Search For Partners Research Articles

A linkage study investigating sexualized self-presentation on mobile dating apps and user traits

Mobile Dating Applications (MDAs) are integral to young adults’ lives, serving as a platform for romantic and sexual self-presentation during the search for potential partners. Despite its potential link to adverse outcomes including body shame, the prevalence of sexualized self-presentation remains understudied. This pre-registered linkage study addresses this gap by documenting sexualized self-presentation while considering individual differences related to gender, sexual orientation, and body image. Young adults donated MDA (Tinder, Bumble) profile screenshots (nbiographies = 443, npictures = 1277; Mage = 23.15, SD = 2.94; 72.20 % women). Of those 443 participants, 237 additionally completed a body image linkage survey (Mage = 23.36, SD = 2.90; 71.30 % women). Sexualized self-presentation appeared in 4.30 % of biographies and 56.80 % of profile pictures, mainly through sexualized facial expressions. Women, non-heterosexual users, and those holding a more negative body image engaged more in sexualized self-presentation. Platform type and positive body image indicators did not relate to engagement in sexualized self-presentation. Future research is recommended to explore whether the extensive presence of sexualized self-presentations on MDAs impacts users’ personal and relational well-being.

Workforce ecosystems as a model for human capital management in the digital age

This paper discusses the use of workforce ecosystems to manage human intellectual capital. The need for work ecosystems has emerged in the digital age because of the rapid growth in the number of engaged partners and freelancers in the digitalization of enterprises. It is shown that this growth is directly related to the use of agile management systems in design and development: agile, DevOps, microservice architecture, turquoise practices, etc. The information systems needed to manage workforce ecosystems should have competency-based metrics to link business needs, recruitment and training, and finding new partners. At the same time, training should be prioritized over recruitment and the search for new partners in the context of staff shortages. When automating workforce ecosystems, a platform approach should be used to integrate both corporate HR, time and business process management systems, and similar systems from partners.

A Computational Approach in the Systematic Search of the Interaction Partners of Alternatively Spliced TREM2 Isoforms.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, characterized by the pathological accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is increasingly recognized as playing a central role in Aβ clearance and microglia activation in AD. The TREM2 gene transcriptional product is alternatively spliced to produce three different protein isoforms. The canonical TREM2 isoform binds to DAP12 to activate downstream pathways. However, little is known about the function or interaction partners of the alternative TREM2 isoforms. The present study utilized a computational approach in a systematic search for new interaction partners of the TREM2 isoforms by integrating several state-of-the-art structural bioinformatics tools from initial large-scale screening to one-on-one corroborative modeling and eventual all-atom visualization. CD9, a cell surface glycoprotein involved in cell-cell adhesion and migration, was identified as a new interaction partner for two TREM2 isoforms, and CALM, a calcium-binding protein involved in calcium signaling, was identified as an interaction partner for a third TREM2 isoform, highlighting the potential role of cell adhesion and calcium regulation in AD.

Connection of BRICS and EAEU integration projects in the context of Russian economic development

The ongoing transformation of the Russian economy under external sanctions pressure determines the development of integration projects in the post-Soviet space, which differ in the form and depth of economic cooperation. The expansion of BRICS, as well as the strengthening of mutual trade with Asia and the search for new trading partners, is of great relevance in the context of studying trade and economic connectivity between the BRICS members, Russia and the EAEU countries. The article is devoted to the analysis of promising areas of cooperation between the BRICS countries and the EAEU. The purpose is to identify the most promising trading partners among the BRICS countries in the context of the expansion of the organization and the accession of five new members. The study highlights optimal models of cooperation between the EAEU and BRICS countries in the context of reorientation of trade flows. The conclusion of the article is the need to strengthen horizontal interaction between companies of the EAEU and BRICS jurisdictions in the context of increasing the volume of parallel imports of high-tech products and developing infrastructure projects that affect the interests of Russia and partner countries.

