Suchergebnisse

1. Opening session. Planetary emergencies - The scientists' jubilee / T. D. Lee, K. M. B. Siegbahn, Antonino Zichichi -- Potential for transgenic plants in vaccine production / Julian K.-C. Ma -- Global energy problems and prospects / David Bodansky -- Global malnutrition / W. Philip T. James -- Mother to infant transmission of HIV: Successful interventions and implementation / Catherine M. Wilfert -- The global burden of disease 1990-2020 / Alan D. Lopez -- MTBE - The megacity public health debacle / Lome G. Everett -- 2. Water - Pollution. Cost benefit analysis for the use of MTBE and alternatives / Arturo A. Keller -- Arsenic in groundwater: A worldwide threat to human health / S. Majid Hassanizadeh -- Arsenic geochemistry and remediation using natural materials / David I. Norman -- 3. Biotechnology - Transgenic plant vaccine. Safety considerations when planning genetically modified plants that produce vaccines / Francesco Sala -- Purified cholera toxin B subunit from transgenic tobacco plants possesses authentic antigenicity / Rong-Xiang Fang -- Development of plant vaccines: The point of view of the mucosal immunologist / Jean-Pierre Kraehenbuhl -- Plant-derived oral vaccines: From concept to clinical trials / Charles J. Arntzen -- 4. Energy. Status of magnetic fusion research / Jef Ongena -- New trends in Russia's energy strategy / Andrei Yu Gagarinski -- Energy problems and prospects of China / Huo Yu Ping -- 5. Pollution - Black Sea. Problems of control and rational uses of the Black Sea resources / Valery I. Mikhailov -- The suboxic zone of the Black Sea / Ilkay Salihoglu -- Building environmental coalitions and the Black Sea environmental initiative / Kay Thompson -- 6. AIDS - Mother-infant HIV transmission. The tragedy of the mother to infant transmission of HIV is preventable / Guy de The -- HIV and infant feeding: Situation in Brazil / Marina Ferreira Rea -- Mother to child transmission of HIV and plans for preventive interventions: The case of Indonesia / Hadi Pratomo -- Toward pharmacological defeat of the third world HIV-1 pandemic / Lowell Wood -- 7. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the year 2000 / Paul Brown -- Infection control guidelines for TSEs in hospitals and home care settings / Maura Ricketts -- 8. Limits of development - Megacities. Megacities: Water as a limit to development / William J. Cosgrove -- Delhi: A thirsty city by the river / K. C. Sivaramakrishnan -- The question of water in metropolitan Buenos Aires / Juan Manuel Borthagaray -- Sao Paulo: Water as a limit to development / Geraldo Gomes Serra -- 9. Missile proliferation and defense - Information security. Information challenges to security / Vitali Tsigichko -- International information security challenges for mankind in the XXI century / Andrei Kroutskikh -- Threats to information security by computer-based information hiding techniques / Axel Lehmann -- New strategic environment and Russian military doctrine / Andrei Piontkovsky -- Missile defense and proliferation / Gregory Canavan -- 10. Cosmic objects. NEOs: Physical properties / Walter F. Huebner ... [et al.] -- 11. Desertification, carbon sequestration and sustainability. Storing carbon in agricultural soils to help head-off global warming and to combat desertification / Norman J. Rosenberg -- 12. Climatic changes - Cosmic objects, global monitoring of planet, mathematics and democracy, science and journalism. Demographic change and world food demand and supply, some thoughts on sub-Saharan Africa, India and East Asia / Tim Dyson -- The status of climate models and climate change simulations / Warren M. Washington -- From Puztai to perfection: A necessary dream / Robert Walgate -- Mathematics of Indian democracy / K. C. Sivaramakrishnan -- Volcanoes, not Asteroids, caused mass extinctions killing dinosaurs, etc.: Explanation for earth's magnetic field reversals / Douglas R. O. Morrison.

Purpose
Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is increasing in recent times because of the high usage of plastic products. Green consumption behaviour (GCB) gaining attention as effective approach to achieving sustainable source reduction of plastic pollution, which negatively affects both human pollution and marine biodiversity and ecosystem. Although, Higher Education (HE) students are key stakeholders in addressing environmental issues, including MPP, there is limited empirical research in Ghana on factors influencing HE students' GCB. This study, in an endeavour to bridge the gap, used the revised theory of planned behaviour (TPB) framework to investigate the factors influencing higher-education students' green consumption behaviour in the Ghanaian context. Specifically, the purpose of the study is to examine the interplay of consumer novelty seeking (CNS), environmental concern (EC), perceived behavioural control and social influence on green consumption behaviour among higher-education students in Ghana. The study also explored the moderating role of gender in the relationship between CNS and green consumption behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used quantitative approach to obtain data from a sample of 233 students at the University of Cape Coast and used the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach for the data analysis.

Findings
The findings provide valuable insights, highlighting the important role of CNS and ECs in driving higher education students' green consumption behaviour in Ghana. This study also found a revealing role for gender as a moderator in the relationship between CNS and green consumption behaviour, with females exhibiting a more pronounced response to CNS in influencing green consumption behaviour. On the contrary, the authors found a non-significant impact of perceived behavioural control and social influence.

