Awards and prizes as control devices: The case of urban development project awards

In the credential society, a sharp growth of the number of awards and prizes indicate an interest in assuming the authority to define quality, and to identify extraordinary accomplishments within certain jurisdictional domain. This ambition is associated not the least with ex ante awards, awards granted on basis of plans and documents that stipulate forthcoming material contributions, or other projected accomplishments. Drawing on actor network theory, the role of ex ante awards in the field of urban development is examined. Despite being epistemologically fragile entities, ex ante awards are organizationally significant as they operate as actants that provide a variety of benefits for equally award-winning agents and award-giving organizations, but also for the specific industry sector more generally. The article reports empirical data from two urban development projects in a major Swedish city, eventually receiving ex ante awards. Both projects were associated with desirable urban development qualities, boundary–spanning interests and objectives, and a recognition of shared social norms, and the awards given arguably served to strengthen the relationships between the actors included in the project work, at the same time as award-giving organizations advance their authority to define quality. The study contributes to the scholarly literature on awards by presenting an integrated analytical framework that shed light on the direct and indirect effects of formal awards. Awards and prizes are devices that enable control in credential societies, yet being undertheorized to date, and more research that examines how awards and prizes generate a variety of outcomes is welcome.

Virtual reality and its possible integration into the process of distance learning focused on technically oriented subjects

Individual digital technologies which are aimed at simulation of real world elements are currently one of the most promising areas of interest. The growing popularity of the augmented, virtual reality technologies, as well as the industries in which their application has an increasing impact, is causing a sharp growth in the number of specialized software. An increasingly popular sector in which virtual and augmented reality has promising prospects in the field of education. It was this area that created space for the application of various software solutions during a pandemic situation. The application focused on the distance form of educational process, training and mediation of interactive experiences, which subsequently mitigate the teaching process, has found application not only in technically oriented areas. This article presents the possibilities for usage of the virtual environment created in the Rinoceros software, which is used as a supporting tool for the teaching process of technically oriented subjects. The article describes how to apply and modify specialized software for a specific area of use. Particular type of VR/AR devices are used to mediate an interactive form of teaching, towards a specific group of students. Due to the intention of increased efficiency of this process, the article presents the possibilities of using the multiuser - host/guest functions, for full interactivity of more users. This solution allows the users to work with 2D, 3D models and CAD model assemblies in a virtual environment. It also presents the possibilities and promising areas of use which describe the other software features and their possible application in other areas, such as reverse engineering and intuitive modeling.

Impact of innovation in oncology: more questions than answers

Oncology is going through the fastest innovation period in the history of medicine and a growing number of patients improve or experience increased chances of survival. The declining death rate, starting from 1991, resulted in 2.9 million deaths avoided in the United States so far. A growing prevalence of patients is observed in all Western countries. New cancer drug approvals between 2000 and 2016, linked to other diagnostic, surgical, and health care improvements, were significantly associated with death reduction for the most common cancers. Alongside many positive aspects, other effects of innovations in oncology also deserve attention, especially challenges associated with the substantial increase of knowledge volume, the sharp growth of prevalence, and a concomitant or consequent increase in clinical, social, and organizational complexity. We analyse some of the consequences of oncology innovation on healthcare systems and professionals and present some suggestions on how these could be addressed by healthcare systems.

Impacts of E-Micromobility on the Sustainability of Urban Transportation—A Systematic Review

When considering the sharp growth rate of the use of e-micromobility vehicles, such as e-scooters and e-bikes, it is necessary to investigate whether these emerging modes of transport play a sustainable role in cities in terms of their energy efficiency, emissions, and their relationship with other modes of mobility, such as public transport. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the impacts of e-micromobility through a systematic review of relevant studies in the field of e-scooters and e-bikes. We followed the steps of PRISMA to conduct a systematic literature review, including identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion steps. One hundred forty-six studies were reviewed and compiled, and 29 of these studies were selected for the focus of this review and their research data were synthesized. The impacts of e-micromobilities were categorized into four categories—travel behaviors, energy consumption, environmental impacts, and safety and related regulations. The category of travel behaviors includes the analysis of the purposes of travel, modal shift from different modes of transport to e-micromobility vehicles, average travel time, and distance. In this review, the findings of relevant studies in different cities around world are compared to each other and synthesized to give an insight into the role of e-micromobility in the present and in the future of urban transportation.

ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ МЕСТНЫХ ВЛАСТЕЙ ПО БОРЬБЕ С ЭПИДЕМИЯМИ ВО ВТОРОЙ ПОЛОВИНЕ XIX – НАЧАЛЕ XX ВЕКА (на материалах Костромской губернии)*

После отмены крепостного права приток населения в города, в т.ч. в Кострому, привел к проблемам перенаселенности губернского центра и несоответствия существующей инфраструктуры (жилищной, транспортной, коммунальной) изменившейся численности жителей. Данная ситуация способствовала взрывному росту и распространению в Костроме заразных болезней, в том числе, массовых эпидемий холеры, тифа, оспы, скарлатины, следствием которых стала повышенная смертность среди костромичей, приводящая в некоторые годы к убыли населения губернского города. В статье на материалах Костромской губернии, прежде всего, губернского центра, рассматривается общая эпидемиологическая обстановка с 70-х гг. XIX века до начала XX века, а также основные направления совместной деятельности губернского правления и городских органов общественного управления по снижению эпидемиологической напряженности и профилактике массовых заболеваний в период капиталистической модернизации. В статье приведены статистические данные по Костромской губернии и губернскому центру, использованы отчеты Медицинского департамента Министерства внутренних дел за указанный период, материалы периодической печати, показана региональная специфика решения возникших проблем, учитывая, что Костромская губерния относилась к числу наиболее развитых промышленных губернии Российской Империи. After the peasant reform of 1861, the growth of the urban population in Kostroma led to the problems of overpopulation in the provincial center. The existing infrastructure did not match (housing, transport, utilities) the changed population. This contributed to the sharp growth and spread of infectious diseases among the population of Kostroma, including massive epidemics of cholera, typhoid, smallpox, scarlet fever. The result was an increased mortality rate among the population. The article, based on materials Kostroma province, primarily the provincial center, examines the general epidemiological situation from the 70s of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The main directions of joint activities of the provincial government and city public administration bodies to reduce epidemiological tension and prevent mass diseases during the period of modernization are investigated. The article provides statistical data on the Kostroma province and the provincial center, uses the reports of the Medical Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the specified period, materials from periodicals, shows the regional specifics of solving the problems that have arisen, given that the Kostroma province was one of the most developed industrial provinces of the Russian Empire.

Importance of Recycling the Waste-Cables Containing Copper and PVC

Urbanization, development of economy, increasing population and improved living standards and lifestyle have caused a sharp growth in waste. Inappropriate or inefficient waste disposal techniques can cause serious air, soil, and groundwater pollution, which subsequently can negatively affect the urban environment and threaten the health of residents. The goal of waste management is to move to a circular economy in which waste does not exist. If there is no possible way to reduce or reuse waste, the best solution is recycling it. Recycling brings abundant benefits on the economic and ecological levels levels, and helps reduce overall human health risk of adverse impacts. Recycling of the waste-cables which contain PVC and copper replaces the production of virgin PVC and mining of copper from copper ore, it reduces landfill solid waste pressures, saves energy and water sources, reduces emissions to environment, and also reduces negative impacts from improperly dispose of waste, etc. This paper presents an overview of recycling techniques for the waste-cables containing copper as a core and polyvinyl chloride as an insulating layer or sheath. It also lists advantages and disadvantages of these techniques and importance of recycling this type of waste.

Digital marketing and social networks

The rapid development of digital communication technologies, the spread of Internet access to the population, the growing number of smartphones, increasing the number of social network users and other factors are the reason for the sharp growth of online operations and services in recent years. In 2020, the Covid-19 epidemic was added to this list of factors, creating an additional impetus for the growth of online business. This situation causes significant changes in the implementation of marketing activities by enterprises. Digital marketing is an important tool that allows companies to achieve their marketing goals, as well as influence a large number of people at a relatively low cost. More and more consumers are spending a significant amount of time on the Internet searching for information, products and services, communicating with other consumers about their experience and interaction with companies. The purpose of this article is to substantiate the theoretical and practical provisions of the use of digital marketing in the enterprise, to characterize the possibilities of using social networks as a tool of digital marketing, taking into account their features, limitations and advantages. The article substantiates that in modern conditions it is not enough to have only a website for the enterprise. Social networks play an increasingly important role not only in people’s lives, but also in business activities, which is an additional but important way to attract the attention of potential customers and promote trust. The most effective ways to use Facebook as a marketing tool are analyzed (direct advertising, social posting, detailed audience analysis, link sharing). It also describes a number of features that should be considered for forming a digital marketing strategy in 2021 and 2022. It is concluded that marketing in social networks can be a valuable tool that will help create an Internet brand awareness for the company, increase trust in it and develop the demand for goods and services.

