Incredibly loud and extremely silent: Feminist foreign policy on Twitter

In 2014, Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) was announced with a fanfare. This article critically interrogates how Sweden implements the FFP through digital diplomacy by investigating the extent of Sweden’s gender equality activities on Twitter since the introduction of the FFP and by tracing gendered online abuse in digital diplomacy. I focus on Swedish embassy tweets towards two countries where feminism is highly contested – Poland and Hungary. The theoretical inspiration comes from discursive approaches to the spoken and unspoken, enriched by feminist observations about the non-binary character of voice/silence. The method applied is gender-driven quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The findings demonstrate that the FFP has not set any significant mark on digital diplomacy in the analyzed cases. The launching of the FFP went completely unnoticed and posts related to gender equality have actually decreased since 2014. There are no traces of ambassadors being subjected to gendered online abuse, but heavily xenophobic and paternalistic language is directed at Sweden as a representative of liberal policies. The article contributes to the literature on digital diplomacy by highlighting the (lack of) links between foreign policy and digital diplomacy and it addresses a gap by focusing on gender in digital diplomacy.

Emotions of Mystery in Gothic Novels and Thrillers

The article is dedicated to the study of the emotions of mystery in Gothic novels and thrillers. For many years, beginning with ancient times and up to modernity, mysteries and secrets were under thorough investigation by scientists. Mysteries, secrets and silence are associated with horror and happiness. That’s why they became the object of the proposed article. According to the linguacultural approach, the concepts were studied as complex phenomena, with composite meaning peculiar to the concepts under analysis. The concepts MYSTERY, SILENCE and SECRET, were considered as the typical situations, the structure of which consists of such spheres: actants, predicates, attributes, quantifiers, space and time. Each of these spheres represents part of the characteristics and makes it possible to create a general understanding of the concepts under analysis as of complex phenomena, which are most vividly revealed in Gothic novels and thrillers. These novels disclose the emotions of mystery as unknown, horrific and tense situations are the main feature of these genres. Mystery has the key role here and is the inseparable part of their understanding. It was demonstrated that the concepts under analysis represent positive and negative features which denote their ambiguous and binary character at the same time.

A comprehensive analysis of the phylogenetic signal in ramp sequences in 211 vertebrates

Ramp sequences increase translational speed and accuracy when rare, slowly-translated codons are found at the beginnings of genes. Here, the results of the first analysis of ramp sequences in a phylogenetic construct are presented. Ramp sequences were compared from 247 vertebrates (114 Mammalian and 133 non-mammalian), where the presence and absence of ramp sequences was analyzed as a binary character in a parsimony and maximum likelihood framework. Additionally, ramp sequences were mapped to the Open Tree of Life synthetic tree to determine the number of parallelisms and reversals that occurred, and those results were compared to random permutations. Parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of the presence and absence of ramp sequences recovered phylogenies that are highly congruent with established phylogenies. Additionally, 81% of vertebrate mammalian ramps and 81.2% of other vertebrate ramps had less parallelisms and reversals than the mean from 1000 randomly permuted trees. A chi-square analysis of completely orthologous ramp sequences resulted in a p-value < 0.001 as compared to random chance. Ramp sequences recover comparable phylogenies as other phylogenomic methods. Although not all ramp sequences appear to have a phylogenetic signal, more ramp sequences track speciation than expected by random chance. Therefore, ramp sequences may be used in conjunction with other phylogenomic approaches if many orthologs are taken into account. However, phylogenomic methods utilizing few orthologs should be cautious in incorporating ramp sequences because individual ramp sequences may provide conflicting signals.

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Phylogenetic Signal in Ramp Sequences in 211 Vertebrates

BackgroundRamp sequences increase translational speed and accuracy when rare, slowly-translated codons are found at the beginnings of genes. Here, the results of the first analysis of ramp sequences in a phylogenetic construct are presented.MethodsRamp sequences were compared from 211 vertebrates (110 Mammalian and 101 non-mammalian). The presence and absence of ramp sequences was analyzed as a binary character in a parsimony and maximum likelihood framework. Additionally, ramp sequences were mapped to the Open Tree of Life taxonomy to determine the number of parallelisms and reversals that occurred, and these results were compared to what would be expected due to random chance. Lastly, aligned nucleotides in ramp sequences were compared to the rest of the sequence in order to examine possible differences in phylogenetic signal between these regions of the gene.ResultsParsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of the presence/absence of ramp sequences recovered phylogenies that are highly congruent with established phylogenies. Additionally, the retention index of ramp sequences is significantly higher than would be expected due to random chance (p-value = 0). A chi-square analysis of completely orthologous ramp sequences resulted in a p-value of approximately zero as compared to random chance.DiscussionRamp sequences recover comparable phylogenies as other phylogenomic methods. Although not all ramp sequences appear to have a phylogenetic signal, more ramp sequences track speciation than expected by random chance. Therefore, ramp sequences may be used in conjunction with other phylogenomic approaches.

Decision Trees in the Tests of Artillery Igniters

The article addressed the method for building decision trees paying attention to the binary character of the tree structure. The methodology for building our decision tree for KW-4 igniters was presented. It involves determining features of tested igniters and applied predictors, which are necessary to create the correct model of the tree. The classification tree was built based on the possessed test results, determining the adopted post-diagnostic decision as the qualitative independent variable. The schema of the resultant classification tree and the full structure of this tree together with the results in end nodes were shown. The obtained graphic and tabular sequence of the designed tree was characterized, and the prediction accuracy was evaluated on the basis of the resultant matrix of incorrect classifications. The quality of the resultant predictive model was assessed on the basis of the chosen examples by means of the ‘ROC’ curve and the graph of the cumulative value of increase coefficient.