Research limitations/implications
Although this study presents results that provide valuable insights for policy and practical implications, it has some limitations worth mentioning for future research directions. Firstly, the participants sampled for this study comprised only higher education students from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, which may limit the applicability of the findings to other student populations at various universities in Ghana and beyond. Moreover, the exclusion of non-students who are considered as "Generation Z" (i.e. born within 1995–2010) may narrow the scope of generalisability in the context of young consumers' green consumption behaviour in Ghana. To enhance the generalisability of future studies, it is recommended that the scope of this study be extended. Furthermore, it should be noted that this study primarily measured higher education students' green consumption behaviour based on self-reported data. Therefore, future research could adopt alternative approaches, such as non-self-reported measures or experimental data so to reduce the complexities and the gap that may exist between attitudes and behaviour.

Practical implications
These results provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators and environmental advocates to develop targeted initiatives that resonate with Ghanaian higher education students to foster green consumption practices and contribute to global efforts against marine plastic pollution.

Originality/value
The novelty of this study lies in the decision to propose a TPB model by including variables like CNS and EC that are believed to positively shape attitudes towards green consumption behaviour. The rationale for examining these variables is grounded in the belief that they are appropriate factors that may predict students' green consumer behaviour, which may serve as a potential solution to marine plastic pollution.

A América Latina assistiu a terceira onda democrática durante especialmente a segunda metade do século XX. Nesse período, a maioria dos países da região substituiu regimes autoritários por regimes democráticos fundados, entre outras bases, em eleições periódicas. Mas para que cada país possa realizar eleições é preciso que sejam definidas as formas e regras eleitorais e, tão importante quanto, os órgãos responsáveis por organizar, administrar e homologar as eleições. Compreender como as instituições estão organizadas é um passo para entender a consolidação das democracias. Nesse sentido, o trabalho faz um resumo sobre como se organizam as instituições encarregadas de nortear as eleições nas democracias latino-americanas, traçando uma descrição dos órgãos eleitorais existentes e classificando os modelos de acordo com as dimensões da Governança Eleitoral.
Palavras-chave: governança eleitoral, eleições, democracia, América Latina.
Abstract: Latin America witnessed the third wave of democracy during especially the second half of the 20th century. During this period, most countries in the region replaced authoritarian regimes with democratic regimes based, among other bases, on periodic elections. But for each country to be able to hold elections, it is necessary to define the electoral forms and rules and, just as important, the bodies responsible for organizing, administering and ratifying the elections. Understanding how institutions are organized is a step towards understanding the consolidation of democracies. In this sense, the work summarizes how the institutions responsible for guiding elections in Latin American democracies are organized, describing the existing electoral bodies and classifying the models according to the dimensions of Electoral Governance.
Keywords: electoral governance, elections, democracy, Latin America.

Résumé: L'Amérique latine a été témoin de la troisième vague démocratique, notamment dans la seconde moitié du XXe siècle. Durant cette période, la plupart des pays de la région ont remplacé les régimes autoritaires par des régimes démocratiques fondés, entre autres, sur des élections périodiques. Mais pour que chaque pays puisse organiser des élections, il faut définir les formes et les règles électorales et, tout aussi important, les organes chargés d'organiser, d'administrer et de ratifier les élections. Comprendre comment les institutions sont organisées est une étape vers la compréhension de la consolidation des démocraties. En ce sens, l'ouvrage résume la manière dont sont organisées les institutions chargées de guider les élections dans les démocraties latino-américaines, en décrivant les organes électoraux existants et en classant les modèles selon les dimensions de la gouvernance électorale.Mots-clés: gouvernance électorale, élections, démocratie, L'Amérique Latine.

Resumen: América Latina fue testigo de la tercera ola de democracia especialmente durante la segunda mitad del siglo XX. Durante este período, la mayoría de los países de la región sustituyeron regímenes autoritarios por regímenes democráticos basados, entre otras bases, en elecciones periódicas. Pero para que cada país pueda realizar elecciones es necesario definir las formas y reglas electorales y, lo que es igualmente importante, los órganos responsables de organizar, administrar y ratificar las elecciones. Comprender cómo se organizan las instituciones es un paso hacia la comprensión de la consolidación de las democracias. En este sentido, el trabajo resume cómo se organizan las instituciones encargadas de orientar las elecciones en las democracias latinoamericanas, describiendo los órganos electorales existentes y clasificando los modelos según las dimensiones de la Gobernanza Electoral.
Palabras-clave: gobernanza eleitoral, elecciones, democracia, America Latina.