Theoretical Foundations of the Foreign Economic Relations Strategy of the Russian Federation at the Present Stage

Introduction. The author of this text is convinced that in the modern world foreign economic relations remain a crucial way of maintaining economic activity. Sustainable economic relations with other states are a necessary condition for the country's economic growth. However, due to changes in the global financial, economic and political systems, Russia is forced to look for new economic and political allies. The main task for our country is to establish close and mutually beneficial relations with the leading countries of the East, such as China and India, in order to ensure economic security in the face of possible isolation in the international arena.Materials and methods. The methodological basis of this research was made up of general scientific and special research methods, such as induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, classification, comparative, descriptive, comparative, logical, structural-functional methods, various methods of statistical analysis. The author of the study used tabular and graphical forms of representation of the processes and phenomena under consideration.Research results. The study revealed that Russian government authorities use various tools to maintain foreign trade and ensure economic security in the context of anti-Russian sanctions. The balance between protectionist and free trade policies depends on the situation in international markets, the geopolitical situation in the world, but especially on the level of competitiveness. The introduction of sanctions by the collective West has become the main factor, changing the foreign economic situation for Russia in 2022. Russia’s new foreign economic strategy is based on the search for friendly partners, willing to purchase sanctioned goods. Thanks to this strategy, Russia was able to reorient foreign economic relations towards Asia and the Middle East, as well as to establish parallel imports while maintaining competitiveness and even increasing foreign trade turnover.Discussion and conclusion. The need for Russia to enter the Chinese and Indian trade markets and to strengthen foreign economic relations with Asia is substantiated; the main groups of goods that can contribute to the development of mutually beneficial exchange and strengthening of economic cooperation between these countries are analyzed; the possibility and importance of further development of foreign economic relations with Asian states, which can become no less important and useful partners for Russia than the former states of Europe, have been proven.

Workforce ecosystems as a model for human capital management in the digital age

This paper discusses the use of workforce ecosystems to manage human intellectual capital. The need for work ecosystems has emerged in the digital age because of the rapid growth in the number of engaged partners and freelancers in the digitalization of enterprises. It is shown that this growth is directly related to the use of agile management systems in design and development: agile, DevOps, microservice architecture, turquoise practices, etc. The information systems needed to manage workforce ecosystems should have competency-based metrics to link business needs, recruitment and training, and finding new partners. At the same time, training should be prioritized over recruitment and the search for new partners in the context of staff shortages. When automating workforce ecosystems, a platform approach should be used to integrate both corporate HR, time and business process management systems, and similar systems from partners.

Machine learning techniques for intermediate mass gap lepton partner searches at the large hadron collider

We consider machine learning techniques associated with the application of a boosted decision tree (BDT) to searches at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for pair-produced lepton partners which decay to leptons and invisible particles. This scenario can arise in the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), but can be realized in many other extensions of the Standard Model (SM). We focus on the case of intermediate mass splitting (∼30 GeV) between the dark matter (DM) and the scalar. For these mass splittings, the LHC has made little improvement over LEP due to large electroweak backgrounds. We find that the use of machine learning techniques can push the LHC well past discovery sensitivity for a benchmark model with a lepton partner mass of ∼110 GeV, for an integrated luminosity of 300 fb−1, with a signal-to-background ratio of ∼0.3. The LHC could exclude models with a lepton partner mass as large as ∼160 GeV with the same luminosity. The use of machine learning techniques in searches for scalar lepton partners at the LHC could thus definitively probe the parameter space of the MSSM in which scalar muon mediated interactions between SM muons and Majorana singlet DM can both deplete the relic density through dark matter annihilation and satisfy the recently measured anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We identify several machine learning techniques which can be useful in other LHC searches involving large and complex backgrounds. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The Russian Federation’s Response Strategy to Anti-Russian Western Sanctions as an Element of State Political Positioning

