Philosophical Analysis of the Meaning of Life

Global value chains, technological progress, and environmental pollution: Inequality towards developing countries

This article is a comprehensive study of organized criminal groups (OCGs) in the modern world, covering the theoretical foundations of their study, structural characteristics and functional aspects of their activities. The paper traces the evolution of the concept of organized crime in criminological science, analyzes modern approaches to the definition and classification of OCGs, and considers the legal aspects of their definition at the international and national levels. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the structural characteristics of modern organized crime groups, including traditional hierarchical models, network structures, hybrid forms of organization, as well as new forms such as cluster and project organization. The study shows a trend away from rigid hierarchical structures towards more flexible and adaptive forms of organization, which allows OCGs to effectively resist law enforcement pressure and adapt to changing conditions. The article also examines key functional aspects of organized crime groups, including their role in the shadow economy, establishment of corruption links, transnational activities, use of modern technologies and adaptation to countermeasures. The impact of globalization and technological progress on the evolution of OCG forms and methods of operation is highlighted. The study demonstrates the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of organized crime, taking into account the complexity and dynamism of this phenomenon. The work contributes to the understanding of current trends in the development of organized crime and can serve as a basis for the development of effective strategies to counter organized crime.

Cardiology technology—from old to new

Abstract. Vegetation and land cover in Japan are rapidly changing. Abandoned farmland in 2010, for example, was 396,000 ha, or triple that of 1985. Efficient monitoring of changes in land cover is vital to both conservation of biodiversity and sustainable regional development. The Ministry of Environment is currently producing 1/25,000 scale vegetation maps for all of Japan, but the work is not yet completed. Traditional research is time consuming, and has difficulty coping with the rapid nature of change in the modern world. In this situation, classification of various scale remotely sensed data can be of premier use for efficient and timely monitoring of changes in vegetation.. In this research Terra/MODIS data is utilized to classify land cover in all of eastern Japan. Emphasis is placed on the Tohoku area, where large scale and rapid changes in vegetation have occurred in the aftermath of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011. Large sections of coastal forest and agricultural lands, for example, were directly damaged by the earthquake or inundated by subsequent tsunami. Agricultural land was also abandoned due to radioactive contamination from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. The classification results are interpreted within the framework of a Landscape Transformation Sere model developed by Hara et al (2010), which presents a multi-staged pattern for tracking vegetation changes under successively heavy levels of human interference. The results of the research will be useful for balancing conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems with the needs for regional redevelopment.

To describe the experiences of older farmers in the face of prolonged drought and rapid change. Content analysis of issues and priorities raised in semi-structured community forums. Rural centres in NSW. One hundred and fifty older farmers, their families, Industry and Investment NSW, rural financial and mental health services, the Country Women's Association and other non-government agencies. Five public forums organised under the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program. Prolonged drought caused pressures on farmers that compounded the usual stresses of farming and of ageing. These were experienced in the context of rapid social and industry change, fuel price volatility and the insidious threat of climate change. Three main themes were articulated: loss, government compliance pressures and difficulties accessing and/or inappropriate services. Older farmers felt an overwhelming sense of loss: of profitability and professional success, community status, physical well-being and comfort, the ability to participate in the modern world and, above all, of relationships (partners, children and friends moving away). They interpreted government compliance requirements as evidence of community and government loss of trust in famers. They resisted using the few mental health services that might be available, fearing being labelled as 'crazy' and discouraged by the culturally inappropriate way in which services were offered. Older farmers would benefit from joint services related to health and well-being simultaneously with modern business management offered in trusted, comfortable settings.

