bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a community orientation program (COP) as a community-based medical education method for undergraduate medical students: an experience from India
Authors: Narapureddy Bayapa Reddy , Patan Shakeer Kahn , Deepthi C. Sravana , Chaudhuri Sirshendu , John K. R. , Chittooru Chandrasekar , Babu Surendra , Nagoor Khadervali , Jeeragyal Devika , Basha Jawahar , Nell Theo , Reddy Ravi Shankar
Published: December 2021

Background

Intra-regional cultural and linguistic differences are common in low- and middle-income countries. To sensitise undergraduate medical students to the social and contextual determinants of health to achieve the ‘health for all’ goal, these countries must focus on innovative teaching methods. The early introduction of a Community Orientation Program (COP) as a Community-based Medical Education (CBME) method could be a game changing strategy. In this paper the methods, evaluation, and implication of the COP in an Indian setting are described.

Methods

The curriculum of the COP was developed based on the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model for educational intervention. In this learner-centric and supervised educational program, the key aim was to focus on developing students’ communication skills, observation power and enhancing their motivation for learning through collaborative learning. To meet the objectives of the COP, a situated learning model under the constructivism theory was adopted.

Results

Between 2016 and 2019, 557 students were trained through the COP by visiting more than 1300 households in ten villages. To supplement the students’ observations in the community, more than 150 small group discussions, a health education programme for the community and summary presentations were conducted. The students’ feedback indicated the need to improve the clinical examinations demonstration quality and increase the number of instruments for clinical examinations. More than 80% of students felt that the program would assist them to improve their communication skills, their understanding of the various socio-demographic factors associated with the common diseases, and it will enable them to respect the local culture during their clinical practice.

Conclusions

Early initiation of the COP as a CBME method in the undergraduate medical curriculum in an Indian setting has shown promising results. Further evidence is required to adopt such a program routinely for under-graduate medical teaching in the low- and middle- income settings.
Kernel principal components based cascade forest towards disease identification with human microbiota
Authors: Zhou Jiayu , Ye Yanqing , Jiang Jiang
Published: December 2021

Background

Numerous pieces of clinical evidence have shown that many phenotypic traits of human disease are related to their gut microbiome, i.e., inflammation, obesity, HIV, and diabetes. Through supervised classification, it is feasible to determine the human disease states by revealing the intestinal microbiota compositional information. However, the abundance matrix of microbiome data is so sparse, an interpretable deep model is crucial to further represent and mine the data for expansion, such as the deep forest model. What’s more, overfitting can still exist in the original deep forest model when dealing with such “large p, small n” biology data. Feature reduction is considered to improve the ensemble forest model especially towards the disease identification in the human microbiota.

Methods

In this work, we propose the kernel principal components based cascade forest method, so-called KPCCF, to classify the disease states of patients by using taxonomic profiles of the microbiome at the family level. In detail, the kernel principal components analysis method is first used to reduce the original dimension of human microbiota datasets. Besides, the processed data is fed into the cascade forest to preliminarily discriminate against the disease state of the samples.

Results

The proposed KPCCF algorithm can represent the small-scale and high-dimension human microbiota datasets with the sparse feature matrix. Systematic comparison experiments demonstrate that our method consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art methods with the comparative study on 4 datasets.

Conclusion

Despite sharing some common characteristics, a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist in any space. The traditional depth model has limitations in the biological application of the unbalanced scale between small samples and high dimensions. KPCCF distinguishes from the standard deep forest model for its excellent performance in the microbiota field. Additionally, compared to other dimensionality reduction methods, the kernel principal components analysis method is more suitable for microbiota datasets.
Overnight variation in tidal expiratory flow limitation in COPD patients and its correction: an observational study
Authors: McKenzie J. , Nisha P. , Cannon-Bailey S. , Cain C. , Kissel M. , Stachel J. , Proscyk C. , Romano R. , Hardy B. , Calverley P. M. A.
Published: December 2021

Background

Tidal expiratory flow limitation (EFLT) is common among COPD patients. Whether EFLT changes during sleep and can be abolished during home ventilation is not known.

Methods

COPD patients considered for noninvasive ventilation used a ventilator which measured within-breath reactance change at 5 Hz (∆Xrs) and adjusted EPAP settings to abolish EFLT. Participants flow limited (∆Xrs > 2.8) when supine underwent polysomnography (PSG) and were offered home ventilation for 2 weeks. The EPAP pressure that abolished EFLT was measured and compared to that during supine wakefulness. Ventilator adherence and subjective patient perceptions were obtained after home use.

Results

Of 26 patients with supine EFLT, 15 completed overnight PSG and 10 the home study. In single night and 2-week home studies, EFLT within and between participants was highly variable. This was unrelated to sleep stage or body position with only 14.6% of sleep time spent within 1 cmH2O of the awake screening pressure. Over 2 weeks, mean EPAP was almost half the mean maximum EPAP (11.7 vs 6.4 cmH2O respectively). Group mean ∆Xrs was ≤ 2.8 for 77.3% of their home use with a mean time to abolish new EFLT of 5.91 min. Adherence to the ventilator varied between 71 and 100% in prior NIV users and 36–100% for naïve users with most users rating therapy as comfortable.

