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Virtual Cities (VCs) transcend simple digital replicas of real-world systems, emerging as complex socio-technical ecosystems where autonomous AI entities function as citizens. Agentic AI systems are on track to engage in cultural, economic, and political activities, effectively forming societal structure within VC. This paper proposes an integrated simulation framework that combines physical, structural, behavioral, cognitive, and data fidelity layers, allowing multi-scale simulation from microscopic interactions to macro-urban dynamics. A composite fidelity metric ( $F_{0}$ ) provides systematic approach to evaluate accuracy variations across applications in VCs. We also discuss autonomy of AI entities and classify them according to their capacity to modify goals—ranging from “tools” with fixed objectives to “entities” capable of redefining their very purpose. We also outline the requirements to define a coefficient to evaluate the degree of autonomy for AI beings. Our results demonstrate that such virtual environments can support the emergence of AI-driven societies, where governance mechanisms like Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and an Artificial Collective Consciousness (ACC) provide ethical and regulatory oversight. By blending horizon scanning with systems engineering method for defining novel AI governance models, this study reveals how VCs can catalyze breakthroughs in urban innovation while driving socially beneficial AI development - consequently opening a new frontier for exploring human-AI coexistence.

In the context of armed conflicts, regions often face infrastructure destruction and economic difficulties. The development of tourism can be a key factor in recovery and economic growth. Geospatial platforms for interactive charitable tourism offer a promising solution for attracting tourists and stimulating the development of affected regions. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of geospatial platforms for interactive charitable tourism as a tool for attracting tourists and promoting the recovery and development of regions affected by armed conflicts. This study employed regression and correlation analysis methods. The analysis revealed significant positive correlations for all variables. The correlation coefficient for audience reach was 0.75, for the effectiveness of attracting donations—0.8, for the economic impact on the region—0.9, for user interaction with the platform—0.85, for platform sustainability—0.78, and for social impact—0.92. The t-statistic values exceeded the critical thresholds, and the p-values were below 0.05, confirming the statistical significance of the results. The coefficient of determination was 0.91, indicating a high explanatory power of the model. For the four obtained clusters, approaches to the development and use of geospatial platforms were justified. For regions of Cluster 1 with high audience reach (0.75) and moderate effectiveness of attracting donations (0.8), it is recommended to use technologies to improve connectivity and effectively promote their strengths. For regions of Cluster 2 with high sustainability and high tourism potential (high social impact = 0.92), it is necessary to include advanced geospatial solutions to increase visitor engagement and optimize recovery strategies, building on existing strengths to attract more tourists and stimulate sustainable development. For regions of Cluster 3, significant investments are required both in geospatial platforms and in tourism infrastructure to benefit from high tourism potential (economic impact on the region = 0.9). Strategic development and targeted marketing should be a priority to attract tourists and stimulate economic growth. Regions of Cluster 4 with low sustainability and tourism potential (low user interaction with the platform = 0.85 and platform sustainability = 0.78) require comprehensive support, as they are in a crisis situation.

Introduction/purpose: Studying the dynamics of the mutual influence of supply and demand is relevant in connection with the financial losses that arise due to uncertainty in demand and forecast errors. The work aims to build a mathematical model of the dynamics of this interaction for the market of one product. Methods: The paper proposes a mathematical model of the states of the supply-demand system, within the framework of which the processes occurring in this system are considered from the perspective of the methodology of economic synergetics. The mathematical model of dynamics has the form of a system of two differential equations with quadratic nonlinearity. Results: The use of the proposed model to reproduce various dynamic states of market self-regulation processes made it possible to identify the hierarchy of transition from stable dynamic regimes to unstable ones with the appearance of corresponding bifurcations. The main attention was paid to studying the behavior of the system at the boundaries of the stability region. Conclusion: The existence of a saddle-node bifurcation of limit cycles has been revealed, which suggests the appearance of stable self-oscillations in the case of a "soft" cycle and unstable ones in the case of a "hard" cycle. When studying a bifurcation of codimension two - "double zero" - special dynamic structures were discovered, determined by the properties of global bifurcations. This type of behavior is characterized by self-oscillations with a low frequency, which gives rise to the so-called "ultra-long waves" of the economic state.