SUB-ETHNIC FACTOR IN THE ETHNOCULTURAL AND ETHNOPOLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MORDOVIA

The article is devoted to the problem of the influence of the subethnic factor on ethnocultural and ethnopolitical processes in the Republic of Mordovia in the late 1980s – 2010s. The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that the stable development of the state largely depends on the nature of interethnic relations. Russia as a multiethnic state is a vivid example in this regard. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of the sub-ethnicity of the Mordovian people on the specifics of the ethnocultural and ethnopolitical situation in the Republic of Mordovia. Methodologically, the author of the article relies on the constructivist approach, in which the ethnos is interpreted, first of all, as a kind of social construct, the features of which (in our case, the binary character of the Mordovian ethnos, its division into sub-ethnoses) were formed during a long historical period. In the course of the study, the influence of the binary nature of the Mordovian ethnos, its division into Mokshans and Erzyans on the features of ethnopolitical processes in modern Mordovia was analyzed. Special attention is paid to the activities of the public organization Foundation for the Salvation of the Erzya language, whose activists deny the unity of the Mordovian ethnos and accuse the regional and federal authorities of an allegedly purposeful policy of assimilation of Erzya people. At the same time, it is concluded that the absolute majority of ethno-national organizations in Mordovia are building relations of social partnership and constructive cooperation with the regional authorities.

Experimental Comparison of Two Integer Valued Iterative Learning Control Approaches at a Stator Cascade

Experimental and simulative investigations have shown that active flow control (AFC) is an effective method to influence flow conditions within a compressor. This can be used for different cases like mitigating flow separation or to ensure a uniform flow throughout a compressor stage. Control performance can be improved by making use of a cyclic character found in the rotor/stator interaction or found in new gas turbine setups exploiting cycling combustion. To this end, iterative learning control (ILC) is applied. To achieve a fast actuation, irrespective of the implemented control method, solenoid valves should be installed instead of proportional valves. Unfortunately, the binary character of these valves does not allow the application of conventional control methods, e.g., real-valued ILC. This contribution presents two options to handle the binary control domain in the context of an ILC. Both approaches are tested in a simulation study first to analyze the behavior. Then they are applied to a real test rig featuring a linear stator cascade.

Experimental Comparison of Two Integer Valued Iterative Learning Control Approaches at a Stator Cascade

Experimental and simulative investigations have shown that Active Flow Control is an effective method to influence flow conditions within a compressor. This can be used for different cases like mitigating flow separation or to ensure a uniform flow throughout a compressor stage. Control performance can be improved by making use of a cyclic character found in the rotor/stator interaction or found in new gas turbine setups exploiting cycling combustion. To this end, Iterative Learning Control (ILC) is applied. To achieve a fast actuation, irrespective of the implemented control method, solenoid valves should be installed instead of proportional valves. Unfortunately, the binary character of these valves does not allow the application of a conventional control methods, e.g., real-valued ILC. This contribution presents two options to handle the binary control domain in the context of an ILC. Both approaches are tested in a simulation study first to analyze the behavior. Then they are applied to a real test rig featuring a linear stator cascade.

The gender subtext of organizational learning

Purpose This paper aims to challenge the alleged gender-neutral character of Argyris and Schön’s theory of organizational learning (1978). While theories in organizational science seem gender neutral at the surface, a closer analysis reveals they are often based on men’s experiences. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the method of gender subtext analysis, centering on gendering and its interaction with gender, class and race. Findings The dichotomous learning scheme of Argyris and Schön, in which a limited learning approach with alleged masculine values and interaction styles is opposed to an ideal learning approach with feminine values and interaction styles, is related to Bendl’s subtexts of feminization and of unconscious exclusion and neglect in organizational theories. To overcome the binary character of the theory, a gradient and contextualized approach to organizational learning is proposed. Originality/value This paper is the first to apply gender subtext analysis to theories of organizational learning and, thus, to analyze their gender subtext.

Augmenting Trait-Dependent Diversification Estimations with Fossil Evidence: A Case Study Using Osmoregulatory Neurovasculature

When comparative neuromorphological studies are extended into evolutionary contexts, traits of interest are often linked to diversification patterns. Features demonstrably associated with increases in diversification rates and the infiltration or occupation of novel niche spaces are often termed “key innovations.” Within the past decade, phylogenetically informed methods have been developed to test key innovation hypotheses and evaluate the influence these traits have had in shaping modern faunas. This is primarily accomplished by estimating state-dependent speciation and extinction rates. These methods have important caveats and guidelines related to both calculation and interpretation, which are necessary to understand in cases of discrete (qualitative) character analysis, as can be common when studying the evolution of neuromorphology. In such studies, inclusion of additional characters, acknowledgement of character codistribution, and addition of sister clade comparison should be explored to ensure model accuracy. Even so, phylogenies provide a survivor-only examination of character evolution, and paleontological contexts may be necessary to replicate and confirm results. Here, I review these issues in the context of selective brain cooling – a neurovascular-mediated osmoregulatory physiology that dampens hypothalamic responses to heat stress and reduces evaporative water loss in large-bodied mammals. This binary character provides an example of the interplay between sample size, evenness, and character codistribution. Moreover, it allows for an opportunity to compare phylogenetically constrained results with paleontological data, augmenting survivor-only analyses with observable extinction patterns. This trait- dependent diversification example indicates that selective brain cooling is significantly associated with the generation of modern large-mammal faunas. Importantly, paleontological data validate phylogenetic patterns and demonstrate how suites of characters worked in concert to establish the large-mammal communities of today.