Trump Card Research Articles

National security as the trump card: assessing China's legal regime on cross-border data transfer

ABSTRACT A strong regulatory framework for cross-border data transfer is crucial to balance the relationships between national security, economic interests, and individual privacy. However, China's approach, utilizing security assessment and standard contract clauses, prioritizes national security above all else. The recent Regulation on Standardizing and Promoting Data Cross-border Transfer strengthens this approach, suggesting a continued focus on national security for the foreseeable future. This emphasis on national security is not accidental, but rather a core principle of China's long-held ‘national security comes first’ doctrine and its unique political philosophy, which places public interests above private ones. Accordingly, China has implemented a type of soft data localization, significantly affecting foreign companies operating in its borders and affecting the landscape of consumer privacy protection.

Usefulness of net retrieval devices for central airway obstruction caused by blood clots during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Case series.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the last trump card for severe respiratory failure. The main complications of ECMO are bleeding and thrombosis, both of which can be life-threatening. Large blood clots can cause central airway obstruction (CAO) during ECMO, and CAO should be removed as soon as possible because of asphyxiation. However, there is no comprehensive reports on its frequency and management. The purpose of this study is to share therapeutic experiences for rare and serious conditions and provide valuable insights. We report 3 patients placed on ECMO for severe respiratory failure. CAO due to large blood clots occurred during ECMO in all 3 patients. Large blood clots were removed using flexible bronchoscopy, grasping forceps, and net retrieval devices in all 3 patients. In all 3 patients, large blood clots were removed multiple times during ECMO. The patients' respiratory conditions improved and they were eventually weaned off the ECMO. CAO due to large blood clots during ECMO is rare. The frequency of CAO requiring bronchoscopic removal was estimated to be approximately 1,5%. When this occurs, clots should be removed as soon as possible. Net retrieval devices are useful tools for the collection of large blood clots.

Preface: 2nd International Conference on Computer, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (CMLAI 2024)

The 2024 2nd International Conference on Computer, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (CMLAI 2024) had been held during March 09-10, 2024 in San Francisco, USA. CMLAI 2024 is an international forum devoted specifically to facilitate synergies in research and development in the areas of computer science, machine learning, neural networks, algorithm design, and artificial intelligence. It provides the communication platform for those who are leading experts and scholars from around the world. The development of artificial intelligence and their corresponding technologies and industries has also been regarded as "national development strategy" for the world's leading countries and gradually developed into a new "trump card" in the game between countries. This conference was attended by over 100 researchers, scholars, academic and industry experts from many countries. During the two-day conference, 4 keynote speeches with topics on cloud computing, machine learning, neural networks, and artificial intelligence were delivered. And 36 oral and invited presentations were presented and discussed in-depth in 4 technical sessions, with interactive communication among the attendees. The conference successfully promoted exchanging new ideas and perspective discourse among the participants in their respective fields. CMLAI Organizing Committees San Francisco, USA

Balancing security and contestability in the DMA: the case of app stores

ABSTRACT The EU’s Digital Markets Act will require certain large tech firms’ ecosystems to become more open. The Act contains few exceptions – but law-makers did include special protections for undertakings providing operating systems, like Apple and Google, to protect security. This paper explores how the Commission should assess these measures. It argues that security is not a “trump card” to undermine the Act’s objectives – instead, Apple and Google must balance security benefits of their measures against any limitations on contestability. Furthermore, the Act should continue to allow both firms to differentiate their products’ approach to security. However, Apple’s (and to a lesser extent Google’s) security measures are likely to be heavily disputed. The Act does not give the Commission effective powers to efficiently resolve such disputes nor to force gatekeepers to change their approaches to security.