AbstractClimate change is an important issue for cities today and in the future. At present, China has a large population and complex climate conditions, and cities are also vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change (Tian, Environ Sustain Dev 6: 153-155 2020). Three-dimensional greening can not only improve the green space system of a city but also have a far-reaching impact on the ecology, image, and economic benefits of a city. Therefore, the study of urban three-dimensional greening is an effective means to deal with climate change strategies. By exploring the influence of traditional greening and three-dimensional greening on Local Climate in Beilin District of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, the mechanism of three-dimensional greening on urban ecological environment was discussed, and the ecological theory, urban three-dimensional greening theory, and urban local climate zone (LCZ) were referred to. Based on the methods of national climate monitoring, ENVI-met simulation, and field independent measurement, this paper selected a research sample site in the east section of Jianshe Road, Beilin District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China, and applied ENVI-met software to simulate the thermal stress relationship among building exterior surfaces, plants, and air in the street; quantified the overall ecology of the area; and used measuring instruments. The influence of different types of greening in the base on the site temperature, humidity, CO2 (carbon dioxide) concentration, wind speed, and other climate factors data was, respectively, measured and analyzed. The grid analysis was used to compare the traditional greening and three-dimensional greening, then the numerical differences of each impact factor were sorted out, and the effect of three-dimensional greening on the improvement of urban ecological environment was discussed by analyzing the climate factors with greater impact. The results show that (1) three-dimensional greening plus traditional greening is the most beneficial mode; (2) in the same environment, according to the parameter of 1.5 m from the ground in the model environment, it can be seen that the temperature of the space treated with three-dimensional greening of buildings is reduced by 3.5–3.6 ℃ compared with the control group, the relative humidity is different by 7–8%, the CO2 concentration is reduced by about 5%, and the spatial wind speed is relatively small. (3) When the urban green coverage rate is more than 40%, the improvement of temperature is more obvious, if it reaches 50%, the cool phenomenon in summer can be fundamentally changed. From the perspective of human perception, the PMV index increased by 0.27 on average. This paper discusses and analyzes the three-dimensional greening of urban streets in Beilin District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China, and studies its influence on urban ecology to different degrees. The conclusions are as follows: Different types of greening have different degrees of influence on urban climate. Meanwhile, the experimental results of this paper show that in cities like Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, where summer is hot, adding three-dimensional greening to traditional street greening can significantly improve the environmental microclimate, which is an effective means to cope with climate change, improve the site environment, and stabilize the urban ecosystem.

PurposeThe fear of the pandemic, confinement at home and the need to work created a unique situation. The pandemic catalyzed work-from-anywhere practice by adopting information and communication technologies (ICT) across all industries. While ICT saved organizations, it increased technostress among the workforce. A better understanding of the adverse effects of ICT usage might enable organizations to manage the mental well-being of the workforce. While technostress is gaining increasing interest, scholarly work investigating the dimensions of technostress and its impact on creating stress across various employee demographics and industry types is missing. Contrary to the prevalent assumptions, the authors theorized and tested the adverse moderation effect of the home-work interface on the linkage between technostress dimensions and stress. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objective.Design/methodology/approachThe study captures dimensions of technostress and the resulting stress at work using a survey-based analysis of 881 working employees in India, representing multiple industries and functions.FindingsThe study indicates that techno-overload, techno-complexity and techno-invasion significantly impact employees during the pandemic. The authors further found that the home-work-interface is a powerful factor in understanding the complex linkage between dimensions of technostress and its outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsBased on the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Job-Demand-Resources model, this study highlights the adverse impact of this trend on employee well-being. However, the study suffers from a cross-sectional research design. The technostress research has focused primarily on static, at-premise environments and mostly on high ICT usage industries. Due to the pandemic, it has neglected the impact of various technostress dimensions across employee cohorts subjected to rapid technology-enabled working. Further, most studies focus on the voluntary choice of remote work. Employees struggle with the unexpected and involuntary shift to technology-enabled remote work. This study contributes to the literature by examining the consequences of technostress in the context of non-voluntary remote work. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, this study highlights the adverse effect of organizational home-work interface in influencing ICT-created stress.Practical implicationsThe increasing use of ICT enables telecommuting across the workforce while increasing organizational productivity. Due to the pandemic, these trends will likely change the future of work permanently. To minimize employee stress, practitioners need to reconsider the dimensions of technostress. Further, the study cautions against the prevalent interventions used by practitioners. While practitioners facilitate a home-work interface, it could have adverse consequences. Practitioners may consider the adverse consequences of home-work interface while designing organizational policies.Social implicationsThis study during the pandemic is crucial as research forecasts the likelihood of other cataclysmic events, such as future pandemics and political or climate change events, which may sustain technology-driven remote work practices and remain a feature of the future workplace. Hence understanding the implications of the dimensions of technostress would help organizations and policymakers to implement necessary interventions to minimize employee stress.Originality/valueThe present study examines the dimensions of technostress across multiple industries and job functions in an emerging market marked by a high economic growth rate and an Eastern cultural context. This study presents the dark side of excessive ICT adoption and indicates how organizations and HRM practices can help mitigate some of these effects.

