Introduction: Why a Social Representations Perspective?

This chapter introduces the social representations perspective that forms the background of the entire volume, presenting the social-psychological gaze (regard psychosocial): the acknowledgment that the knowledge of a social object necessarily requires the mediation of an Alter, a “thirdness.” From this premise, specific ways of studying change and continuity in meaning-making derive, putting change at the forefront as well as concerns about the role of the researcher along the path. After considering these features, the chapter briefly presents the various parts that compose the book and the single chapters. From a social representations stance or from cognate perspectives, several keywords and topics are encountered, both on a theoretical side and with empirical examples, addressing social issues in domains such as health, aging, inequalities, environment, and community.

Mitigating Face Threatening Acts in Political Interview: A Discourse Analysis Study

The study investigates a theoretical background about media discourse in general, it deals with all the available techniques used in such a discourse for the purpose of mitigating face threatening acts between both the interview and interviewee. Since in most cases they (the interviewer and interviewee) are from different social states, so there is a cautious speech from both sides and still there is a persistent need for clinging to certain techniques and ways that play a crucial role in mitigating face threatening acts, seven of these techniques have been mentioned through all the research, how they are used and to what extent they are so influential in the fulfilment of the desired goals. Turn talking, turns, conversations and conversation analysis, all these subjects are shown within the theoretical side of the research. Checking of the chosen date and searching for these techniques and their importance though all the political interview are shown within a discrete section of analysis. Finally, there are conclusions for their uses, effects and ratios of use to show their importance in developing the political speech and interviews.

Vacuity in synthesis

In reactive synthesis, one begins with a temporal specification $$\varphi $$ φ , and automatically synthesizes a system $$M$$ M such that $$M\models \varphi $$ M ⊧ φ . As many systems can satisfy a given specification, it is natural to seek ways to force the synthesis tool to synthesize systems that are of a higher quality, in some well-defined sense. In this article we focus on a well-known measure of the way in which a system satisfies its specification, namely vacuity. Our conjecture is that if the synthesized system M satisfies $$\varphi $$ φ non-vacuously, then M is likely to be closer to the user’s intent, because it satisfies $$\varphi $$ φ in a more “meaningful” way. Narrowing the gap between the formal specification and the designer’s intent in this way, automatically, is the topic of this article. Specifically, we propose a bounded synthesis method for achieving this goal. The notion of vacuity as defined in the context of model checking, however, is not necessarily refined enough for the purpose of synthesis. Hence, even when the synthesized system is technically non-vacuous, there are yet more interesting (equivalently, less vacuous) systems, and we would like to be able to synthesize them. To that end, we cope with the problem of synthesizing a system that is as non-vacuous as possible, given that the set of interesting behaviours with respect to a given specification induce a partial order on transition systems. On the theoretical side we show examples of specifications for which there is a single maximal element in the partial order (i.e., the most interesting system), a set of equivalent maximal elements, or a number of incomparable maximal elements. We also show examples of specifications that induce infinite chains of increasingly interesting systems. These results have implications on how non-vacuous the synthesized system can be. We implemented the new procedure in our synthesis tool PARTY. For this purpose we added to it the capability to synthesize a system based on a property which is a conjunction of universal and existential LTL formulas.

Analyzing Indicators of the Results of Applying Forecasting Methods for Production Plans: A Case Study at the Diyala State Company for Electrical Industries

Economic organizations operate in a dynamic environment, which necessitates the use of quantitative techniques to make their decisions. Here, the role of forecasting production plans emerges. So, this study aims to analysis of the results of applying forecasting methods to production plans for the past years, in the Diyala State Company for Electrical Industries. The Diyala State Company for Electrical Industries was chosen as a field of research for its role in providing distinguished products as well as the development and growth of its products and quality, and because it produces many products, and the study period was limited to ten years, from 2010 to 2019. This study used the descriptive approach in the theoretical side of the study, on the practical side, the current study used the statistical application (SPSS), and some other statistical means to process and analyze what was collected from data related to the company, the research sample, from its official website. The research concluded that flooding the Iraqi market with alternative imported products for the products of the Electrical Industries Company led to the cessation of production of some of the company's products, as a result, its resources were not invested efficiently and production costs were high. The current study suggested to the Ministry of Electricity to buy the company's products, as these products have a good quality comparing with the foreign ones. Received: 10 June 2021 / Accepted: 12 August 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

Study of Argumentative Causal Relationship between Poverty and Population Growth in Sudan within the period (1980–2019) by using Vector Auto Regressive Model (VAR): دراسة جدلية العلاقة السببية بين نمو السكان والفقر في السودان خلال الفترة (1980- 2019) باستخدام نموذج الانحدار الذاتي (VAR)