Oil or geopolitical issues? : Quantitative rethinking of political instability in the Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa are one of the most conflict-prone regions. Due to its geopolitical position and oil production, the Middle East has always been the trump card in the game, both before World War II and during the Cold War, still today. Why do wars persist in the Middle East? Why has the situation in the Middle East deteriorated to this extent? Is rentier economics always a vital variable explaining political instability in the Middle East? After empirically analyzing the causes of political instability in the Middle East using various data, the study suggests that the experience of being a colony of Britain, France, and Italy hurt society and that the critical geographic location between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War suffered various harmful effects. On the other hand, the result also shows that manufacturing weakness due to the oil economy, high unemployment rates, and lack of democracy are all critical explanatory variables for political instability. Since the 2000s, the United States has increased its energy self-sufficiency rate through the shale oil and gas revolution. The Middle East is an option for the United States to buy oil. On the other hand, the Middle East is essential for the United States to export weapons. The Middle East has faced a geopolitical crisis in recent years due to these factors.

Environmental criticism of capitalism: the main trump card of the left or an apple of discord?

The prospects of ecological criticism of capitalism, which has become the most important and relevant for many left-wing theorists, are assessed. These theorists believe that the ecological crisis exposes the most vulnerable features of the capitalist system and puts humanity in front of a choice between catastrophe and social democratic transformations (or a socialist revolution). The point of view, according to which the ecological crisis can give the left-wing political forces grounds to unite in the struggle for a post-capitalist future, is criticized. On the contrary, it can be said that the actualization of environmental topics contributes to the new splits among left-wing theorists. One of the most notable splits is considered: between the proponents of green growth (and the authors of the Green New Deal projects) and the ideologues of de-growth/post-growth. The polemic between them testifies to the internal inconsistency of attempts to combine class struggle with the desire to preserve nature as much as possible. The difficult situation that humanity is facing today requires a painful choice between the material well-being of the maximum number of people and the preservation of the natural environment and “non-human beings”. In other words, attempts to put ecological criticism of capitalism at the forefront of leftist political theory would only lead to insoluble value contradictions, which makes a consensus among all the variety of leftist theorists impossible.

Cultural Capital and the Transnational Mobility of Asian Middle-Class Students to Germany

This paper reports the motivations of middle-class Asian students who choose German universities of applied sciences under the third wave of international student mobility. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the students’ qualitative experiences in Asian countries that influenced their preference for German universities of applied sciences and their expectations of their German degree as cultural capital. The research analyzes the family, school, peer experiences of 23 Asian students currently enrolled in a German university of applied sciences to understand their motivations for choosing this type of institution and Germany. The findings reveal that the cultural capital that influenced their choice includes differentiation strategies of middle-class students, reasonable education investment choices of Asian students, and the use of a German degree as a trump card in the labor market. The study provides implications for the development of international higher education by connecting Asian students’ aspirations for global cultural capital to a complex and atypical structure that encompasses global, national, and individual dimensions simultaneously.

Культурная политика "белорусизации" как инструмент пропаганды немецких властей на оккупированной советской территории (на материалах Генерального округа Беларусь)

The article examines the phenomenon of the cultural policy of the German authorities in the occupied Soviet territory. The study was conducted on the materials of the General District of Belarus, 1941–1944. The author believes that the cultural policy initiated by the head of the district V. Kube created an external impression of the revival of the national language and culture of Belarus and thus served as an additional means of verifying German propaganda. From his submission, the propaganda media actively exploited the Belarusian national idea as the most trump card of ideological influence on the local population. The Belarusian nationally oriented intelligentsia, as well as local nationalist forces and collaborators became the main support of Cuba in the implementation of cultural policy under the flag of “Belarusization”. With the sanction of Cuba, various public, cultural, religious, and youth organizations are established. One of the first among them was the “Belarusian People's Self-Help” (BNS). The restoration of church life, the holding of divine services in the Belarusian language, as well as the active involvement of the local Belarusian intelligentsia in cooperation became a manifestation of “Belarusianization”. In general, the cultural policy of the German administration included two propaganda lines. The first was connected with the exposure of Soviet power and the possible victory in the Bolshevik war as a potential threat to the entire civilization. Another line was based on the propaganda of the exceptional role of Nazi Germany in the revival of Belarusian culture and national consciousness of Belarusians. However, the cultural policy of the German administration, which was held under the flag of “Belarusization”, completely failed. The bet on propaganda and interaction with the nationalist-oriented intelligentsia has not justified itself. The actions of the German civil administration in the sphere of culture looked cynical and false against the background of the crimes of Nazism that simultaneously took place on the land of Belarus against its peoples. A certain cultural upsurge, which was observed during the German occupation, occurred only within the narrow framework of Belarusian collaboration and did not affect the broad masses of the people. Propaganda and the real policy of the German occupation authorities in the field of culture diverged diametrically. It is known that the Nazis caused enormous damage to the cultural and historical heritage of Belarus: they took to Germany more than one and a half million volumes of valuable and rare publications, including a collection of old printed publications by F. Skarinа, manuscripts of classics of modern Belarusian literature – Yanka Kupala and Maxim Bogdanovich, collections of libraries of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR and the Belarusian State University. But the main loss of the land of Belarus is every third of its inhabitants who died during the years of Nazi rule.