Conclusions

Tidal expiratory flow limitation varies significant during sleep in COPD patients. This can be controlled by auto-titrating the amount of EPAP delivered. This approach appears to be practical and well tolerated by patients.

Trial registration: The trial was retrospectively registered at CT.gov NCT04725500.
BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) induces lung cancer stem cell phenotypes by stimulating CD44 expression
Authors: Jiang Pan , Li Fan , Liu Zilong , Hao Shengyu , Gao Jian , Li Shanqun
Published: December 2021

Background

Growing evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for cancer initiation in tumors. Bach1 has been identified to contribute to several tumor progression, including lung cancer. The role of Bach1 in CSCs remains poorly known. Therefore, the function of Bach1 on lung CSCs was focused currently.

Methods

The expression of Bach1, CD133, CD44, Sox2, Nanog and Oct4 mRNA was assessed using Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Protein expression of Bach1, CD133, CD44, Sox2, Nanog, Oct4, p53, BCL2, BAX, p-p38, p-AKT1, c-Fos and c-Jun protein was analyzed by western blotting. 5-ethynyl-29-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation, Flow cytometry analysis and transwell invasion assay were carried out to analyze lung cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion respectively. Tumor sphere formation assay was utilized to evaluate spheroid capacity. Flow cytometry analysis was carried out to isolate CD133 or CD44 positive lung cancer cells. The relationship between Bach1 and CD44 was verified using ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Xenograft tumor tissues were collected for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and IHC analysis to evaluate histology and Ki-67.

Results

The ratio of CD44 + CSCs from A549 and SPC-A1 cells were significantly enriched. Tumor growth of CD44 + CSCs was obviously suppressed in vivo compared to CD44− CSCs. Bach1 expression was obviously increased in CD44 + CSCs. Then, via using the in vitro experiment, it was observed that CSCs proliferation and invasion were greatly reduced by the down-regulation of Bach1 while cell apoptosis was triggered by knockdown of Bach1. Loss of Bach1 was able to repress tumor-sphere formation and tumor-initiating CSC markers. A repression of CSCs growth and metastasis of shRNA-Bach1 was confirmed using xenograft models and caudal vein injection. The direct interaction between Bach1 and CD44 was confirmed by ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway was selected and we proved the effects of Bach1 on lung CSCs were associated with the activation of the MAPK pathway. As manifested, loss of Bach1 was able to repress p-p38, p-AKT1, c-Fos, c-Jun protein levels in lung CSCs. Inhibition of MAPK signaling remarkably restrained lung CSCs growth and CSCs properties induced by Bach1 overexpression.

Conclusion

In summary, we imply that Bach1 demonstrates great potential for the treatment of lung cancer metastasis and recurrence via activating CD44 and MPAK signaling.
Multi-omics analysis defines 5-fluorouracil drug resistance in 3D HeLa carcinoma cell model
Authors: Wang Lin , Wang Xueting , Wang Tong , Zhuang Yingping , Wang Guan
Published: December 2021

Cervical cancer is a serious health problem in women around the globe. However, the use of clinical drug is seriously dampened by the development of drug resistance. Efficient in vitro tumor model is essential to improve the efficiency of drug screening and the accuracy of clinical application. Multicellular tumor spheroids (MTSs) can in a way recapitulates tumor traits in vivo, thereby representing a powerful transitional model between 2D monolayer culture and xenograft. In this study, based on the liquid overlay method, a protocol for rapid generation of the MTSs with uniform size and high reproducibility in a high-throughput manner was established. As expected, the cytotoxicity results showed that there was enhanced 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance of HeLa carcinoma cells in 3D MTSs than 2D monolayer culture with a resistance index of 5.72. In order to obtain a holistic view of the molecular mechanisms that drive 5-FU resistance in 3D HeLa carcinoma cells, a multi-omics study was applied to discover hidden biological regularities. It was observed that in the 3D MTSs mitochondrial function-related proteins and the metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) were significantly decreased, and the cellular metabolism was shifted towards glycolysis. The differences in the protein synthesis, processing, and transportation between 2D monolayer cultures and 3D MTSs were significant, mainly in the heat shock protein family, with the up-regulation of protein folding function in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which promoted the maintenance of ER homeostasis in the 3D MTSs. In addition, at the transcript and protein level, the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (e.g., laminin and collagen) were up-regulated in the 3D MTSs, which enhanced the physical barrier of drug penetration. Summarizing, this study formulates a rapid, scalable and reproducible in vitro model of 3D MTS for drug screening purposes, and the findings establish a critical role of glycolytic metabolism, ER hemostasis and ECM proteins expression profiling in tumor chemoresistance of HeLa carcinoma cells towards 5-FU.

