Have a Good Trip! Expanding our Concepts of the Quality of Everyday Travelling with Flow Theory

The dominant tradition in transport planning and policy practice considers travel as a derived activity and travel time as an economic disutility. A growing body of literature is challenging this perspective, demonstrating that being ‘on the move’ is a rich experience interlaced with profound shared and individual meanings that can have positive implications on quality of life, well-being and personal development. Yet, mobility in general, and commuting in particular, is often reported as one of the least pleasant daily experiences and as a source of massive environmental impacts. This exploratory article hypothesizes that flow theory, based on Csikszentmihalyi´s seminal work on optimal states of consciousness, has the potential to offer important insights that can contribute to research and policy action on achieving both sustainable and satisfying forms of daily mobility. The article draws on an online exploratory questionnaire in order to reflect on flow theory in relation to the capacity of different mobility modes to either facilitate or constrain the occurrence and duration of optimal states of consciousness. Preliminary conclusions provide a basis for outlining a set of future research directions aimed at better understanding mobility experiences and their relationships with flow theory

Determination of generations X, Y, Z user preferences in the Russian mobile application market

In the work, the authors reveal the user preferences of the mobile application market. The study is based on the Strauss–Howe generational theory. The mobile application market appears to be dynamic and fast-growing in an environment of exponential growth in consumer demand and a highly competitive environment. In the article, the authors classify and identify categories and subcategories of mobile applications based on their functional and value purpose. This classification formed the basis for determining the dependence based on the analysis of contingency matrices between the preference of the application for its purpose and the age category of the user, which made it possible to identify the relationship between generations of users and their choice of certain types of applications. The text provides a justification for the choice of certain applications on a daily basis by generations X, Y, Z. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that the authors examine a market, the rapid growth of which is conditioned by the global socio-economic situation. The information obtained during the analysis of user preferences of the Russian mobile application market can be used by specialists in determining the target audience of a digital product and developing marketing strategies

Plant regeneration from seeds responds to phylogenetic relatedness and local adaptation in Mediterranean Romulea (Iridaceae) species

Seed germination is the most important transitional event between early stages in the life cycle of spermatophytes and understanding it is crucial to understand plant adaptation and evolution. However, so far seed germination of phylogenetically closely related species has been poorly investigated. To test the hypothises that phylogenetically related plant species have similar seed ecophysiological traits thereby reflecting certain habitat conditions as a result of local adaptation, we studied seed dormancy and germination in seven Mediterranean species in the genus Romulea (Iridaceae). Both the across-species model and the model accounting for shared evolutionary history showed that cool temperatures (≤ 15°C) were the main factor that promoted seed germination. The absence of embryo growth before radicle emergence is consistent with a prompt germination response at cool temperatures. The range of temperature conditions for germination became wider after a period of warm stratification, denoting a weak primary dormancy. Altogether these results indicate that the studied species exhibit a Mediterranean germination syndrome, but with species-specific germination requirements clustered in a way that follows the phylogenetic relatedness among those species. In addition, species with heavier seeds from humid habitats showed a wider range of conditions for germination at dispersal time than species from dry habitats possessing lighter seeds. We conclude that while phylogenetically related species showed very similar germination requirements, there are subtle ecologically meaningful differences, confirming the onset of adaptation to local ecological factors mediated by species relatedness

IRI-2012 MODEL ADAPTABILITY ESTIMATION FOR AUTOMATED PROCESSING OF VERTICAL SOUNDING IONOGRAMS

The paper deals with possibility of IRI-2012 global empirical model applying to the vertical sounding of the ionosphere semiautomatic data processing. Main ionosphere characteristics from vertical sounding data at IZMIRAN Voeikovo station in February 2013 were compared with IRI-2012 model calculation results. 2688 model values and 1866 real values of f0F2, f0E, hmF2, hmE were processed. E and F2 layers critical frequency (f0E, f0F2) and the maximum altitudes (hmF2, hmE) were determined from the ionograms. Vertical profiles of the electron concentration were restored with IRI-2012 model by measured frequency and height. The model calculation was also made without the inclusion of the real vertical sounding data. Monthly averages and standard deviations (σ) for the parameters f0F2, f0E, hmF2, hmE for each hour of the day were calculated according to the vertical sounding and model values. Model applicability conditions for automated processing of ionograms for subauroral ionosphere were determined. Initial IRI-2012 model can be applied in the sub-auroral ionograms processing at daytime with undisturbed conditions in the absence of sporadic ionization. In this case model calculations can be adjusted by the near-time vertical sounding data. IRI-2012 model values for f0E (in daytime) and hmF2 can be applied to reduce computational costs in the systems of automatic parameters search and preliminary determination of the searching area range for the main parameters. IRI-2012 model can be used for a more accurate approximation of the real data series in the absence of the real values. In view of sporadic ionization, ionosphere models of the high latitudes must be applied with corpuscular ions formation unit

Improved measurements of ICRF antenna input impedance at ASDEX Upgrade during ICRF coupling studies

A new set of diagnostics has been implemented on ASDEX Upgrade to measure the input impedance of the ICRF antennas, in the form of a voltage and current probe pair installed on each feeding line of every antenna. Besides allowing the measurement of the reflection coefficient Γ of each antenna port, the probes have two advantages: first, they are located close to the antenna ports (∼3 m) and thus the measurements are not affected by the uncertainties due to the transmission and matching network; second, they are independent of matching conditions. These diagnostics have been used to study the behavior of the ASDEX Upgrade antennas while changing the plasma shape (low to high triangularity) and applying magnetic perturbations (MPs) via saddle coils. Scans in the separatrix position Rsep were also performed. Upper triangularity δo was increased from 0.1 to 0.3 (with the lower triangularity δu kept roughly constant at 0.45) and significant decreases in |Γ| (up to ∼30%, markedly improving antenna coupling) and moderate changes in phase (up to ∼5°) of Γ on each feeding line were observed approximately at δo ≥ 0.29. During MPs (in ∼0.5 s pulses with a coil current of 1 kA), a smaller response was observed: 6% - 7% in |Γ|, with changes in phase of ∼5° apparently due to Rsep scans only. As |Γ| is usually in the range 0.8 - 0.9, this still leads to a significant increase in possible coupled power. Numerical simulations of the antenna behavior were carried out using the FELICE code; the simulation results are in qualitative agreement with experimental measurements. The results presented here complement the studies on the influence of gas injection and MPs on the ICRF antenna performance presented in [4]

ANXIOLYTIC EFFECT OF HERBAL REMEDY «NOOPHYT»

It was determined that liquid extract of herbal remedy «Noophyt» had. a sedative effect in unpunishable behaviour conditions. The remedy reliably increases number of exits and duration of stay in open branches of uplifted. X-shaped labyrinth number of transitions and. duration of stay in a light part of dark/light chamber