Should I Ask Over Zoom, Phone, Email, or In-Person? Communication Channel and Predicted Versus Actual Compliance

Research has found that people are much more likely to agree to help requests made in-person than those made via text-based media, but that help-seekers underestimate the relative advantage of asking for help face-to-face. It remains unknown what help-seekers’ intuitions about the effectiveness of richer media channels incorporating audio and video features might be, or how these intuitions would compare with the actual effectiveness of face-to-face or email versus rich media requests. In two behavioral and two supplemental vignette experiments, participants expected differences in the effectiveness of seeking help through various communication channels to be quite small, or nonexistent. However, when participants actually made requests, the differences were substantial. Ultimately, help-seekers underestimated the relative advantage of asking for help face-to-face compared with asking through any mediated channel. Help-seekers also underestimated the relative advantage of asking through richer media channels compared with email.

Harmonization of SARS CoV-2 antibodies determination. Is it really possible?

The WHO standard was prepared with the aim of harmonizing assays detecting antibodies against SARS CoV-2. The aspect of the harmonization of the assays is to date under debate. We re-evaluated a previously studied set of cases (108 specimens of 48 patients and 60 specimens of 20 vaccinated subjects, collected after 14 days from the first dose, 14 days and 3 months after a second dose of the Comirnaty BNT162b2 vaccine), calculating the ratios between the results of two methods (SARS-CoV-2 IgG anti-RBD, SNIBE and anti-SARS-CoV-2 QuantiVac ELISA IgG, Euroimmun). In the vaccinated subjects the ratios of the results between methods according to the WHO standard were relatively dispersed, but the harmonization results good. On the other hand, in patient samples the variability between tests was very high and the harmonization was unsatisfactory (median ratios between methods 2.23, 10th-90th percentile: 1.1-5.6). Interestingly, in patient samples the harmonization depends on the time from the onset of symptoms, and greatly improves after 6 months from the diagnosis. 40 patient specimens and 31 of vaccinated subjects after the second dose were evaluated also with a third method (Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG (1st IS), Beckman Coulter), obtaining similar trend. We can conclude that the actual effectiveness of harmonization between methods may vary depending on the scenario in which they will be used.

An Efficient Algorithm for Solving the Applied Problem Scheduling Optimization of a Parallel-Sequential System

The problem of optimal regulation of airline fleet schedules by reassigning aircraft to flights is considered. The optimal regulation of schedules is to create or change them in such a way that minimizes system losses due to current violations. As an estimate of losses, the total deviation of the adjusted schedule from the spetified departure schedules of aircraft is used. It is shown that the described technological system belongs to the category of parallel-sequential systems. Accordingly, the considered system control problem is NP-hard and does not have effective algorithms for exact solution. A brief overview of approaches to solving its modifications and related fleet management tasks is given. The original formal formulation is given, the decomposition of the problem is justified, and an algorithm for its approximate solution is presented. An illustrative example is given and comparative statistics of testing software implementations of the decomposition algorithm of the schedule control problem on real data are reflected, proving the actual effectiveness of the developed tools.

How to Improve the International Communication of Sanxingdui Culture: A Contrastive Analysis of the Two Videos on You Tube – With the Inspiration from an Intercultural Anti-Tobacco Advertisement

Objectives: Anti-tobacco has been an international consensus for a very long time, and even all the countries in the world attempt to produce the thrilling advertisements to warn the smokers to quit smoking, but the stereotype is reducing its deterrent power now. So, a relaxing, intercultural anti-tobacco commercial appears to be effective, which inspires the author to think about the cross-cultural communication of a certain item. With Sanxingdui, the hottest cultural event in China, being a case, the article attempts to explore how to improve the international communication of a certain culture item. Methods: With data collection and comparison to demonstrate the actual effectiveness of Sanxingdui culture, the article proceeds from the “extension of man” theory in intercultural identity to propose several suggestions on how to promote its international communication from the perspective of “extension of culture” adapted from “extension of man”. Results: In the English-speaking world, Sanxingdui is faced with the insufficient quantity and poor quality of the propaganda products. Conclusions: Sanxingdui culture should take the intercultural perspective to redesign its overseas propaganda for the intercultural identity, as inspired from the intercultural anti-smoking advertisement.