Introduction. Under the current conditions, the urgency of the problem of health is determined by the realities of life. Health is the most important value of human life, which remains relevant throughout human existence. The results of recent studies suggest an increase in stress on the nervous system and the human psyche. Rapid scientific and technological progress, a huge stream of information, acceleration of the rhythm of life, negative dynamics of interpersonal relationships and other pathogenic features of modern life lead to the formation of emotional stress, which is one of the main factors of development of various diseases of neuropsychiatric and psychosomatic pathology.Purpose. The aim of the study is to analyze the scientific and practical and theoretical developments on the problem of mental and psychological health of the individual, his concept, criteria and factors of influence.Results. In the modern world, the problem of mental and psychological health of an individual acquires an interdisciplinary character. The society faces a number of important tasks regarding the formation of the mental and psychological health of the individual at different age stages, taking into account the various conditions of her life and livelihoods. For quite a long time the concept of psychological health served as the basic category of mental health, since the experience of psychopathology was used in relation to the psyche of a healthy person. However, later began to separate the spheres of mental and psychological health.If you compile a generalized "portrait" of a psychologically healthy person, then you can get the following. Psychologically healthy person - this is first and foremost a person spontaneous and creative, cheerful and cheerful, open, who knows himself and the world not only the mind, but also feelings, intuition. She fully accepts herself and recognizes the value and uniqueness of the people around her. Such a person entrusts responsibility for his life primarily to himself and makes conclusions from negative experience. Her life is full of meaning, although it does not always formulate it for herself. It is in constant development and, of course, contributes to the development of other people. Her life path may not be quite easy, and sometimes quite difficult, but she perfectly adapts.The mental health of young people depends on a number of factors that can be negatively affected. These include: negative stress situations, inability to maintain adequate relationships with others, conflicts, lack of rest, social and living conditions, financial situation, external stimuli (noise, etc.). Preserving mental health is incompatible with the use of any psychoactive substance. Nicotine addiction is the most common psychiatric disorder that does not help relieve stress, but, on the contrary, increases its level, and it contributes to the development of severe mental disorders. And since psychological health is definitely related to mental health, since the latter creates a basis for psychological health, one should pay attention to those factors that adversely affect a person and be able to calmly approach the resolution of adverse situations for the sake of preservation mental and psychological health of a person.Originality. Thus, the synthesis of scientific literature allows us to assert that "psychological health" refers to the individual as a whole, is in close connection with the higher manifestations of the human spirit, and mental health as a state of complete mental activity of a person that provides the ability to adapt both to favorable and unfavorable conditions and influences.Conclusion. Summing up, we can say that on the one hand, psychological health is definitely related to mental health, since the latter creates a basis for psychological health. On the other hand, the notion of "psychological health" and "mental health" should be delimited, as each of them has its own content, criteria, conditions and mechanisms for their formation.

Стремительный прогресс в области нейронаук, информационных технологий и искусственного интеллекта (ИИ) подводит нас к рубежу, где фантастические идеи о преодолении смерти и радикальном преобразовании человеческой природы обретают вполне реальные очертания. Цифровое бессмертие, концепция, которая ещё недавно казалась уделом научной фантастики, сегодня становится предметом серьезных научных дискуссий и технологических разработок, открывая перед нами путь к постбиологическому существованию. Цифровое бессмертие можно полноценно рассматривать в рамках «цифровой философии», а это развивающаяся область философского знания в современном мире, где следует по-новому ставить вопросы и находить возможные ответы. В этой статье мы рассмотрим цифровое бессмертие не как изолированное явление, а в широком контексте эволюции человека и технологического прогресса, пытаясь осмыслить его потенциальные последствия для нашего вида и будущего цивилизации. The rapid progress in the field of neuroscience, information technology and artificial intelligence (AI) brings us to the frontier where fantastic ideas about overcoming death and radically transforming human nature take on very real outlines. Digital immortality, a concept that until recently seemed to be the domain of science fiction, is now becoming the subject of serious scientific discussions and technological developments, opening the way for us to a postbiological existence. Digital immortality can be fully considered within the framework of "digital philosophy", and this is a developing field of philosophical knowledge in the modern world, where questions should be posed in a new way and possible answers should be found. In this article, we will consider digital immortality not as an isolated phenomenon, but in the broad context of human evolution and technological progress, trying to comprehend its potential consequences for our species and the future of civilization.

