Conceptual Issues Research Articles

The Role of the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology in Forming a Workforce Aligned with Circular Economy Principles and Strategies

Objective: This study aims to assess the adherence of the themes and the current curricular matrices of the courses after high school at the Brazilian Federal Institutes of Education, Science, and Technology regarding the principles and strategies of the Circular Economy (CE). Theoretical Framework: In the current scenario of resource scarcity and climate emergency, CE emerges as a viable alternative. In Brazil, the Federal Institutes (FIs) can play a crucial role in training a qualified workforce for CE, offering professional education that meets market demands. Method: The methodology adopted is classified as qualitative and applied. Regarding its classification, it is descriptive. Regarding the design, it is classified as a documentary since the primary data source was the IFs' websites. Results and Discussion: The results reveal that 26.17% of the 554 courses evaluated have content related to CE. The analysis showed a predominance of disciplines, such as Environmental Management, but a gap in specific CE courses. Research Implications: From a practical perspective, this study provides insights into the need for changes in the current economic model regarding public education policies adopted in Brazil to prioritize areas of study. As for the theoretical contribution, the study discusses conceptual issues of CE based on findings from the Brazilian context in order to fill a research gap. Originality/Value The research highlights the importance of training professionals with critical and practical skills in CE, highlighting the need for curricular reform that meets new market demands and promotes a circular mindset.

Banana diagrams as functions of geodesic distance

We extend the study of banana diagrams in coordinate representation to the case of curved space-times. If the space is harmonic, the Green functions continue to depend on a single variable – the geodesic distance. But now this dependence can be somewhat non-trivial. We demonstrate that, like in the flat case, the coordinate differential equations for powers of Green functions can still be expressed as determinants of certain operators. Therefore, not-surprisingly, the coordinate equations remain straightforward – while their reformulation in terms of momentum integrals and Picard-Fuchs equations can seem problematic. However we show that the Feynman parameter representation can also be generalized, at least for banana diagrams in simple harmonic spaces, so that the Picard-Fuchs equations retain their Euclidean form with just a minor modification. A separate story is the transfer to the case when the Green function essentially depends on several rather than a single argument. In this case, we provide just one example, that the equations are still there, but conceptual issues in the more general case will be discussed elsewhere.

Minilateralism and pathways to institutional progression: alliance formation or cooperative security governance?

ABSTRACT Even as essential definitional and conceptual issues related to ‘minilateralism’ remain unresolved, conjecture has arisen as to the future trajectories of established institutions, such as the Trilateral Strategic Dialogue (TSD), AUKUS, and the Quad. – Could they evolve into formal military alliances over time, or serve as the foundation of a new organisation aimed at providing regional security governance? To systematically evaluate such contingencies this article traverses a set of interrelated conceptual issues relating to minilateral institutionalisation. It seeks to differentiate minilaterals in terms of their ‘hybridity’ both in structural composition and functionality, and ascertain what this implies for their institutional progression. This process assists us in identifying on what grounds minilaterals might potentially evolve into a more formalised institutional paradigm – either (i) a military alliance or (ii) a cooperative security governance organisation. This foregoing conceptual apparatus is then brought to bear of on the case studies above to draw out clues as to their prospective institutional development pathways. The article concludes that, while such putative institutional transformations remain conceivable, in none of the cases is a particular pathway preordained. Instead, minilaterals may simply continue to adapt within the parameters of their present institutional boundaries.

КОНЦЕПТУАЛНА ПИТАЊА ОДГОВОРНОСТИ ЈАВНИХ СЛУЖБЕНИКА: ИСТРАЖИВАЊЕ СПРОВЕДЕНО У ЈЕДИНИЦАМА ЛОКАЛНЕ САМОУПРАВЕ У РЕПУБЛИЦИ СРБИЈИ

Public integrity, transparency and accountability have been identified as part of the founding principles of the public sector which should be enacted in legislation and applied consistently in practice. Effective implementation of the accountability principle shall underpin integrity of public service and its legal, professional and transparent operation.The purpose of the paper is to analyze conceptual issues of public officials' accounta­bility, focusing on disciplinary responsibility and application in practice. The paper also presents the results of the research conducted in 30 local self government units in the Re­public of Serbia. The results point out the (non)efficient implementation of legal and ethi­cal rules and values concerning disciplinary procedures, sanctions, performance appraisal system in the context of possible improvements and capacity building. In order to enhance public integrity, appropriate legislative and institutional frameworks must be in place to enable public-sector organizations to take responsibility for effectively managing the integ­rity of their activities, as well as that of the public officials who carry out those activities.

