Personal Integrity Research Articles

Research on the Development and Influence of Internet Supply Chain Finance on Enterprises

In todays digital era, the evolution of internet supply chain finance presents trans-formative opportunities and challenges for enterprises worldwide. This research explores the development and influence of Internet supply chain finance on enterprises, examining its impact on financial management, operational efficiency, and strategic competitiveness within supply chain networks. The study delves into the growing adoption of Internet supply chain finance solutions by enterprises seeking to optimize working capital, streamline transaction processes, and enhance collaboration with suppliers and partners. As digital technologies reshape traditional finance practices, understanding the implication of Internet supply chain finance becomes imperative for businesses navigating complex global supply chains. A comprehensive literature review synthesizes existing knowledge on internet supply chain finance. Preliminary findings suggest that Internet SCF offers significant advantages to enterprises, including improved liquidity management, reduced transaction costs, and enhanced supply chain resilience. However, challenges such as personal security risks and integration complexities underscore the need for strategic planning and technological readiness. By elucidating the development and influence of internet SCF on enterprises for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars in the field of supply chain finance and digital transformation.

Treating the disease and meeting the person with the illness-patient perspectives of needs during infective endocarditis, a qualitative study.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but severe infectious disease. Patients with IE are treated for weeks in the hospital and have profound impairments to their health. New treatment modalities increase options for outpatient care. Little is known about how patients perceive their disease and hospitalisation. We aimed to explore the needs of patients with IE during hospitalisation and the first few months after discharge. In this qualitative study, 20 patients (45-86 years of age) hospitalised due to IE in Swedish hospitals were interviewed a median of 112 (67-221) days after hospitalisation. Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis, identifying eight subcategories, two categories, and an overall theme. The overall theme illuminated a spectrum of needs of patients suffering from IE, between treating the disease and meeting the person with the illness. The needs encompassed eight axes with dual focus on both medical excellence and person-centred care. Medical excellence was needed to optimally treat, supervise, and offer follow-up on this rare and severe disease; patients longed to come home, and there were issues of reliability in the healthcare system. Person-centred care was requested, including individualised information leading to knowledge, reorientation, the beginning of health restoration, and being met as a unique person. Symptoms of fatigue, wasting, and cognitive and mental distress were often neglected by the caregiver. This explorative study shows the patient's needs as important areas in a spectrum between medical excellence and person-centred care. Care in specialised units secure quality. Early discharge is requested by patients. Multiprofessional individualizing outpatient care needs to develop with preserved safety and medical excellence. The disease trajectory after discharge progresses slowly, and the possibility of mitigating its progress is still unclear. Person-centred care, screening for delayed restoration and rehabilitation after endocarditis are important fields for future studies.

Futures empathy for foresight research and practice

Foresight methods help us to think about the future and overcome a bias toward short-term thinking in decision making. However, many approaches to investigating the future tend to leave implicit how individuals involved in the interventions relate to the present and to the future in practice and over time. To address this gap, our study highlights the affordances of two methodologies —Scenario Planning and Future Design. In a pilot study combining these methods, we report the results of the novel hybridized approach applied in strategic planning workshops across four corporations. Initial reflections and learnings from the pilot case study and literature review helps to build understandings of the practical and theoretical workings of the methodological innovation. By investigating this combination of foresight methodologies, this research opens up new ways for thinking about futuring and proposes a theory of Futures Empathy. Futures Empathy harnesses a person’s capacity for empathy in a novel way by applying it toward a future context. It consists of an iterative double looping process between self and a not yet existent future. Through imagination and reflection, foresight methods that build Futures Empathy can enhance personal connection and integration with a longer time horizon, thus overcoming presentism. By proposing a theory of Futures Empathy, we hope to contribute to better present and future relating in practice and over time across a multitude of foresight interventions.

