue. As a result, as seen in the content analysis of the summit declarations, Haydar Aliyev displayed a common attitude with Turkish President Suleyman Demirel in the integration process of the Turkic World with a policy prioritizing the full independence of Azerbaijan, but due to both the Karabakh War and the difficulties experienced in Azerbaijani domestic politics afterward, Turkey and other The economic crisis that started in 1994 in the Turkic republics caused the targeted integration to be postponed to another period. In this process, it can be said that Haydar Aliyev gave priority to cultural integration towards the Turkish world.

Differences in Indicators of Socio-Psychological Integration Between Refugees from Syria and Receiving Community in Croatia

Abstract Socio-psychological integration is a dimension of integration affecting refugees and receiving community members alike, and is related to those integration goals which promote positive intergroup attitudes, close social proximity, interrelation of social networks, low levels of perceived intergroup threat, positive intergroup contact, etc. The goal of this study was to explore the differences in the levels of indicators of socio-psychological integration in both groups. Six hundred receiving community members in Croatia, and 149 refugees from Syria in Croatia participated in the field study. The results generally show that the refugees have more positive attitudes towards receiving community members, a closer social proximity and lower levels of perception of symbolic and realistic intergroup threat than vice-versa. Intergroup contact in Croatia is very rare, posing an interesting setting for the integration process. Potential implications of these findings are discussed.

A New Non-Extensive Equation of State for the Fluid Phases of Argon, Including the Metastable States, from the Melting Line to 2300 K and 50 GPa

A new equation of state for argon was developed with the view of extending the range of validity of the equation of state previously proposed by Tegeler et al. and obtaining a better physical description of the experimental thermodynamic data for the whole fluid region (single-phase, metastable, and saturation states). As proposed by Tegeler et al., this equation is also based on a functional form of the residual part of the reduced Helmholtz free energy. However, in this work, the fundamental equation for Helmholtz free energy was derived from the measured quantities CV(ρ, T) and P(ρ, T). The empirical description of the isochoric heat capacity CV(ρ, T) was based on an original empirical description explicitly containing the metastable states. The thermodynamic properties (internal energy, entropy, and free energy) were then obtained by combining the integration of CV(ρ, T). The arbitrary functions introduced by the integration process were deduced from a comparison between calculated and experimental pressure P(ρ, T) data. The new formulation is valid for the whole fluid region from the melting line to 2300 K and for pressures up to 50 GPa. It also predicts the existence of a maximum of the isochoric heat capacity CV along isochors, as experimentally observed in several other fluids. For many applications, an approximate form of the equation of state for the liquid phase may be sufficient. A Tait–Tammann equation is therefore proposed between the triple-point temperature and 148 K.

Spatial Barriers to Transforming toward a Healthy Food System in the Noreste of Mexico.

In the past five decades, global food systems have undergone a notable transition, moving from predominantly rural settings to increasingly urban and industrialized environments, largely driven by processes of globalization and supply chain integration. However, this evolution has not adequately addressed equitable access to nutritious diets and food environments, resulting in adverse health outcomes. This study delves into the spatial and non-spatial barriers that impede the adoption of healthy diets in the Noreste of Mexico, particularly focusing on the challenges associated with accessing and cultivating plant-based foods. Through an examination of suitable areas for urban agriculture and an exploration of the socio-cultural factors influencing the adoption of plant-based diets, the research focuses on interventions aimed at promoting healthier and more sustainable eating practices in Monterrey. The findings of the study reveal significant disparities in food access across the Monterrey metropolitan area, with central urban zones exhibiting superior access to fresh foods compared to suburban and peripheral regions. This inequality disproportionately affects marginalized areas characterized by higher poverty rates, exacerbating issues of food insecurity. Nevertheless, traditional dietary practices could offer promising avenues for creating culturally significant and healthier dietary transitions, even amidst the ongoing process of urbanization.

An AcciMap approach to analyse the Chinese melamine milk scandal

PurposeThe 2008 Chinese melamine milk scandal resulted in six reported fatalities and affected around 300,000 children, of whom 54,000 were hospitalised. Previous studies have used linear approaches to examine the root causes of the melamine milk scandal.Design/methodology/approachIn the present study, we applied a systems approach to the melamine milk scandal to identify the complex systems-level failures across the supply chain leading to the incident and why food fraud incidents such as this occurred in the dairy sector. Additionally, systemic failures associated with food fraud vulnerability factors were considered (i.e. opportunities, motivation and control measures).Findings48 contributory factors of influence were identified and grouped across six sociotechnical levels across the Chinese dairy system, from government to equipment and surroundings. Lack of vertical integration (processes and communication) contributed to the failure. When viewed from a broader perspective, the melamine milk scandal can be linked to a series of human errors and organisational issues associated with government bodies, the dairy supply chain, individual organisations and management decisions and individual actions of staff or processes.Practical implicationsThis approach is of value to policymakers and the industry as it supports public health investigations of food fraud incidents and proactive food safety management.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse a food safety or fraud incident using the AcciMap approach and the food fraud vulnerability assessment (FFVA) technique. AcciMap analysis is applied to both unintentional and intentional aspects of the incident.

