Special Section Research Articles

Special section introduction: epistemic politics in international and comparative political economy

ABSTRACT Economic orthodoxy has faced multiple challenges over recent years, ranging from the global financial crisis and economic populism to the Covid-19 pandemic and the spectre of stagflation. This has generated significant policy innovations, like quantitative easing and the furlough schemes, while heterodox economic ideas (briefly) gained notoriety. Yet these shifts have frequently been grafted onto pre-existing institutional and discursive templates, anchored by the assumption that they represent a temporary deviation from ‘normal’ equilibrium conditions. To make sense of these dynamics of crisis, change and continuity, this special section showcases an ‘epistemic politics’ approach that foregrounds the political life of economic knowledge. It is framed around three questions. What has been the role of economic knowledge and expertise in shaping policy and regulation over the past decade? To what extent have dominant economic ideas, theories and models been impacted by political conflicts and emergent issues? How have policy makers navigated economic crises and uncertainty through cognitive and discursive practices? This introductory paper sets out the ambition for the special section by defining our understanding of epistemic politics, before detailing the threefold contribution it makes to wider scholarship in IPE and CPE. It concludes with an overview of the five papers.

Guest Editorial Special Section on Advancing Power Electronics Reliability: Components, Systems, and Intelligent Operation

Guest Editorial Special Section on Advancing Power Electronics Reliability: Components, Systems, and Intelligent Operation

Guest Editorial Special Section on Advanced Medium-Voltage Power Electronics for Grid Interactive Applications

Guest Editorial Special Section on Advanced Medium-Voltage Power Electronics for Grid Interactive Applications

Guest Editorial Special Section on Ultrawide/Wide Bandgap Device, Packaging, Control, EMI, and Applications for Power Electronics

Guest Editorial Special Section on Ultrawide/Wide Bandgap Device, Packaging, Control, EMI, and Applications for Power Electronics

Más allá del intelectual: el Fondo Documental Francisco Gavidia

This article recounts the work of archival intervention carried out in the Francisco Gavidia Documentary Fund of the Florentino Idoate, s. j. Library in the José Simeón Cañas Central American University of El Salvador. It also explores some of its most striking features and the possibilities it offers for future research. The article is organized around three central points. In the first, the origin of the Documentary Fund is narrated. Secondly, the author describes the archival processes to which the Francisco Gavidia Documentary Fund was subjected. These processes included from a first general inventory and evaluation of the deteriorated condition of the different components, to the current arrangement in the Special Collections section of the aforementioned library. Finally, the work makes a quick tour to show the diversity and richness of the collection, from original manuscripts of some of the author’s works, to his scrapbooks. Realidad, Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, No. 164, 2024: 163-171.

Political Communication Research is Unprepared for the Far Right

ABSTRACT In this introductory piece to a special issue of the Forum, we explore the inadequacies of the field of political communication in addressing the rising threats posed by illiberalism and the far right. We argue that the discipline’s frameworks, developed within the context of Western liberal democracies, are ill-equipped to tackle the complexities and self-reflexive strategies of contemporary far-right movements and actor types. These formations exploit liberal norms and practices to ultimately undermine and dismantle democratic values. We call for more “democratic clarity,” urging political communication scholars to adopt a clear stance in defense of democratic principles and to develop more robust conceptual tools to accurately classify and understand far-right actors. We introduce the other discussion pieces featured in this special section and ultimately point to actionable items meant to move the field forward.

Leveraging Advanced Machine Learning Algorithms for Enhanced Cyberattack Detection on U.S. Business Networks