Person-centered care for common mental disorders in Ontario’s primary care patient-centered medical homes: a qualitative study of provider perspectives

BackgroundFor more than a decade, the Patient-Centered Medical Home model has been a guiding vision for the modernization of primary care systems. In Canada, Ontario’s Family Health Teams (FHTs) were designed in the mid-2000s with the medical home model in mind. These primary care clinics aim to provide accessible, comprehensive, and person-centered primary care services to communities across Ontario. Their services typically include mental health care for people experiencing common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders. It remains unclear, however, whether the mental health care delivered within FHTs is consistent with person-centered care approaches. In the current study, we aimed to explore the perspectives of FHT providers on the care delivered to people with common mental disorders to determine whether, and to what extent, they believed this care was person-centered.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative grounded theory study involving interviews with 65 health professionals and administrators from 18 FHTs across Ontario. Transcripts were coded using a three-step process of initial, focused, and axial coding that mixed inductive and deductive approaches informed by sensitizing concepts on person-centeredness.ResultsPractices and challenges associated with the delivery of mental health care in a person-centered way were captured by several themes regrouped into five domains: (1) patient as unique person, (2) patient-provider relationship, (3) sharing power and responsibility, (4) connecting to family and community, and (5) creating person-centered care environments. FHT providers perceived that they delivered person-centered care by delivering mental health care that was responsive, flexible, and consistent with biopsychosocial approaches. They emphasized the importance of creating long-lasting relationships with patients grounded in empathy and trust. Their challenges included being able to ensure continuity of care, adequately prioritizing patients’ mental health issues, and meaningfully engaging patients and families as partners in care.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that FHT providers have adopted a range of person-centered practices for people with common mental disorders. However, greater attention to practices such as shared decision making, supporting self-management, and involving families in care would strengthen person-centeredness and bring teams closer to the Patient-Centered Medical Home vision.

Формирование профессионального самоопределения будущих специалистов гостиничного сервиса средствами личностно-ориентированных технологий

The purpose of this investigation was to confirm the need of student professional self-determination formation and development as a pedagogical task while training of hotel service specialists. The relevance of this research is determined by the generalized interpretation of the term ‘hotel service specialist’. The list of opportunities for professional realization for graduates, actually, is not limited by the place of work as well as by the activity type. Proper assessment and timely diagnosis of aptitude for a particular specialization can contribute to effective self-determination of students, motivate them to successful academic achievements, and stimulate professional development. Methodology and methods. The methodology of the study consists on the basis of the general theory of education and upbringing, the theory of the unity of personality and activity, the foundations of a personality-oriented educational process. The research methods determine the analysis of psychological, pedagogical and methodological literature on the research topic, questionnaires, psychological and pedagogical testing, statistical data. The result of this research was the justification of the pedagogical task as a formation the professional self-determination of students — future hotel service specialists throughout their studies at the university. Theoretical and practical significance. The theoretical significance of the research lies in the construction, substantiation and approbation of the hotel professions matrix. The practical significance is determined by the proposed forms and methods of the educational process organization for the purpose of the professional self-determination formation by means of personality-oriented technologies. Conclusions. In order to maintain students’ interest in professional realization, it is necessary to diagnose their abilities for professional activity within the industry. The effectiveness of the professional self-determination formation will be higher if personality-oriented components are included in the content of scientific and methodological content.

A Comprehensive Survey on Emerging Assistive Technologies for Visually Impaired Persons: Lighting the Path with Visible Light Communications and Artificial Intelligence Innovations.

In the context in which severe visual impairment significantly affects human life, this article emphasizes the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Visible Light Communications (VLC) in developing future assistive technologies. Toward this path, the article summarizes the features of some commercial assistance solutions, and debates the characteristics of VLC and AI, emphasizing their compatibility with blind individuals' needs. Additionally, this work highlights the AI potential in the efficient early detection of eye diseases. This article also reviews the existing work oriented toward VLC integration in blind persons' assistive applications, showing the existing progress and emphasizing the high potential associated with VLC use. In the end, this work provides a roadmap toward the development of an integrated AI-based VLC assistance solution for visually impaired people, pointing out the high potential and some of the steps to follow. As far as we know, this is the first comprehensive work which focuses on the integration of AI and VLC technologies in visually impaired persons' assistance domain.