Complementary Cooperation of CCTV and UAV Systems for Tourism Security and Sustainability

The meaning of sustainability is very broad and has many pillars such as the economy, environment and society. In the tourism industry, another important pillar is security. Tourism security affects the satisfaction and pleasure of tourists on a trivial level, and life and injuries on a significant level. Thus, unless security is guaranteed, tourists will not be able to fully enjoy the attractions and will not even consider the travel itself. Such tourist behavior has a significant impact on short-term and long-term tourism sustainability. Therefore, to enhance tourism security, many policies and frameworks have been suggested and announced in recent years. However, without efficient guidelines for the installation and operation of security devices, it may be hard to obtain actual effectiveness. To support real implementation of security systems in the tourism industry, this study quantitatively addresses the installation and operation issue of security devices in an optimal manner. A complementary cooperation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is suggested to efficiently monitor the key locations of tourism destinations and improve the security. Two mathematical models are developed to derive the optimal location of CCTVs, and the optimal operation schedule of UAVs over multiple time periods. Security requirements, service range, and budget are considered as realistic constraints. The validity of the models is demonstrated through a realistic case study of Nice, France.

The EU’s cybersecurity: a strategic narrative of a cyber power or a confusing policy for a local common market?

In the last decade, cybersecurity has swiftly turned into a strategic issue and became an important horizontal policy area in the EU, which is treated in this article as one of the four contemporary political empires. These days, the policy arguably encompasses both internal and external aspects, often making it difficult to assess the level of its actual effectiveness as well as outreach. Initially, the EU’s introverted vision on the issue drove the policy to focus on cyber resilience and strategic autonomy. Evidently, the EU’s strategic narrative that could assist it in leading the process of creating an open, free, stable and secure cyberspace in the digital decade, in the context of international security, is emerging. Thus, this contribution is to test the argument that the EU, utilizing an imperial paradigm (consciously or not), is gradually becoming a global steering power in cybersecurity. In this article, firstly, we identify and examine the process of formation of the EU’s narratives about (its) cyber power. Secondly, we establish a discussion framework to highlight the methodological relevance of the imperial paradigm, cyber power Europe and Strategic Narrative Theory for a multidisciplinary debate on global geo-strategic redesign, in which the EU takes part. Thirdly, we look into bilateral and multilateral forums and processes that deal with cybersecurity and in which the EU participates, in order to understand more specifically how the EU is projecting its cyber-power narratives internationally and how cybersecurity-associated challenges impact current dynamics in other policy domains in the field of international relations. Recibido: 20 noviembre 2020Aceptado: 18 mayo 2021

Comparative Characteristics of a Subsequent Morbidity Wave COVID-19 in Various Regions of the World