History has become a trump card: historical research and the climate crisis in Southeast Asia

The climate crisis is above all a human crisis, not simply a technical one. Are the sciences of the humanities ready to offer intellectual leadership? This paper makes three suggestions for Indonesian historians to take a guiding role in bringing about a better, more sustainable, happier future for all Indonesians. The first is to write new kinds of histories. Material environmental histories could focus on deforestation and the petroleum industry. Cultural environmental histories could highlight traditional ecological knowledges that once flourished in villages that are today considered “backward.” The second suggestion is to engage in some of the biggest debates the country has ever had about how to achieve a more sustainable future. All these debates are really historical in nature, but only historians have the knowledge to offer a long-term perspective on them. The third suggestion is to dare to be imaginative – to dream of utopias, and not simply to report “facts” as if we ourselves were not part of them. Krisis iklim terutama sekali adalah krisis kemanusiaan, bukanlah krisis teknis. Apakah ilmu-ilmu humaniora siap memberikan kepemimpinan intelektual? Makalah ini mengajukan tiga saran bagi sejarahwan/wati Indonesia yang ingin berperan aktif menawarkan masa depan yang lebih bahagia kepada keluarga besar Indonesia. Yang pertama adalah, tulislah sejarah dalam bentuk baru. Sejarah lingkungan hidup material dapat menyoroti pembabatan hutan atau industri minyak. Sejarah LH budaya bisa fokus kepada kearifan ekologis tradisional di pedesaan dulu, tempat yang kini dianggap “terbelakang.” Saran kedua adalah: terjunlah ke dalam perdebatan paling dahsyat yang akan terdengar di Indonesia, yaitu bagaimana kita dapat mencapai masa depan yang berkelanjutan. Perdebatan ini pada intinya berpijak pada sejarah, dan hanya sejarahwan yang memiliki pengetahuan yang berwibawa untuk bicara tentang jangka panjang. Saran ketiga: beranikanlah diri untuk berimajinasi – untuk bermimpi tentang utopi, tidak hanya melaporkan “fakta” seolah kita berdiri di luar fakta itu.

Lebanese-Turkish Relations after the 2000s and the Neo-Ottomanist Discourse in Lebanon

Lebanon, had non-visible relationships with Turkey after its independence and the post-civil war period. Although it lost the balance of political stability at times, the political affinity that emerged with the participation of Lebanon in the close relations, which Turkey sought to establish with Arab countries in the 2000s, continued with mutual negotiations at the point of cooperation. After the Lebanon-Israel war in 2006, which caused political and economic destruction in the country, Turkey increased its support for Lebanon. Accordingly, the crises appeared after the Arab Spring in the region led Turkey to follow the sensitive policy over the sectarian groups in the country. However, some reactions arose in Lebanon’s political arena against Turkey’s increasing regional activism, bringing several ideological questions on Turkey’s approach towards Lebanon. Regarding the relationship between Turkey and Lebanon, “Does Turkey desire to establish a new Ottoman administration in the Middle East?” was one of the questions asked. Moreover, a negative environment was created and used occasionally as a trump card against Turkey’s approach toward Lebanon, saying that even the Ottoman Empire did not play an active role in the Lebanon region. This study examines whether there are traces of Neo-Ottomanism and sectarianism in the political roadmap followed by the Turkish Government in its Lebanon policy. It discusses, the diplomatic response of Turkey to the anti-Ottoman rhetoric in Lebanese politics and its effect on bilateral relations. Accordingly, the study analyzes Turkey’s effort to maintain the balance against sectarian discourse that shapes Lebanon’s policy.