Coercive Measures in Psychiatry Can Hardly Be Justified in Principle Any Longer-Ethico-Legal Requirements Versus Empirical Research Data and Conceptual Issues.

To review the scientific and empirical evidence that is usually accepted for the ethical and legal justification of coercion in psychiatry. Five key criteria are examined as follows: (1) the demonstrable existence of a mental disorder; (2) the effectiveness of psychiatric measures; (3) the use of coercion as last resort and as least possible restriction; (4) the benefit of the person affected by the coercive measure and (5) the restoration of the affected person's autonomy. (1) The existence of a demarcation between a mentally ill and a mentally healthy state cannot be confirmed; (2) Pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions in psychiatry are not even moderately effective; (3) Coercive measures are usually not used as last resort and as least restrictive measure; (4) Most people affected by psychiatric coercion do not benefit from the measures; (5) It is at least unclear whether autonomy is affected by a mental illness and whether it can be restored through a coercive psychiatric measure. None of the central ethical and legal criteria for the use of coercion in psychiatry are clearly and unambiguously fulfilled according to current research. Psychiatric coercion can hardly be justified any longer.

Emerging concepts and success stories in type 1 diabetes research: a roadmap for a bright future.

Type 1 diabetes treatment stands at a crucial and exciting crossroad since the 2022 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of teplizumab to delay disease development. In this Perspective article, we discuss four major conceptual and practical issues that emerged as key to further advance type 1 diabetes research and therapies. First, collaborative networks leveraging the synergy between the type 1 diabetes research and care community members are key to fostering innovation, know-how and translation into the clinical arena worldwide. Second, recent clinical trials in presymptomatic stage 2 and recent-onset stage 3 disease have shown the promise, and potential pitfalls, of using immunomodulatory and/or beta-cell protective agents to achieve sustained remission or prevention. Third, the increasingly appreciated heterogeneity of clinical, immunological, and metabolic phenotypes and disease trajectories is of critical importance to advance the decision-making process for tailored type 1 diabetes care and therapy. Fourth, the clinical benefits of early diagnosis of beta-cell autoimmunity warrant consideration of general population screening for islet autoantibodies, which requires further efforts to address the technical, organizational and ethical challenges inherent to a sustainable program. Efforts are underway to integrate these four concepts into the future directions of type 1 diabetes research and therapy.

The Suspense of Envy

Abstract My basic question in this paper is pretty straightforward: which resources does the Christian tradition have to overcome envy? If one reads the story of Christ’s passion as an “envy drama” and Christ’s cross as the unjust result of his enemies’ sinful envy (see Mk 15:10), one might offer a more elaborate version of the initial question: what do the crucifixion and resurrection mean when reconsidered as overcoming – or, as I shall say: suspending – envy as cardinal sin? Section one lays out conceptual issues, while section two repudiates two attempts of defending a particular form of envy. Section three is dedicated to different soteriological and Christological models in asking how they can deal with sin (and envy). It reacts to the problems implied by these accounts, particularly the subjectivist one, by suggesting a praxeological answer to the question of this paper.

Tribal Middle Class in India

The article presents a historical overview of the emergence of the tribal middle class in India, and how this history has shaped their social identity, location and participation in the Indian society, polity and economy. It initiates a discussion on the conceptual issues associated with identifying the tribal middle class, given its specific historical origins, growth and diversification through colonialism and in post-colonial India. While the article distinguishes between the old and new tribal middle class, it also attempts to delineate its overarching features, particularly that of reconciling the processes of diversification with the politics of evolving a distinct tribal identity. The article argues that the question of tribal integration is at the core of this endeavour. Therefore, it is important to consider the role and participation of the tribal middle class in shaping the nature and politics of tribal integration in India.

Lipomatous Neoplasms of Soft Tissue: A Contemporary Review.

This review summarizes the clinicopathologic features of various lipomatous tumors of soft tissue and addresses some recent conceptual issues relating to adipocytic neoplasms, such as atypical spindle cell/pleomorphic lipomatous tumor and myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma, and provides an update on the molecular aspects of these tumors. Recent advances in cytogenetic characterization and classification of lipomatous tumors are reviewed, and the genetic importance of distinct chromosomal aberrations are briefly discussed.