Graphical Abstract
Temporal and spatial changes in reactive astrogliosis examined by 18F-THK5351 positron emission tomography in a patient with severe traumatic brain injury
Authors: Hatakeyama Tetsuhiro , Kawakita Kenya , Kawai Nobuyuki , Shishido Hajime , Yamamoto Yuka , Nishiyama Yoshihiro , Miyake Keisuke
Published: December 2021

Background

The positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand 18F-THK5351 is now used to evaluate monoamine oxidase B expression in the reactive astrogliosis seen in various central nervous diseases. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to induce reactive astrogliosis in the lesion site. This is a first report to examine the spatial and temporal changes in reactive astrogliosis as evaluated by 18F-THK5351 after a severe TBI.

Case presentation

A 27-year-old man suffering from a severe TBI with multiple brain contusions was examined using 18F-THK5351 PET/CT in the subacute and chronic phases after the injury. The first PET scan, performed 46 days after the TBI, showed intense uptake of 18F-THK5351 in and around the brain contusions. The second PET scan, performed 271 days after the TBI, showed reduced uptake of 18F-THK5351 at the original sites of the brain contusions and increased uptakes in the white matter surrounding the contusions and the corpus callosum. The patient exhibited sustained improvement of neuropsychological impairment between the two PET examinations and remarkable recovery from the severe TBI.

Conclusions

There were evident temporal and spatial changes in 18F-THK5351 uptake in the traumatized brain between the two PET examinations. These changes may have been related to the remarkable neurological recovery in this patient. The degree and distribution of reactive astrogliosis detected by 18F-THK5351 PET may be useful in assessing pathophysiology and predicting prognosis in TBI patients.
Injectable wireless microdevices: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Khalifa Adam , Lee Sunwoo , Molnar Alyosha Christopher , Cash Sydney
Published: December 2021

In the past three decades, we have witnessed unprecedented progress in wireless implantable medical devices that can monitor physiological parameters and interface with the nervous system. These devices are beginning to transform healthcare. To provide an even more stable, safe, effective, and distributed interface, a new class of implantable devices is being developed; injectable wireless microdevices. Thanks to recent advances in micro/nanofabrication techniques and powering/communication methodologies, some wireless implantable devices are now on the scale of dust (< 0.5 mm), enabling their full injection with minimal insertion damage. Here we review state-of-the-art fully injectable microdevices, discuss their injection techniques, and address the current challenges and opportunities for future developments.
Self-management and its associated factors among people living with diabetes in Blantyre, Malawi: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kwanjo Banda Chimwemwe , Gombachika Belinda T. , Nyirenda Moffat J. , Muula Adamson Sinjani
Published: December 2021

Background: Self-management is key to the control of glycaemia and prevention of complications in people with diabetes. Many people with diabetes in Malawi have poorly controlled glucose and they experience diabetes-related complications. This study aimed to assess diabetes self-management behaviours and to identify factors associated with it among people with diabetes at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 510 adults attending a diabetes clinic at a teaching referral hospital in southern Malawi. The social cognitive theory was applied to identify factors associated with following all recommended self-management behaviours. Data on participants’ demographics, clinical history, diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, social support, environmental barriers and diabetes self-management were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with following all self-management behaviours.

Results: The mean age of participants was 53.6 (SD 13.3) years. The majority (82%) were females. Self-reported medication adherence within the last seven days was 88.6%; 77% reported being physically active for at least 30 minutes on more than three days in the previous seven days; 69% reported checking their feet every day and inspecting inside their shoes; 58% reported following a healthy diet regularly. Only 33% reported following all the self-management behaviours regularly.  Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that self-efficacy was the only social cognitive factor associated with following all the self-management practices (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Participants in our study were not consistently achieving all self-management practices with dietary practices being the least adhered to behaviour by many. To improve self-management practices of people with diabetes, current health education programs should not only aim at improving diabetes related knowledge but also self-efficacy. Adopting interventions that promote self-efficacy in diabetes patients such as exposure to role models, peer education, providing positive feedback, and counselling is recommended.
NEUROPSYCHIC POLYMORPHISM OF JUVENILE SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
Authors: Minakova Yu. , Silenko M. , Ivanova O.
Published: December 2021

Damage to the nervous system (neurolupus) is one of the most common clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in childhood, and is also considered as an unfavorable prognostic criterion for the course of this disease. Neurolupus is characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations in both children and adult patients, which is due in most cases to a common pathogenetic mechanism - the formation of systemic microvasculitis. The non-specificity and variability of neuropsychiatric symptoms, which may appear already at the onset of the disease, significantly complicate the early diagnosis of SLE and necessitate a close acquaintance of the pediatrician with neurolupus polymorphism in children.
On the origins and chronology of the Wolin emporium
Authors: Rębkowski Marian
Published: December 2021