THE CONCEPT OF CONVERTING TEXT INTO A BIT MAP USING ANY FONT

The modern world is impossible to imagine without the exchange of information. Newspapers, magazines, books, printed advertising products play an important role and are constantly being improved and require more and more resources and opportunities. At the moment, due to the sharp growth of digital technology, there is a problem between the capabilities of hardware and software. That is, when transferring data from the electronic world to paper, the difference between the computing capabilities of hardware and software is displayed. This applies to print media that cannot convey the full volume and depth of what is displayed on the screen. Raster fonts are used for printing faster, the main drawback of which is their non-scalability. When studying fonts in embedded systems, there were problems with the fact that there are quite a few ready-made options for converting text to a bitmap without certain restrictions. The font displayed on the screen and printed directly by the printer or other device may differ significantly because the number of pixels that can be printed is too large. Therefore, there is a need to optimize the conversion of the font into a bitmap, ie reducing the number of points without losing the base of the glyph. The paper presents the conversion of a font into a bitmap using a program based on a ruler, ie the division of the image into lines, which is used in printing. In order to create the required bitmap image in the program, you need to specify a specific glyph and its size, as well as the device for which it will be used. The scan converter takes a path and applies a set of rules to determine which pixels will be part of the glyph image when printed or displayed on the screen. The obtained results allow us to print the fonts we like, instead of the standard ones.

VACUUM BASED WIPING SYSTEM FOR POLLEN AND DUST FREE SURFACES - IN A CASE STUDY WITH BLACKBOARD

Due to the sharp growth in technologies, humans demand high-performance machines to perform their tasks to make their life a bit effortless. This wiping system is made to ease the monotonous job of erasing blackboards by teachers. In this paper, a roller wiper is used that is rested upon the blackboard and it moves in line with the split-up made in blackboard using a DC motor and collects the dust spontaneously using a vacuum cleaner. To push and pull the roller wiper a servomotor is accustomed, and the position of the wiper is automated by an Arduino. Thus, it eludes the dust flow to the atmosphere thereby averting health issues triggered by dust and keeping the environment clean.

The Increase of Brazilian Students in a Portuguese Engineering School

In the last fifteen years, the number of Brazilian students in Portugal has shown an increase of more than 600%. This trend was firstly driven by Portuguese economic recovery, which included investments in university education and incentives for receiving foreign students, through the international student statute, established in 2014. In the same year, Portugal started to accept the Brazilian national exams (ENEM) for the university admission, increasing the educational migratory flux once a directly access was stablished. Moreover, other secondary reasons led to this increase, such as the opportunity to study and live in a safer country and the possibility of obtaining a prestigious foreign degree. Currently, Brazilian students represent more than 33% of the foreign students in Portugal. However, the Brazilian students are highly concentrated in the top 3 Portuguese universities, Coimbra, Lisbon and Porto. In the specific case of the University of Porto, 73% of the foreign students are of Brazilian origin, with the Faculty of Engineering (FEUP) representing the largest contingent. This sharp growth in a specific group of foreign students on the engineering courses has created several important educational challenges, as the Brazilian students often exhibit higher failure rates in exams and curricular units as well as increased dropout rates when compared with Portuguese students. This is due to several factors, such as differences on the educational methodology, the quality of the high-school education, cultural differences, difficulty of adaptation and other socioeconomics aspects. The present work evaluates the causes behind the limited academic success of Brazilian students and introduces the measures and methodologies applied to the Brazilian students on the Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, and on the Integrated Master’s in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) in particular, in the pursuit of maintaining educational equality and ensuring success for all enrolled students, independently of their origin.