Mental toughness: state or trait? Context and sporting performance in rugby union, a longitudinal study

Mental toughness is a concept that has been considered a critical feature of sporting success. However, there are still conceptual issues related to its traitness and its relationship with sporting performance that remain unresolved. Consequently, the objective of this research is to contrast empirically whether the eventual changes in MT and its relationships with competition phases and sporting performance can sustain the notion of MT as a state or a trait. A longitudinal study included 12 male Chilean rugby players, aged 18-33 years, which regularly competed at the highest national level. The results indicated that there are no significant differences in mental toughness between the four measurements taken in the study and that the competitive phase did not predict mental toughness properties enduring across contexts and time. In addition, the data showed that mental toughness is an important predictor of relevant behavioural variables and sporting performance.

Theology as a factor of sociocultural development of society in the works of ‘Ata’ Allah Bayazitov

The article attempts to determine the role and historical significance of the innovative views of ‘Ata’ Allah Bayazitov (1846–1911) in the development of the cultural potential of the Tatar people. The author draws attention to the time and essence of innovations in traditional Russian Muslim society. A number of Tatar intellectuals laid down approaches and methods that met scientific requirements, tools suitable for discussing a new understanding and interaction of theological and philosophical knowledge. Innovators proposed new concepts of the theory of knowledge, aimed at revealing religious thought in its modern understanding: such as confidence in the human mind, the primacy of man, the immanence of God. Through understanding a number of conceptual issues of Islamic Theology, Tatar educational theologians developed methods for overcoming the ideological problems of the Muslim community. This, in turn, made it possible to lay the foundations for building a state-confessional dialogue. The author concludes that the paradigm of thinking built by the innovators was the need to implement divine instructions in social and production activities, and not just in the spiritual sphere. This is the key to the development of the cognitive function and the decisive criterion in the search for truth. Thus, we can observe the process of transformation of Theology from the medieval science of God into the modern science of faith.

ЗАЛУЧЕННЯ ІНВЕСТОРІВ У ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНОМУ МАРКЕТИНГУ

In the conditions of economic instability caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and military actions by the russian federation on our territory, local government authorities feel the impact of the "belt-tightening" strategy implemented by the central government. Faced with their own financial difficulties, the center reduces transfers, which were previously the main source of funds for supporting infrastructure and overall urban development. Therefore, territorial bodies aspiring to development must actively work on creating a positive image of their territory to diversify sources of capital and attract new investors. In this context, territorial marketing to attract investors is promotion (advertising). In turn, promotion is the fourth element of the implementation of territorial marketing, but it requires utilizing the entire marketing mix (the "4P" concept). When considering the first element of the implementation of territorial marketing, it is worth mentioning that many regions of our country can offer themselves to investors through so-called territories with preferential investment regimes. Thus, the task of forming the "territory for the investor" product will include two main components: the territory as a whole and territories with special regimes. To conduct pricing effectively, it is necessary to have a good understanding of investment projects and possess up-to-date information about the market. "Place" - location or placement - is the most complex and difficult concept in territorial marketing. While the placement of the territory cannot be controlled, the flow of resources passing through this territory, forming growth points, can be managed. Certainly, in business, promotion and advertising activities are more technologically advanced than in the public sector, but this is quite natural. There will be no significant differences because attracting a professional from the advertising market for government or local self-government is easier than a marketer working with the strategic block. However, if private practices and techniques are quite successful, more conceptual issues of promotion significantly lag behind. As in business, in territorial product management, it is advisable to use all available means, even if it is a small budget for advertising and a few exhibitions per year. However, marketing of territorial products, especially in attracting investors, is a complex task that is effectively solved comprehensively and sequentially, guided by the marketing mix.

Methodological and Conceptualisation Issues in the Measurement of Gambling Harm

Abstract Purpose of Review In this paper, we review recent developments in the conceptualisation and measurement of gambling harm. Recent Findings We review the strengths and limitations of gambling-harm measures, including the Short Gambling Harm Screen (SGHS) and 7-item Domain- General Harm Screen (DGHS-7). We also review evidence concerning the distribution of harm across the risk continuum. The paper shows that there is consensus around the principal domains of harm and that there are now reliable and valid measures to index general levels of harm, but that further development may be required to capture more nuanced assessments of the severity and types of harm. Summary We argue that burden-of-harm studies which show a high concentration of harm in lower risk groups are of good quality, but that important methodological issues remain. These include: the sensitivity of these estimates to measurement differences; the need for more consideration of the severity rather than the prevalence of harm ‘instances’; and, whether life-time problem gambling or legacy harms need to be taken into account when assessing the status of lower risk gamblers.