The paper concerns the problem of the origin of Wolin as an emporium in the early Middle Ages. The excavations conducted in the 1960s and 1970s in the Old Town of Wolin recorded extremely rich cultural deposits of considerable thickness, in some cases exceeding eight meters. Results of recent studies on the finds and on the archival documentation from these excavations indicate that it can be dated to the period between circa 800–1400. During this time four main stages of land-use in the place are clearly visible. The second of them, dated since circa 850 up to circa 1100, involved a large settlement of the area of a few hectars with a tightly packed, regularly laid-out wooden buildings and wood-paved communication roads leading to the port. The size of the settlement, its regular layout and a building style are alien to the Baltic Slavic region of that period. Considering also remains of intense craft production recorded on the site, it may be concluded that in that period there was a craft and trade settlement with all the features of a Baltic emporium. This was established in the place of an older, small, seasonal settlement. The transformation and the growth of the settlement must have been related to the development of the so-called Baltic economic zone of the Viking period and can be also attributed to a change in communication routes in the mouth of the Oder and the collapse of the craft and trade settlement in Menzlin on the Peene.
city and river in pre-industrial East-Central Europe. Case study: Wrocław
Authors: Piekalski Jerzy , Duma Paweł , Jaworski Krzysztof , Boguszewicz Artur
Published: December 2021

The aim of the article is to assess the relationship between living conditions in the city and the natural environment determined by a large lowland river. This problem was examined via the example of Wrocław, the main city in Lower Silesia, which developed on the border of cultural and political zones. The natural hydrographic network and the scope of anthropogenic changes are presented. Also analysed are aspects of the land’s suitability for construction, water supply techniques for crafts and townspeople’s houses, drainage techniques, protection of street and squares surfaces against mud, and the use of water for defensive purposes. The chronological framework extends from the beginning of settlement to industrialisation and the introduction of modern water and sewage techniques in the 19th century.
beginnings of the Teutonic state in the light of the latest studies
Authors: Wiewióra Marcin
Published: December 2021

In 2016–2018, non-invasive and archaeological research was carried out in historical Chełmno Land in north-central Poland as part of the ‘Castra Terrae Culmensis, at the edges of the Christian world’ (project ‘Castra Terrae Culmensis – na rubieży chrześcijańskiego świata’), whose main aim was to clarify key questions regarding the beginnings of the State of the Teutonic Order in Prussia. Discoveries included the remains of a previously unrecognised stronghold founded in the 1230s and a castle in Unisław that was the residence of the Teutonic commandry beginning in the 1280s. After a search of lasting more than 100 years, the relics of Chełmno, the oldest Teutonic city after Toruń, were also discovered. The article presents the resultsof geophysical, archaeological and geomatic analyses that confirm historical records in the 14th-century Teutonic Chronicle and helped to reconstruct the history of the oldest Teutonic earth-and-timber strongholds and cities chartered under Chełmno law stood.
treasure of Środa as a source for research on medieval symbols and migrations
Authors: Wachowska Małgorzata , Wachowski Krzysztof
Published: December 2021

Analysis of the symbolism of engagements, wedding ceremonies and wedding celebrations does not allow us to strictly define the symbols associated with these occasions. It is also difficult to determine the variation in symbolism in time and space. Nevertheless, a list of certain symbols has been established: the hand-in-hand gesture, the ring and the garland. This last seems to be particularly important during the wedding feast. The crown and the garland are, first of all, specifically bridal headgear; the crown is also worn during the wedding ceremony but is not a symbol of the ceremony. In the Kingdom of Poland, and perhaps also in other areas, if a coronation and wedding took place simultaneously, a garland was marked on the bride’s crown. Meanwhile, an eagle on the crown or on other dress accessories probably only elevated the status of these artefacts and cannot be heraldic. Archaeological discoveries also allow to state that diadems with eagles holding rings in their beaks – like a specimen from Środa Śląska – were also made of tin-lead alloys.Despite the incredible abundance of silver treasures in the early Middle Ages on Polish lands, which largely resulted from the migration of Scandinavians, it is hard to talk about the emergence of new financial market instruments at that time, although some effects are visible in the commercial culture. Only in the late Middle Ages, thanks to the German, Teutonic and Hansa colonisation, and the migration of Jews, credit appears, the material effect of which is bond hoards, and in the 15th century, commercial paper – a modern financial market tool. All this evidences that medieval hoards are also a source of research on migration.
Medieval brick and stone timber framed houses – a missing link in the development of Silesian tenement house?
Authors: Mruczek Roland
Published: December 2021

Our study presents the most recent directions of research on the medieval burgher house in Silesia, looking at the issue  through the prism of a certain house from Głogów, unique in the region, with a mixed brick and timber-framed structure with Steinwerk, which forces us to ask questions about the universality of this type of solutions – long absent in the panorama of large Silesian cities. A proposition of the typology of Silesian townhouses with a mixed structure, which was based on the results of research conducted by the author in Silesian cities in the years 1997–2018, was also presented.
Piast castle on Ostrów Tumski island in Wrocław
Authors: Chorowska Małgorzata , Bartz Wojciech , Caban Mariusz , Wodejko Eryk
Published: December 2021

The article briefly presents the author’s hypothesis of architectural changes in the ducal castle on Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław, which was developed based on the results of architectural studies of the relics of the castle walls uncovered in excavations in 2011–2012 and 2014, in combination with the results of laboratory tests such as petrographic and mineralogical analysis of mortars, 14C analysis of charcoal contained in mortars and extensive analysis of brick dimensions using statistical methods. As a result, a chronological stratification into eight phases from the 12th to 15th centuries is proposed. Absolute dating was addressed through radiocarbon analyses and historical context.
Propagatorzy prac kulturalno-oświatowych i działalności popularyzatorskiej archiwów państwowych w Polsce w dobie Polski Ludowej
Authors: Mazur Hubert
Published: December 2021

