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The transition from conventional standalone metrology to integrated metrology has been accelerating in advanced manufacturing over the past decade. This keynote paper defines the concept of integrated metrology, which extends beyond parts inspection and encompasses processes and manufacturing equipment to enhance efficiency and productivity. The paper presents the characteristics, benefits, constraints, and future possibilities of integrated metrology for parts, processes, and equipment. It also includes a classification of the physical quantities of measurands, the corresponding measuring instruments, data and communication methods, uncertainty, and traceability. The paper also discusses future challenges and emerging trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the transformative impact of AI-augmented tools on design pedagogy. It aims to understand how artificial intelligence technologies are being integrated into educational settings, particularly in creative design courses, and to assess the potential advancements these tools can bring to the field. Design/methodology/approach: The research adopts a case-study approach, examining three distinct courses within a creative technology curriculum. This methodology involves an in-depth investigation of the role and impact of AI in each course, focusing on how these technologies are incorporated into different creative disciplines such as production design, fine arts, and digital artistry. Findings: The research findings highlight that the integration of AI with creative disciplines is not just a passing trend but signals the onset of a new era in technological empowerment in creative education. This amalgamation is found to potentially redefine the boundaries of creative education, enhancing various aspects of the learning process. However, the study also emphasizes the irreplaceable value of human mentorship in cultivating creativity and advancing analytical thinking. Research limitations/implications: The limitations of this research might include the scope of the case studies, which are limited to three courses in a specific curriculum. This limitation could affect the generalizability of the findings. The implications of this research are significant for educational institutions, as it suggests the need for a balanced interaction between AI's computational abilities and the intrinsic qualities of human creativity, ensuring that the core essence of artistry is preserved in the age of AI. Originality/value: The originality of this paper lies in its specific focus on the intersection of AI and creative education, a relatively unexplored area in design pedagogy. The value of this research is in its contribution to understanding how AI can be harmoniously integrated with traditional creative teaching methods. It offers insights for educational institutions preparing for this technological transformation, highlighting the importance of maintaining a balance between technological advancements and humanistic aspects of creative education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global burden of trauma disproportionately affects low-income countries and middle-income countries (LMIC), with variability in trauma systems between countries. Military and civilian healthcare systems have a shared interest in building trauma capacity for use during peace and war. However, in LMICs it is largely unknown if and how these entities work together. Understanding the successful integration of these systems can inform partnerships that can strengthen trauma care. This scoping review aims to identify examples of military-civilian trauma systems integration and describe the methods, domains, and indicators associated with integration including barriers and facilitators. Methods: A scoping review of all appropriate databases was performed to identify papers with evidence of military and civilian trauma systems integration. After manuscripts were selected for inclusion, relevant data was extracted and coded into methods of integration, domains of integration, and collected information regarding indicators of integration, which were further categorized into facilitators or barriers. Results: Seventy-four studies were included with authors from 18 countries describing experiences in 23 countries. There was a predominance of authorship and experiences from High-Income Countries (91.9 and 75.7%, respectively). Five key domains of integration were identified; Academic Integration was the most common (45.9%). Among indicators, the most common facilitator was administrative support and the lack of this was the most common barrier. The most common method of integration was Collaboration (50%). Conclusion: Current evidence demonstrates the existence of military and civilian trauma systems integration in several countries. Highincome country data dominates the literature, and thus a more robust understanding of trauma systems integration, inclusive of all geographic locations and income statuses, is necessary prior to development of a framework to guide integration. Nonetheless, the facilitators identified in this study describe the factors and environment in which integration is feasible and highlight optimal indicators of entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to understand the individual factors sustaining the migratory flow of Catholic priests to Italy. Priests' migration cannot be seen as the mere result of lack of vocations and shortage of priests in the host country since their agency, belief, aspirations, and motivations affect their religious identity and, consequently, their integration and participation in the host country. Drawing on qualitative research, this paper collects the voices and the narratives of selected international priests living in Italy. Priests' interviews led to broad-range questions about the nature of migration decisions and their integration into the host society and churches that originate from differences in religiosity, vocations, and missions. That resulted in a typology of 4 types of migrant priests: careerist priests, highly educated and integrated into the host country, driven by career and salary aspiration, and showing a highly politicized vision of religion; servant priests, with a strong missionary impulse to serve