Characterization of green synthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) in two different indigenous halophilic bacteria

BackgroundIn the biological method, using nonpathogenic and extremophile bacteria systems are not only safe and highly efficient but also a trump card for synthesizing nanoparticles. Halomonas elongata QW6 IBRC-M 10,214 (He10214) and Salinicoccus iranensis IBRC-M 10,198 (Si10198), indigenous halophilic bacteria, can be used for synthesizing selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs).MethodsSeNP biosynthesis was optimized in two halophilic bacteria and characterized by UV–Vis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX).ResultsOptimized conditions for synthesizing SeNPs was at 300 °C at 150 rpm for 72 h and 6 mM or 8 mM concentration of Na2SeO3. UV–Vis indicated a sharp absorption peak at 294 nm. Spherical-shaped nanoparticles by a diameter of 30–100 nm were observed in FESEM and TEM microscopy images. The produced SeNPs were identified by a peak in FTIR spectra. In XRD analysis, the highest peak diffraction had a relationship with SeNPs. The zeta potential analysis showed SeNP production, and elemental selenium was confirmed by EDX.ConclusionsHalophilic bacteria, owing to easy manipulation to create optimization conditions and high resistance, could serve as appropriate organisms for the bioproduction of nanoparticles. The biological method, due to effectiveness, flexibility, biocompatibility, and low cost, could be used for the synthesis of reproducible and stable nanoparticles.

NÜKLEER GÜCÜN ENERJİ GÜVENLİĞİNDEKİ ROLÜ

With the increase of globalization, the problem of a country is no longer limited within its own borders but has begun to affect other states as well. With this increasing globalization and population, the rising energy demand has also increased the tendency towards nuclear energy, but we can say that the desire for this nuclear power is an indisputable power demand for the states. The role of nuclear power in energy security is huge, because of the irresistible desire for this power. When security concerns come into play for the states, diplomatic negotiations may not be the only way. This is where the deterrence action comes into play, and the combination of nuclear power with the idea of deterrence is a golden trump card for the states. Furthermore, this trump is such a trump card that it is a deterrent force even against US, PRC and RF which are the hegemonic powers in today's world. In this study, the relation between being nuclear power and security to be analyzed, the concept of the security and the energy security to be discussed and the role of the nuclear deterrence to be explained within the history of the treaties.

Tackling Corruption in Foreign Investment: Insights from Investment Arbitration Cases

AbstractOver the last ten years, international investment tribunals have imported anti-corruption principles into the bilateral investment treaties (“BIT”) regime through the use of the doctrine of “unclean hands” and the requirement of “legality of the investment.” These principles have been invoked as a “trump card” defense by responding parties. In light of the rising case laws, the Article focuses on the success of the “trump card” defense of corruption invoked by host States. The Article makes several important findings. First, it shows that tribunals use the standard of a reasonable level of certainty to establish corruption – a standard below the “beyond reasonable doubt” standard employed in domestic criminal courts. At the same time, tribunals have discouraged mere insinuations of corruption without evidence. The Article also explains that this “trump card” defense is rarely successful owing to the minimal evidence offered by States in making allegations of corruption. Further, such a defense might place the entire burden of proof in rebutting corruption allegations on the investor even though the host State may have been complicit in the act. Fundamentally, the Article demonstrates that investment tribunals have not been able to effectively engage with corruption claims, due to the lack of enforceability of both the OECD Convention and the United Nations Convention against Corruption. However, this has not stopped the increasing use of the “trump card” defense. A separate mechanism such as introducing a corruption court could be a better alternative to deal with such claims.