Lata pięćdziesiąte i sześćdziesiąte XX stulecia to dynamiczny rozwój tzw. prac kulturalno-oświatowych i działalności popularyzatorskiej archiwów państwowych. Istotną rolę odgrywały czynniki ludzkie w tej materii. To wiedza, kompetencje, a przede wszystkim zaangażowanie i kreatywność archiwistów w poszczególnych archiwach państwowych przełożyły się na realne działania popularyzatorskie determinując ich rozmach, jakość czy częstotliwość. Niezależnie od praktycznej aktywności archiwów i ich pracowników na niwie kulturalno-oświatowej, pojawiały się wypowiedzi archiwistów dotyczące omawianego obszaru. Kilku autorów tekstów dotyczących zagadnień kulturalno-oświatowych można zaliczyć do grona pionierów czy też propagatorów popularyzacji w archiwach. Są to: Tadeusz Młodkowski, Stanisława Pańków, Mieczysław Bandurka, Jacek Jedliński Stefan Oswald Popiołek. Wszystkich wspomnianych archiwistów łączą związki z oświatą. Większość z nich w toku edukacji zdobyła profesję nauczyciela, niektórzy czynnie przez pewien okres pracowali w tym zawodzie, inni przynależeli do organizacji nauczycielskich. Życiorysy Stanisławy Pańków, Tadeusza Młodkowskiego, Mieczysława Bandurki, Jacka Jedlińskiego i Stefana Popiołka zdają się potwierdzać, że duży wpływ na podejmowanie działań popularyzatorskich przez archiwistów, ich częstotliwość i jakość miały (i nadal mają) takie czynniki jak wykształcenie czy przygotowanie pedagogiczne archiwalnego personelu. Rozumienie roli i znaczenia aktywności archiwów na niwie szeroko rozumianej edukacji wynika i silnie łączy się z kompetencjami i wiedzą z zakresu pedagogiki.
Materiały archiwalne do badań biograficznych liderów społecznego ruchu katolików świeckich Znak
Authors: Strzelecka Małgorzata
Published: December 2021

Autorka wskazuje na wyzwania, ale i konieczność prowadzenia szerokiej kwerendy w archiwach państwowych, kościelnych oraz prywatnych, stojące przed historykami dziejów najnowszych w kwestii podejmowania badań biograficznych. W zakresie metodologii badań wnosi postulat konieczności prowadzenia wszechstronnych, a nie jednostronnych badań wybiórczych czy też wykluczających, wprowadzania w pracach naukowych tzw. bibliografii selektywnej. Definiuje grupę krakowskiego Znaku skupioną w latach 1945–1953 wokół dwóch periodyków „Tygodnika Powszechnego” i miesięcznika „Znak”, a także środowisko Znaku w latach 1957–1976 zogniskowane w ogólnopolskim ruchu katolików świeckich. Dla przejrzystości analizy autorka koncentruje się na dwóch liderach, jednak omawiane zasoby archiwów zawierają źródła do analizy aktywności praktycznie wszystkich liderów ruchu, których łączyły ze sobą szczególne więzi i powiązania. Autorka podjęła się opisu rozległości oraz rozproszenia poznawczej spuścizny aktowej dokumentującej aktywność katolików przynależnych do nurtu tzw. katolicyzmu otwartego. Przegląd archiwów objął wybrane archiwalia wiodących uniwersytetów II Rzeczypospolitej, Archiwum Kurii Krakowskiej, Archiwum Jerzego Turowicza, Archiwum IPN, Archiwum Akt Nowych oraz wybranych archiwów online.
Should Corporate Social Responsibility Around The World be Mandatory or Voluntary?
Authors: Alwasmi Mohammad , Alderbas Ahmad
Published: December 2021

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an idea that has grown during the last three decades from the voluntary activity of business firms into a debate about whether CSR should be mandated by law because of the increased demand from society. Further, it has been argued that business corporations are owned by their shareholders, and the managers must concentrate on maximizing the wealth of their shareholders and not of the community. To determine how better to apply CSR, this paper begins with looking at the evolution of CSR as a system around the world and then discusses the definition of CSR. In addition, this paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of implementing voluntary CSR and then explores mandatory CSR. Moreover, in this paper, it is found that determining the proper CSR system depends on many factors in each country, such as the social, economic and legal factors that should be examined before applying mandatory or voluntary CSR.
Regulation of Ordinary Partnership under Ethiopian Law: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Legal Issues with the French Civil Partnership and the Thai Ordinary Partnership Regimes
Authors: Haileyesus Israel Woldekidan
Published: December 2021