Cyberattacks' rising volume and sophistication have made conventional security measures, such as firewalls, signature-based intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software, increasingly inadequate. The upsurge of cyber threats has been one of the most pressing predicaments for U.S. organizations in the digital age. With the increased dependence on internet-based forums, cloud computing, and interconnected networks, companies face an advancing number of extreme cyberattacks. The chief objective of this research project is to design and deploy proven machine learning methods to enhance the detection and combating of cyberattacks on U.S. organization networks. This research project retrieved a cyber-attack dataset from Kaggle.com, which had a collection of public datasets of cyber threats. This dataset was curated precisely, offering a realistic representation of cyber-attack scenarios, making it an ideal playground for various analytical tasks. The collection was classified as per the source of the relevant information, such as host-based datasets, network traffic datasets, malware or fraud reports, or a special section for datasets that can be classified according to a specific source. The dataset comprised numerous network traffic attributes such as source and destination IP addresses, ports, protocol, payload size, and attack labels. For this research project, three machine learning algorithms were used, namely: Logistic Regression, XG-Boost and Random Forest. This research project applied performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score for the performance of the classification models were considered. The result illustrated that the random forest model was far superior in accuracy compared to the logistic regression model; particularly, it had excellent accuracy. Through the use of advanced machine learning models, organizations will be in a position to devise more dynamic and intelligent security systems that evolve with the threat landscape. These intelligent systems monitor every kind of anomaly, malicious activity, and threat response with unparalleled effectiveness. The findings of this research project have significant implications for enhancing cybersecurity in U.S. organizational networks.

Liposomes – metabolically active drug transport systems: classification, components, preparation methods, and stabilization. Part 1 (review)

Introduction. This review article is focused on the modern classification of liposomes, preparation methods, stabilization and the role of structural components, visualization, and pharmacokinetics. Part 1 discusses the first three aspects mentioned above.Text. Depending on the size and number of bilayers, liposomes are classified into simple, long-circulating, cationic, immuno-liposomes, and sterically stabilized. The lipid components of liposomes can have a pronounced effect on target organs and tissues. Metabolites of the main components of liposomes have their biological activity, depending on their combination and dosage. All of the above indicates the promise of using liposomes not only as carriers of drugs but also as independent effectors that can have a significant impact on human metabolism in various diseases. The advantages and limitations of methods for preparing liposomes, and the features for manufacturing stealth liposomes are discussed. A special section of the article is dedicated to liposome stabilization.Conclusions. The information discussed in the review article may be useful in the development of pharmaceutical formulations in liposomes. Liposomes are not only promising nanocontainers for targeted drug delivery, but also metabolically active complexes with a wide spectrum of activity.

Study on the ride comfort of a high-speed sleeper train

The difference in vibration characteristics between passengers and sleepers on high-speed sleeper train ride comfort was rarely studied. This work proposed a 3D rigid-flexible passenger-sleeper-vehicle-track coupling model. The multi-rigid body dynamic method models the supine passengers and sleepers. The detailed car body FE (finite element) model, which contains the train's suspension equipment, is established. Based on the coupling model, the ride comfort index, calculated based on different standards, is analyzed. The difference in the ride comfort index, evaluated using the acceleration at the sleeper and passenger, is compared. Also, the impact of the car body flexibility and the passenger-sleeper model parameters on the ride comfort of a supine human is studied. Then, the ride comfort of the high-speed sleeper train is analyzed when the train is subject to track irregularities excitation, and aerodynamic force (meeting). The results show that using the acceleration of the sleeper can overestimate the ride comfort of the high-speed sleeper train. The head-, and pelvis-sleeper contact parameters are crucial for high-speed sleeper train ride comfort. The ride comfort of the high-speed sleeper trains decreases sharply when trains meeting and passing the special track section.

Global value and wealth chains in contemporary capitalism: Editorial introduction

This introduction to a special section on global value chains and global wealth chains elaborates on the concept of entanglement as a way to understand dynamics of value capture, accumulation and inequality in contemporary capitalism. The authors first review the analytical framework they have proposed for analyzing entangled chains based on two dimensions: 1) the relative importance of intangible versus tangible assets; and (2) the primary strategy of lead firms – specifically, whether that strategy is oriented towards value creation or wealth accumulation activities. They then briefly discuss the four papers comprising this special section which collectively advance our knowledge of how production and finance are imbricated in the global political economy.