Relevance. The COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by a long undulating course. One of the directions of the dynamic assessment of the incidence of this infection is, as is known, the characterization of the determinants of the epidemic process and the study of the actual effectiveness of various measures.Aims. Were to study the features of the COVID-19 morbidity in the European, American and Asian regions of the world on the example of individual countries with an assessment of the possible impact of regime-restrictive measures on the daily increase in cases.Materials & methods. A descriptive epidemiological study involved the use of the following data on COVID-19: daily increase in new infections in absolute numbers and relative indicators during 1 June 2020 till 30 November 2020 in five countries (France, Italy, USA, Brazil, India) , description and timing of various restrictive measures. Information obtained from open sources (situation reports from WHO, CDC, ECDC, national ministries of health, etc.). Time series characterized, defining sharply differing values, timing and duration of ups and downs, the rate of average daily growth (decline). Statistical analysis was carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26.Results. On average, for the analyzed period of time, 1303 were registered in Italy, 4897, France – 52799, Brazil – 31853, India –50507new cases. The average incidence rate in the compared countries ranged from 500.98 ± 417.06 per 100,000 in India to 4399.43 ± 2390.77 per 100,000 in the US. After the passage of the «first wave» of the incidence of COVID-19, regardless of the region of the world, there was an increase in the daily increase in new cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the summer-autumn period of 2020. Furthermore, with the differences in the morbidity rates in the different countries, there were also characteristics the formation of similar to the region. For the European region (Italy, France), there was a simultaneous beginning of an increase in the incidence in August-September 2020, a similar trend towards exponential growth and synchronous fluctuations in the daily increase in absolute cases of diseases. For the countries of the American region (USA and Brazil), a similar sinusoidal nature of the dynamics of the average daily increase in infection cases and its synchronicity until October 2020 was revealed. The Asian region, on the example of India, had significant differences in the dynamics of the analyzed indicators in comparison with the countries of the European and American regions. Differences in the formation of morbidity in the summerautumn period were more pronounced between the regions and related to the level of average daily growth, the incidence rate, the month of the maximum rise in the incidence in this period, and trend differences. Comparison of the ongoing isolation measures with the daily increase in cases revealed their discrepancy. This could create the preconditions for the activation of the epidemic process of infection and the ineffectiveness of measures.Conclusions. We found that in the five countries examined, the situation developed according to a similar scenario. Nevertheless, in different regions of the world there was a specificity in the involvement of the territory in the epidemic process. A more in-depth study of the timeliness and completeness of regime-restrictive measures against SOCID-19 should include a comparison with the patterns of formation and manifestations of the epidemic process. In turn, this is important for scientifically based implementation and increasing their effectiveness.

Modelling the effect of rainfall patterns on the runoff control performance of permeable pavements

With the implementation of low impact development (LID) in urban areas, it is necessary to quantify the actual effectiveness of LID facilities. In this study, a coupled hydrology-hydrodynamic numerical model was utilized to investigate the runoff control effectiveness of permeable pavements in the city centre of Shijiazhuang, China. Two groups of designed rainfall events with the same duration but different rainfall amounts and peak rainfall intensity locations were presented, and the effectiveness of permeable pavement was demonstrated by the reduction in the total runoff volume, water depth, and inundated area. The results indicate that the rainfall amount is the main factor affecting the runoff control of permeable pavements, and their effectiveness decreases with increasing rainfall amounts and peak intensity coefficients. Moreover, permeable pavements are more effective in reducing the residential waterlogging area, and the proportion of the inundated area above a depth of 0.2 m is considerably diminished. This study reveals the response of the runoff control of permeable pavements to different rainfall patterns, which is essential for supporting the design and practical operation of permeable pavements.

Comparing the structures of storytelling and magic for science communication with an agent-based model

When scientists engage in Public Understanding of Science to communicate their research to lay audiences, a common suggestion is to structure their talk around storytelling. Thus, it is crucial to know the actual effectiveness of storytelling in science communication compared to other structures. For instance, a structure almost unexplored is the one of magic or illusionism. As storytelling, it has been evolving and improving over humanity’s history to become ever more effective, granting magicians a prominent place in the entertainment and art industry. In the present work, we compared various storytelling structures and the structure of magic, through an agent-based computational model. The results open the questioning of story architectures; propose a new way to test ideas in science communication; and show that double-blind control studies are very much needed for further testing the structures of Public Understanding of Science and further developing agent-based models.

Resilience Dynamic Assessment Based on Precursor Events: Application to Ship LNG Bunkering Operations

The focus of the present paper is the development of a resilience framework suitable to be applied in assessing the safety of ship LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) bunkering process. Ship propulsion considering LNG as a possible fuel (with dual fuel marine engines installed on board) has favored important discussions about the LNG supply chain and delivery on board to the ship power plant. Within this context, a resilience methodological approach is outlined, including a case study application, to demonstrate its actual effectiveness. With specific reference to the operative steps for LNG bunkering operations in the maritime field, a dynamic model based on Bayesian inference and MCMC simulations can be built, involving the probability of operational perturbations, together with their updates based on the hard (failures) and soft (process variables deviations) evidence emerging during LNG bunkering operations. The approach developed in this work, based on advanced Markov Models and variational fitting algorithms, has proven to be a useful and flexible tool to study, analyze and verify how much the perturbations of systems and subsystems can be absorbed without leading to failure.