Civil/ordinary partnerships as non-commercial entities play a vital role as an alternative form of doing business in various jurisdictions. Though the issue of where they should be regulated is becoming nonsensical in recent times, it is wise to have a well-structured legal framework which regulates these entities. This article aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the regulation of Ethiopia’s ordinary partnership with the French civil code partnership and the Thai ordinary partnership only on issues of formation, transfer of share, management, liability of partners, dissolution of partnership, distribution of profit and loss, and expulsion of a  partner. The comparative analysis shows that in many areas of regulation, the Ethiopian law has more commonalities with that of Thai ordinary partnership and French civil code partnership legal regimes. This article also finds that the Ethiopian law of ordinary partnership ought to be improved as regards the issues of the transfer of shares related to ascendants and descendants, on the distribution of profits and losses, on the role of partners in a dissolution of the partnership, and on the expulsion of a partner.
Indirect Taxation of Events Beyond the Control of the Taxpayer in Crucial Tax and Customs Judgements of the Court of Justice
Authors: Lasiński-Sulecki Krzysztof
Published: December 2021

Indirect taxes are shaped in such a way that the final customers bear their economic burden.  The scope of taxation is usually delineated to cover all goods (and services) reaching the afore-mentioned final consumers. One may assume that the aim of a lawmaker is that goods (or services) supplied to the consumers should not remain untaxed. However, the intensity of pursuing this aim differs between VAT, excise duties, and customs duties. A scientific question that the rules outlined above bring about is whether it is acceptable – under the general principles of the European Union law perceived through a number of tax (customs) cases – to impose duties on a person or to deprive a taxpayer of rights owing to tax-relevant facts that have been entirely out of the control of this person or this taxpayer (customs debtor). Although the position of the Court of Justice towards this issue is not homogenous, the author of this article claims that situations that are wholly beyond the scope of control of a diligent person should not affect the tax (customs) situation to the detriment of such a person.
Tackling Issues of Global Concern by Revisiting the Justifications for State Approaches to Governance
Authors: Madebwe Tinashe
Published: December 2021

Issues of global concern typically arise where there is a limited commitment to accountable governance. This paper argues that there has been an evolution in the state function. This evolution has made it possible to envisage a progression to accountable governance across all states. If attained, this would establish accountable governance as the threshold for state participation in international relations. Failure to meet the threshold would justify intrusion in the governance affairs of states by the international community of states to ensure accountability. Thus, the paper argues that the key to addressing issues of global concern lies in getting states to embrace accountable governance. This would be the first step towards empowering the international community of states to hold accountable those states that adopt governance decisions that perpetuate issues of global concern.
On Taking DNA Reference Samples - Comment to the Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 14 April 2020 in the Case of Dragan Petrović v. Serbia, Application no. 75229/10
Authors: Kwiatkowska-Wójcikiewicz Violetta , Wójcikiewicz Józef
Published: December 2021

The comment deals with the evaluation of (not only) Serbian law concerning taking body samples for DNA examinations. The authors share the arguments of the dissenting opinion from the judgment in question that the phrase “other medical procedures” was at that stage sufficient for such a procedure. A comparative analysis of the Polish law is also conducted.
Императивная ностальгия: российские фантастические романы о перемещении в СССР 1970-х годов
Authors: Kозьмина Eлена
Published: December 2021

В статье исследуется группа романов российских писателей-фантастов о перемещении героев в 1970-е годы Советского Союза. Эти романы начали издаваться 5–7 лет назад по большей части самими авторами. В статье формулируются отличия таких произведений от схожих с ними фантастических исторических романов: попадание героя в свою собственную эпоху, отсутствие мотива «оживления истории» и пр. Анализ произведений позволяет сделать вывод, что образ ушедшего советского времени в романах строится не только с помощью описания реальных исторических событий, но и с использованием мифов и стереотипов о СССР. Сюжет опровергает эти мифы, что авторами не оговаривается или вовсе не замечается; тем самым романы становятся моделью советского общества с двойными стандартами. Романы пронизывает ностальгия по позднему социализму, а призывы к реставрации Советского Союза формулируются уже в заглавиях. В соответствии с этим выделяется разновидность ностальгии – императивная; она обладает следующими признаками: отсутствием утопического образа ушедшего времени; активно-действенным характером, что делает ностальгическое чувство противоположным элегическому. Императивную ностальгию, основанную на мифах и стереотипах, разделяют читатели, видящие в Перестройке общечеловеческую катастрофу, разрушившую «прекрасный мир». Им близок, кроме того, разговорно-агрессивный стиль, которым написаны романы, а также образ самодовольного героя. Императивная ностальгия отражает сформировавшиеся в современном обществе потребности в реставрации Советского Союза.
Meble z biografią. Minimalizm, recykling i nostalgia we współczesnych praktykach zamieszkiwania
Authors: Orszulak-Dudkowska Katarzyna
Published: December 2021