Development for Empowerment: Mobilising Online and Digital Micro-Credentials for Refugees

Development for empowerment focuses on leveraging education via digital technologies and micro-credentials for training and education as part of the integration, social inclusion and capacity building for displaced persons. Development for empowerment builds upon the previous concepts of development including Amartya Sen’s ‘development as freedom,’ the core concept of education and learning as development, and the use of digital technologies for building human capacity so people can make their own choices and pursue the lives they wish to lead. Development for empowerment for refugees broadens the construct of development and is integral to promoting and nurturing ‘equity, access and success’ amongst refugee populations. The authors highlight critical resources that support the basic tenets of human empowerment such as the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights, the UN’s Basic Needs Approach to Refugees, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and the key strategies of online delivery and micro-credentials development. Moreover, the authors emphasise that the integration, social inclusion and integration of refugees is a highly complex construct to implement and sustain, thus reflecting the constant tension of refugees’ emotional desire to return home versus rebuilding a new life in a new country. In the final analysis, ‘development for empowerment’ + open and distance learning + digital micro-credentials create a powerful synergy for serving refugees and fulfilling the spirit of preserving human rights through education and the pursuit of one’s chosen life as a precious human ideal.

Utilizing professional relationships with at-risk children

A child can be considered at risk if their basic needs or not met or they are in danger of not having these needs met. Highly abnormal living conditions can directly harm personal development, learning, and integration into society. Working with at-risk children requires various educational approaches whose successful implementation depends greatly on the expertise of the personnel involved. This work aims to evaluate the use of relationship and educators’ understanding of it in interventions. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 teaching staff1 who work with children2 in various environments and organizations and subsequently analysed using open coding followed by thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted with eight children’s home educators, eight counsellors and therapists, and ten elementary school teachers. Significant aspects of the understanding and use of relationship-building were identified which, while differing based on the focus of the contributors, demonstrated that relationship-building was the common denominator in all successful interventions in education and re-education.

TO THE ISSUE OF PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN IN THE CONDITIONS OF MARTIAL LAW

The aim. The purpose of this study is to conduct an analysis of violations of children's rights in the context of armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine in order to determine ways to improve the regulatory and legal mechanisms for their protection. Materials and methods. To achieve the goal of the work, general scientific and special methods of scientific knowledge are used. The formal-legal method was applied to the analysis of legal acts regulating the protection of children's rights. Thanks to the application of this method, the formulation of legal norms, their legal technique, the conceptual and categorical apparatus was studied in order to clarify the content and essence of regulation, and the norms of international and national law were determined to identify gaps, collisions, and contradictions. The method of statistical analysis made it possible to determine the dynamics of the number of cases of abduction of children or their adoption. Results. During the research, it was established that russian aggression against Ukraine is accompanied by systematic violations of international law aimed at protecting the rights of the child, in particular the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Geneva Conventions, and The Hague Conventions. According to the data of international monitoring missions, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine numerous facts of violation of children's rights to life, protection from torture, personal integrity, dignity, safety, as well as rights to protection from sexual violence have been recorded. In addition, children are deprived of safe conditions for life, healthy development and realization of the right to education. Such systemic violations require an urgent response by the international community in the form of strengthening preventive measures to prevent further violations of childhood rights. Conclusions. As a result of the full-scale invasion and occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine, the number of cases of violation of children's rights has increased significantly. In particular, this concerns violations of the rights to life, personal integrity, protection of dignity, the right to protection from sexual violence and a number of others. Based on this, the problem of protecting children's rights is of great importance and determines the need to improve the existing mechanisms of legal protection at the national and international levels.

Identifying personality traits and behavioural syndromes in a threatened freshwater fish (Nannoperca vittata) through comparative analysis with a model species (Poecilia reticulata): Implications for conservation

