No need for the needle. A qualitative analysis of the antivax movement in Romania

The antivax movement is now a constant phenomenon with increasing social implications. This study explores how the antivax movement is articulated in Romania on the basis of qualitative analysis applied to interviews. Our pilot study focuses on the opinions of 100 persons who oppose vaccination interviewed between 2017 and 2020. We conducted both face-to-face and online semistructured interviews to trace the factors determining attitudes against vaccination. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first such extended study to target individuals rather than groups or media discourse. We strive to provide a multifaceted view on how the antivax phenomenon is taking shape. Responses varied in style and length, so we needed to systematize the narratives. We filtered the answers using the interpretive net described by Entman (1993), thereby grouping the main narratives into four sections. We then reconstructed the implicit frames used by individuals in interpreting their position. We consider content quality analysis to be a relevant method to reveal the facets and depth of the antivax phenomenon, thereby enabling more complex explanations. We compare the results of this study with rationales stemming from similar investigations conducted around the world and then highlight opinions specific to the Romanian public.

Certifications in Cybersecurity Workforce Development

The workforce demand for cybersecurity professionals has been substantial and fast growing. Qualified cybersecurity professionals with appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities for various tasks and job roles are needed to perform the challenging work of defending the cyber space. The certified information systems security professional (CISSP) certification is a globally recognized premier cybersecurity credential and validation of qualifications. This case study analyzes the CISSP certification requirements, domains and objectives and attempts to map them to the cybersecurity industry competencies and the US national cybersecurity workforce framework (NCWF). This research is an extended study with full mapping of all CISSP domain areas to the knowledge, skills, and abilities in NCWF. The extended study aims to discover the in-depth value and role of reputable certifications such as CISSP in competency development for cybersecurity workforce. This article also discusses the value and implications of the CISSP certification on cybersecurity education and training.

Extended study on the application of the sextic potential in the frame of X(3)-Sextic

The main aim of the present paper is to study extensively the γ-rigid Bohr Hamiltonian with anharmonic sextic oscillator potential for the variable β and γ = 0. For the corresponding spectral problem, a finite number of eigenvalues are found explicitly, by algebraic means, so-called Quasi-Exact Solvability (QES). The evolution of the spectral and electromagnetic properties by considering higher exact solvability orders is investigated, especially the approximate degeneracy of the ground and first two β bands in the critical point of the shape phase transition from a harmonic to an anharmonic prolate β-soft, also the shape evolution within an isotopic chain. Numerical results are given for 39 nuclei, namely, 98-108Ru, 100-102Mo, 116-130Xe, 180-196Pt, 172Os, 146-150Nd, 132-134Ce, 152-154Gd, 154-156Dy, 150-152Sm, 190Hg and 222Ra. Across this study, it seems that the higher quasi-exact solvability order improves our results by decreasing the rms, mostly for deformed nuclei. The nuclei 100,104Ru, 118,120,126,128Xe, 148Nd and 172Os fall exactly in the critical point.

Ensuring the QoE-Related Fairness to Reduce the User Abandonment Ratio

Nowadays, it is quite a challenge for app owners to keep users engaged with an app. Currently, the level of user abandonment is one of the key parameters that application owners are interested in. To meet these challenges, we conduct an extended study of a previously proposed solution that significantly reduces the abandonment rate of a given application. The investigated solution is based on the methods of fairness using the QoE and QoS approach. This paper shows that application abandonment ratios can be reduced by using an appropriate approach to fair bandwidth allocation. Adjusting the bandwidth allocation to users, taking into account the quality of the user experience, has a more effective effect on reducing app abandonment ratios than if quality of service is taken into account. This is because the users make the decision to abandon the application based on their feelings rather than technical parameters. In order to effectively reduce application abandonment ratios, a suitable bandwidth allocation algorithm must be used. This paper presents the impact of using different algorithms on the abandonment ratio and compares the popularly used algorithms and the previously proposed bandwidth allocation algorithm.

Encountering Charles Dickens: The Lawyer’s Muse

This article explores the themes of the practical impact of law in society, the life of the law, and the character of the lawyer (in both senses of the term), as reflected in the works of Charles Dickens. I argue that, in creating memorable scenes and images of the life of the law, Charles Dickens is indeed the lawyer’s muse. Dickens – who had worked as a junior clerk in Gray’s Inn and a court reporter early in his career – outpaces other well-known writers of “legal thrillers” when it comes to assimilating the life of the law into his literary works. The centrepiece in this regard is an extended study and analysis of Bleak House. The novel is shaped throughout by a challenged and long-running estate case in Chancery Court, and it is largely about the impact of controversy on the many lawyers involved in the case. It has all the earmarks of a true “law and literature” text - a terrible running joke about chancery practice, serious professional responsibility issues, and a murdered lawyer. Keywords: Charles Dickens; Law and Literature; the Life of the Law.

On the Varieties of Diversity: Ideological Variations in Attitudes Toward, and Understandings of Diversity

Three studies explore the possibility that attitudes toward “diversity” are multidimensional rather than unidimensional and that ideological differences in diversity attitudes vary as a function of diversity subtype. Study 1 ( n = 1,001) revealed that the factor structure of attitudes toward 23 diverse community features was bidimensional. Factors involving demographic and viewpoint diversity emerged. Conservatives reported more positive attitudes toward viewpoint diversity, and liberals more positive attitudes toward demographic diversity. Study 2 ( n = 1,012) replicated Study 1 findings, and extended Study 1 results by showing attitudes toward the general concept of diversity predicted attitudes toward demographic diversity but not viewpoint diversity. In Study 3, 386 participants rated how relevant a set of features was to their prototypical understanding of diversity. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed people discriminate between viewpoint, demographic, and consumer diversity. Conservatives perceived viewpoint features as more relevant to “diversity,” whereas liberals perceived demographic features as more relevant.

Vladimir Karlov and the Research Center of Neurology: 70 years together

Multiple aspects covering multiannual close cooperation between Dr. V.A. Karlov and prominent scientists from the Research Center of Neurology have been illuminated in the report. It was shown how an extended study was performed at the joint between two medical disciplines and what importance for the staff had Professor Karlov pedagogical activity.