Artykuł prezentuje refleksję dotyczącą relacji łączących ludzi i przedmioty materialne w oparciu o wyniki badań etnograficznych dotyczących praktyk zamieszkiwania w przestrzeni polskich miast. Głównym przedmiotem analiz podejmowanych przez autorkę są sposoby funkcjonowania mebli pochodzących z okresu PRL-u we współczesnych wnętrzach mieszkalnych, jako przedmiotów z bogatą kulturową biografią, które aktywnie uczestniczą we współczesnych praktykach zamieszkiwania oraz pełnią istotną rolę w budowaniu poczucia tożsamości ich obecnych właścicieli i użytkowników. Autorka dostrzega związki pomiędzy nostalgicznym powrotem do artefaktów z okresu PRL-u, a aktualnymi problemami i wyzwaniami społecznymi, głównie nadprodukcją rzeczy i koniecznością powstrzymania zmian klimatu. Nostalgia w tych rozważaniach pojmowana jest jako swoisty mechanizm obronny przeciwko przyspieszonemu rytmowi zachodzących w świecie zmian, w tym zmian klimatycznych i środowiskowych; stanowi też wyraz kontestacji myślenia o ludzkim życiu wyłącznie przez pryzmat kategorii czysto ekonomicznych.
Chłopski opór. Od czapkowania do rewolucji
Authors: Wilczyńska Elwira
Published: December 2021

Recenzja: Michał Rauszer, Siła podporządkowanych, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa 2021.
Los proyectos didácticos en la educación primaria indígena una estrategia para una educación pertinente desde una perspectiva cultural y lingüística.
Authors: Palestino-De-Jesús Noel
Published: December 2021

: En este artículo se presentan los resultados de un estudio cualitativo acerca de la implementación de los Proyectos Didácticos (PD) como estrategia empleada por colectivos docentes de educación primaria indígena en el estado de Veracruz, México, para dotar de pertinencia cultural y lingüística a la educación que imparten. Se utilizó una metodología de carácter etnográfico, se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas para conocer la experiencia de los docentes y sus procedimientos empleados en el trabajo con esta herramienta pedagógica; por otra parte, la observación directa en las aulas de sesiones de trabajo sirvió para contrastar y complementar la información. Entre los resultados, se observó que para los maestros es prioritaria la valoración de la cultura indígena nahua, consideran, además, que existe una estrecha relación entre significatividad del aprendizaje y pertinencia cultural, por lo que al trabajar con los PD recurren a saberes tradicionales para contextualizar los contenidos del currículum nacional, y a la lengua indígena para movilizar los conocimientos suscitados, contribuyendo con esto, a la revitalización de su cultura originaria. Sin duda, existe la posibilidad de mejorar la pertinencia en las prácticas educativas que se ofertan en las comunidades indígenas, por lo que las autoridades en la materia deben atender carencias en rubros como la capacitación docente y los materiales educativos
La defensa de los territorios como parte de la propuesta educativa del Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk.
Authors: Soto-Sánchez Alma Patricia
Published: December 2021

: Los Pueblos indígenas en México enfrentan actualmente la intensificación de conflictos socioambientales frente a proyectos históricos de desarrollo y extractivos que generan despojo. En el presente artículo se analiza el Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk (ISIA) formando parte de diversos procesos que convergen en el objetivo de favorecer la permanencia de las comunidades; se presenta su origen en procesos de organización social de defensa de los territorios, su propuesta de educación intercultural desde el ejercicio del derecho de los Pueblos a tener su propia educación, así como su área de influencia, que presenta conflictos y tensiones frente a la geopolítica del saber y el poder. Se reflexiona, desde este marco histórico y geopolítico, el Seminario de Titulación (SETI), de la Licenciatura en Administración y Desarrollo Sustentable, como espacio significativo de síntesis y creatividad, donde las y los estudiantes diseñan una metodología de investigación, acción participativa (IAP), creando comunidades de aprendizaje en sus comunidades de origen que generan procesos de reflexión que fortalecen o generan procesos de defensa y cuidado de sus territorios. La información presentada se recopiló a través de una investigación colaborativa con el ISIA, en el marco del proyecto “Políticas de Interculturalidad en educación superior en Oaxaca: proyectos educativos etnopolíticos”, del CONACYT/CIESAS Pacífico Sur.
Ensamblajes poscartesianos entre texto, imagen y cuerpo en Taller de taquimecanografía.
Authors: Cruz Arzabal Roberto
Published: December 2021

El libro colectivo Taller de taquimecanografía fue escrito por las escritoras y artistas mexicanas Aura Estrada, Gabriela Jáuregui, Laureana Toledo y Mónica de la Torre. El objetivo es estudiarlo como un conjunto de medios y lenguajes que cuestiona los principios binarios de organización del trabajo intelectual y artístico. Se caracteriza la obra mediante el doble significado del ensamblaje, como técnica artística y como proceso de subjetivación. La obra posee una autoría colectiva en la que la atribución autoral individual se disuelve en una entidad material que produce un ensamblaje de enunciaciones colectivas entre signos y cuerpos, y la materialidad del libro es el dispositivo que los articula
“Arquitexturas”: los templos del ser de Eduardo Scala.
Authors: Helgueta Manso Javier
Published: December 2021

