The Impact of COVID-19 on the GCC Construction Industry

The Coronavirus pandemic has badly affected everyone on the earth. Apart from losing thousands of lives, businesses and individuals are going to be affected by the long-lasting financial effects due to an expected global recession. The impact of the financial crises can, however, be reduced if proper measured are put in place. This article aims to investigate the impact of Coronavirus on the construction industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries and provide recommendations to help the industry to sustain during this period of crisis. A qualitative research method involving face-to-face online interviews held with the construction industry professionals was adopted to achieve the aims and objectives of the research. Four main aspects of the impact on the construction industry are derived from analysis of interviews: 1) delays, 2) workforce management, 3) health and safety, and 4) legal issues. Recommendations are provided so that construction organizations in the GCC region can reduce the impact of Coronavirus on its businesses.

How to Live on Mars With a Proper Circadian Clock?

Intrinsic circadian clocks generate circadian rhythms of physiology and behavior, which provide the capabilities to adapt to cycling environmental cues that result from the self-rotation of the Earth. Circadian misalignment leads to deleterious impacts on adaptation and health in different organisms. The environmental cues on the interplanetary journey to and on Mars dramatically differ from those on Earth. These differences impose numerous adaptive challenges, including challenges for humans’ circadian clock. Thus, adaptation of circadian rhythms to the Martian environment is a prerequisite for future landing and dwelling on Mars. Here, we review the progress of studies associated with the influence of the Martian environment on circadian rhythms and propose directions for further study and potential strategies to improve the adaptation of the circadian clock for future Mars missions.

Open Access in Geochemistry from Preprints to Data Sharing: Past, Present, and Future

In this short communication, we discuss the latest advances regarding Open Access in the earth sciences and geochemistry community from preprints to findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data following the 14f session held at Goldschmidt conference (4–9 July 2021) dedicated to “Open Access in Earth Sciences”.

Motivational Quotes on Social Media: A Rhetorical Appraisal

The world we live in has become an ocean filled with undulating waves of motivational messages. People ply the earth with vain looks; every unfortunate encounter seems to be welcomed with lots of bitterness. What can be done to remedy this situation? This is where motivational speakers come to the stage. When people face various life challenges, they often resort to a motivational quote for a bit of inspiration. This study sets out to look at the rhetoric in some motivational quotes in a bid to elicit those elements that make them more resonant to the extent that some have become celebrated parts of society's lexicon. Using the rhetorical theory by (Selzer 2003), we discovered from the 100 quotes analyzed from Facebook that a subtle combination of good words mitting, motivational psychology and rhetorical appeals inspire people. Well-structured messages that use figures of speech and appeal to our inspirational nature can be meaningful and powerful in shaping our thoughts hence aiding us to appreciate some valuable things in our lives that have been underestimated.

A fibre-based 2D-slit homogenizer concept for high-precision space-based spectrometer missions

The measurement accuracy of recent and future space-based imaging spectrometers with a high spectral and spatial resolution suffer from the inhomogeneity of the radiances of the observed Earth scene. The Instrument Spectral Response Function (ISRF) is distorted due to the inhomogeneous illumination from scene heterogeneity. This gives rise to a pseudo-random error on the measured spectra. In order to assess the spectral stability of the spectrograph, stringent requirements are typically defined on the ISRF such as shape knowledge and the stability of the centroid position of the spectral sample. The high level of spectral accuracy is particularly crucial for missions quantifying small variations in the total column of well-mixed trace gases like $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ CO 2 . In the framework of the $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ CO 2 Monitoring Mission (CO2M) industrial feasibility study (Phase A/B1 study), we investigated a new slit design called 2D-Slit Homogenizer (2DSH). This new concept aims to reduce the Earth scene contrast entering the instrument. The 2DSH is based on optical fibre waveguides assembled in a bundle, which scramble the light in across-track (ACT) and along-track (ALT) direction. A single fibre core dimension in ALT defines the spectral extent of the slit and the dimension in ACT represents the spatial sample of the instrument. The full swath is given by the total size of the adjoined fibres in ACT direction. In this work, we provide experimental measurement data on the stability of representative rectangular core shaped fibre as well as a preliminary pre-development of a 2DSH fibre bundle. In our study, the slit concept has demonstrated significant performance gains in the stability of the ISRF for several extreme high-contrast Earth scenes, achieving a shape stability of $$<0.5{\%}$$ < 0.5 % and a centroid stability of $$<0.25 \ \text {pm}$$ < 0.25 pm (NIR). Given this unprecedented ISRF stabilization, we conclude that the 2DSH concept efficiently desensitizes the instrument for radiometric and spectral errors with respect to the heterogeneity of the Earth scene radiance.

BASHKIR EPIC "IDUKAI AND MURADYM" AS THE RELAYING OF THE MYTHOLOGICAL IMAGE OF SACRED COUNTRY IL

В настоящий период активации современных реформаций, социополитических перемен изучение историзма и исторического, патриотического мотивов в эпических полотнах особо актуально, ибо именно эпическое творчество содержит критические и глубоко философские обобщения событий не только древности, но и обозримого прошлого. Сложение событий 14 - 15 в в. в эпическое произведение «Идукай и Мурадым» завершилось мудрыми сэсэнами к 15 - 16 в в., отображая события периода активных волнений, связанных с расхищением башкирских земель, защитой родного народа. Эпос совершенствуется на этом фоне, являясь не столько историко - эпическим переложением трагических событий эпохи Золотой Орды, сколько произведением народной словесности, в котором глубоко и ярко обобщены чаяния и идеалы народа об отважных батырах - защитниках, об истинной свободе Духа и независимости, великой силе любви к родине - Иль и родной земле. В эпосе исторического характера особо ярко отмечена трансформация архетипа богини земли, потустороннего мира - Хель на выразительный, пронизывающий весь текст священный образ Иль (страны). In the present period of the activation of modern reforms, sociopolitical changes, the study of historicism and historical and patriotic motifs in epic paintings is especially important, for it is epic creativity that contains critical and deeply philosophical generalizations of events not only of antiquity but also of the foreseeable past. Addition of events 14th - 15th centuries. in the epic work "Idukai and Muradym" was completed by wise sesans to the 16th-17th centuries, reflecting the events of the period of active unrest connected with the plundering of Bashkir lands, the protection of the native people. The epic is improved on this background, being not so much the historical and epic interpretation of the tragic events of the Golden Horde as a product of folk literature, in which the people's aspirations and ideals about courageous defenders, the true freedom of the Spirit and independence, the great power of love to the homeland - ll and his native land. In the epic of a historical nature, the transformation of the archetype of the goddess of the earth, the other world - Khel to the expressive, sacred image of the ll (country), which permeates the entire text, is especially marked.