Reciprocity as a Value in Integration: Integration Workers’ Reflections On the Role of Gift-Giving For the Process of Integration

Reciprocity as a Value in Integration: Integration Workers’ Reflections On the Role of Gift-Giving For the Process of Integration

Differences and similarities of the preliminary ruling procedure of the European Court of Justice, and the advisory opinion of the Permanent Tribunal of Revision of the Mercosur.

The purpose of this paper is to present the reader with a comparative analysis of two judicial tools with similar objectives, under two dissimilar regional integration systems. In order to understand the origin of the differences and similarities of the institute under analysis, we will dive into the cultural, historical, economic and political circumstances, that will ultimately make clear the reasons that explain why the integration outcomes in the Southern Common Market differs from the European one. The final aim is to prove the statement that integration outcomes are highly dependent on regional endogenous properties. The concrete institutions under analysis will present the reader with a concrete case, where the different evolution paths, result in judicial tools of different levels of effectiveness in their respective integration processes.

Investigating EFL Faculty Members’ Perceptions of Integrating Artificial Intelligence Applications to Improve the Research Writing Process: A Case Study at Majmaah University

The recent mainstreaming of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and tools has significantly enhanced EFL educators’ research writing process. Nevertheless, few studies exist regarding how EFL educators understand AI applications and their integration into research writing processes and techniques. The current study aims to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of (n= 40) EFL teachers at Majmaah University concerning integrating AI tools in the Research writing process, by collecting data from mixed-methods source questionnaires and interviews. Thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data, while descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS were used for quantitative data analysis. The questionnaire results demonstrated that most respondents have positive perceptions toward integrating AI tools, believing they can improve efficiency and quality in the research writing process. However, more familiarity with existing AI applications is needed to ensure this integration process. Moreover, the study affirms the significant impact of training and support on the effective integration of AI tools. Respondents strongly agree about the benefits of AI applications in streamlining literature reviews, aiding in data analysis, reducing errors, and enhancing overall language quality. Interview responses further emphasize the possible benefits of AI tools in the research writing process, highlighting efficiency gains, assistance in various writing tasks, and improved quality of EFL teachers’ research articles. All the participants stress the importance of ethical utilization, maintaining quality, and vigilance when integrating these tools into the research writing process.

Financial big data management and intelligence based on computer intelligent algorithm

With the acceleration of China’s economic integration process, enterprises have gained greater advantages in the fierce market competition, and gradually formed the trend of grouping and large-scale. However, as the scale of the company increases, the establishment of a branch also causes many problems. For example, in order to obtain more benefits, the business performance of the company can generate false growth, resulting in financial and operational risks. This paper analyzed the current situation and needs of enterprise financial control from two aspects of theory and practice, combined with specific engineering projects, taking ZH Group as an example, according to the actual situation of the enterprise. The article first introduces the basic situation of the enterprise; Then, the financial control strategy was designed, and different modules were designed to achieve financial control; Afterwards, use a reverse neural network to evaluate the effectiveness of financial management and risk warning; Relying on particle swarm optimization algorithm to seek the optimal solution and applying it to financial management and risk warning, in order to improve the level of introspection and risk management in decision-making. Finally, the value of computer intelligence algorithms in financial big data management is evaluated by constructing a financial risk indicator system. Through the analysis of enterprise financial management, the total asset turnover rate of ZH Group decreased by 0.39 times in 5 years. After 5 years of adjustment of the company’s business, the company’s overall operational capabilities still needed to be improved, and the company’s comprehensive business capabilities also still needed to be improved. Therefore, the application of intelligent algorithms for financial control is very necessary.

Mechanism for formation and development of branding in agricultural regions

The article substantiates the peculiarities of building a mechanism for the formation and development of branding of agrarian regions. Attention is focused on the need to outline fundamentally new approaches to managing agricultural regions, which can be implemented thanks to effectively formed and developed branding. The main task of creating an agrarian region's branding, which is the central focus of this research, is to ensure its competitiveness and the formation of brand capital through the recognition and identification of the territory among other territorial units. The purpose of the study is to determine the elements of the mechanism of formation and development of branding in agrarian regions. It is noted that the expediency is determined by research on the creation of an optimal branding model, which will cover the processes of the formation of the brand capital of the agrarian region and the formation of an effective mechanism of branding of the agrarian region. In the research process, general scientific methods of generalization and systematic analysis were applied to justify approaches to creating a mechanism for forming and developing regional branding and identifying influencing factors to ensure its effectiveness. The approach proposed by the author to building a mechanism for the formation and development of branding of agrarian regions in the conditions of European integration processes is outlined with scientific novelty and practical significance, which covers several elements related to defining the goal, creating an image of branding of agrarian regions, defining the strategy and features of its implementation with the involvement of interested parties, including stakeholders. In the process of the research, the actual vision of the meaningful content of the concept of the mechanism of formation and development of branding in agrarian regions is presented as a set of elements, which, by implementing the appropriate functions, methods, tools, and support system, will allow to build an ideology, develop a strategy, and develop a branding model by the formed brand capital of an agrarian region.. Keywords: agricultural regions, formation and development mechanism, branding model, interaction, stakeholders, conditions of European integration, brand capital.