Taking into account the different goals of the AH and Fantasy novel plus AH subgenre writing, we can try and develop one definition of both. AH writing reconstructs the national or world history and the changed facts, conclusions draw our attention to specific facts, key moments of well-known stories that are invisible for us, since of everyday life's obvious reality prevents us from analyzing processes, we turn on the automatic mode instead. While Fantasy novel plus AH subgenre writing is rather monumental work, because it turns to the world history or historiography model making. Fantasy novel plus AH subgenre works use the historyographical method, but they exist in unreal time dealing with well-known constructions of the action world history of civilization. For example, one of the first uchronic stories by George Richard Raymond Martin "The Hedge Knight" (Martin) uses the space of Middle Ages in Europe for fiction story modeling. Also, it is an abstract of the world of the latest "Game of Thrones" – the greatest fiction saga of the new age literature in the 2000s. There is no doubt that "A Song of Ice and Fire" is constructed based on the matrix of such myth as "The Elder Edda" and "The Lord of the Rings" by John R. R. Tolkien. Legendary fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien spent much of his life studying, translating, and teaching ancient tales of northern Europe at Oxford and drew on them for his own writing. These epic stories, with their wizards and knights, dragons and trolls, cursed rings and magic swords, are as fascinating today as they were thousands of years ago. Reading them brings us as close as we will ever get to the magical worlds of the Vikings and the origins of their twentieth-century counterpart: Tolkien's Middle Earth gave G. R. R. Martin, according to his own confession, the idea of the fantasy world of Westeros. The article deals with the specifics of the Fantasy novel plus AH subgenre in comparison to the Alternate history itself. The aim of the study is to emphasize the main features of the Fantasy novel plus AH subgenre and its common and different characteristics. The study uses such a method as comparative, descriptive, analysis and statistics counting. The novelty of the current research is realized by the essence of the first-time study of the AH subgenres on the world literature sources. The sources of the study are novels written by G. R. R. Martin "A Song of Ice and Flame", "Kaiser and the War" by Simon J. Ortiz and V. Neff "Queens Don't Have Legs". Conclusions. As well as "A Song of Ice and Flame" by G. R. R. Martin, V. Neff's trilogy exhibits a gallery of kings, queens, dukes, wizards, captains, people. Some of them are real, some are prototypes of actual statesmen; some characters come from Greek myths, while some – from the author's fantasy. Although the objective of the alternative history method in the both works is quite different, it plays a similar role in the plot construction. Alternative history builds the walls of fantasy world from the bricks of actual historical elements, making the novel interesting for readers and involving them as betrayers.

Purpose. The present paper aims to clarify the importance of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as one of the creative Islamic financial products that have attracted the attention of investors in recent years.
Results. This research concluded that: (i) Islamic ETFs are a useful and convenient option for Sharia-compliant investors who prefer this type of Sharia-compliant investment, whether they are beginners or want to diversify their stock investments without the hassle of research, analysis, and selecting the right companies. The fund itself consists of several stocks selected based on the nature of the indicator that the box simulates. (ii) Islamic ETFs are distinguished by their transparency as they are affiliated with a specific market index and their investments match the components of this index, such as if the fund is linked and affected by the movement of the general index of the market or a sector index, and the fund manager may set an index for his fund in coordination with a specialized body in this field. For example, he places an index of legitimate shares, it makes it simpler for the fund's unit owners to understand how well the fund is performing by comparing it to the performance of the indicators they monitor or model. (iii) From the same perspective, the method of creating an Islamic ETF is not different from its traditional counterpart, and the main difference between them lies in the benchmark index that Islamic ETFs track. (iv) Islamic ETFs invest only in companies that comply with Sharia regulations, and in the event that any stock in the index portfolio is not compatible, it is disposed of even if the expectations of its returns are high, and thus the investment opportunities for the Islamic ETF are in a narrow space compared to the investment opportunities available for traditional ETFs, which may reduce the opportunities for the fund's investment and affect the potential return of the fund. (v) The Islamic ETF industry is weak compared to its traditional counterpart, it has been witnessing a remarkable and important growth in the recent period, especially in the Gulf region, specifically Saudi Arabia, which is one of the regions most qualified to achieve significant growth rates in the Islamic ETF sector. (vi) In general, exchange-traded funds have an important place in the financial markets, especially the Saudi stock market, as investing in these funds would expand the base of the financial markets and give investors greater flexibility in choosing how to allocate their investments across market channels and sectors.
Scientific novelty. This study focuses on the general framework of ETFs, which aims to focus on Islamic ETFs by providing advantages and its most important dealers in addition to the mechanism of how Islamic ETFs work. Finally, the importance of Islamic ETFs in the financial markets was considered, specifically through a study of the case of the Saudi financial market, from which the study concluded that it is necessary to pay more attention to this important investment tool, although the industry of Islamic ETFs is weak compared to its counterpart; but, it has recently witnessed a remarkable and important growth, and it plays a major role in stimulating trading in the financial markets.
Practical value. The results of this study can be used in several financial markets, taking into account everything related to compliance with Islamic law.