Modern agriculture, with the use of artificial lighting, requires high-intensity LED luminaires with compact dimensions. In this regard, new approaches to the design of LED luminaires using both new materials and technical solutions have been considered. The theoretical evaluation of the influence of different materials on the efficiency of removal of thermal energy from LEDs was shown. A new material PMS-5 is proposed and evaluated as an immersion liquid, which can be used as an effective heat sink in the lower part of the luminaire up to the level of LEDs located in the top light LED luminaires. The proposed polymethylsiloxane PMS-5 liquid has more than twice the thermal conductivity (0.167 W/(m·K)) of HFE7200 and NS15 liquids used in immersion-cooled LED luminaires. Based on the theoretical evaluation, the requirements for parameters, such as metal profile area, immersion liquid volume, wall thickness area, and external area of the cylinder, are highlighted and shown. The noted parameters have a key role in the design of an efficient top light LED luminaire. It has been shown that the design of the metal profile significantly affects the efficiency of the removal of thermal energy from LEDs and it is necessary to use specialized profiles optimized for the diameter of the LED luminaire cylinder. A number of LED luminaire designs were proposed, depending on the thermal properties of the construction materials, technical and economic performance, as well as actual operating and installation conditions. The analysis of the presented theoretical evaluations allowed overlay of the design basis of LED luminaires within the presented concept and top light.

Subject. The global economic crisis of 2008, geopolitical crises between 2014 and 2023 and the socio-economic consequences of the COVID‑19 pandemic have a significant negative impact on the stock markets. The result of this influence is a significant increase in stock market volatility and instability. The purpose of the article is to develop a methodology for assessing thesustainability of the stock market and, on its basis, carrying out a comparative analysis of the sustainability of the stock markets of the Russian Federation and the USA. Methodology. Systematic and comparative analysis is used, as well as statistical methods and methods of the theory of cenoses. Scientific novelty: a dimensionless indicator of the stability of the economic system of stock market companies has been developed. Results. A methodology is proposed for assessing the sustainability of stock market issuing companies based on its model — economic cenosis. Within the framework of this methodology, a cenological analysis of structural changes and stability of the economic system under consideration is carried out. The developed methodology was tested based on the capitalization data of 100 companies listed on the Moscow Exchange and the S&P 500 index. A comparative analysis of the stability of the stock markets of the Russian Federation and the United States showed a sufficient degree of stability of the Russian stock market in relation to one of the most developed stock markets in the world — the US stock market. Conclusions. The proposed methodology makes it possible to assess the sustainability of the stock market as a unified economic system of issuing companies based on their key parameter — capitalization. Maximizing the sustainability indicator makes it possible to determine the potential investment valuation of the selected company shares, provided that the economic system of the stock market, in the process of its evolution, strives for its most stable state. Practical significance. The results and conclusions of the article may be in demand not only by regulatory organizations and stock market participants, but also by potential ordinary investors.

New measurements of the T20 component of tensor analyzing power in the reaction γd→ppπ− for photon energies 400−700 MeV are presented. The experiment was carried out on an internal tensor-polarized gas deuterium target of the VEPP-3 electron storage ring in 2023 with the use of tagged quasi-real photons and two-proton coincidence. For determination of T20, the asymmetry caused by a change of the sign of the tensor polarization of the deuteron target was measured. The new data are compared with the results of theoretical calculations based on the quasi-free approximation including πN and NN rescattering effects.

Disfluencies mirror processes of speech production and when examined in both languages of bilingual children, can provide valuable information regarding their linguistic skills. The aim of this study is to characterize the rates and the types of disfluencies across episodes of a narrative as well as across different story grammar (SG) elements in participants’ home language (Russian) and societal language (Hebrew) as a reflection of narrative macrostructure skills. Twenty bilingual Russian-Hebrew children aged 60–78 months produced narratives in Russian and Hebrew using the wordless picture book Frog, Where Are You? (Mayer, 1969). Narratives were transcribed, divided into five episodes, and coded for main SG elements (Character + Setting, Initiating event, Internal response, Plan, Attempt and Consequence). Four types of disfluencies (silent pauses, filled pauses, repetitions, and self-corrections) were analyzed in relation to each SG element per episode in both languages. Overall children produced more SG elements in Russian with a finer analysis showing that Initiating Event, Character and Setting differed across languages while Attempt, Plan and Internal response were similar. Disfluencies significantly impacted macrostructure differently across languages such that in Russian, a high percentage of disfluencies was associated with higher production of Character + Setting and Plan, whereas in Hebrew it was associated with lower production of Attempt and Consequence. The present research suggests that disfluency has impact on macrostructure, and consequently on overall narrative quality differently across the languages. The theoretical contribution may shed light on the understanding of planning and formulation processes among bilingual children. The application of the results may relate to these processes impacting diagnosis and/or intervention protocols in bilingual children.