Цифровые компетенции донбасских учителей: анализ современного состояния и векторы развития

The article analyzes the state of integration of digital technologies into the practical activities of teachers of educational organizations of the Donetsk People's Republic in the context of the development of digital competencies. The processes of integration into the educational space of the Russian Federation, the transition to the updated Federal State Educational Standards, work on preserving and improving the quality of educational results, taking place in a difficult socio-political situation, changes in ethnic identity, shortage of personnel, technical infrastructure, forced work in mixed and remote formats exacerbate the methodological, didactic and organizational problems of introducing new technologies in the educational environment. The study interprets the results of a survey of teachers, analyzes the subjective experience of using digital technologies in the educational process, which allows us to see the overall picture of the formation of digital competencies of teachers to determine the vectors of further development.

Albania and the European Integration

This study delves into the evolution of Albania's European integration process, focusing on various critical aspects. We examine the legislative and institutional reforms undertaken by Albania to meet the Copenhagen criteria and European Union standards. Specifically, we scrutinize the sectors of justice, public administration, and fundamental rights, assessing both progress made and lingering challenges. Furthermore, we explore the economic impact of European integration on Albania, evaluating how opening up to European markets and adopting common norms have influenced economic growth, employment, and the country's competitiveness. We also analyze social dynamics, examining how the integration process has shaped Albanian society, impacting culture, education, and social cohesion. From a geopolitical perspective, we consider Albania's strategic position in the Western Balkans and how this may affect regional dynamics and the country's role within the European Union. Finally, we discuss future prospects, exploring remaining challenges and outlining the opportunities that European integration could offer to Albania politically, economically, and socially. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

A framework for integrating intelligent transportation systems with smart city infrastructure

As cities continue to face the increasing demands of urban transportation and the need for sustainable mobility solutions, the integration of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) with smart city infrastructure emerges as a promising approach. This paper presents a novel framework for integrating ITS with smart city infrastructure, aiming to address the challenges of urban transportation and promote sustainable mobility. The framework is developed through a comprehensive literature review, case studies, and stakeholder interviews, providing significant insights into the integration process. Our research outlines the key components of smart city infrastructure that can be integrated with ITS, highlights the benefits of integration, and identifies the challenges and barriers that need to be addressed. Additionally, we propose and apply evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of ITS integration with smart city infrastructure. The results demonstrate the novelty and significance of this framework, as it significantly reduces traffic congestion, improves air quality, and enhances citizen satisfaction. This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive approach to integrating ITS with smart city infrastructure, offering a transformative solution for urban transportation challenges.

Diachronic research on the time of internet use for academic tasks by Spanish-speaking university students in the pre-COVID era

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the digitalization of education to be accelerated to continue the teaching–learning processes in confined populations. The irruption of this fact caused the evolution that had previously been occurring in the integration of digital technologies, and in general information and communication technologies (ICT), in education to be distorted, as their use multiplied exponentially in a few months. However, it is interesting to know how integrating these media and tools in the educational world evolved without having mediated an anomalous event such as the pandemic. This article studies the time university students in Spanish-speaking countries spent using the Internet for educational tasks in the pre-COVID era to determine whether this use was homogeneous in this common geographical and cultural space. Knowledge of these behaviors is valuable for analyzing their relationship with the then-current processes of ICT integration in higher education. It can serve as a basis for comparative studies of these trends and what happened during and after the pandemic. Among them is determining whether specific ICT integration strategies were not pedagogically adequate due to the situation’s urgency. The analysis of this study was descriptive and inferential statistics, based on the survey method with the application of data mining using software R. It was carried out over seven years (2012–2018) and applied to a sample of 2482 students from seven countries. The findings obtained have allowed us to determine that the use of the Internet by Spanish-speaking university students, in general, increased significantly over time in the pre-COVID era, in parallel to a more significant presence in educational processes, with conditioning factors in each country depending on its economy and political and social situation.

Short-term outcomes of a multicentre prospective study using a "visible" polyvinylidene fluoride onlay mesh for the prevention of midline incisional hernia.