The aim of the article is to analyse the educational process through a description of the teacher’s tasks in light of the changes to the paradigms of the theory of education. The analysis is set against a background of changes in the modern world, especially the dynamic progress of information technologies. Traditional education is becoming less effective in the face of continuous and rapid changes in the world. There is a contradiction between the students’ activities in the digital sphere, what they expect of the school, and the way in which the content of education is delivered. The author formulates and proves the thesis that a creative approach is needed to implement the learning process in the conditions of digital reality. It draws attention to new teacher roles, building a community of learners, taking into account the values of school culture and modern media learning space.

PurposeThis study aims to develop the first Theory of Technological Response and Progress in Chaos (TRPC) and examine the case of technological development during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research objectives of this study were to: identify the key technologies that act as a response mechanism during the chaos event, specifically in the case of COVID-19; examine how technologies evolve, develop and diffuse in an immediate crisis and a chaotic environment; theorise various types and periods of technological response and progress during the emergence of chaos and the stages that unfold; and develop policy-oriented recommendations and establish technological foundations to address subsequent chaos events.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the grounded theory as a methodology with a mixed-method approach that included quantitative and qualitative methods. The authors used the quantitative method to assist with the qualitative step to build the TRPC theory. Accordingly, this study integrated machine learning and text mining approaches to the qualitative data analysis following the steps of the grounded theory approach.FindingsAs a result of the TRPC theory development process, the authors identified three types of technologies (survival, essential and enhancement technologies) and five types of periods (stable, initial, survival-dominant, essential-dominant and enhancement-dominant periods) that are specific to chaos-technology interactions. The policy implications of this study demonstrate that a required technological base and know-how must be established before a chaotic event emerges.Research limitations/implicationsConcerning the limitations of this study, social media data has advantages over other data sources, such as the examination of dynamic areas and analyses of immediate responses to chaos. However, other researchers can examine publications and patent sources to augment the findings concerning scientific approaches and new inventions in relation to COVID-19 and other chaos-specific developments. The authors developed the TRPC theory by studying the COVID-19 pandemic, however, other researchers can utilise it to study other chaos-related conditions, such as chaotic events that are caused by natural disasters. Other scholars can investigate the technological response and progress pattern in other rapidly emerging chaotic events of an uncertain and complex nature to augment these findings.Practical implicationsFollowing the indications of the OECD (2021a) and considering the study conducted by the European Parliamentary Research Service (Kritikos, 2020), the authors identified the key technologies that are significant for chaos and COVID-19 response using machine learning and text intelligence approach. Accordingly, the authors mapped all technological developments using clustering approaches, and examined the technological progress within the immediate chaos period using social media data.Social implicationsThe key policy implication of this study concerns the need for policymakers to develop policies that will help to establish the required technological base and know-how before chaos emerges. As a result, a rapid response can be implemented to mitigate the chaos and transform it into a competitive advantage. The authors also revealed that this recommendation overlaps with the model of dynamic capabilities in the literature (Teece and Pisano, 2003). Furthermore, this study recommends that nations and organisations establish a technological base that specifically includes technologies that bear 3A characteristics. These are the most crucial technologies for the survival- and essential-dominant stages. Moreover, the results of this study demonstrate that chaos accelerates technological progress through the rapid adoption and diffusion of technologies into different fields. Hence, nations and organisations should regard this rapid progress as an opportunity and establish the prior knowledge base and technologies before chaos emerges.Originality/valueThe authors have contributed to the chaos studies and the relationship between chaos and technological development by establishing the first theoretical foundation using the grounded theory approach, hereafter referred to as the TRPC theory. As part of the TRPC theory, the authors present three periods of technological response in the following sequence: survival technology, essential technology and enhancement technology. Moreover, this study illustrates the evolving technological importance and priorities as the periods of technological progress proceed under rapidly developing chaos.