Preface: 2023 International Conference on Computer, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (CMLAI 2023)

At present, Covid19 is still having an enormous impact in global areas. International or long-distance travels are still risky. In consideration of the safety of all speakers and participants, the 2023 International Conference on Computer, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (CMLAI 2023) had been held online via Zoom during January 14-15, 2023 in San Francisco, USA.
 CMLAI 2023 is an international forum devoted specifically to facilitate synergies in research and development in the areas of computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence. It provides the communication platform for those who are leading experts and scholars from around the world. The development of artificial intelligence and their corresponding technologies and industries has also being regarded as "national development strategy" for the world's leading countries and gradually developed into a new "trump card" in the game between countries.
 This conference was attended by over 200 researchers, scholars, academic and industry experts from many countries. During the two-day online conference, 3 keynote speeches with topics on cloud computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence were delivered. And 42 oral and invited presentations were presented and discussed in-depth in 3 technical sessions, with interactive communication among the attendees. Despite the inhibiting factor of Covid19, the conference successfully promoted exchanging new ideas and perspective discourse among the participants in their respective fields.
 CMLAI Organizing Committees
 San Francisco, USA

Приоритетные направления политики «мягкой силы» Японии в XXI веке

The article analyzes the term ‘soft power’ policy, developed by J. Nye, in relation to Japan as the country with the largest resource of its application due to the need of national business to adopt foreign cultural experience. The limitations of its use in the country’s foreign policy are associated with the internal conservative orientation of Japanese culture and society, Japan’s militaristic past, demographic problems and the language barrier, as well as competition with other states. The spheres of implementation of the ‘soft power’ policy are economic, ideological, diplomatic, and cultural. According to the statements of Japanese officials, the following priority areas and goals for applying the ‘soft power’ policy in the 21st century are highlighted: expanding cooperation with the world community, including investments; promoting Japanese pop culture and promoting the national language on the world stage through educational organizations and funds. Organizations that implement ‘soft power’ policy in the country are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Advisory Council, the Japan Foundation, the Japan-Russia Youth Exchange Center, etc. These organizations offer programs for academic and student exchange, acquisition of educational materials, grants for holding events and translations of different kinds of literature, attracting foreign labor to the country and developing diplomacy. In order to achieve the goal set by the Japanese government, international competitions in the Japanese language, an international exam for knowledge of the Japanese language, and Japanese centers abroad are created, financed by the state and receive various subsidies and benefits. The main feature and trump card of Japan is that the country acts within the framework of the promotion of values that are reflected in the status of the country through humanitarian assistance, a positive image of the state and positive education. In the conclusion, the authors highlight the fact that Japan managed to create a positive image of the country in the international arena; strengthen economic, political and cultural ties at different levels; reinforce the position of Japan in the world community as one of the leading countries; export the Japanese traditions and culture to other countries.

A Machine Vision-Based Algorithm for Color Classification of Recycled Wool Fabrics

The development of eco-sustainable systems for the textile industry is a trump card for attracting expanding markets aware of the ecological challenges that society expects in the future. For companies willing to use regenerated wool as a raw material for creating plain, colored yarns and/or fabrics, building up a number of procedures and tools for classifying the conferred recycled materials based on their color is crucial. Despite the incredible boost in automated or semi-automated methods for color classification, this task is still carried out manually by expert operators, mainly due to the lack of systems taking into account human-related classification. Accordingly, the main aim of the present work was to devise a simple, yet effective, machine vision-based system combined with a probabilistic neural network for carrying out reliable color classification of plain, colored, regenerated wool fabrics. The devised classification system relies on the definition of a set of color classes against which to classify the recycled wool fabrics and an appositely devised acquisition system. Image-processing algorithms were used to extract helpful information about the image color after a set of images has been acquired. These data were then used to train the neural network-based algorithms, which categorized the fabric samples based on their color. When tested against a dataset of fabrics, the created system enabled automatic classification with a reliability index of approximately 83%, thus demonstrating its effectiveness in comparison to other color classification approaches devised for textile and industrial fields.