the Church as a universal institution transcending abstract and real boarders; evangelist priests who feel the moral obligation to evangelize secularized countries to bring them back to the origins of Catholicism; rebel priests who feel second-class priests, discriminated both within and outside the Church, in a country where they were forced to move, for this reason questioning their sense of clear vocational directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to understand the individual factors sustaining the migratory flow of Catholic priests to Italy. Priests' migration cannot be seen as the mere result of lack of vocations and shortage of priests in the host country since their agency, belief, aspirations, and motivations affect their religious identity and, consequently, their integration and participation in the host country. Drawing on qualitative research, this paper collects the voices and the narratives of selected international priests living in Italy. Priests' interviews led to broad-range questions about the nature of migration decisions and their integration into the host society and churches that originate from differences in religiosity, vocations, and missions. That resulted in a typology of 4 types of migrant priests: careerist priests, highly educated and integrated into the host country, driven by career and salary aspiration, and showing a highly politicized vision of religion; servant priests, with a strong missionary impulse to serve the Church as a universal institution transcending abstract and real boarders; evangelist priests who feel the moral obligation to evangelize secularized countries to bring them back to the origins of Catholicism; rebel priests who feel second-class priests, discriminated both within and outside the Church, in a country where they were forced to move, for this reason questioning their sense of clear vocational directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Facta Universitatis: Series Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology & History is the property of University of Nis, Serbia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article aims to critically discuss the foreign policy of communist Romania, especially towards Western Europe and the socialist bloc. It does this firstly by reviewing Elena Dragomir's recent ample analyses of communist Romania's foreign policy. Its second section consists in a critical problematization of the allegedly "pragmatic" and "adaptative" nature of communist Romania's dealings with its Western and Eastern partners, as established both by Dragomir's recent contributions, as well as the traditional scholarship. The paper ends with some more general methodological and conceptual reflections on the role, weight, and meaning of "pragmatism," "realism," "context" and "ideology" in historiographical reconstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the patterns of civic participation among Polish migrants in nine European countries. The study is based on an internet survey (with 5000 respondents) and qualitative research with activists and experts. The paper serves two principal research goals: (1) exploring formal civic participation in NGOs of the country of residence among the post-2004 Polish migrants, and (2) establishing the principal predictors of Polish migrants' involvement in the host-country NGOs. Our research leads to two principal conclusions. Firstly, the level of civic activity before migration constitutes a crucial factor in predicting the propensity to engage with host-country NGOs after migration. Our results suggest a robust country-of-origin effect on the patterns of civic engagement abroad. Secondly, however, the likelihood of civic participation grows with time, i.e., the higher the length of stay, the higher the propensity to participate, suggesting the socialization process towards the host-country civic norms and away from the countryof-origin legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of climate change, zero carbon refurbishment for existing buildings is imperative for maximising carbon emission reductions. Due to the increasing complexity of reducing carbon emissions for existing buildings, there is a need for a more collaborative and integrative approach. Extensive research has shown the importance, benefits, and challenges of collaboration and integration in implementing sustainable buildings. However, little attention has been paid to investigating collaboration and integration in refurbishment projects that focus on reducing life cycle carbon emissions. This paper explores the collaboration and integration in the decision-making process towards zero carbon refurbishment by examining three real-life case studies in New Zealand. The findings resulted from an interactive cross-case analysis using replication logic within and among cases. Empirically, the study emphasises the importance of (1) organisational commitment and compatibility of team members, (2) the timely involvement of key stakeholders, (3) the highest level of integration in the design process, and (4) a centralised and integrated information system. The paper also divulges the current practices and challenges faced in the integration process, where lessons learnt are identified for future refurbishment projects. A collaboration and integration framework towards successfully delivering building projects towards zero carbon is proposed. The research implications may assist the real-world uptake of the zero‑carbon refurbishment approach by promoting effective collaboration and integration. • An interactive analysis between theoretical propositions and cross-case synthesis • Divulging challenges and lessons learnt in the collaboration and integration process • Proposing a collaboration and integration framework towards zero carbon refurbishment • Promoting an effective collaboration to assist the real-world uptake of zero-carbon refurbishment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revija za Sociologiju is the property of Revija za Sociologiju and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Venezolana de Gerencia (RVG) is the property of Revista de Filosofia-Universidad del Zulia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Treaties & Documents / Razprave in Gradivo is the property of Institut za Narodnostna