Asymptotically safe — canonical quantum gravity junction

The canonical (CQG) and asymptotically safe (ASQG) approach to quantum gravity share to be both non-perturbative programmes. However, apart from that they seem to differ in several aspects such as: 1. Signature: CQG is Lorentzian while ASQG is mostly Euclidian. 2. Background Independence (BI): CQG is manifesly BI while ASQG is apparently not. 3. Truncations: CQG is apparently free of truncations while ASQG makes heavy use of them.The purpose of the present work is to either overcome actual differences or to explain why apparent differences are actually absent. Thereby we intend to enhance the contact and communication between the two communities. The focus of this contribution is on conceptual issues rather than deep technical details such has high order truncations. On the other hand the paper tries to be self-contained in order to be useful to researchers from both communities.The point of contact is the path integral formulation of Lorentzian CQG in its reduced phase space formulation which yields the formal generating functional of physical (i.e. gauge invariant) either Schwinger or Feynman N-point functions for (relational) observables. The corresponding effective actions of these generating functionals can then be subjected to the ASQG Wetterich type flow equations which serve in particular to find the rigorous generating fuctionals via the inverse Legendre transform of the fixed pointed effective action.

Perception analysis of TCE holders about ownership, possession, use, misuse and misappropriation in India

Abstract The discussions at The Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (WIPO IGC) are progressing towards formulating an international legal framework for the protection of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs). We anticipate that the successful conclusion of the 2024 Diplomatic Conference for the adoption of the WIPO Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge (GRTK) Treaty will accelerate the negotiations for an instrument for TCE. Proposals before the WIPO IGC indicate the possibility of adopting an IP-based framework to protect TCEs. This article aims to analyse the intricate relationships between TCE holders and their cultural expressions by exploring the conceptual issues in TCEs through an empirical study. The study focuses on seven selected TCEs from India and examines the perspective of communities regarding various aspects of TCE, such as ownership, possession, use, misuse and misappropriation. The objective of this investigation is to gain insights that will assist in designing a legal framework that is suitable for TCEs. The article emphasizes the importance of reassessing the current trajectory of negotiations concerning TCEs and stresses the need to further explore and gain a deeper understanding of TCEs.

Police legitimacy and procedural justice for children and youth: a scoping review of definitions, determinants, and consequences.

Understanding police legitimacy among children and youth is important for building a just and democratic society. Although the volume of studies on police legitimacy among underaged persons has grown in recent decades, the findings on the relationships between police legitimacy and procedural justice and their definitions, associated determinants, and consequences remain heterogeneous across studies and across political and legal contexts. Given these heterogeneities, the conclusions and implications generated by this research are far from comprehensive. This scoping review offers readers a comprehensive and comparative understanding of this topic by answering the following questions. (1) How can we define police legitimacy and procedural justice for children and youth? (2) What are the determinants of police procedural justice and legitimacy for children and youth? (3) What are the consequences of police procedural (in)justice and (il)legitimacy for children and youth? (4) Among children and youth, who are the vulnerable groups receiving less legitimate and unjust treatment from the police? A scoping review of the literature published between January 1, 1990 and May 31, 2022 was conducted based on four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest. Guided by the scoping review screening framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, that is, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, and the checklist provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute for quality assessment, 47 publications, consisting of 38 quantitative studies and 9 qualitative studies, were retained in the final sample. The results synthesize the operational and subjective interpretations of police legitimacy offered by the respondents in the studies reviewed which is followed by the discussion of conceptual and measurement issues. The key correlates of police legitimacy identified in these studies were police procedural justice and behavior, followed by experience and contact with the police, relationships with other authority figures, and personal competence in moral reasoning and self-control. In addition to compliance and cooperation, cynicism, trust, and health were related to police (il)legitimacy. We argue that in addition to building and maintaining police legitimacy, it is vital to remedy the negative consequences of injustice in police-youth encounters. https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2024-9-0064/, INPLASY202490064.