The development of various nanomaterials production technologies has led to the possibility of producing nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructures, which can find a wide range of applications, from the fabrication of microelectronic devices to the improvement of material properties and the treatment of cancer. The unique characteristics of nanoparticles are primarily due to their small size, which makes size control important in their preparation. Modification of nanoparticles by laser irradiation and obtaining desired nanoparticle properties is a promising approach because of its ease of implementation. The purpose of this review is to analyze the works devoted to the study of laser-induced heating and melting of nanoparticles, to collect information and evaluate the results of using this method for functionalization and modification of metallic nanoparticles, and to discuss promising directions for the use of this technique.

Background. Increasing social attention to the problem of expanding contradictions in social attitudes among the younger and older generations and, as a consequence of a possible generational conflict, causes an increase in the number of social-psychological studies of intergenerational differences. However, most of these studies do not seek to distinguish between the factor of belonging to generational and age groups, which causes methodological confusion in the results. Objectives. The aim is to identify and describe the role of the factor of belonging to a generation in the cultural life scenarios (CLS) in different generations of modern Russians in relation to the age factor. Methods. An empirical study (N = 951) was carried out using a modified ‘Lifeline’ technique. The Age-Period-Cohort (APC) analysis was applied to process results showing differences between generation and age factors. Results. The revealed features of CLS in four generational groups were described in detail. Also, the possibilities of studying CLS in the context of generational and age-psychological factors were analyzed. In particular, it was noted that it was the so-called generation Z that demonstrated the greatest number of differences in CLS from other generations, as well as a trend towards individualization of life scenarios. Conclusions. A conclusion was made and mathematically substantiated about the importance of continuing the study of generations in their socio-psychological understanding (separately from the age factor). A theoretical proposal was made to revise the boundaries of generations with the subsequent division of generations into subgroups.

To prevent the progression of various infectious diseases, seed and planting material must undergo treatment with ultraviolet (UV) radiation at an intensity of 10-15 kilojoules. This necessitates studying the impact of UV radiation on products as they move in a flow along a conveyor belt. (Research purpose) The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using ultraviolet radiation to improve the storage indicators of potato and other vegetable crops. It also assesses the technological parameters in both laboratory and production settings to ensure a reduction in contamination. (Materials and methods) To determine the optimal technological parameters of a machine for processing vegetable crops and potatoes before storage in the post-harvest processing system, an experimental installation was created and the electrophysical effects on storage quality indicators were examined. For the study, the most common vegetable crop varieties were selected, in particular, Lady Rosetta potato, Vitaminnaya-6 table carrot and Bordeaux 237 table beet. These crops are cultivated under various soil and climatic conditions across the Russian Federation. (Results and discussion) A methodology has been developed to assess the quality of seed material after the storage period, including the justification for the time interval, air mixture temperature parameters and ultraviolet radiation optical modes. The optimal parameters for processing potato tubers, carrots, and beets have been determined. The study examined the impact of ultraviolet exposure with established parameters on the disease development in carrot and beet crops, caused by the studied phytopathogenic microorganisms at temperatures of 2 and 25 degrees Celsius. (Conclusions) The indicators of the spread and development of infectious diseases in the studied vegetable crops show a decline trend when the translational speed of root crop movement is 0.7 meters per second, the interaxial distance between ultraviolet radiation sources is 0.1 meters, the distance from the sources to the roller surface of the conveyor belt is 0.05 meters, and a constant dose of ultraviolet exposure is applied.

IntroductionThe process of forming selenium nanoparticles with various shapes and structures through laser ablation and fragmentation in various solvents has been explored.MethodsLaser ablation and laser fragmentation techniques were employed using nanosecond Nd:YAG second harmonic laser irradiation in 9 different working fluids, including water. The characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles were assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods.ResultsLaser ablation and subsequent laser fragmentation of some organic solvents, such as ethanol, propanol-2, isobutanol, polyethylene glycol, and diethanolamine, have been found to produce trigonal selenium in the form of elongated nanorods approximately 1 μm long and 200 nm thick, with a well-defined crystal structure. In contrast, the use of deionized water, acetone, glycerol, and benzene as solvents results in the formation of spherical amorphous nanoparticles approximately 100 nm in diameter.DiscussionThe polarity of the solvent molecules has been shown to influence the growth of crystalline selenium nanorods in solution during laser ablation and laser fragmentation. Generally, polar solvents hinder the growth of crystalline nanorods, due to interactions between selenium and solvent molecules. Nonpolar solvents, on the other hand, allow for laser fragmentation to reduce particle size and initiate the epitaxial growth of elongated, crystalline selenium nanorods.