Vprasanja and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the role of non-profit organizations (NPOs) in supporting welfare benefit claims by Romanian immigrants in vulnerable situations in Berlin. The study utilizes in-depth qualitative interviews with social counsellors, language mediators, and project leads to explore the function of social counselling offices in assisting these individuals. Social counselling is analysed as both an institutionalized policy intervention and a communicative practice focused on problem-solving. The paper highlights the power asymmetry between counsellor and advice-seeker stemming from the counsellor’s superior knowledge of the welfare system, and German society. Social counselling acts as a means of support for individuals to navigate complex institutional arrangements and manage risks in modern society. However, the counsellor’s authoritative role in shaping communication constitutes another dimension of power asymmetry. Faced with challenges such as complex legal regulations and limited resources, social counsellors emphasize the need for advice-seekers to gradually take responsibility for their own lives and interact with welfare institutions. This encouragement of self-sufficiency (orig. Ger. Selbstständigkeit) aligns with the principles of German workfare policies. Non-cooperation from advice-seekers in the context of social counselling can be therefore seen as a form of resistance against disciplinary power within the welfare state. The paper raises concerns about the long-term effectiveness and impact of social counselling, noting also the potential for burnout among social counsellors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term Sport has been profoundly entwined with its intrinsic facets: physical fitness, performance, and competence. It incorporates multiple components such as physical activity, exercise, gym workouts, rigorous training sessions, mental health, well-being, motivation, fun and enjoyment. Over the years, Sport has witnessed enormous growth in the field of study throughout the world since it is well-known for its diverse nature. Sport is one of the main fields of study in academics, which comprises many other sub disciplines such as sports science, sports medicine, sports management, sports psychology, sports nutrition, sports literature, and so on. Among the various subfields of study, the integration of sports literature and sports psychology has been taken together for this paper. This in-depth analysis serves as a tool to explore the commonalities and differences between these two study dimensions; as sports studies have evolved as one of the prominent areas of study in the current scenario, the combination of these two sub disciplines attempts to propose a new perspective which considers the main objective for the optimal performance of athletes. Furthermore, this paper also aims to scrutinize sports literature and psychology in detail and conclusively, how these two different sub disciplines serve together for a common purpose, which adds more value, interpretation and meaning to sports and for athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, SPS began developing and implementing an integrated approach to mentoring that combined elements of promotion & tenure (P&T) reviews, annual performance evaluations, and workload policies. This approach has led to a high level of success for junior faculty in terms of following a clear trajectory toward tenure. It has also come with numerous transaction costs, such as increased service loads, inconsistencies in mentoring practices, and conflicts in expectations. In this paper, we describe the SPS Mentoring Policy and provide background on its motivations and history. Using our own auto-ethnographical reflections from our administrative roles organizing and coordinating the mentoring process, and data from focus groups of faculty participating in the process, we then examine the trade-offs of this policy in comparison to a more traditional P&T policy, discuss lessons learned over the last five years, and consider future opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the integration processes of international marriage migrants in Japan and South Korea and identifies the steps and conditions required for integration. It contributes to the wider discussion of obstacles that migrants face during the integration process. Despite Japan and South Korea's reluctance toward the influx of large numbers of international migrants, their stance is more positive toward (female) marriage migrants. The qualitative data used for the analysis were collected by authors during the period between 2007 and 2022 on women from former Soviet Union countries, married to South Korean (54) or Japanese (50) men. The analysis of women's experiences identifies four major steps leading to receiving society integration: Pre-migration, arrival, early years and long-term settlement. The findings show that early language acquisition and receiving family support resulted in relatively smooth integration. However, human capital appears to be both a driver and an obstacle to integration. Furthermore, mismatched gender role expectations, limited social networks and employment opportunities increased difficulties in the integration process. Additionally, stronger ties with the receiving family and weaker ties with the home countries influenced women's decision to settle in the country. The largest differences between Japan and South Korea were the higher employment opportunities for marriage migrants in South Korea, especially for those with professional skills and Korean language knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a methodology for multi-track transmission processing of signals from mechanical-navigation sensors describing the state of the ship's motion vector by using a neural network computer system. The integration of mechanical systems with navigation systems on a sea vessel is aimed at creating a uniform decision-making module for the crew steering the ship and supervising propulsion systems in order to minimize the level of risk in controlling a sea vessel in hazardous situations. The concept of integrating radio devices with navigation and engineering systems will enable effective ship management based on sources coming from external and