Triple Crossed Flexure Pivot Based on a Zero Parasitic Center Shift Kinematic Design

Thanks to their absence of play, absence of contact friction and possible monolithic fabrication, flexure pivots offer advantages over traditional bearings in small-scale, high accuracy applications and environments where lubrication and wear debris are proscribed. However, they typically present a parasitic center shift that deteriorates their rotational guidance accuracy. Existing solutions addressing this issue have the drawbacks of reducing angular stroke, prohibiting planar design, or introducing overconstraints or underconstraints. This article introduces a new triple crossed flexure pivot called TRIVOT that has a reduced parasitic center shift without overconstraints nor internal mobility, while allowing either optimal stress distribution in the flexures or a planar design. The new architecture also makes it possible to place the center of rotation outside of the physical structure, which is not the case with traditional bearings. Based on finite element simulations, we show that the parasitic shift is reduced by one order of magnitude in comparison to the widely used crossed flexure pivot. We also derive and validate formulas for the rotational stiffness and angular stroke limit of the TRIVOT. Finally, we show that a high support stiffness can be achieved with a lowest uwanted eignenfrequency 13.5 times higher than the first eigenfrequency. We expect this new pivot to become a competitive alternative to the crossed flexure pivot for applications where high accuracy and compactness are required.

A Phylogenetic and Taxonomic Study on Xylodon (Hymenochaetales): Focusing on Three New Xylodon Species from Southern China

Three wood-inhabiting fungal species, Xylodon laceratus, X. montanus, and X. tropicus spp. nov., were collected from southern China, here proposed as new taxa based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Xylodon laceratus is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata with grandinioid hymenophore having cracked hymenial surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores; X. montanus is characterized by the annual basidiomata having the hard, brittle hymenophore with cream hymenial surface, and ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores (3.9–5.3 × 3.2–4.3 µm); and X. tropicus is characterized by its grandinioid hymenophore with buff to a pale brown hymenial surface and subglobose basidiospores measuring 2–4.8 × 1.6–4 µm. Sequences of ITS and nLSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The ITS+nLSU analysis of the order Hymenochaetales indicated that the three new species clustered into the family Schizoporaceae, located in genus Xylodon; based on further analysis of ITS dataset, X. laceratus was a sister to X. heterocystidiatus; X. montanus closely grouped with X. subclavatus and X. xinpingensis with high support; while X. tropicus was retrieved as a sister to X. hastifer.

Election preferences of the inhabitants of West Pomerania in local elections in the Third Republic of Poland

Western Pomerania was said to be called as a stronghold of the left, for the Democratic Left Alliance both in the 1990s and at the beginning of the 21st century achieved some of the best results in the country. Only after the parliamentary and presidential elections in 2005 and the local government elections in 2006, the electoral preferences changed towards the center of the political scene. The Civic Platform of the Republic of Poland turned out to be the change, Law and Justice to a lesser extent. The article presents a political analysis of the voting preferences of the inhabitants of West Pomerania in the local government elections with regard to the three mentioned parties. The aim of the research was to analyze the direction in which the electorate goes. It was checked whether the SLD was permanently eliminated and how strong the dominance of the PO was. Furthermore it was examined whether PiS is a real threat to the PO RP and whether the SLD has a chance to regain its lost position. It seems that regardless of the attempts made, the position of the SLD after the 2006 elections is stable and there are no indications that the Alliance could dominate the analyzed region again. However, in spite of the fact that since 2006 the PO enjoys high support, since 2014 PiS has been achieving better and better results, depriving the PO RP hegemon in its position in 2006–2014.

Taxonomy and Phylogeny Reveal Two New Potential Edible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms of Thelephora from East Asia

The ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes genus Thelephora has been understudied in subtropical ecosystems. Many species of Thelephora are important edible and medicinal fungi, with substantial economic value. Two new Thelephora species, T. grandinioides and T. wuliangshanensis spp. nov. are proposed here based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Thelephora grandinioides is characterized by laterally stipitate basidiocarps with a grandinoid hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, and the presence of tubular and septated cystidia and subglobose to globose basidiospores measuring as 5.3–7.4 × 4–6.5 µm. Thelephora wuliangshanensis is characterized by infundibuliform basidiocarps, radially black striate on the pileus, a smooth, umber to coffee hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with thick-walled generative hyphae, and basidiospores that turn greenish grey to buff in 5% KOH. Phylogenetic analyses of rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and nuclear large subunit region (nrLSU) showed that the two new Thelephora are phylogenetically distinct: T. grandinioides is sister to T. aurantiotincta and T. sikkimensis, while T. wuliangshanensis is sister to a clade comprising T. austrosinensis and T. aurantiotincta with high support as well.