En el ámbito de los estudios interartísticos, la correspondencia entre arquitectura y poesía ha sido poco estudiada. El poeta Eduardo Scala ha planteado la dimensión arquitectónica de la escritura —“arquitextura”— en algunas obras que componen la serie POESIaRQUITECTURA. En este conjunto, destaca Templos (2007), ocho poemas sobre ocho artistas y poetas, “santos profanos”, que adquieren volumen mediante la técnica papirofléxica aplicada por Pedro Núñez. De este modo, Scala pondera la naturaleza religiosa del origami japonés para su código poético-místico denominado “sacrograma”.
Institutional Investor Activism and Employee Safety: The Role of Activist and Board Political Ideology
Authors: Shi Wei , Xia Chongwu , Meyer-Doyle Philipp
Published: December 2021

Although prior research on shareholder activism has highlighted how such activism can economically benefit the shareholders of targeted firms, recent studies also suggest that shareholder activism can economically disadvantage nonshareholder stakeholders, notably employees. Our study extends this research by exploring whether shareholder activism by institutional investors (i.e., institutional investor activism) can adversely affect employee health and safety through increased workplace injury and illness. Furthermore, deviating from the assumption that financially motivated institutional investor activists are homogeneous in their goals and preferences, we investigate whether the influence of institutional investor activism on employee health and safety hinges on the political ideology of the shareholder activist and of the board of the targeted firm. Using establishment-level data, we find that institutional investor activism adversely influences workplace injury and illness at targeted firms and that this influence is stronger for nonliberal shareholder activists and for firms with a nonliberal board. Our study contributes to shareholder activism research by highlighting how the political ideology of shareholder activists and boards affects the impact of shareholder activism on stakeholders and how shareholder activism can adversely affect the health and safety of employees. Furthermore, our paper also contributes to research on workplace safety and the management of employee relations and human capital resources by highlighting the detrimental effect of a firm’s ownership by investor activists on its employees and how the board’s political ideology may enable a firm to reduce this risk.

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1542 .
Ubiquitous Networks: A Need of Future World of Things
Authors: Mantri Dnyaneshwar S. , Pawar Pranav M. , Kulkarni Nandkumar P. , Prasad Neeli R.
Published: December 2021

With an exponential increase in the number of applications and user demand, it is essential to respond to the query of users with fast services and networks used. This is possible only by the use of ubiquitous networks supporting mass media communications. The integration of advanced technologies such as Communication, Navigation and Sensing Services (CONASENSE) and Human Bond Communications (HBC) takes care of sensing, services, data, speed, cooperation, content, and cost of communication. The combination of Data, Technology, and Media used for intelligent computation and communication over the internet could serve the purpose, and that’s the urgent demand of growing networks marching towards a fusion of IoT and 5G leading to 6G. IoT with 5G will be the backbone of networks in the future generation network, adding the concept of virtualization at Anytime, Anywhere, Anything, and Anybody. The definition of ubiquitous technology considers it networked, wireless and mobile, to connect a more significant number of users and the world around them. The ubiquitous network connects the D2D, M2M, D2M and uses the ICT and Cloud-based technology to mitigate the QoS parameters. The paper’s primary contribution is the proposal of 6G enabling technologies and use cases to demonstrate the need and integration of various prime techniques as IoT++5G++Cloud++AI/ML. The technology road map and proposed C6-WISDOM model illustrate the fundamentals of enabling future ubiquitous networks (6G). It also focuses on the critical requirements of 6G technology in support of ubiquitous networks and identifies the present technologies integrated to provide vertical sustainable wireless networking solutions.
Development of advanced machine learning models for analysis of plutonium surrogate optical emission spectra
Authors: Rao Ashwin P. , Jenkins Phillip R. , Auxier John D. , Shattan Michael B. , Patnaik Anil K.
Published: December 2021

This work investigates and applies machine learning paradigms seldom seen in analytical spectroscopy for quantification of gallium in cerium matrices via processing of laser-plasma spectra. Ensemble regressions, support vector machine regressions, Gaussian kernel regressions, and artificial neural network techniques are trained and tested on cerium-gallium pellet spectra. A thorough hyperparameter optimization experiment is conducted initially to determine the best design features for each model. The optimized models are evaluated for sensitivity and precision using the limit of detection (LoD) and root mean-squared error of prediction (RMSEP) metrics, respectively. Gaussian kernel regression yields the superlative predictive model with an RMSEP of 0.33% and an LoD of 0.015% for quantification of Ga in a Ce matrix. This study concludes that these machine learning methods could yield robust prediction models for rapid quality control analysis of plutonium alloys.
Intensity-based dynamic speckle method using JPEG and JPEG2000 compression
Authors: Stoykova Elena , Blagoeva Blaga , Berberova-Buhova Natalya , Levchenko Mikhail , Nazarova Dimana , Nedelchev Lian , Park Joongki
Published: December 2021

Statistical processing of speckle data enables observation of the speed of processes. In intensity-based pointwise dynamic speckle analysis, a map related to speed’s spatial distribution is extracted from a sequence of speckle patterns formed on an object under coherent light. Monitoring of time evolution of a process needs storage, transfer, and processing of a large number of images. We have proposed lossy compression of these images using JPEG and JPEG2000 formats. We have compared the maps computed from noncompressed and decompressed synthetic and experimental images, and we have proven that both compression formats can be applied in the dynamic speckle analysis.