internal sensors of the ship. The processing of navigational and mechanical signals proposed in the article will allow to build an effective prediction of the developing situation in case of danger according to the proposed algorithm for the officer of the watch in charge of the ship. The paper presents a model of mathematical processing of signals from navigational-mechanical systems and illustrates its operation in an exemplary situation of a threat of collision of a sea vessel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Easing transport congestion within a crowded urban environment requires management of travel demand. Managing traffic congestion in urban areas requires a set of effective policies and knowing when to apply them. In this paper, we focus on the managers' need to determine the most effective policies to respond to changing travel demands. We propose a new framework to achieve this aim by applying a combination of a System Dynamics approach and a Data Envelopment Analysis technique. Despite previous studies that integrate discrete-event simulation with multi-criteria decision-making approaches, the combination of a system dynamics approach with a data envelopment analysis technique proposed in this paper shows an improvement both in forecasting the travel demand and managing it through effective policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tenuous state of elementary social studies has been explained by scholars who cite lack of time and curriculum resources devoted to social studies; teachers' emphasis on tested subjects; and instruction that distorts, trivializes, or omits social studies content. Integrating social studies with other core subjects has been positioned as a viable approach to address some of these challenges, but not all teachers have a healthy understanding of integration as an avenue for robust social studies instruction. This qualitative study explores 14 elementary teachers' stances to social studies as a core content area--with particular emphasis on content integration--in public schools. By investigating ways in which practicing teachers talk about social studies in their classrooms, this paper adds to the growing body of scholarship documenting the peripheral status of social studies in early grades. Findings offer theoretical implications for interpreting how and why social studies continues to be marginalized in early grades by focusing on participants' healthy and unhealthy understandings of content integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology is the property of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

World economic trends in recent times have been grossly influenced by the ramifications of COVID-19. The paper endeavours to assess the severity of world economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2019-2021 relative to the global recession of 2008-2010. It also attempts to surface emerging trends for accelerating economic recovery while building resilience. It employed desk review with a mixed approach. The sample size spanned the 4 main international economies and 21 representative countries. A One-Paired 2 Sample means t-Test at α 0.05, 1-tail, 8 df shows that, the economic collapse experienced due to the pandemic was just as bad as that of the 2008-2010 economic recession. Monitoring database reveals that low income and emerging markets are recovering faster than advanced economies from the shocks of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the t-Test α 0.05, 1-tail, 8 df again shows that, the world economy is steadily recovering. The recovery can be accelerated and made resilient through economic restructuring by integrating emerging trends such as AI, technology, education and greening into economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a quantization method based on the integration of progressive quantization and distillation learning, aiming to address the shortcomings of traditional quantization methods in maintaining model accuracy while reducing model size. This method converts the weight from floating point number to smaller integer number through progressive quantization, thus reducing the storage space required by the model. At the same time, distillation learning technology is used to integrate the gradually quantified model with the original floating-point model to improve the accuracy of the model. The experimental results show that the proposed method can maintain high accuracy of the model while reducing its size, and has better performance compared to traditional quantization methods. This method has a broad application prospect in model compression, and can be widely used in scenarios such as Edge device and cloud servers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foundation Years (FY) have proliferated within UK Higher Education in recent years, and their benefits and successes have been well documented (e.g. the enhancement of opportunities for underrepresented students, second-chance education, skills and confidence enhancement, and a pipeline into STEM. However, when managed centrally, their implementation can be a contentious site of interdisciplinary unease and ‘mutual suspicion’ and as much as a fruitful avenue for innovative collaboration. One of the key issues is the question of how to embed academic skills / literacies development within a meaningful, ‘integrated’, interdisciplinary context effectively whilst utilising expertise from both academic departments and learning development / skills teams, and thus navigating disparate disciplinary agendas, communities of practice and strategic priorities. This paper reports on how this complex terrain was navigated at Royal Holloway, University of London, to successfully embed academic skills (using Universal Design for Learning pedagogy) into an academically authentic, inclusive, interdisciplinary ‘Global Perspectives and Academic Practice’ unit that facilitated student integration into academic departments. Whilst we report on how the programme led to higher than sector average attainment, retention and progression (the EE described it as a ‘TEF Gold offering’), we critically analyse the challenges of embedding and aligning such provision within the communities of practice of a researchintensive institution. Throughout, we suggest ways forward at