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The socio-economical importance of geological heritage (geoheritage) makes it a geological resource. New minerals are reported regularly, and their type specimens and localities are ex-situ and in-situ constituents of geoheritage, respectively. The present study focuses on the contemporary dynamics of these specific resources. For this purpose, the information about new minerals reported during the past five years is analyzed. The attention is paid to the distribution of the new mineral specimens (holotypes and cotypes) and their type localities by country; the transboundary replacement of new minerals is also considered. It is established that the new minerals-related geoheritage resources are accumulated in dozens of countries. The ex-situ geoheritage (specimens in museum collections) is represented twice narrower than the in-situ geoheritage (localities as geosites). About a half of new minerals are replaced to the other countries and often to the other parts of the world. The registered patterns are explained by the peculiarities of the contemporary mineralogical research. The outcomes of the present analysis permit to make recommendations for the development of the optimal geoheritage policy.

Geomorphosite inventory remains an urgent task for many geographical domains where it can facilitate the exploration of geoheritage resources. The present study reports a new and sufficient portion of information from Mountainous Adygeya in southwestern Russia, which is a geoheritage-rich area in the western part of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The Cossack, Monk, and Three Teeth mountains were analyzed qualitatively and semi-quantitatively. Their morphology and geological settings were described, their geoheritage properties were scored by several criteria, and their cultural meanings were considered. It was established that the total heritage values of these geomorphosites are comparable. The challenging accessibility of these landforms is offset by the availability of sites for distant observation. Each proposed geomorphosite has its own cultural meaning reflected by its name. The proposed geomorphosites are constituents of the geoheritage resources of Mountainous Adygeya, and they can be exploited via local product branding and georoute functioning.

Abstract Geological and geomorphological heritage (geoheritage) has many aspects, some of which are yet to be fully understood. Particularly, a scientific value of geo(morpho)sites is defined differently and established with not fully satisfying approaches. The attention to the El-Medallat hills, which are a group of small inselbergs in the southern Western Desert of Egypt, required the development of a new approach to focus on a scientific utility. The latter is not equated to the total value of geo(morpho)sites and their scientific value. The El-Medallat hills are put into the context of the international research in inselbergs. The relevant journal articles were collected, and the information from them was extracted to understand the relation of the El-Medallat hills to geographical and lithological foci of the international research in inselbergs. It is established that inselbergs were rarely reported from the Saharan domain of Africa, and sandstone inselbergs were studied much less intensively than granite ones. These lines of evidence imply the relatively high scientific utility of the El-Medallat geomorphosite due to its location in the Saharan domain of Africa and sandstone composition. The proposed approach is distinguished by an emphasis on research potential of geo(morpho)sites in the light of the international research experience.

Abstract While first-principles methods have been successfully applied to characterize individual properties of multi-principal element alloys (MPEA), their use in searching for optimal trade-offs between competing properties is hampered by high computational demands. In this work, we present a framework to explore Pareto-optimal compositions by integrating advanced ab initio-based techniques into a Bayesian multi-objective optimization workflow, complemented by a simple analytical model providing straightforward analysis of trends. We benchmark the framework by applying it to solid solution strengthening and ductility of refractory MPEAs, with the parameters of the strengthening and ductility models being efficiently computed using a combination of the coherent-potential approximation method, accounting for finite-temperature effects, and actively-learned moment-tensor potentials parameterized with ab initio data. Properties obtained from ab initio calculations are subsequently used to extend predictions of all relevant material properties to a large class of refractory alloys with the help of the analytical model validated by the data and relying on a few element-specific parameters and universal functions that describe bonding between elements. Our findings offer crucial insights into the traditional strength-vs-ductility dilemma of refractory MPEAs. The proposed framework is versatile and can be extended to other materials and properties of interest, enabling a predictive and tractable high-throughput screening of Pareto-optimal MPEAs over the entire composition space.

