Social Networks in Modern Russia: Scale, Structure and Functioning Mechanisms

In the article, based on the data of the Institute of Sociology of the FCTAS RAS in 2021, it is shown that most representatives of mass segments of the population have access to resource exchange in social networks and only 16% of them are completely excluded from it. It is also demonstrated that the resource potential of the networks of representatives of these layers is in most cases limited to simple monetary types of help. At the same time, the structure of the networks is asymmetric – there are fewer donors in them than recipients. It is shown that among the participants of social networks there are “pure recipients” who receive aid, but do not provide it, and donors are heterogeneous in their resource potential, and three quarters of them have it at a very low level. It is also recorded that the basis of resource exchange in Russian networks is approximately 7% of the population, which can be described as high-resource donors. They not only help others, but also receive help from networks, moreover, they are the main beneficiaries of membership in networks. As a result of this structure and principles of functioning, social networks tend to deepen social inequalities rather than smooth them out. The mechanisms of formation and functioning of social networks are related to the opportunities for close communication of their participants and their lifestyle in general. The pandemic had a positive impact on mutual help in Russian society, which was expressed in increasing access to resource exchange in networks, converting it into real help and expanding the prevalence of previously atypical forms of social network development for post-Soviet Russia.

Resource exchange and partner recognition mediate mutualistic interactions between prey and their would-be predators

Animals may develop mutualistic associations with other species, whereby prey offer resources or services in exchange for protection from predators. Alternatively, prey may offer resources or services directly to their would-be predators in exchange for their lives. The latter may be the case of hemipterans that engage in mutualistic interactions with ants by offering a honeydew reward. We test the extent to which a honeydew offering versus partner recognition may play a role as proximate mechanisms deterring ants from predating upon their hemipteran partners. We showed that, when presented with a choice between a hemipteran partner and an alternative prey type, mutualist ants were less likely to attack and more likely to remain probing their hemipteran partners. This occurred even in the absence of an immediate sugary reward, suggesting either an evolved or learned partner recognition response. To a similar extent, however, ants were also less likely to attack the alternative prey type when laced with honey as a proxy for a honeydew reward. This was the case even after the honey had been depleted, suggesting an ability of ants to recognize new potential sources of sugars. Either possibility suggests a degree of innate or learned partner recognition.

Secured Resource Allocation for Authorized Users Using Time Specific Blockchain Methodology

The utilization of energy in blockchain division is high as resource allocation models are using this technology and the rundown of resource utilization cases is continually developing. The communicated and permanent nature of blockchain innovation might be utilized to quicken the progressing change to increasingly decentralized and digitalized vitality frameworks and to address a portion of the difficulties the business is confronting in providing security in identification of authorized users and resource allocation transactions among the authorized users. The allocated resources to the users need to be recorded, otherwise the attackers may use them for malicious operations. In any case, blockchain is a developing innovation and it is viewed as a basic vulnerability by numerous users as the difficulties and chances of execution are still to a great extent. There is in this way an absence of information and shortage of dynamic gadgets for getting why, when and how the innovation can include significant worth. The proposed Resource Allocation for Authorized Users using Time specific Blockchain Methodology (RAAUTBM) performs resource allocation to authorized users to avoid malicious actions among blockchain-based use cases and increase practical information about how blockchain could be actualized. The RAAUTBM model verifies all the users for allotting access to the system. The proposed model allots the resources only to the authorized users and to identify the malicious users and remove them from the framework. The resources once allotted to a user remains for a time interval and then the resource is re-allotted to other authorized users for avoiding delay. Resource exchanges in this segment are known to be dull and wasteful, to a limited extent because of the absence of promoted straightforwardness. This research work centers around the advancement of a blockchain application that can improve the resource exchange procedure among authorized users. The proposed model is compared with the traditional methods and the results demonstrate that the proposed model is effective in allocating resources only to the authorized users.