both practical and strategic levels to ensure the immense potential of integrated academic literacies development within FYs can be realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invited IAIR Award Paper by Kunst (2021) published in IJIR asserts that there is a "causality crisis" in acculturation research and critically discusses the current meta-analytical evidence supporting the integration hypothesis. In this commentary, we question this claim in light of our understanding of the acculturation process and its constituent phenomena. Our proposal is to consider acculturation patterns as behavioral syndromes, in which many phenomena are inter-related and which change over the course of acculturation. We also question the claim in Kunst's paper about meta-analytical evidence, and end with some proposals for future research on acculturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a comprehensive architecture for a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, focusing on service browsing, ticketing, and payment, with a specific emphasis on integrating MaaS into bus payment systems. The proposed architecture aims to enhance user experience and convenience in accessing and paying for various transportation services while providing support for MaaS startups, offering a novel approach to MaaS, addressing challenges related to service discovery, ticketing, and payment through a unified system. The proposed MaaS platform holds the potential to improve mobility, reduce congestion, and promote sustainable transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of the research paper conducted a comprehensive examination of the theoretical underpinnings of the definition of the term "inclusive economy" by reviewing contemporary economists' specialized literature. Based on the analysis, the authors reached the conclusion that there is currently no universal definition of the concept of inclusive economy. Therefore, to fully examine the research topic, the authors identified various approaches to defining the concept. Based on the analysis, the authors of the study created a matrix of SWOT analysis, in which weaknesses and strengths, opportunities and threats are compared and strategies for further development are obtained. According to the analysis, strengths prevail. Also, it was concluded that in today's conditions inclusive economy has great potential and opportunities for effective implementation. Therefore, in this case, for the qualitative development of an inclusive economy in its further activities, it is necessary to choose a "strengths and opportunities" strategy, in which the country must take active actions to strengthen its economic positions. Analyzing all the abovementioned information, the authors put forward a conceptual approach that utilizes the method of implementing inclusive economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research focuses on schooling for refugee children in resettlement contexts; however, limited research addresses young adult refugees (YAR) between 16–24 years in the adult education (AE) system. This paper strives to fill this gap by providing the perspectives of 12 AE practitioners who welcomed and worked with Syrian YAR in Quebec, Canada. Practitioners' experiences and challenges faced with this refugee population reveal strategies needed to enable YAR to flourish and attain their objectives, including a call for systemic change in AE. Critical race theory and the capabilities approach set the conceptual framework guided by a narrative inquiry methodology. Semi-structured interviews provided the data that were thematically analyzed through collaborative work. From our understanding of the effectiveness of AE approaches for YAR, it is clear, based on the insights provided by the practitioners, that the face of AE has changed, and its current approach does not work for the YAR population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disease control program is critical to the agenda of social justice. A generalist approach to the disease control program involves understanding its complexity and prevention from various perspectives, including ecological theory. The integration of the disease control program into the existing healthcare delivery system has been advocated over many decades, with an emphasis on the medical model of disease control. Integration has been widely considered as a means to achieve an effective and efficient health system. This approach has been widely adopted in low-middle-income countries to integrate vertical programs such as leprosy, malaria, HIV/AIDs, and others. However, studies suggest that there is a lack of evidence about the effectiveness of health system integration. The available evidence shows that integration of the health system can have a mixed, negative, or no impact on the health system. This growing enthusiasm toward health system integration is primarily based on the perceived benefits of an integrated approach. This discussion paper draws on the experience of the integration of the National Leprosy Elimination Program in India. It highlights the factors that affected the integration of leprosy programs in Bihar and also affected the pursuit of social justice for people who have been marginalized in our modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advances in electronics, sensors, actuators, smart materials, computers, and communication technologies led to new and improved mechatronics-based smart tooling systems. This paper reviews the sensors and actuators used in tooling systems. The sensor principles to measure force, displacement, and temperature are explained. Actuators based on piezo, magnetorheological fluid, shape memory alloy, and magnetostrictive principles are discussed. Wireless and wire-based power supply and signal transmission techniques to stationary and rotating tools are described. The integration of sensors, actuators, power supply, and microcontrollers to various tooling systems used in boring, milling, turning, and grinding operations are presented along with their process monitoring and control applications in the industry. It is shown that the sensor-actuator tooling systems improve the accuracy, robustness, and productivity of machining which adds intelligence to the machine tools. The current challenges include