The purpose of the research is to substantiate theoretically the process of variety and phytocleaning in breeding and seed plantings of potatoes and vegetable crops using machine vision technologies and robotic elements. The article analyzes modern non-destructive methods for detecting diseases of biological objects; technological processes and machines for removing the fruits of vegetable crops from plants in a digital agricultural production system with elements of robotization in the operations of caring for plants and collecting marketable products. The relevance of developing innovative technology and technical means for removing infected potato and vegetable plants in breeding and seed production has been established. To carry out health-improving techniques for the production of vegetable and potato seeds, an innovative technology and machine have been developed for removing infected potato and vegetable crop plants in breeding and seed-growing plantings, providing movement across the field using machine vision technologies with the identification of an infected plant or a plant that does not correspond to the varietal characteristics with its subsequent removal. In the process of the research (2021-2022), a morphological matrix for selecting technical means of using functioning elements for implementing innovative technology for varietal and phytocleaning of vegetable crops and potatoes, as well as the theoretical foundations of innovative technology for removing contaminated biological objects, were developed. An indicator of the effectiveness of the implementation of innovative phytotype cleaning technology has been identified, taking into account the parameters of economic and agrotechnical indicators, as well as metal intensity, energy intensity, environmental friendliness and reliability. Analytical studies of machine technology and technical means for removing infected vegetable and potato plants are presented. A substantiation of the innovative technology for varietal and phytocleaning of vegetable crops and potatoes has been carried out, in terms of the exclusion of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the technology for detecting infected potato plants with a qualitative assessment of the feasibility of choosing technical means when using the functioning elements of the implementation of the developed technology according to the criteria of economic and agrotechnical assessment, as well as metal intensity, energy intensity and reliability . An assessment of the feasibility of choosing technical means for the functioning of elements of innovative technology showed that, according to a set of criteria, the process of varietal and phytocleaning of vegetable crops and potatoes is advisable to carry out without the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle, using an optical system for identifying infected plants in the design of the machine.

Modern developments in data analysis techniques and evolutionary optimization algorithms have made it possible to analyze large amounts of unstructured digital data sets. Based on the differential evolution algorithm and semiclassical quantum simulations, we have recently proposed a method for classifying and analyzing the optical properties of organic pigments. In this paper, we present the results of modeling the absorption spectra of five carotenoids synthesized during the vital activity of the ascomycetous fungi: neurosporaxanthin, neurosporene, torulene, γ-carotene, and ζ-carotene. We calculated the absorption spectra for each pigment using the multimode Brownian oscillator theory, which allows us to evaluate the influence of molecular vibrations on the electronic transitions in the pigment. We applied a generalized spectral density function method to our modeling, taking into account the contributions of 13 vibrational modes with frequencies varying between 100 cm−1 and 3000 cm−1. This approach allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of how molecular vibrations affect the absorption spectra of these organic compounds. Thus, each absorption spectrum was associated with a unique set of Huang–Rhys factors (which represent the effective electron–phonon interaction). This set can be considered as a kind of “fingerprint” that characterizes the optical response of the pigment in the solvent.

Food insecurity is a top economic and national security concern in many countries, and scientists worldwide are working to increase crop productivity in order to address this issue. In line with this information, the present study aimed to test the possibility of improving the yield and fruit quality of two tomato cultivars, namely ‘Vspyshka’ and ‘Lyana’. The effect of LSL (light of sodium lamps—control) and the short additional 4 h treatment of nighttime LED lighting (LSL+night LED) with an increase in the proportion of red, blue, and far-red spectra on tomato fruit yield as well as its physiological, biochemical, and consumer attributes were compared in this study. The results suggested that LSL+night LED significantly increased soluble solids concentration, vitamin C content, and polyphenolic compounds of tomato fruits, taking into account the varietal characteristics. Moreover, a moderate to high relationship was also observed between the polyphenolic complex, vitamin C content, and antioxidant activity. It was concluded that the LSL+night LED could further enhance the relationship between polyphenols and antioxidants, as well as soluble solids concentration. LSL+night LED treatment also provided an increased accumulation of five essential amino acids associated with the taste characteristics of fruits, namely histidine, valine, threonine, licin, and the sum of isoleucine. In addition, the contents of lysine and methionine increased in the ‘Lyana’ cultivar. LSL+night LED treatment was also noted to have a less pronounced effect on the contents of aspartic acid and asparagine, as bio stimulators of plant growth processes, as well as the amino acids arginine, serine, glycine, and tyrosine, which were additionally consumed to restore photosynthesis. LSL+night LED treatment reduced the concentration of nitrates in fruits, which is a toxic element for human health. Overall, the results of the study are believed to be demanded in practical applications, with potential benefits in improving the elements of resource-saving technology for growing vegetable crops.