The article analyzes the impact of anti-Russian sanctions on the image and perception of the Russian Federation in the global political landscape. The consequences of sanctions on Russia’s current image and the potential long-term impact on its international reputation are considered. The imposition of sanctions is viewed as a step that has far-reaching consequences for Russia’s perception on the world stage, but so far it has had a limited practical effect. The measures taken by Russia in response to the sanctions pressure are considered, they are the search for alternative trading partners outside the Western world, investment in import substitution and the development of domestic industry. The effects of sanctions on the Russian economy are analyzed, the latter due to these measures has turned out to be in general more stable than it was expected by Western countries. Special attention is paid to the new opportunities for international cooperation that have opened up for Russia after the imposition of sanctions. The strengthened partnership relations of the Russian Federation with a number of non-Western countries that share Russia’s positions on key geopolitical issues are considered. The potential of these new ties for strengthening Russia’s international position and its role in shaping the new world order is analyzed.

Structural opportunities or assortative mating? – Decomposing trends and country differences in educational sorting outcomes in marriages

ABSTRACT This study examines within- and cross-country trends and differences in marital sorting by education in Europe. Unlike previous research on assortative mating, our study focuses on the outcomes of the partner search process. We investigate how variations in (a) structural opportunities (educational composition of potential partners) and (b) assortative mating (non-random matching by education) have shaped trends and differences in educational sorting outcomes. Using vital statistics data on all marriages contracted from 2000 to 2020 in Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Italy, we decompose trends and differences in educational sorting outcomes into these two components. Within countries, trends in educational homogamy and hypogamy have been stable or increasing while hypergamy has declined. However, the drivers of these trends varied across countries. For example, in Sweden, shifts in assortative mating and structural opportunities led to more marriages between equally educated spouses, while in Italy, the rise in homogamy stems solely from changes in assortative mating. Within each year, homogamy and heterogamy levels varied between countries. Our findings demonstrate that these cross-country differences can be primarily attributed to variations in assortative mating rather than in opportunity structures. This study adds to recent research studying the structural causes of trends in sorting outcomes.

Problems and prospects of management of foreign economic activity of Russian companies under conditions of sanctions

The article reveals the main problems of managing the foreign economic activity of Russian companies in the context of the sanctions. The presented analysis of the dynamics of export and import development over the period of 2018–2023 made it possible to identify the main prospects for the development of foreign economic activity in the conditions of sanctions. A conclusion was obtained on the need to implement a set of proposed measures to stabilize the economic situation and search for new partners in the conditions of the sanctions regime.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ЭЛЕКТРОННЫХ ТОРГОВЫХ ПЛОЩАДОК ДЛЯ УВЕЛИЧЕНИЯ ОБЪЕМА СБЫТА ПРОДУКЦИИ РОССИЙСКИХ КОМПАНИЙ

The expediency of Russian manufacturers' participation in electronic auctions is due to the need to increase sales, expand business ties, and search for new partners, which is quite relevant in modern economic conditions. To study the impact of participation in electronic auctions on the performance of an individual company, a typical joint–stock company was chosen - a representative of a medium-sized business that produces products mainly for the needs of communications and medicine. At the same time, the most promising is the study of the activities of electronic trading platforms in Russia and Belarus, as the most accessible to Russian companies. It was on the example of these sites that proposals were considered in order to select orders for products corresponding to the nomenclature that the company chosen for the analysis could offer. An important issue in the study was the justification of the procedure for choosing contracts in which the company under study could win over competitors. To do this, the authors propose the following actions: after selecting the most promising sites, it is necessary to consider specific contracts involving the supply of products manufactured by this company, taking into account the possibilities of additional production; contracts with commercial attractiveness and economically justified in terms of the effectiveness of additional production and sale of the company's products are selected as preferred; The prices of the products offered in the contracts are compared with the prices at which the company could offer products, taking into account the cost of production. Based on the fact that a company offering products at prices lower than competitors' prices may not always win the competition, it seems advisable to study the probability of such victories, on the basis of which the number of contracts that this company can conclude is predicted. The results of the research conducted by the authors demonstrated that participation in electronic auctions contributes to achieving the desired goal, namely, the search for new partners, and the growth of sales volumes.