Introduction. Innovationism in various areas of society has changed both the natural and social environment. The change speed in the new infor- mation and communication field is the reason for many questions related to studying the problems of society and the machine, finding out the place of artificial intelligence in social relations. These pro- cesses stimulated the philosophical research, the subject of which was man, modern technologies, scenarios for the development of society, socio- cultural and political-legal forms of its organization. Since the 90s of the twentieth century in the West and later in Russia, a transhumanistic concept has been formed, which connects man, society and technology in a special way. Representatives of transhumanism study the technical develop- ments of human immortality and build models of the perfect man, pursuing as a goal, his deliver- ance from suffering and disease. Transhumanistic perspectives actualize the need for a thorough, constructive and critical assessment of the possible advantages and risks of technological development, and its impact on the political and legal structure. In this regard, the ability to see and isolate the features of this process and subsequent reflection is fundamentally important. The purpose of the article is to consider political and legal transformations in the context of the interaction of modern technologies and soci- ety through the prism of transhumanistic perspec- tives, to identify possible directions of philosophical reflection of political and legal modes of modernity. Methods. To achieve the research goal, general scientific methods of cognition were used: analysis and synthesis, induction, deduction, comparison, abstraction. The article also applied institutional- functional and system-structural approaches, the method of interpretation and content analysis. The analysis of public opinion and special labeling of artificial intelligence was carried out with the help of appealing to network content (social networks, blogs, and forums). Communication channels reproduce messages mentioning modern technolo- gies from the point of view of the philistine world- view based on stereotypes broadcast in society and the influence of popular culture. Content analysis revealed the relevance of the spectrum of labeling, relative to artificial intelligence systems, includ- ing the verbs "create", "destroy", "help", "enslave". Regarding the sphere of labor, law and politics, the positions differ, from outright alarmism to utopian images of social well-being. Scientific novelty of the study. The article analyzes the prospects of considering the phenom- enon of social transformations, the forms of their representation through political and legal views as exemplified by transhumanism. Results. The author attempts to give a comprehen- sive description of social changes in the field of public administration, legal regulation, legal per- sonality and legal responsibility, social equality of participants in legal relations through the specific refraction of these social phenomena in transhu- manistic ideas. The spectrum of the main problems in the sphere of interests of the transhumanistic worldview is listed. Conclusion. Turning to modernization strategies on the example of transhumanism is a natural and necessary need in the political and legal sphere, in particular. In the course of the analysis, a wide range of problems were identified that actualize the social and axiological and anthropological optics of the research. Diverse forms of transhumanistic political trends act as manifestations of socio-legal reflection on the intensification of innovation- ism, which is capable of radically changing human nature.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Studies investigating latent alcohol use groups and transitions of these groups over time are scarce, while such knowledge could facilitate efficient use of screening and preventive interventions for groups with a high risk of problematic alcohol use. Therefore, the present study examines the characteristics, transitions, and long-term stability of adult alcohol use groups and explores some of the possible predictors of the transitions. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Data were used from the baseline, 3-, 6-, and 9-year follow-up waves of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2), a representative study of Dutch adults aged 18–64 at baseline (<i>N</i> = 6,646; number of data points: 20,574). Alcohol consumption, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and mental disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. Latent Markov Modelling was used to identify latent groups based on high average alcohol consumption (HAAC) <i>and</i> AUD and to determine transition patterns of people between groups over time (stayers vs. movers). <b><i>Results:</i></b> The best fitting model resulted in four latent groups: one nonproblematic group (91%): <i>no HAAC</i>, <i>no AUD</i>; and three problematic alcohol use groups (9%): <i>HAAC</i>, <i>no AUD</i> (5%); <i>no HAAC</i>, <i>often AUD</i> (3%); and <i>HAAC and AUD</i> (1%). <i>HAAC</i>, <i>no AUD</i> was associated with a high mean age (55 years) and low educational level (41%), and <i>no HAAC</i>, <i>often AUD</i> with high proportions of males (78%) and people with high educational level (46%). Eighty-seven percent of all respondents – mostly people with <i>no HAAC</i>, <i>no AUD</i> – stayed in their original group during the whole 9-year period. Among movers, people in a problematic alcohol use group (HAAC and/or AUD) mostly transitioned to another problematic alcohol use group and not to the nonproblematic alcohol use group (<i>no HAAC</i>, <i>no AUD</i>). Explorative analyses suggested that lack of physical activity possibly plays a role in transitions both from and to problematic alcohol use groups over time. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The detection of three problematic alcohol use groups – with transitions mostly between the different problematic alcohol use groups and not to the group without alcohol problems – points to the need to explicitly address both alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems (AUD criteria) in screening measures and interventions in order not to miss and to adequately treat all problematic alcohol users. Moreover, explorative findings suggest that prevention measures should also include physical activity.

Via various directives, the European Union is progressively opening up the rail transport and electricity markets to competition in Europe. As a result, railway undertakings (RUs) that operate trains on the French rail network can obtain their electrical energy from the supplier of their choice. The correct allocation to RUs of the energy consumed by their fleet of vehicles requires on-board energy meters that communicate with a data collection and billing system.In view of the financial stakes, RTE and SNCF Réseau must guarantee reliable energy metering to RUs, despite energy meter malfunctions that do not allow for exhaustive measurements of the actual consumption.In order to address the issue of the energy meters' reliability, validation bounds for the consumption read by the energy meters based on physical models have been developed. These bounds increase the reliability of the metering data by eliminating outliers from the physical point of view.In order to improve the availability of metering data, estimators are developed in this thesis with the objective of estimating the consumption of a train for a given journey, using a database composed of energy meter measurements, performed over one or more years, validated by the previously defined bounds. The various estimators also use various sources of information (time, weather, consumption measured in supply substations, etc.) in order to improve the consumption estimation. The most relevant sources of information are identified, allowing to eliminate sources of noise.The impact of the evolution of the railway network towards a railway smart grid on railway consumption and energy metering is addressed at the end of the thesis. ; A travers différentes directives, l'Union Européenne impose progressivement en Europe l'ouverture à la concurrence du transport ferroviaire et du marché de l'électricité. Ainsi, les Entreprises Ferroviaires (EF) qui affrètent des trains circulants sur le réseau ferré Français, peuvent s'approvisionner en énergie électrique auprès du fournisseur de leur choix. La juste affectation aux EF, de l'énergie consommée par leur flotte d'engins nécessite des compteurs d'énergie embarqués, communicant vers un système de collecte et de facturation.Face aux enjeux financiers, RTE et SNCF Réseau doivent garantir une bonne fiabilité du comptage de l'énergie aux EF(s), malgré les dysfonctionnements des compteurs qui ne permettent pas l'exhaustivité des mesures au service d'une consommation effective.Pour répondre à la problématique de la fiabilité des compteurs, des bornes de validation des consommations relevées par les compteurs basés sur des modèles physiques ont été développés. Ces bornes permettent d'augmenter la fiabilité des données de comptage en écartant les mesures aberrantes du point de vue physique.Afin d'améliorer la disponibilité des données de comptage, des estimateurs sont développés dans cette thèse avec comme objectif d'estimer la consommation d'un train pour une circulation donnée, en utilisant une base de données composée par des mesures de compteurs, réalisées sur une ou plusieurs années, validées par les bornes définies précédemment. Les différents estimateurs utilisent en plus diverses sources d'information (temporelles, météo, consommations mesurées dans des sous-stations d'alimentation,…) afin d'améliorer l'estimation de la consommation. Les sources d'information les plus pertinentes sont identifiées, permettant ainsi d'éliminer les sources de bruit.L'impact de l'évolution du réseau ferroviaire vers un smart grid ferroviaire sur la consommation ferroviaire et le comptage de l'énergie est abordé en fin de thèse.