Social Behavior of University Students in the Educational Sphere in the Rostov Region and the Republic of Crimea: A Comparative Perspective

The present article examines the specificity of social behavior of students of two regions – the Rostov Region and the Republic of Crimea. The notions of education as a terminal and instrumental value, attitudes towards academic mobility practices, the implementation of such practices, and motives are studied as the foundations of differences between the regions. The methodological construct is developed based on the theoretical approaches of A.V. Lubskii on mental programs, the value approach of M. Rokeach, the neo-institutional approach of D. North, and the activity approach in the study of social practices. The comparative analysis of two questionnaires allows concluding that the specificity of social behavior of the citizens of Crimea lies in a lesser focus on high financial income as a result of obtaining education, lower attitudes towards intra-Russian mobility, the awareness of the peninsula’s closedness to international mobility due to the lack of financial capabilities, and high support for classical versus online learning. The number of educational practices realized by students is much lower in Crimea compared to the Rostov Region. This finding shows the need to introduce such opportunities for students in the peninsula’s system of higher education.

Comparative analysis of twelve mitogenomes of Caliscelidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) and their phylogenetic implications

Here, the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of 12 Caliscelidae species, Augilina tetraina, Augilina triaina, Symplana brevistrata, Symplana lii, Neosymplana vittatum, Pseudosymplanella nigrifasciata, Symplanella brevicephala, Symplanella unipuncta, Augilodes binghami, Cylindratus longicephalus, Caliscelis shandongensis, and Peltonotellus sp., were determined and comparatively analyzed. The genomes varied from 15,424 to 16,746 bp in size, comprising 37 mitochondrial genes and an A+T-rich region. The typical gene content and arrangement were similar to those of most Fulgoroidea species. The nucleotide compositions of the mitogenomes were biased toward A/T. All protein-coding genes (PCGs) started with a canonical ATN or GTG codon and ended with TAN or an incomplete stop codon, single T. Among 13 PCGs in 16 reported Caliscelidae mitogenomes, cox1 and atp8 showed the lowest and highest nucleotide diversity, respectively. All PCGs evolved under purifying selection, with atp8 considered a comparatively fast-evolving gene. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed based on 13 PCGs in 16 Caliscelidae species and five outgroups using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. All species of Caliscelidae formed a steadily monophyletic group with high support. Peltonotellini was present at the basal position of the phylogenetic tree. Augilini was the sister group to Caliscelini and Peltonotellini.

Additions to the Knowledge of Corticioid Xylodon (Schizoporaceae, Hymenochaetales): Introducing Three New Xylodon Species from Southern China

Three wood-inhabiting fungal species, Xylodon gossypinus, X. macrosporus, and X. sinensis spp. nov. were collected from southern China, with the similar function to decompose rotten wood, which are here proposed as new taxa based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Xylodon gossypinus is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata with cotton hymenophore, and ellipsoid basidiospores; X. macrosporus is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata having the cracking hymenophore with pale yellowish hymenial surface, and larger basidiospores 8–10.5 × 7.5–9 µm; and X. sinensis differs by its grandinioid hymenial surface and subglobose basidiospores measuring as 3–5 × 2.5–4 µm. Sequences of ITS and nLSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The ITS+nLSU analysis in Hymenochaetales revealed that the three new species clustered into the Schizoporaceae family, located in genus Xylodon; based on the ITS dataset, X. gossypinus was a sister to X. ussuriensis; X. macrosporus closely grouped with X. follis with a high support; and X. sinensis was retrieved as two sisters to X. attenuatus and X. yarraensis with a lower support.

Who Supports Expanding Surveillance? Exploring Public Opinion of Chinese Social Credit Systems

In recent decades, debates on surveillance in society have been mounting, yet they largely concentrated on ethical discussions and lack sociological examination. Drawing on innovative national survey data as well as fieldwork observations and interviews, this study analyzes public opinion about social credit systems (SCSs), an emerging infrastructure that expands the depth and breadth of surveillance in China. Overall, I find high support for the expanding surveillance and punishment. Political trust in the state is positively associated with higher support for SCSs. Counterintuitively, political elites do not wholly embrace the expanding surveillance and punishment. For example, Chinese Communist Party members are less likely to support SCSs compared to the general public. Higher socioeconomic status is consistently correlated with higher support, while different media consumption showed limited correlations. This study enriches our understanding of the heterogeneity of the state, public, and surveillance and their dynamic relationship in the authoritarian regime.