widening the operating bandwidth of tooling systems, wireless power and high-speed data transmission, miniaturization of actuators and sensors, and onboard processing using embedded micro-controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New dynamics of local development have shed the light on the possible revitalization of European rural and mountain areas. A key element in these dynamics is the international migration fluxes that have these areas as new destinations. Newcomers' arrivals to rural and mountain areas represent both an opportunity and a challenge. They can fill in the gaps in local job markets left by the out-migration of young and the depopulation of remaining locals, but migrants' integration can present hurdles. Within the complex composition of the integration process, this research analyses the economic aspects related to local entrepreneurs' behaviours, migrant self-entrepreneurship, the role of the social economy and its effects on local communities. This paper presents results from secondary sources produced by the work of ten research teams – which collaborate on a European project MATILDE Horizon 2020 – based in as many European countries. The consortium agreed on a qualitative research approach, the use of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participatory observation for data collection, and the "Foundational Economy" as the principal theoretical framework. Then, our research team carried out data extraction and comparison. Results show the diverse features of economic integration, encompassing local economic actors' solutions, reactions in the communities, the role of the social economy and migrant entrepreneurship. • A broader perspective on the examination of dynamic of international migrants' economic integration. • Data and information from 14 European regions in 10 countries. • Findings about the role of local economic agents in favour migrants' economic integration to revitalize rural areas. • Importance of migrants' self-entrepreneurship. • The key role of social economy in migrants' economic integration in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista MAD is the property of Revista MAD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the German-language literature of the last twenty to thirty years, there has been a tendency to depict strangeness and integration. Through Melinda Nadj Abonji's novel, this paper attempts to point out the phenomena that problematize integration and strangeness, which would be related to the space represented or which can be read from representations through space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociología del Trabajo is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Texas is a top destination for refugee resettlement, yet there is limited discussion on how Family and Consumer Sciences educators and practitioners can help address the unique needs of refugee adults and children in the state. Many novice and experienced educators must implement quality learning settings to support the needs of refugee learners as they adapt to their new environment. This paper describes refugee resettlement and implications for FCS educators and practitioners based on the FCS Body of Knowledge and the National Standards for Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences (NATEFACS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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[Display omitted] • Occurrence and characteristics of MPs in various zooplankton are reviewed. • Toxic effects, bioaccumulation and bioavailability of MPs in zooplankton are discussed. • MPs constitute an uncertain threat to zooplankton. • Integration of MPs into the zooplankton community affects filtering organisms feeding. • Future research directions are discussed. In recent years, microplastic (MP) pollution has been widely reported. Many studies have shown that MPs in the oceans not only exist in the water but also are eaten by plankton and may be transferred to other trophic levels via the plankton food web. This paper reviews the relationship between MPs and zooplankton, and discusses two aspects of the potential harm of MPs to zooplankton: the effects of MPs on zooplankton ingestion and the influence of MP toxicity on zooplankton. MPs are often eaten by zooplankton because they resemble prey in size, color, and buoyancy. Zooplankton ingest MPs directly or indirectly, resulting in intestinal damage, reduced ingestion, slow or delayed growth, reduced spawning, shortened lifespan, and abnormal or even fatal gene expression. MP ingestion by zooplankton also affects their behavior, reproduction, and offspring. MPs constitute an uncertain threat to zooplankton. Integration of MPs into the zooplankton community affects filtering organisms feeding. The mechanism of MP toxicity in zooplankton is not yet fully understood and more studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the paper is to examine the impact of foreign direct investment on the process of modernizing the Romanian economy and to develop recommendations on improving the investment climate and the efficient use of foreign investment to accelerate the pace of modernization of the national economy and Romania's effective participation in the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the progress of new technologies of information and communication, more andmore producers of data exist. On the other hand, the web forms a huge support of all these kinds of data. Unfortunately, existing data is not proper due to the existence of the same information in different sources, aswell as erroneous and incomplete data. The aim of data integration systems is to offer to a user a unique interface to query a number of sources. A key challenge of suchsystems is todealwith conflicting information fromthe samesource or fromdifferent sources. We present, in this paper, the resolution of conflict at the instance level into two stages: references reconciliation and data fusion. The reference reconciliationmethods seek to decide if two data descriptions are references to the same entity in reality. We define the principles of reconciliation method then we distinguish the methods of reference reconciliation, first on howto use the descriptions of references, then theway to acquire knowledge. We finish this sectionby