Background. Distrust of technology is an important barrier to its implementation into human life. In the research of attitude to computers and automated systems, special attention in psychological science has been paid to attitudes towards technology: technophobia and technophilia. Objective: The aim is to adapt two questionnaires to Russian sample in order to measure the technophobia and technophilia attitudes, as well as to evaluate their psychometric properties. Methods. The adaptation of the questionnaires was carried out in accordance with the requirements of psychometric standards. As part of the work, the methods of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the internal structure of the techniques. Correlation analysis was used to obtain evidence supporting questionnaires validity. Sample. At the first stage of the study, 275 people filled out questionnaires on technophobia and technophilia, of which 194 were women (71 %) and 81 were men (29 %), the average age was 33.5 years (SD = 13.93). The second part of the study involved 545 employees of a large financial sector organization. Results. The methods showed sufficient reliability indicators on the scales (the Cronbach's α coefficient is higher than 0.8) and the expected correlation coefficients of the results on the questionnaires with each other and with questionnaires aimed at assessing personal anxiety, self-efficacy and personality traits (HEXACO). The internal structure of the adaptation of the questionnaires was analyzed with confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. However, the hypothesis of the stability of the internal structure for each scale was not confirmed. Conclusion. Adapted questionnaires can be used for research purposes. It is necessary to continue collecting empirical data on both questionnaires. Practical application of the results. The proposed versions of the questionnaires can be used to assess technophobic and technophilic attitudes without dividing these scales into subscales. The authors have proposed an alternative version of dividing items into subscales for the technophobia questionnaire, while this version is considered as potentially more suitable, although it requires additional analysis on new data sets.

The paper notes the potential for enhancing seed productivity through exposure to an electromagnetic field. It touches upon both theoretical and practical considerations for developing an experimental laboratory plant for pre-sowing seed treatment using a low-frequency electromagnetic field and aiming to achieve a magnetobiological effect. (Research purpose) The study aims to investigate the influence of low-frequency electromagnetic field on the composition and properties of grain seeds. (Materials and methods) Standard emitters, characterized by a magnetic induction variability of 3-75 millitesla and a radiation frequency of 1-100 Hertz, were employed to ensure the necessary treatment parameters for a batch of seeds. (Results and discussion) The study investigates the impact of magnetization on the germination process, germination energy, and the physical and chemical properties of seeds subjected to different parameters of a low-frequency electromagnetic field (ranging from 3 to 75 millitesla in magnetic induction and a radiation frequency of 10-16 Hertz).The quality of the effect was analyzed with respect to the installation parameters and seed mass, ranging from 10 to 500 grams, across various cereal crops. Subsequently, specific modes were identified, and a functional irradiation program was devised to ensure a highly effective impact on seeds, optimizing their germination, sprouting and development. (Conclusions) The impact of a low-frequency electromagnetic field on the composition and properties of grain has been studied. An experimental laboratory plant with sources of a low-frequency electromagnetic field has been developed and irradiation modes have been justified. The pre-sowing treatment of an industrial batch, the magnetobiological effect is contingent upon several factors, including the crop type and variety, activation of a biological complex in a cell that initiates the development of a seedling, seed quality and moisture content, the presence of microorganisms on the surface, pathogenic ones included, and the characteristics of irradiation sources and energy parameters. The parameters of the low-frequency electromagnetic field were determined as follows: magnetic induction ranging from 3 to 75 millitesla, a frequency 10-16 Hertz, and seed weight varying from 10 to 500 grams. These identified parameters will be applied in the development of an industrial unit designed for the preparation of seed material and enhancement of its sowing properties.