Atmosphere Comfort Level Detector Using Humidex

Human comfort level detection is always strenuous to assess every day and objectively. Atmospheric comfort level plays an indispensable role in reinforcing productivity in conjunction with convalescent health and safety. The human comfort zone points out a condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with its surrounding. An individual's comfort level depends on both temperature and humidity, at increased humidity the body's cooling system on the skin is considerably reduced. To determine temperature and humidity, we employ the DHT11 sensor, then the findings are handed out to Arduino thereafter both temperature and humidity is computed. Calculating humidex values from temperature and dew point data by combining the effects of heat and humidity, the humidex (short for humidity index) is a numerical indicator that indicates how hot it is on average for a certain person. According to the output received from Arduino (humidex), LED is made to blink (LEDs are preassigned according to humidex ranges). The trump card of the detector is that it is economical, and helps to get a better understanding of the degree of excessive heat on the human body and how uncomfortable the current condition is to an average person. This method makes it possible to more effectively communicate the dangers of excessive heat to the human body, transmit how warm it feels to the average person today, and maintain healthy living circumstances. However, this system is unable to show temperature and humidity readings.

DNA Damage Responses, the Trump Card of Stem Cells in the Survival Game.

Stem cells, as a group of undifferentiated cells, are enriched with self-renewal and high proliferative capacity, which have attracted the attention of many researchers as a promising approach in the treatment of many diseases over the past years. However, from the cellular and molecular point of view, the DNA repair system is one of the biggest challenges in achieving therapeutic goals through stem cell technology. DNA repair mechanisms are an advantage for stem cells that are constantly multiplying to deal with various types of DNA damage. However, this mechanism can be considered a trump card in the game of cell survival and treatment resistance in cancer stem cells, which can hinder the curability of various types of cancer. Therefore, getting a deep insight into the DNA repair system can bring researchers one step closer to achieving major therapeutic goals. The remarkable thing about the DNA repair system is that this system is not only under the control of genetic factors, but also under the control of epigenetic factors. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the role of the DNA repair system in maintaining the survival of cancer stem cells from both aspects.

ЛЕСНАЯ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОСТЬ И РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ РАЗВИТИЕ СОВЕТСКОГО СЕВЕРА В ГОДЫ ПЕРВЫХ ПЯТИЛЕТОК

The purpose of the article aims at studying the timber industry in the conditions of the formation of regional administrative-territorial and economic structures in the north of the Soviet Union during the first five-year plans. The forestry industry had to ensure the export of forest resources and materials to obtain foreign exchange funds and meet the domestic needs of the country. Plans for the development of the industry and their implementation turned out to be closely related to the administrative and territorial transformations in the 1920s and 1930s, the creation and functioning of economic organizations. In the poorly developed northern and eastern regions of the country, they became a significant trump card in the actions of party-state and economic figures. This led to a number of contradictions and conflicts, which is shown by the examples of Northern Krai and the Igarka district. The potential of the decisions taken turned out to be short-lived — to achieve specific, narrow goals, but at the same time affected large territories. The result of the regional and economic — in relation to the forest industry — policy of the Soviet government was, in addition to the unbundling of the regions, the gradual reorientation of the industry to meet domestic needs. This process was based on the production and transport infrastructure created in the late 1920s — early 1930s for the export of wood. The projects of enterprises designed for meeting the domestic needs of the country, for the most part, have not been implemented.

A female with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding: an obscure diminutive lesion requiring a massive blood transfusion.

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) is bleeding of unknown origin after a negative initial or primary colonoscopy and upper endoscopy result. Small bowel bleeding accounts for 5% of GI bleeding but it is the most prominent cause of OGIB. We present a case with an obscure diminutive polypoid vascular anomaly of small intestine. In this case, intraoperative enteroscopy seems to be the last trump card for OGIB, especially for large amount loss of blood. It not only helped to find the obscure cause for bleeding, but also preserved the small intestine.