This chapter focuses on technological progress and its relationship with population growth. Although we begin with the Malthusian theory, it is important to note that Malthus did not understand the importance of technological progress in society at the time. Kremer (Q J Econ 108:681–716, 1993) and other economists have stressed that it is possible to observe a close relationship between population growth and production technology, and Boserup (The conditions of agricultural progress. Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago, 1965) has pointed out that Malthus ignored the positive consequences of population growth in the long run. We define technological progress in an economic sense and emphasize that such progress has become an engine of economic growth for the modern economy. The important question to be posed is, “Does the size of population affect technological progress?” The answer is that a large population will generate many ideas that could bring about rapid technological progress. In addition, technological progress eases the constraints triggered by population growth by increasing the production of economic resources. Furthermore, we discuss the scale effect which means that a larger population would generate a rapid growth of population by mediating technological progress. Next, in developed countries, declining fertility rates have been widely observed and identified as causing population declines in the future. This phenomenon has raised an important point to discuss concerning the relationship between technological progress and population. Lastly, we conclude that the relationship between population size and technological progress encompasses complicated mutually exclusive effects. Specifically, technological progress leads to economic prosperity, which results in reduced fertility and population growth, while population size has a positive effect on technological progress. In the appendices of this chapter, we summarize the Kremer’s theoretical model and provide a simple survey of endogenous growth theory including population dynamics.

In the modern world, people have unlimited possibilities to gain success in the field they choose. Technological progress, mainly the Internet, has ushered in a new era of communication between people. The world, being a global village, has become not yet a dream of people but the reality they live in. In such a world, one of the most important factors of a human existence is the way people use their time. Therefore the role of one’s ability to manage oneself in every aspect of a human existence is constantly growing. The analysis of one’s expectations with the real achievements gives people important knowledge on the socio-economic needs. To gain success in the surrounding world we need to learn how to manage ourselves and how to develop, we need to do the things we are best at, keep the brain sharp and have energy and self-acceptance. Taking into account a teacher’s responsibility for the young people he/she teaches and raises, this profession is more like a mission. In the process of preparing the youth to live and function in the modern world, teachers should also help them to create their own ability to manage themselves. Considering the relation between the master and student who follows his master’s steps, a contemporary teacher needs to do his/her best to know himself/herself well and to have a knowledge on managing oneself.

\n Luigi Pirandello é presença marcante e definitiva na literatura do século XX, como um dos principais representantes do Decadentismo italiano, não somente como dramaturgo, campo em que se destacou mundialmente, mas também com sua significativa e inovadora obra narrativa. O presente trabalho propõe-se a analisar a poética do autor, que destrói a forma de narrar oitocentesca, e tem como temas a fragmentação do sujeito, a alienação e a relatividade da vida moderna, numa crise de tudo o que é absoluto. Para isso analisamos um dos principais romances pirandellianos, Quaderni di Serafino Gubbio operatore, obra que traz suas reflexões sobre a crise do mundo moderno gerada pelo progresso tecnológico trazido pela civilização industrial, que teve como conseqüência a mecanização e a aceleração do ritmo de vida nas grandes metrópoles. O trabalho tem como partes integrantes o que entendemos ser os temas fundamentais da obra: a crise de valores no mundo moderno mecanizado e a invasão da tecnologia no campo das artes, representada pelo cinema. Tomando como base os textos dos principais críticos da obra de Pirandello e daqueles que trataram das mudanças da obra de arte na sociedade industrial, apresentamos considerações que demonstram a preocupação pirandelliana não só com o humano, mas também com o futuro da arte e do teatro numa sociedade alienada pelas máquinas, o que faz do autor um dos maiores pensadores do século XX.\n