La limitación de recursos financieros en el sector público, para grandes proyectos de infraestructura, ha llevado desde 1990 a la mayoría de los gobiernos a nivel internacional a buscar diferentes métodos de financiamiento. Por esta razón, los gobiernos han utilizados las alianzas público-privadas (APP) para el desarrollo tanto de infraestructura vial social. Hace décadas investigadores han venido estudiando cómo se desarrollan los procesos en APP. Sin embargo, la extensa literatura presenta poca investigación respecto a cómo los proveedores/inversores de Equity (EP por sus siglas en inglés) se organizan y realizan redes colaborativas para concretar acuerdos de APP. Especialmente no hay suficiente investigación respecto a cómo se forman las compañías de los proyectos/ entidades de propósito especial, cómo los EP interactúan a través de múltiples proyectos y que influye para que dos EP se junten a participar un proyecto de APP. Esta investigación busca examinar la naturaleza de las relaciones entre EP seleccionados como proponentes preferidos (PP) en proyectos de APP de infraestructura vial e infraestructura social en seis países europeos (Alemania, España, Francia, Países bajos, Italia y Reino Unido) desde 1995 hasta 2019, basándose en conceptos como proyectos interorganizacionales, análisis de redes sociales (SNA por sus siglas en inglés) y redes autoorganizables. Asimismo, se busca identificar y cómo influyen algunas variables para que dos EP interactúen juntos por medio de modelos estadísticos de procedimiento de asignación cuadrática MRQAP (Quadratic assignment procedure). La presente investigación analiza nueve hipótesis sobre las propiedades que definen la formación de alianzas colaborativas en las redes analizadas y explica los factores relevantes asociados con los procesos de formación de cada país y sector (infraestructura vial o social). ; The limitation of financial resources in the public sector, for large infrastructure projects, has led most governments at the international level since 1990 to seek different financing methods. For this reason, governments have used public-private partnerships (PPPs) for the development of social and road infrastructure. For decades researchers have been studying how processes are developed in PPPs. However, the extensive literature presents little research regarding how Equity Providers / Investors (EP) organize and network collaboratively to enter into PPP agreements. Especially there is not enough research regarding how companies of special purpose vehicle (SPV) are formed, how EP interact across multiple projects, and what influences two EP to get together to participate in a PPP project. This research seeks to examine the nature of the relationships between EP selected as preferred proponents (PP) in PPP projects for road infrastructure and social infrastructure in six European countries (Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom) from 1995 to 2019, based on concepts such as interorganizational projects, social network analysis (SNA) and self-organizing networks. Likewise, it seeks to identify and how some variables influence so that two EP interact together through statistical models of the quadratic assignment procedure (MRQAP). This research analyzes nine hypotheses on the properties that define the formation of collaborative alliances in the analyzed networks and explains the relevant factors associated with the formation processes of each country and sector (road or social infrastructure). ; Magíster en Ingeniería Civil ; Maestría