Improved thermal resummation for multi-field potentials

The resummation of large thermal corrections to the effective potential is mandatory for the accurate prediction of phase transitions. We discuss the accuracy of different prescriptions to perform this resummation at the one- and two-loop level and point out conceptual issues that appear when using a high-temperature expansion at the two-loop level. Moreover, we show how a particular prescription called partial dressing, which does not rely on a high-temperature expansion, consistently avoids these issues. We introduce a novel technique to apply this resummation method to the case of multiple mixing fields. Our approach significantly extends the range of applicability of the partial dressing prescription, making it suitable for phenomenological studies of beyond the Standard Model extensions of the Higgs sector.

Relational or Object-Oriented? A Dialogue between Two Contemporary Ontologies

Abstract Graham Harman’s Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) emphasizes the autonomy of objects, positing a withdrawn surplus of being that resists reduction to its parts or the sum of its parts. However, Harman’s framework faces conceptual tensions, including challenges in reconciling epistemological and ontological dimensions, explaining the formation of compound objects, and ascribing determinate features to experientially inaccessible objects. I argue that these issues arise mostly due to Harman’s over-commitment to a withdrawn substantial core of objects. To address these issues, I propose turning to Jean-Luc Nancy’s post-phenomenological materialism and Alain Badiou’s mathematical realism. Both Nancy and Badiou offer alternatives to Harman’s substantialist core, emphasizing a local, contextually bound identity of things, which describes a restricted domain from the endlessly broader horizon of relations and situations in which each thing is or can be involved. They thus account for the surplus of being in each thing and consequently their ontological autonomy without recourse to a substantive grounding. I argue such a relational-friendly account of pluralism avoids the conceptual issues Harman’s OOO runs into. Lastly, I emphasize the value of OOO as an advocate for ontological equality that seeks to avoid the emergence of privileged actors or centralized discourse. This dialogue between Harman, Nancy, and Badiou thus seeks to advance the possibility of pluralistic ontologies within relational frameworks, combining the perspectives of OOO with post-phenomenological theories to explore the complexities of relationality without recourse to non-relational substrata.

Postmodern Time and Space. Eco-critical Approaches to Temporal and Spatial Collapse

This article explores the complex intersections of postmodern literature, time-space theory, and eco-criticism, particularly in portraying temporal disruption and spatial collapse amidst current environmental crises. It examines how postmodern literary works challenge the linearity of time and the stability of spatial boundaries in response to the global environmental challenges of the Anthropocene. Through an analysis of critical texts, the study explores ecological degradation as a physical reality and a conceptual issue, fragmenting our perceptions of time and space. Using an eco-critical lens, the article investigates how authors dismantle linear narratives and static settings, instead presenting cyclical or collapsed structures that metaphorically mirror the breakdown of ecosystems and natural rhythms. Focusing on Don DeLillo’s White Noise and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, the article critiques the socio-political ramifications of environmental crises and their reflection on postmodern aesthetics. Ultimately, it contends that the fragmentation of time and space in postmodern literature symbolises broader environmental collapse, urging readers to re-evaluate their relationship with nature, time, and space.

Conceptual issues of accounting (financial) reporting: Innovation, discussion and prospects

Subject. The article discusses issues related to the conceptual foundations of the formation of accounting (financial) statements in the system of Russian accounting standards. Objectives. The article aims to identify the prospects for solving the problematic aspects of the conceptual framework for the formation of accounting (financial) statements. Methods. For the study, I used critical analysis, synthesis, comparison, observation, and systematization. Results. The article presents the results of a comparison of conceptual approaches to the formation of accounting (financial) statements in the new FAS FSBU 4/2023 – Accounting (Financial) Statements, its draft and the RAS PBU 4/99 – Accounting Statements of the Organization that it replaces, and it offers certain recommendations for solving controversial issues of the conceptual framework for the formation of accounting (financial) statements in the system of Russian accounting standards. Conclusions and Relevance. The new FAS FSBU 4/2023 – Accounting (Financial) Statements introduces a number of important clarifications in the regulation of the conceptual framework for the formation of accounting (financial) statements compared to the regulations of the RAS PBU 4/99 – Accounting Statements of the Organization. A number of conceptual issues of the formation of accounting (financial) statements in the new FAS FSBU 4/2023 – Accounting (Financial) Statements are debatable. The solution of controversial issues is possible in the course of further development of the statutory regulation of Russian accounting. The results obtained have both applied and theoretical areas of application in the field of financial accounting.