Различия в инновационном поведении субъектов малого и крупного бизнеса

The authors of the article studied the specifics of innovative behavior of enterprises depending on their size. This specificity was determined in accordance with the following areas of the company’s activities: personnel policy, search for sources of financing, search for market niches, production of innovative products (determined by the nature of the innovations produced and the level of innovative mobility), search for partners and contractors, placement of financial responsibility centers. In preparing the article, a system analysis methodology was used, based on a set of theoretical and empirical research methods, the key of which is the case-study method, based on the results of content analysis, as well as expert interviews and a questionnaire survey. The analysis showed that the qualitative results of the activities of small and medium-sized innovative businesses often have a greater impact on the economic development of the region than large ones. The results obtained during the study have both scientific and practical significance. At the level of regional authorities, understanding the specifics of the innovative behavior of entrepreneurial firms is important from the point of view of determining measures of state support for innovatively active enterprises.

РАЗВИТИЕ ТОРГОВО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ СВЯЗЕЙ АФРИКИ СО СТРАНАМИ БРИКС+

The article analyses trade and economic relations between Africa and the BRICS+ countries, which unite the world's largest developing economies, in the context of global transformations that are forming a new multipolar system of international relations. The study is relevant in connection with the growing role of Africa as a promising region for economic development and the search for new partners in the context of geopolitical uncertainty. The paper analyses key trends and factors influencing the development of trade and economic relations between Africa and the BRICS+ countries: - Dynamics of Trade Turnover, examines the structure of trade turnover, key commodity items and export-import trends between Africa and the BRICS+ countries. - Investment flows, analyses investment flows from the BRICS+ countries to African countries, highlighting priority sectors of the economy. - Infrastructure projects, examines the role of infrastructure projects financed by the BRICS+ countries in the development of transport, energy and communications infrastructure in Africa. - Technological cooperation, analyses the impact of advanced technologies on the development of the economies of African countries and opportunities for technological cooperation with the BRICS+ countries. The authors study the impact of trade and economic ties on economic growth in both Africa and the BRICS+ countries using up-to-date statistical data and analytical methods. As a result of the analysis, key conclusions are formulated about the potential for further development of trade and economic relations between Africa and the BRICS+ countries. Particular attention is paid to the problems and barriers that hinder the successful development of cooperation, and recommendations are offered for overcoming them. This article is a valuable tool for understanding current trends in the development of international trade and economic relations, and serves as a practical guide for successful cooperation between Africa and the BRICS+ countries.

Брачные предпочтения женщин и мужчин из числа представителей коренных народов Нижнего Амура и Сахалина

The analysis of statistical, archival materials and literature allowed us to draw the following conclusions. If in the second half of the XIX century among all the indigenous peoples of the Lower Amur and Sakhalin (for example, the Nivkhs, Evenks, Uilta (Oroks)) same-ethnic marriages prevailed, then from the second half of the XX century mixed marriages began to prevail, women more willingly preferred mixed marriages. Besides, if previously interethnic marriages were registered mainly between representatives of different indigenous minorities of the North, then now marriages with the Slavic population predominate. The reasons for this phenomenon are: a large percentage of consanguineous ties within ethnic groups, an unfavorable sex ratio (there are more women than men, especially in reproductive age), and the reluctance of men to do anything, which further contributes to the search for marriage partners outside their ethnic group.

Fungal Cultivars of Higher Attine Ants Promote Escovopsis Chemotropism.