Abstract Present acceleration of interest in geoheritage makes urgent a very large inventory of geosites in all parts of the world, which task cannot be achieved by only geoconservationists. Pure geological publications seem to be promising to deal with geosites without visiting them. To realize the existence of such an opportunity, ten fresh examples of research articles reporting exceptional palaeogeographical localities from the different geographical domains and geological time slices were considered. A semi-quantitative, score-based assessment of suitability (quality) of the published information was undertaken. This procedure should be distinguished from geosite evaluation, which is not the aim of this study. It was found that the outcomes of pure geological research published in journal articles can really help to identify world-class geosites, although the information from these articles is not enough to characterize geosites (especially regarding such properties as accessibility and vulnerability). Finding additional literature and realizing conservation status are the other challenges of geosite inventories based on only journal articles. Some recommendations for writing geoheritage-unrelated articles so to satisfy the needs of geoconservation were given.

Digital management issues are extensive and are often considered from a general theoretical point of view, which makes manifestation of well-systematized practical guidelines relevant. The article presents a review of a recent and successful work on digital governance. The book consists of two introductory sections and 12 chapters combined into three parts. The issues considered in the reviewed work relate to digitalization processes and their impact on management activities, collective intelligence, and the possibilities of its application in organizational management implementation, as well as artificial intelligence, its technologies, and prospects for their use in modern management. It is strongly recommended that these technologies be implemented as part of pilot projects with testing of their effectiveness and subsequent retrofitting. It is established that the author does not focus on purely technological aspects, but, firstly, shows the continuity and interrelation of “classical” and digital management and, secondly, focuses on a manager’s personality and new challenges for them in the context of digitalization. The book is characterized by an academic, but at the same time simple and well-structured presentation of complex material. There are a lot of specifics, examples, and recommendations. Some aspects of digital management remained out of the author’s of the book field of view, but such incompleteness is inevitable. The book can be useful for specialists, teachers, and university students, as well as managers themselves.

Geological heritage sites (geosites) have various properties such as accessibility, geometry, and vulnerability, as well as age. It is reasonable to distinguish the geological ages related to the content of geosites (e.g., Early Ordovician or Valanginian) from the technical ages related to the physical appearance (forms) of geosites (e.g., Late Pleistocene, Prehistoric, or 21st century). This study examines 17 geosites known from the Western Caucasus—a geologically-rich area of the Greater Caucasus orogen. The revision and the update of the stratigraphical information allow to establish their geological ages. The technical ages are defined as old (before the 19th century), historical (19th–20th centuries), or young (the beginning of the 21st century). The results show that the analyzed geosites shed light on the lengthy time span (from the late Proterozoic to the Quaternary), and the Cisuralian–Early Cretaceous sedimentary succession of the study area is represented with significant completeness. Technically, the geosites are chiefly old, although the historical and young features are also common. The outcomes of this study do not only systematize the knowledge of the ages of the geosites from the Western Caucasus, but also have several practical implications (for instance, the conservation of the technically young geosites is the priority, and the geological ages are important to arrange the geosites logically for educational and touristic excursions).

The Rudny Altai is a western segment of the Altai orogenic belt. Its geological richness makes its geoheritage exploration an urgent matter. Investigations in the Loktevsky District (Altai Region, Russian Federation) have led to the finding of three notable localities, which are proposed as geosites. Field investigations and both qualitative and semi-quantitative (scoring by criteria) studies were carried out to characterize and value the geoheritage properties of these localities. The Neverovsky palaeoreef is a relatively large geosite, representing a Frasnian reef developed on a volcanic edifice. The Zolotukha section and the Razdolnoe section are smaller geosites representing deep-marine facies of the Giventian–Frasnian transition and the late Frasnian, respectively. Seven geoheritage types are established in the Neverovsky palaeoreef, and four geoheritage types are established in the other two geosites. Examination of rarity, accessibility, vulnerability, and other properties allows the ranking of the Neverovsky palaeoreef globally and the other two geosites regionally. The three proposed geosites need special geoconservation measures (especially regarding their rich fossil content). The palaeoreef can be used for the promotion of local tourism.