As Rwanda is expected to return to its rapid growth trajectory following the COVID-19 pandemic, agriculture will continue to play a central role in the structural transformation of the entire economy. To this end, the Government of Rwanda continues to invest in the agricultural sector by building on Strategic Plans for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTAs) that began in the early 2000s. The challenging question is how to prioritize public expenditures across a broad portfolio of policies and programs. Ambitious plans, whether in the short or long term, require difficult decisions. The prioritization of public investment becomes even more complex as Rwanda's structural transformation advances and as new investments—beyond the farm—become critically important for the agricultural sector. The structural transformation process itself means that as agriculture becomes more integrated with the rest of the economy, public resource allocations need to address a wider range of issues across the entire food system; these include nutrition-sensitive food production systems, inclusive value chain development, nonfarm rural enterprise development, and climate-resilient sustainable intensification of both crops and livestock. This study provides evidence that is designed to assist the Government of Rwanda in its selection of agricultural policy, investment, and expenditure portfolios that reflect the country's broad focus on its food system and structural transformation. This process of prioritization will need to incorporate multiple public investments targeting multiple development outcomes and will need to be grounded in the costeffective use of public resources in a largely market-led transformation process. This data-driven and evidence-based approach must critically underpin an informed investment prioritization process that helps achieve ambitious targets in an environment constrained by limited public resources. The study uses the Rural Investment and Policy Analysis (RIAPA) economywide model developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), with contributions from colleagues at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) and the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). The study draws on data from multiple sources as well as expert insights to inform the application of RIAPA's Agricultural Investment for Data Analyzer (AIDA) module as a tool to measure the impacts of alternative public expenditure options on multiple development outcomes. Using this integrated modeling framework, the study links agricultural and rural development spending to four specific outcomes: economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and diet quality improvement; at the same time, it considers the synergies and tradeoffs associated with the different investment options in the transformation process. The paper first assesses the contribution of public expenditures to agricultural and rural development under the fourth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA 4) that extends between 2018 and 2024. These findings are important, given the fact that since the beginning of PSTA 4, the budget allocated to MINAGRI (measured in constant prices) has stagnated. Our results suggest that increased spending on agriculture is well justified and that such spending is essential if the Government of Rwanda is to achieve its long-term development goals. ; Non-PR ; IFPRI1; Rwanda SSP; CRP2; 5 Strengthening Institutions and Governance; Capacity Strengthening; RIAPA ; DSGD; PIM ; CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)

Malolitneva V., Hurova A. Legal aspects of using aerial photography for the protection of cultural heritage in Ukraine The present article is the result of the second stage of the research project "Legal and organizational aspects of the use of aerospace photography for research and protection of archaeological heritage in Ukraine", implemented within the grant of NAS of Ukraine for research laboratories/groups of young scholars of the NAS of Ukraine to conduct research in priority areas of science and technology with a funding period in 2020–2021. It consists of two substantive blocks, the first of which reveals the main problems of the domestic model of monitoring immovable cultural heritage sites. The example of our specific projects demonstrates the feasibility of conducting systematic monitoring of immovable cultural heritage sites by means of aerial photography. In the article, the authors suggest that the frequency of the survey depends on the criteria that would determine the risk of damage to immovable cultural heritage. The second part of the study is based on empirical data obtained from the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to survey the settlement of Chronicle Torchesk (Olshanytsia, Shargorod), as well as analysis of the foreign practice of using aerial photography to protect immovable cultural heritage and legal basis. As a result, the following recommendations were elaborated: to make amendments to the domestic legislation to facilitate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by the authorities responsible for the protection of immovable cultural heritage sites, in particular, to simplify the procedure for obtaining permits for the use of drones for cultural heritage protection, as well as to implement the approaches of the Member States of the European Union to the registration and identification of drones. In addition, the article proposes to record the forms and methods of periodic monitoring of immovable cultural heritage sites through data collection by space and aerial photography. ; Стаття є результатом реалізації другого етапу наукового проєкту «Правові та організаційні аспекти використання аерокосмічної зйомки для дослідження й охорони археологічної спадщини України», виконуваного в межах Програми НАН України «Гранти НАН України дослідницьким лабораторіям/групам молодих вчених НАН України для проведення досліджень за пріоритетними напрямами розвитку науки і техніки 2020-2021 рр.». Вона складається з двох змістовних блоків, перший з яких розкриває основні проблеми вітчизняної моделі моніторингу нерухомих об'єктів культурної спадщини. На прикладі конкретних проєктів розкривається доцільність проведення систематичного моніторингу нерухомих об'єктів культурної спадщини засобами аерофотозйомки. Обґрунтовується доцільність визначати періодичність обстеження залежно від критеріїв, які б визначали ризик завдання шкоди нерухомому об'єкту культурної спадщини. Друга частина дослідження ґрунтується на емпіричних даних, здобутих в результаті використання безпілотних літальних апаратів для обстеження Городища літописного Торчеська (с. Ольшаниця урочище Шаргород), а також аналізі зарубіжної практики використання даних аерфотоозйомки для охорони об'єктів культурної спадщини та правових засад такої діяльності. Як результат, було запропоновано внести зміни до вітчизняного законодавства, які б полегшили використання безпілотних літальних апаратів органами влади, до повноважень яких належить охорона об'єктів культурної спадщини, зокрема спростити за допомогою міжвідомчих договорів порядок отримання дозволів на використання дронів для цілей охорони культурної спадщини, а також імплементувати підходи держав-членів Європейського Союзу щодо обліку та ідентифікації приналежності дронів. Крім того, в статті пропонується зафіксувати форми та методи періодичного моніторингу нерухомих об'єктів культурної спадщини за рахунок збору даних засобами космо- та аерозйомки.