Introduction to the Special Section on Tobacco Harm Reduction

Introduction to the Special Section on Tobacco Harm Reduction

Special Section: 2023 Copper Mountain Conference

Special Section: 2023 Copper Mountain Conference

Cyberspace and the Responsibility to Protect Populations from Atrocity Crimes

Abstract This article has two principal aims. First, it seeks to frame this special issue examining the intersection of cyberspace, digital platforms, and atrocity prevention frameworks – including the Responsibility to Protect (r2p). It does so by defining and scoping cyberspace, highlighting the limited extant research on cyber and atrocity prevention, and providing a brief overview of each article within this special section. By bringing together distinct perspectives – international law, political science, international relations, and policy – this special section hopes to ignite a timely, rich debate on 21st century technologies and atrocity prevention. Second, after setting the scene for the issue, this article offers its own novel contribution. In countering (continued) accusations of r2p’s irrelevance into the 2020s, this article argues that the norm’s three pillars must be re-examined in light of cyberspace. This is especially vital, as perpetrators of atrocities continue to employ cyber-enabled technologies and as r2p approaches its 20th anniversary.

The Australia-New Zealand alliance: introduction to the special section

The Australia-New Zealand alliance: introduction to the special section

Special Section: Manufacturing Science Engineering Conference 2024

Special Section: Manufacturing Science Engineering Conference 2024

The rise of the Kaanuˀl kingdom and the city of Dzibanche

Abstract The Kaanuˀl dynasty ruled a hegemonic state with political influence over much of the Classic Maya Lowlands between a.d. 520 and 751. The present article introduces the subject for a special section of the journal, which refocuses attention on the archaeological zone of Dzibanche in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico, where new data are emerging about the origins of the Kaanuˀl dynasty, its urban organization, and its connections to neighboring centers. In this article, we present new data from a recent lidar survey as well as from previous work by Enrique Nalda's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) project to reevaluate Dzibanche's characteristics vis-à-vis its rise as a kingdom with far-reaching political influence. We complement these archaeological data with epigraphic information from new monuments and reanalysis of existing ones based on 3D scanning to update the list of Dzibanche rulers. We then revisit the chronology of Dzibanche's royal burials proposing correlations with known Early Classic Kaanuˀl rulers. Overall, the contributions to this special section present new perspectives on the Kaanuˀl's rise to power and its relationship with distant vassals in the crucial period of expansion into northern Peten, leading to the defeat of Tikal and eventually to its transition to a new dynastic seat at Calakmul in the a.d. 630s.

Guest editorial for the special section on “Operational Excellence and Quality Improvement in Sweden”

Guest editorial for the special section on “Operational Excellence and Quality Improvement in Sweden”

Preface to the special section ‘N-nutrition 2024’: molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology of N utilization for greener food production

Preface to the special section ‘N-nutrition 2024’: molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology of N utilization for greener food production

Introduction to a special section on branding, buyer choices and the pursuit of happiness in luxury fashion consumption

ABSTRACT This guest editorial article introduces a special section dedicated to the findings, paradoxes and opportunities that emerge from a progressing interest in branding, buyer choices, and the pursuit of well-being in luxury fashion consumption. Contemporary topics are considered that include religiosity in Halal economies, motivations that drive second-hand purchases through online redistribution modes, and trade-offs for sustainability in the consumption of luxury brands. The special section culminates in a systematic review of luxury fashion research over the last 13 years, observing common themes of consumer behavior and trends, branding and strategic management, product design and merchandising, advertising and communication as well as retailing and pricing. This summarises the evolving interests of stakeholders that inspire unique, innovative, and authentic luxury trends.

The Application of Deep Learning in Sports Training

In response to the problems of overfitting, susceptibility to interference information, and insufficient feature expression ability in existing deep learning methods for sports action recognition, the author proposes a deep learning sports action recognition method that integrates attention mechanism. This method proposes a video data augmentation algorithm in data preprocessing to reduce the risk of model overfitting. Then, during the video frame sampling process, the existing sampling algorithms are improved to effectively suppress the influence of interference information. In the special section, the network residual consolidation is proposed to improve the feature extraction capacity of the structure. The Long Term Time Transform (LSTM) network is used to solve the problem of the global correlation of the spatial correlation, and the classification algorithm is achieved by Softmax. and the classification algorithm is proposed. The experimental results show that the recognition rates of this method on UCFYouTube, KTH, and HMDB-51 data are 96.73%, 98.07%, and 64.82%, respectively.