The novelty of this research lies in the successful fabrication of a 3D-printed honeycomb structure filled with nanofillers for acoustic properties, utilizing an impedance tube setup in accordance with ASTM standard E 1050-12. The Creality Ender-3, a 3D printer, was used for printing the honeycomb structures, and polylactic acid (PLA) material was employed for their construction. The organic, inorganic, and polymeric compounds within the composites were identified using fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The structure and homogeneity of the samples were examined using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). To determine the sound absorption coefficient of the 3D printed honeycomb structure, numerous samples were systematically developed using central composite design (CCD) and analysed using response surface methodology (RSM). The RSM mathematical model was established to predict the optimum values of each factor and noise reduction coefficient (NRC). The optimum values for an NRC of 0.377 were found to be 1.116 wt% carbon black, 1.025 wt% aluminium powder, and 3.151 mm distance between parallel edges. Overall, the results demonstrate that a 3D-printed honeycomb structure filled with nanofillers is an excellent material that can be utilized in various fields, including defence and aviation, where lightweight and acoustic properties are of great importance.

Geoheritage is an important resource for contemporary society, and the inventory of geosites remains an urgent task, especially in geologically rich, but poorly known regions. The present study offers a systematic description of the Partisan Glade geosite, which is a large, elongated locality in the western Greater Caucasus. There, tourist activities have accelerated significantly in the past decade. This geosite represents Lower–Middle Jurassic deep-marine siliciclastics, and it shows Upper Jurassic carbonates, unusual landforms, landslides, and tectonic structures. The geosite is heterogeneous, and it consists of five parts with different properties. The Partisan Glade geosite is important for geological research and education. It can also be employed in geotourism development. The multiple scenic views and fascinating landscape contribute to the importance of this geosite as a rising tourist attraction. Some practical implications concerning conservation and planning issues are specified.

Objectives: To determine if early (three months) and late (one year) post-operative continence is improved by performing a novel retropubic vascularised fascial sling (RoboSling) procedure concurrently with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in men undergoing treatment for localised prostate cancer. To additionally assess surgical outcomes, quality of life and health economic outcomes in patients undergoing the novel RoboSling technique. Methods: This study aims to recruit 120 consecutive patients with clinically localised prostate cancer who have chosen to undergo robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in the Sydney Local Health District, Australia. A prospective assessment of early and late post-operative continence following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with and without a RoboSling procedure will be performed in a two-group, 1:1, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Four surgeons will take part in the study, all of whom are beyond their learning curve. Patients will be blinded as to whether the RoboSling procedure is performed for them, as will be the research officers collecting the post-operative data on urinary function. Trial Registration: ACTRN12618002058257. Results: The trial is currently underway. Conclusions: The RoboSling technique is unique in that the sling is vascularised and has a broad surface area compared to previously described slings in the literature. If a clinically significant improvement in post-operative continence is established with the RoboSling, then, we can in turn expect improvements in quality of life for men undergoing this technique with radical prostatectomy.

The active processes of digitalisation of socio-economic systems require modifications of managerial activities which should be facilitated by relevant scientific developments. This article is a review of the monograph devoted to peculiarities of management in the conditions of digital transformation and written by the international team of specialists. The work includes 9 main chapters which address very different aspects of the problem and particularly control during digitalisation, technology transfer, talent management, interaction with customers, marketing tools, e-commerce, functioning of virtual teams, inter-organisational collaboration, management of digital waste. Generally, it is found that despite the fact that digitalisation opens new perspectives for managerial activities, it also forms significant difficulties, and its effects are ambivalent or can often be negative. The considered research field seems to be rather poorly studied, and the monograph successfully poses new questions for the subsequent investigations. The reviewed work demonstrates the mosaic composition; nonetheless, it is informative and offers an original view of the problem. It contains a lot of interesting conceptual constructs and is rich in factual materials. Also, the edition is distinguished by a substantial number of terms, and the available subject index facilitates better orientation in the latter. The style is purely academic, but the potential readership seems to be wide. Despite a few minor deficiencies, the monograph, undoubtedly, will be interesting to Russian specialists.