In varied environments, microorganisms search for partners or nutritional resources using chemical signals. Microbes are drawn (chemotaxis) or grow directionally (chemotropism) towards the chemical source, enabling them to establish and maintain symbiosis. The hypocrealean fungi Escovopsis enhance their growth towards the basidiomycete fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, which is cultivated by leaf-cutting attine ants for food. Although directional growth is well documented in this symbiosis, it is unclear whether non-volatile or volatile organic compounds participate in the interaction between cultivar and Escovopsis, and which specific chemical compounds might attract and induce chemotropism. In this study, we examined the growth responses of Escovopsis isolates to non-volatile and volatile organic compounds produced by fungal cultivars of higher attine ants. We also isolated and identified molecules released by the ant-cultivar and assessed the chemotropism of Escovopsis towards them. Our results indicate that the growth of Escovopsis is stimulated in the presence of both non-volatile and volatile compounds from fungal cultivars. We also identified three isomeric diketopiperazines molecules from crude extracts of the ant cultivar, suggesting that these might play a role in Escovopsis chemotropism. Our findings provide insights into the complex chemical interactions that govern the association between Escovopsis and fungal cultivars.

SOCIAL CAPITAL, EDUCATION AND CHOICE JOB SEARCH METHODS IN SENEGAL

The objective of this paper is to analyze the microeconomic impact of education on well-being, as measured by social capital in terms of the different means used to search for a job in Senegal. The endogenous variable (social capital) is categorized into four sub-modalities represented as follows: « Personal relations », « Advertisements-firms » composed of advertisements/media/internet and applications to firms; « Agencies-State » composed of the civil service, the employment office, private placement agencies and competitions/tests; and « Other » composed of the search for partners, the search for financing or any other means. The exogenous characteristic variables are the different levels of education (primary, middle, secondary and higher), the gender, the age and the marital status of the individuals aged at least 15 years. The data come from the ANSD's (2020) Senegal Poverty Monitoring Survey database on a sample of 168,203 individuals. Using Stata, the results obtained through estimation by the multinomial logistic method (MLM) show that only higher education has a positive and significant impact on all the means used to look for a job in Senegal, but at different levels and probabilities. This article suggests a strong expansion of networks of acquaintances and mutual aid because the higher the individual's social capital, the more chance he has of interacting with others, broadening his contacts and improving his well-being. Combined with a higher level of education, it offers job-seekers more opportunities to succeed in their search.

THE TASK OF CHOOSING PARTNERS FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF COOPERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS

The primary objective of this article is to establish a set of fundamental criteria for the selection of scientific partners for collaborative research efforts. Achieving this objective entails addressing the challenge of identifying criteria that are both objective and universally applicable, capable of encompassing various fields of scientific research, such as natural sciences, technical sciences, and economic sciences, among others. One such criterion, applicable to scientists, may involve assessing their publication activity within specific research areas that align with the objectives of the relevant scientific research or international projects. In the contemporary landscape of scientific research, there is a growing urgency to enhance the effectiveness of research endeavors and to foster efficient collaboration within scientific communities. This is particularly vital for organizations oriented towards project-based research. In the formation of research project teams, a conventional approach is to select partners from the pool of scientists possessing the requisite qualifications and experience in the execution of such projects. A widely accepted yardstick for evaluating the outcomes of scientists' research endeavors is the citation metrics associated with their publications. Typically, these metrics take the form of scalar values. While this approach offers several advantages, it is not without its limitations. One notable drawback is the potential loss of information when converting raw data into scalar metrics, and the existence of certain edge cases where the parameter remains unchanged despite variations in the number of citations and publications. Hence, it is pertinent to explore the development of new methodologies or modifications to existing ones that can effectively evaluate the results of scientists' research activities while mitigating these limitations.Начало формы The article describes the criteria for the search and selection of partners for joint scientific research. This will make it possible to effectively form teams for narrowly focused scientific research or international collaboration projects in interdisciplinary scientific projects such as the European Horizon Program or educational projects such as the Erasmus plus program. Also, the proposed solution will allow the formation of small teams for joint scientific publications. It is imperative to acknowledge that the process of partner selection is predominantly driven by a consideration of the knowledge, whether it be novel or foundational, possessed by prospective partners who are entrusted with the execution of a project. It becomes crucial to delineate the specific criteria governing partner selection which can vary contingent upon factors such as the typology of partners, the nature of project tasks, the depth of knowledge possessed, and related contextual variables. A vital underpinning for the formation of project consortia is the mathematical conundrum of choice which furnishes a formal rationale for the judicious selection of a particular partner.