Background. The directions of development of the national innovation system (NIS) of Ukraine for continuous development in the context of modern global challenges are studied. The main task is to build an effective innovation system that will contribute to economic growth, increase the country's competitiveness in the international arena and create conditions for sustainable development. In the context of globalization and rapid technological progress, the development of the national innovation system is becoming increasingly relevant. The purpose of the article is to highlight innovative promising strategies and tools that serve to build the national innovation system of Ukraine, which in turn is focused on ensuring sustainable development. Methods. During the study, a systemic approach was used, as well as the following research methods: terminological analysis (for a precise definition of the concepts of "national innovation system", "sustainable development", etc.); comparative analysis (for the analysis of foreign and domestic experience in the field of development of innovation systems); statistical analysis and grouping (in the process of studying quantitative indicators that characterize the development of the innovation sector in Ukraine); generalization (for formulating conclusions). Results. The need for creating an effective national innovation system that would meet modern challenges and ensure the sustainable development of the country is proven. The main strategic priorities for the development of NIS are outlined, including the creation of a favorable legislative environment, the development of innovation infrastructure, the introduction of modern financial instruments to support innovations, as well as strengthening international cooperation in the field of innovations. The issue of human capital development, which is the basis for the formation of a competitive innovation economy, is highlighted. Conclusions. The main directions for the development of the national innovation system of Ukraine in the context of globalization and technological progress are determined. The advantages and feasibility of introducing innovative technologies and approaches to ensure the sustainable development of the country are characterized. The importance of state support, the creation of a favorable institutional environment and international cooperation in the development of NIS is proven. The prospects for using the public-private partnership mechanism as a tool for attracting extrabudgetary funds and stimulating innovation activity in Ukraine are highlighted.

In recent years, the issue of global warming has been a hot topic because of rapid changes in the environment. The researchers in various sectors have identified that the main causes of these rapid environmental changes are our human activities. In comparison with historical civilization extinction, that clearly indicates the upcoming danger towards the modern society. Therefore, it is highly important to pay more attention to the limitations of our natural resources. The extinction of habitats and ancient human civilizations has gradually begun years ago. Many natural species have been completely eradicated, due to unhealthy ecological systems. The modern world is making a consolidated effort to protect earth’s natural resources. They emphasize that the extraction of natural resources must be limited because it is vital that resources exist for future generations. The formula now being used to tackle sustainability issues consists of Economy, Environment and Society. Those three elements are interrelated. The change in one element does have a direct impact on other elements. Therefore, the world understands the fact that the economic element is the one that can have a greater influence on society and the environment too. Therefore, it is highly important to address the sustainability elements in the economic sector because failure to deliver sustainable outcomes to the environment will result in severe negative consequences. A better understanding of Sri Lanka’s sustainability awareness at the organizational level is very timely, based on two factors: firstly, the country is one of the developing countries, and secondly, it is engaged in international business. Therefore, the awareness of Sri Lanka’s sustainability from the perspective of organizations is factually analyzed in order to determine whether there is an awareness of the opportunities and risks associated with sustainability. To understand the level of awareness, the researcher has designed and distributed an online survey. As a result, 178 completed survey answers were able to be considered from a total of 312 participants.

In the modern world, IT outsourcing is becoming widely popular, offering companies the opportunity to focus on core competencies and effectively reduce costs. However, with the increasing use of outsourcing, new challenges arise, particularly in the context of unstable market conditions. Changes in the technological landscape, unpredictability of client requirements, and market fluctuations pose challenges for resource management in outsourcing projects. The lack of a balanced resource management strategy leads to the loss of competitive positions and decreased operational efficiency. This article aims to investigate the issues of resource allocation in IT outsourcing companies, focusing on their optimization and effective utilization. In the era of globalization and rapid technological progress, the importance of resource optimization has become a key task for technological companies. The article argues the necessity of developing new resource management methods in conditions of market instability and high uncertainty. The proposed methods will have the potential not only to optimize resources but also to provide competitive advantages in the face of turbulent market changes. The research is based on the analysis of current trends and practical experience, confirming the relevance of the chosen issue.