Democracy’s Autonomy Dilemma: Whistleblowing and the Politics of Disclosure

Democracy has been characterized from its outset by an autonomy dilemma. On the one hand, we think it vital that organizations work according to their own codes and logics. On the other hand, we insist that autonomy must never be complete, that citizens have a right to transgress boundaries to expose wrongdoing. With their insider position in the organizations where wrongdoing occurs, whistleblowers hold a unique place within this democratic politics of disclosure, which has so far not been sociologically theorized. This article takes four steps to address this lacuna: First, I situate whistleblowing within the democratic landslides that took place during the 1960s and 1970s; second, I disentangle it from practices such as journalism and activism; third, I argue that whistleblowers are particularly well positioned to detect normalized wrongdoing within organizations; and fourth, I discuss how whistleblowers’ most pronounced effect is the disclosure of gray areas that have gone under the democratic radar.

Тhe influence of means of special physical training on the formation of future officers’ physical readiness to professional and combat activities

The article examines the impact of training sessions on the combat army system (BARS) on the formation of physical readiness of future officers for professional combat activities in the process of training in a military institute of higher education. Cadets of 2-3 courses (n=62) of S.P. Koroliov Zhytomyr Military Institute took part in the research. Two groups were formed: experimental (EG, n=32), whose cadets studied in the section of the institute on the combat army system, and control (CG, n=30), whose cadets studied under the current system of physical training in military institute. It was found that the level of development of physical qualities and the formation of military-applied skills in cadets who studied in the section BARS, at the end of the study is significantly higher than those who were engaged in physical training during sports and mass work. The most pronounced effect of BARS classes was found on the development of strength qualities, strength (static) endurance, as well as on the formation of professional military-applied skills in overcoming obstacles.

Phosphorylation of Maize Starch Enhanced with High-Voltage Electrical Discharge (HVED) Instead of Thermal Treatment

The aim of this research was to explore the use of a high-voltage electrical treatment (HVED) as a substitute for heating during the phosphorylation of maize starch. Starch was treated with HVED, phosphorylated with Na2HPO4 or Na5P3O10 with and without thermal treatment and phosphorylated in combination with HVED prior to and after the chemical modification. When starch was phosphorylated with Na2HPO4, HVED was more efficient in catalyzing reaction (3.89 mg P/kg for 30 min HVED in relation to 0.43 mg P/kg for thermal treatment), whereas with Na5P3O10 similar P content was achieved as with thermal treatment (0.76 P/kg for 30 min HVED in relation to 0.86 mg P/kg). The order of HVED and chemical reactions did not have a marked effect on phosphorous content. In combination with Na2HPO4, HVED pre-treatment had a more pronounced effect on the solubility and water absorption, whereas post-treatment was favoured with Na5P3O10. Mean diameter was increased by all treatments, where HVED had a marked effect. Enthalpy of gelatinization ranged from 11.76 J/g for starch treated with Na5P3O10 and 10 min-HVED to 13.58 J/g for Na5P3O10 treated sample. G′ and G″ increased after both thermally and HVED enhanced phosphorylations, with a slightly more pronounced effect of the HVED.

Effect of Lubricant Starvation on the Tribo-Dynamic Behavior of Linear Roller Guideway

This paper presents an experimentally validated numerical approach linear roller guideways considering coupled vertical and horizontal (feed) motions and taking into account lubricant starvation. The inlet starvation is considered by incorporating potential flow method. Results show that starvation has pronounced effect on the lubricant film thickness, friction, and applied load on contact by up to 32%. Localised pressure values may vary by up to 100%. The severity of starvation effect is frequency dependent. It is also revealed that the starvation effect can be controlled by the amount of preload on linear guideway.

Effect of the extract of dry Serratula centauroides on the behavior of white rats in tests with positive reinforcement

The effect was studied of dry leaf extract of Serratula centauroides L. on the behavior of white rats (Wistar) in tests with positive reinforcement. It was revealed that the extract of S. centauroides at doses of 50200 mg/kg promotes in animals a decrease in the level of anxiety, adaptation to unfamiliar conditions, and as a consequence, to an increase in the volume of food intake. And also a more rapid formation of a conditioned reflex with positive reinforcement. In animals treated with S. centauroides extract, the volume of food taken in hypophagia test was 1.42.7 times higher than the control value. In the T-shaped maze, 5080% of the animals in the experimental groups developed a conditioned reflex to positive reinforcement, while none of the animals in the control group reached the learning criterion. The S. centauroides extract showed the most pronounced effect on the behavior of animals in tests with positive reinforcement at a dose of 100 mg/kg.

Pre-hospital causes for delayed arrival in acute ischemic stroke before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study at two stroke centers in Egypt

Background In the current study we investigated the causes of pre-hospital delay as this can compromise the patient’s chance to receive thrombolytic therapy and thus impact stroke outcome. Methods We surveyed 254 patients regarding reasons for delayed and early arrival to hospital after acute ischemic stroke. The survey was performed over five months, spanning a period pre- and during COVID-19 (between December 7, 2019 and May 10, 2020). Results A total of 71.2% of patients arrived beyond four hours of onset of ischemic stroke. The commonest cause for delay pre-Covid-19 was receiving treatment in a non-stroke hospital, while that during COVID-19 was fear of infection and lock down issues. Not realizing the urgency of the condition and stroke during sleep were common in both periods. Early arrival because of the patient’s previous experience with stroke accounted for approximately 25% of cases in both periods. The effect of media was more evident during COVID-19, accounting for 47.7% of cases. Conclusion Pre-hospital delay secondary to misperception of the urgency of stroke and management in a non-stroke hospital reflect the lack of awareness among the public and medical staff. This concept is emphasized by early arrival secondary to previous experience with stroke and the pronounced effect of media in the time of COVID-19.

Supercontinuum generation in dispersion engineered AlGaAs-on-insulator waveguides

The effect of engineering the dispersion of AlGaAs-on-insulator (AlGaAs-OI) waveguides on supercontinuum generation is investigated at telecom wavelengths. The pronounced effect the waveguide width has on the nonlinear dynamics governing the supercontinua is systematically analyzed and the coherence of the spectra verified with numerical simulations. Using dispersion engineered AlGaAs-OI waveguides, broadband supercontinua were readily obtained for pulse energies of $$\sim \text {3 pJ}$$ ∼ 3 pJ and a device length of only 3 mm. The results presented here, further understanding of the design and fabrication of this novel platform and describe the soliton and dispersive wave dynamics responsible for supercontinuum generation. This study showcases the potential of AlGaAs-OI for exploring fundamental physics and realizing highly efficient, compact, nonlinear devices.