Prophylactic meshes in high-risk patients prevent incisional hernias, although there are still some concerns about the best layer to place them in, the type of fixation, the mesh material, the significance of the level of contamination, and surgical complications. We aimed to provide answers to these questions and information about how the implanted material behaves based on its visibility under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This is a prospective multicentre observational cohort study. Preliminary results from the first 3months are presented. We included general surgical patients who had at least two risk factors for developing an incisional hernia. Multivariate logistic regression was used. A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) mesh loaded with iron particles was used in an onlay position. MRIs were performed 6weeks after treatment. Between July 2016 and June 2022, 185 patients were enrolled in the study. Surgery was emergent in 30.3% of cases, contaminated in 10.7% and dirty in 11.8%. A total of 5.6% of cases had postoperative wound infections, with the requirement of stoma being the only significant risk factor (OR = 7.59, p = 0.03). The formation of a seroma at 6weeks detected by MRI, was associated with body mass index (OR = 1.13, p = 0.02). The prophylactic use of onlay PVDF mesh in midline laparotomies in high-risk patients was safe and effective in the short term, regardless of the type of surgery or the level of contamination. MRI allowed us to detect asymptomatic seromas during the early process of integration. This protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03105895).

Cohousing as a form of social innovation: Challenges in a new geopolitical situation in Poland


 
 
 This article addresses the topic of cohousing, understood as a form of housing that promotes a lifestyle that places greater emphasis on social cohesion and creates conditions to ensure that all residents have the opportunity to meet basic social needs. In this view, cohousing coincides with the concept of social innovation. The aim of the article is to present the idea of cohousing as an example of social innovation and an attempt to determine its significance in the process of integration of Ukrainian citizens in Poland after February 24, 2022. The paper is theoretical in nature, and the method of analyzing foundational data was applied, which included publications, reports and research on the problem addressed. In the first part, the issue of social innovation was presented, the idea of cohousing was presented and its features as a form of social innovation were pointed out. The second part highlighted the importance of cohousing in the integration process of Ukrainian citizens in Poland after February 24, 2022. The results of the research showed that within the framework of the available solutions for the current situation, it is worth reaching for new forms of cohousing that enable active inclusion of people with refugee experience in decision-making processes and foster closer neighbourly contacts, neighbourly control, a sense of security and opportunities for social support.
 
 

Non-State Actors' Impact on Albania's European Integration: Contributions, Opportunities, and Challenges

This paper examines the significant role of non-state actors in the European integration process, focusing specifically on the case of Albania. The purpose is to analyze how various non-state actors in Albania, such as civil society organizations, think tanks, businesses, and grassroots movements, have contributed to the country's journey towards European integration. The paper aims to highlight the opportunities and challenges these actors bring, and how their involvement can shape Albania's path towards EU accession. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Conceptual frameworks of integration processes in education

The relevance of the topic is connected with the urgent need in modern socio-political realities to use integrative technological tools in solving educational problems. According to the message of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly on February 21, 2023, “a synthesis of all the best that was in the Soviet education system and the experience of recent decades is necessary”. Higher education teachers have been given serious goals to develop effective practices for integrating new regions of the Russian Federation into the cultural and educational space of Russia. Integration is the process and result of the formation of integrity, which plays a priority role in relation to its parts. The emergence of integration is closely related to the need to satisfy the fundamental human need to inherit the experience of previous generations, and subsequently transfer it, which is the mechanism of pedagogical activity: the integration of the experience of generations and the integration of pedagogical and production activities. In the article, the author examines the definition of the main research term; relies on the classification of sources for studying integration processes in pedagogy proposed by Professor N.K. Chapaev; the analysis of modern integrative pedagogical concepts is carried out. In these rapidly developing times, we need specialists who are open to interaction and ready to integrate professionals from seemingly completely different areas into their specific activities: integration becomes the basis for the development of the educational sphere.

Research on the International Supply Chain Management of Chinese Bamboo Weaving and Cultural and Creative Products

With the increasing of China's international status and the acceleration of the process of global economic integration, the internationalization strategy of Chinese enterprises is getting deeper and deeper. This paper analyzes the problems and challenges faced by the international supply chain management of Chinese bamboo weaving and creative products, and puts forward a set of supply chain management model that ADAPTS to the international development. Firstly, the concept, connotation and types of supply chain management are sorted out through literature review. Secondly, this paper analyzes the current situation of international supply chain management of bamboo editing and creative products, and points out the existing problems. Thirdly, based on the theory and practice of international supply chain management, this paper puts forward a set of supply chain management model suitable for the international development of bamboo editing and creative products. Finally, taking a bamboo weaving and creative products enterprise as an example, the application effect of the supply chain management model is empirically analyzed. The results show that the supply chain management model can effectively reduce the cost and improve the efficiency, and is conducive to the international development of bamboo editing and creative products