This study focuses on the perceptible interactivity processes in the corporate websites of non-traditional political actors of enormous importance in increasingly unequal societies: non-governmental organizations. To carry out this study, another similar research is taken as a reference on the methodological matter (Caprioti et al, 2016; Smolak and Castillo, 2017). In the first part of the article, we make a theoretical review about how interactivity gets to establish as an issue for public relations scholars. This is a subject that has been being studied for almost twenty years in the academic field. Then, in the methodology section, to analyze the interactivity level of these websites, a sample of seven NGOs dedicated to Development Cooperation that operate in Spain is selected. These NGOs have the greatest annual budget, and we decided to pick only the ones that do not have a religious basis. The Spanish NGOs that enter on that category are: Oxfam Intermon; Plan Internacional España; Educo; Cruz Roja Española; Save The Children España; Acción contra el Hambre y Ayuda en Acción. We carry out a content analysis is that aims to identify the expression of two categories, Information Presentation Tools and Virtual Visitor Resources. To carry out the methodology, we use a model created by the studies mentioned above. Based on the detection of these categories on each NGO website, the level of interactivity offered by these entities is analyzed, and the type of relationship they establish with their audiences is interpreted from the spaces for participation and interactivity that they promote. The analysis is complemented with the study of the "call to action" present on each web page, as a singular element of web design that aims to establish a privileged contact with the public. Among the results, we can say that several NGOs are using the same tools to get in contact with their audiences. Also, they implement different kinds of digital spaces to get more interactivity with their stakeholders. Nevertheless, we also identified that the first contact that they offer from their websites is asking for money, which might be a problem for them as non-traditional political actors who depends on their capacity of influence in the political system. This action may have an impact on the way people think about them, and the symbolic capital of these entities may be at stake. The research concludes that the NGOs that are part of the study offer high levels of interactivity on their corporate websites, however, the first contact they offer from the call to action of the web pages aims to request financial contributions, which would negatively impact in generating a long-term bond between these NGOs and their audiences. With this first contact, they are communicating that their stakeholders are just money givers, and not citizens how are committed to changing the odds of unequal situations. These results are a contribution to the existing scientific literature about public relations and interactivity on the NGOs, and invite a critical reflection on the actions of digital communication from NGOs for development, non-traditional political actors of enormous importance in the current context.

AbstractBackgroundThe critical values for heavy metal fluxes for protecting the human health and ecosystem's integrity in Germany, especially the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG in Gesetz zum Schutz vor schädlichen Umwelteinwirkungen durch Luftverunreinigungen, Geräusche, Erschütterungen und ähnliche Vorgänge (Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz-BImSchG), 1974/2020) with its implementing ordinances (especially the 39th BImSchV in Neununddreißigste Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes Verordnung über Luftqualitätsstandards und Emissionshöchstmengen vom 2. August 2010, zuletzt geändert durch Art. 2 V v. 18.7.2018 I 1222, 2010, 2018), the Federal Soil Protection Ordinance (BBodSchV in Bundes-Bodenschutz- und Altlastenverordnung (BBodSchV) (GBBl. I S. 1554 vom 12. Juli 1999, zuletzt durch Artikel 3 Absatz 4 der Verordnung vom 27. September 2017 (BGBl. I S. 3465) ge-ändert, 1999/2015) and the Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (Luft in Erste Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zum Bundes–Immissionsschutzgesetz (Technische Anleitung zur Reinhaltung der Luft – TA Luft), 2002), were analysed, assessed with regard to the possibilities and applicability of the risk assessment, and were prepared for evaluation in comparison to the respective atmospheric deposition modelled with the chemical transport model LOTOS-EUROS. For a comparison of the critical values, the critical loads for cadmium, lead and mercury inputs were updated for Germany on a scale of 1:1 Mio, and critical loads for additional heavy metals (arsenic, copper, zinc, chromium and nickel) were computed, respectively. Due to the methodological differences of their derivation, the critical values of the individual regulations are only conditionally comparable to one another and to the critical loads. Sometimes major differences exist due to different levels of protection, various protective goods and the effect relationship. Only with the critical load calculations, inputs and outputs can be balanced.ResultsFor two unregulated metals (thallium and vanadium) a preliminary rough estimate of the risk of inputs in the receptors was provided as a calculated balance for in- and acceptable outputs. The uncertainty analysis shows, that the highest deviations occurred in the metal contents in plants used to calculate the output through the harvesting of the biomass. The critical load calculation has the highest sensitivity to changes in the pH value. The critical loads for heavy metal fluxes for protecting the human health (CL(M)drink) and ecosystem's integrity CL(M)eco) for arsenic, nickel, zinc and chromium were not exceeded in Germany for 2009–2011. CL(M)drinkand CL(M)ecoare exceeded by Hg and Pb inputs, especially in the low rainfall regions of Germany (Brandenburg, lowlands of Saxony-Anhalt, Leipzig Bay, Ruhr valley) with wood vegetation; in addition CL(Cu)ecois exceeded by copper deposition 2010 in the area surrounding Berlin and in the Ruhr valley. The critical loads for cadmium for the protection of drinking water CL(Cd)drinkand for the protection of human food from wheat products CL(Cd)foodare not exceeded in the German data set due to atmospheric deposition in 2010, but in the worst-case scenario the maximum atmospheric deposition in 2010 could exceeded the lowest CL(Cd)drinkand CL(Cd)food.ConclusionsThat assessment of risks was based on deposition from the atmosphere, which represents only a fraction of the inputs compared to the inputs from the use of fertilisers and other sources. This study suggests the conclusive recommendation to methodically deepen and broaden the assessment and evaluation of atmospheric deposition. This is especially true for the spatial validation and specification of exposure for ecosystem types.