discussing some current data reconciliation issues that are the subject of current research. Data fusion in turn, has the objective to merge duplicates into a single representation while resolving conflicts between the data. We define first the conflicts classification, the strategies for dealing with conflicts and the implementing conflict management strategies. We present then, the relational operators and data fusion techniques. Likewise, we finish this section by discussing some current data fusion issues that are the subject of current research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania, as a neighboring country, has also been affected by the refugee crisis since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. Whether as a destination or a transit route to other countries, in the last five months Romania has been a short, mid-, or longterm haven for many Ukrainian refugees. The government's measures to support refugees -- ranging from money for food and shelter to ensuring access to the Romanian labor market and education system - have often been ambiguous and incomprehensible. But these were completed by the massive mobilization of non-profit organizations, churches, and the population. Starting from the month of March 2022 until today, several hundred refugees have found shelter in the homes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church A.C. in Romania. The aim of the present paper is 1) to analyze the measures implemented by Evangelical Lutheran Church A.C. in Romania to provide a medium or long-term rapid response to the needs of Ukrainian refugees: accommodation, food, transport, assistance with funds, collection of food and goods, medical, psychological, or spiritual care; 2) to identify the limits, challenges, and the risks of working with refugees 3) to outline on the analyzed data the main lines of development of a church strategy regarding refugees, to what extent they can be integrated, given that we are talking about migrants who live mostly in transit, traumatized by the losses and destructions caused by the war, in the hope of a return as soon as possible. From a methodological point of view, the study is a qualitative one, the research methods used are participatory observation in the locations where the refugees are accommodated, biographical interview with the refugees, and interview with a group of experts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating migrants into the host society is one of the most problematic issues that European societies are concerned with. In terms of national and, on a larger scale, European security, successful integration policies and procedures lead to increased levels of protection perceived by both the "newcomers" and the host societies. In all the mechanisms and programs, employment stands out to be a vital part of the integration process. Several studies reveal the existence of a direct connection between the integration of migrants -- in all its dimensions -- and the level of potential threat to national security their arrival implies. The aim of this paper is to assess the current European policy development in terms of third-country nationals' employment, and, furthermore, to evaluate the ongoing efforts of the Eastern EU members to provide proper labor-market integration for both refugees and regular migrants, as means to increase the level of national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers insights into microgrid management, with an analysis that stresses the structural features of microgrids at both technical and organizational levels. The article posits that the importance of microgrid management lies in the fact that managerial activities can support the technical microgrid systems in achieving different energy-related goals. It introduces the concept of the "mirroring hypothesis", which aligns the technical structure with the organizational structure to identify mechanisms of microgrid management. Insights from multiple cases reveal that technical integration and diversification are two dimensions of microgrid technical features. Correspondingly, coordination within organizational integration and diversification serve as two groups of management mechanisms. Energy autonomy, clean energy consumption, and auxiliary services run as three dimensions of energy-related goals. Subsequently, a conceptual framework is developed to establish connections among the technical structure, organizational structure, and energy-related goals. This management framework illustrates three distinct pathways for microgrids to achieve different goals. Finally, some practical and policy implications are provided. • Two inherent features of microgrids - structural integration and diversification - are discussed in detail • The connections between the technical and organizational structures of microgrids have been established • A framework illustrating the mechanisms of microgrid management has been developed • Three pathways to achieve different energy-related goals have been identified [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper develops an integrated approach for joint optimization of preventive maintenance (PM) planning and quality control policy in a single machine manufacturing system. Considering the economic dependency between quality and maintenance parameters, the proposed model aims to optimize the four decision variables, viz. PM interval, sample size, sample frequency and control limit coefficient to minimize the expected total integrated cost per unit time. The imperfect age-based PM model is applied which addresses the most practical issue that a unit may not always be maintained to an as-good-as-new state. Analysing the problem to be NP-hard in nature, a recently developed meta-heuristic named Jaya algorithm is applied to retrieve the near-optimum solutions. The peculiarity of Jaya as compared to conventional heuristics is that it is a parameter-less algorithm thus does not require tuning to algorithm-specific parameters thereby minimizing computational complexity to a great extent. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the integrated economic design of PM and process quality control parameters. Computational results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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