The relationship between morphology and flight in Drosophila: a study of two pairs of sibling species from a natural population.

Insect flight is a complex trait involved in different behaviors, from the search for sexual partners, food, or breeding sites. Many studies have postulated the adaptive advantages of certain morphological traits in relation to increased flight capacity, such as low values of wing loading or high values of wing:thorax ratio and wing-aspect ratio. However, few studies have evaluated the relationship between variables related to flight and morphological traits in Drosophila. This work aimed to study morphological traits in males and females of two pairs of sibling species: Drosophila buzzatii Patterson and Wheeler-Drosophila koeferae Fontdevila and Wasserman, and Drosophila melanogaster Meigen-Drosophila simulans Sturtevant, and to analyze its relationship with flight. We detected the highest proportion of flight time in D. koepferae and D. simulans compared to D. buzzatii and D. melanogaster, respectively. Our results also revealed sexual dimorphism, with males exhibiting a higher proportion of flight time than females. Surprisingly, we did not find a general pattern to explain the relationship between morphology and the proportion of flight time because associations varied depending upon the analyses (considering all groups together or each sex-species combination separately). Moreover, these associations explained a low percentage of variation, suggesting that other nonmorphological components related to flight, such as physiological variables, should be taken into account. This work allowed us to show the variability and complexity of an aspect of flight, suggesting that the adaptive role of the morphological traits studied might have been overestimated.

Search for pair-produced vector-like top and bottom partners in events with large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for pair-produced vector-like quarks using events with exactly one lepton (e or mu ), at least four jets including at least one b-tagged jet, and large missing transverse momentum is presented. Data from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt{s}=13 text {TeV}, recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC from 2015 to 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb^{-1}, are analysed. Vector-like partners T and B of the top and bottom quarks are considered, as is a vector-like X with charge +5/3, assuming their decay into a W, Z, or Higgs boson and a third-generation quark. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed. Upper limits on the production cross-section of T and B quark pairs as a function of their mass are derived for various decay branching ratio scenarios. The strongest lower limits on the masses are 1.59 text {TeV} assuming mass-degenerate vector-like quarks and branching ratios corresponding to the weak-isospin doublet model, and 1.47 text {TeV} (1.46 text {TeV}) for exclusive T rightarrow Zt (B/X rightarrow Wt) decays. In addition, lower limits on the T and B quark masses are derived for all possible branching ratios.

The Molecular Underpinnings of Treg Plasticity in Cancer

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, yet it remains one of the most difficult to treat. Immunotherapy of CRC using checkpoint inhibitors is only efficacious in approximately 4% of patients with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). In earlier studies we showed that in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and CRC as well as in the APC Δ468murine polyposis model, Tregs overexpress β-catenin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that expression of a dominant active β-catenin in Tregs induces RORγt, compromising suppressive activity and promoting T H17-like properties. This results in a scurfy-like phenotype. By contrast loss of TCF-1 upregulated RORγt, but only compromised Treg anti-inflammatory functions. These observations suggested cooperation of β-catenin and TCF-1 in regulating Treg plasticity. We show here that in healthy mice, β-catenin expression is significantly higher in Tregs as compared to conventional CD4 +T-cells. In Tregs that express a dominant active β-catenin, ablation of TCF-1 or HEB provide partial rescue, while ablation of both TCF-1 and HEB recovers Treg numbers and prevents the scurfy-like phenotype. These observations suggest that TCF-1, HEB and β-catenin cooperate to determine Treg functions. In search for additional partners, we show that loss of TCF-1 upregulates SATB-1, a chromatin modifier that is known to determine T-cell development and function. Upregulation of SATB-1 is enhanced with the loss of both TCF-1 and HEB. All three transcription factors upregulate RORγt suggesting that they cooperatively determine Treg function and plasticity. Elucidating this cooperation will enhance our ability to control Treg plasticity in health and disease. NIH/NIAID - R01 AI108682-0A1