This study aimed to determine the form of the relationship and impact that the population growth in Sudan could have increased on poverty rate. To achieve this goal, a standard model for the relationship between the two previous variables was formulated and constructed during the period 1980-2019. Descriptive Analytical method was used in theoretical side of the study and tools of econometrics in analysis was used in practical side (VAR). The study assumed existence of direct relationship having a positive impact statistically between the population growth and poverty in Sudan. A standard model of non-significant impact have been obtained, whereby, the estimation results of Vector Auto Regressive showed that, there is no mutual significant impact between the poverty and population growth during term of the study. However, this result support results of mutual causality relationship both the variables. The study has recommended the necessity of controlling the population growth by legal ways in order to addressing the sources of defection which has been presented by the population growth.

Electric manifestations and social implications of bacteria aggregation from the Bessel-Keller-Segel equation

This paper proposes a fair extension of Keller-Segel equation based in the argument that bacteria exhibit proporties electric in their composition. The new mathematical form of this extension involves the integer-order Bessel functions. With this one can go through the electrodynamics of the representative scenarios in order to understand the social behavior of bacteria. From the theoretical side this paper demonstrates that, charged electrically, aggregation of bacteria would give rise to electric currents that hypothetically are the reasons for social organization and disruption among them. The electrical properties of bacteria from this mathematical proposal might be relevant in a prospective implementation of so-called Internet of Bio-Nano Things network, that aims to be characterized for having a very high signal/noise.

About the persistence of red blood cells in edema (cardiac, renal, and starving) in relation to 0.4% sodium chloride

Determination of the persistence of red blood cells has long been of interest to scientists not only from the scientific, theoretical side, but also for the sake of its practical application at the bedside.

Old English verbs of increasing: the semantics and syntax of change in size

<span lang="EN-US">This article aims at defining a class of Old English verbs of increasing based on both their common semantic components and grammatical behavior. On the theoretical side, the framework of verb classes and alternations is combined with Role and Reference Grammar. The data selected for this study have been extracted from both textual and lexicographical sources. After the analysis of the linking between syntax and semantics in this set of verbs, the conclusion is reached that </span><span lang="EN-US"><em>āðindan</em>, <em>āweaxan</em>, <em>ēacan</em>, <em>(ge)ēacnian</em> and <em>(ge)weaxan</em></span><span lang="EN-US"> are the best candidates for membership of the verbal class of increasing, considering the constructions and alternations that they present.</span>

Antimatter Free-Fall Experiments and Charge Asymmetry

We propose a method by which one could use modified antimatter gravity experiments in order to perform a high-precision test of antimatter charge neutrality. The proposal is based on the application of a strong, external, vertically oriented electric field during an antimatter free-fall gravity experiment in the gravitational field of the Earth. The proposed experimental setup has the potential to drastically improve the limits on the charge-asymmetry parameter ϵ¯q of antimatter. On the theoretical side, we analyze possibilities to describe a putative charge-asymmetry of matter and antimatter, proportional to the parameters ϵq and ϵ¯q, by Lagrangian methods. We found that such an asymmetry could be described by four-dimensional Lorentz-invariant operators that break CPT without destroying the locality of the field theory. The mechanism involves an interaction Lagrangian with field operators decomposed into particle or antiparticle field contributions. Our Lagrangian is otherwise Lorentz, as well as PT invariant. Constraints to be derived on the parameter ϵ¯q do not depend on the assumed theoretical model.

Food wastage and implications for food safety with special reference to marriage ceremonies

This study estimates the quantity of food waste and its causes in the marriage ceremonies in district Sargodha, Pakistan. A questionnaire was prepared for the collection of data on food waste. Before final data collection, a pilot survey was conducted and some changes have been made as per suggestions of the stakeholders. Every marquee and marriage hall were visited several times for data collection and data about 255 events of marriage ceremonies was collected. Along with empirical data, the focus group discussions and interviews were organized with managers and the staff of the marriage halls and marquees. Their experience and views were also recorded for the theoretical understanding of the science of food waste and its causes. The study concludes that, on average, every individual waste 183 grams of food in a marriage ceremony in district Sargodha. From theoretical side, it is concluded that guest’s unawareness about food waste and the typical behaviour of the guests are the major reasons of food waste in marriage ceremonies. While on the empirical side, the major reason of food waste is the buffet serving that causes to increase the quantity of food waste very significantly.