AbstractAnimal personalities are differences in behaviour among individuals of the same species that are consistent over time and contexts. The integration of animal personality into conservation actions is hampered by limited understanding of personality traits in non‐model organisms. We estimated repeatabilities and correlations between behaviours in Nannoperca vittata (western pygmy perch), a threatened freshwater fish species endemic to south‐western Australia, and, for comparative purposes, in Poecilia reticulata (guppy), a species frequently used in personality research. Each fish was measured four times for each of seven behavioural variables, presumed to reflect five underlying personality traits. Track length (TL) was used as a measure of activity; time spent in a risky zone (RZ) and time to emergence (ET) for boldness; latency to approach a novel object (LA) and time spent close to the object (TS) for exploration; time spent close to a mirror (CV) for sociability and number of attacks at the mirror (AT) for aggression. Four behavioural variables (TL, RZ, ET and CV) were significantly repeatable in N. vittata and also in P. reticulata. There was a lack of concordance in phenotypic and among‐individual correlations between variables in both species, emphasising the importance of partitioning trait covariances to infer behavioural syndromes. Significant among‐individual correlations were found between activity, boldness and sociability variables in N. vittata, consistent with a proactive‐reactive personality axis, but not in P. reticulata. Personality variation should be considered in conservation actions for N. vittata, particularly with respect to unintended consequences of domestication selection in captive breeding and release.

Employment practices as experienced by persons with intellectual disability, employers, and employment specialists across Canada

BACKGROUND: Rates of un- and under-employment are high among persons with intellectual disabilities in Canada. More information is needed to better understand how current employment practices are experienced by persons with intellectual disabilities and those who hire and support them. OBJECTIVE: This exploratory and descriptive study sought to learn about employment practices as experienced by self-advocates with intellectual disabilities, employers, and employment specialists; to identify key barriers and facilitators to equitable inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities in attaining and maintaining paid and competitive employment. METHODS: An online survey invited participants from all three groups to share their experiences and descriptive analysis was conducted to offer a summary of patterns across participant experiences. RESULTS: 149 participants (77 employment specialists, 59 self-advocates, and 13 employers) from across Canada participated in the survey and shared information about their experiences across recruitment, hiring, integration, and performance management of persons with intellectual disabilities. CONCLUSION: This study offers information about employment practices in Canada that directly impact the experiences of potential or current employees with intellectual disabilities. The findings may be used to inform the development of employment standards, best practices, and/or future research to improve disability-inclusive employment.

A Few Words on Drittwirkung, Transparency and Personal Integrity in the Light of Digitalization

This article analyses the three topics listed in the headline in that order, and it subsequently identifies and discusses a common thread between them. The fact that they have all been affected by the enactment of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR), of which they belong to the core area, is very crucial here, and so is the interplay or interaction between the European Courts and leading national courts, not least in the constitutional area. Cases such as Melloni, from 2013, have shown the problems that may occur should the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) not respect fundamental rights and national constitutional values. If the CJEU wants to maintain its key role in the future structure of EU law, it needs to show that it cares about fundamental rights and that it wants to work together, not against the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and national courts. The three concepts discussed in this article, all strengthened by the Charter, have so far been most helpful in this process – and may become even more important in the future.

Personal Autonomy and Human Corporeality: What Protects the Right to Personal Integrity?

This paper discusses the controversial and evolving nature of the right to personal integrity in the context of modern legal discourse, with a specific focus on its intersection with bodily boundaries and bio- and digital technologies. It points out that the traditional understanding of this right may no longer be sufficient to protect individuals, especially given the advancements in digital technologies, the Internet of bodies (IoB), as well as the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.This research highlights the ongoing debate and legal complexities surrounding the right to personal integrity and personal autonomy, especially in the face of technological advancements, and suggests the need for a broader perspective to safeguard human dignity and physicality, both in the physical and digital domains. For these purposes, the evolving legal landscape is explored, with reference to the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).We believe that the classic concept of the right to personal integrity no longer ensures the security of the individual, and in order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to expand its scope taking into account the human dignity, especially in the context of the continuous progress of bio- and digital technologies.

Памяти Игоря Анатольевича Руднева

This article is in memory of the professor Igor A. Rudnev – Doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, teacher, founder and member of the editorial board of the journal ‘Superconductivity: Fundamental and Applied Research’ and just a unique person.

Emotional Maturity as a Predictor of Marriage Readiness in Early Adult Women from Batak Ethnic Groups

This study explores the relationship between emotional maturity and marriage readiness among early adult women in Batak families. Utilizing a quantitative correlational research design, the study involved 87 participants aged 21-25 years. Emotional maturity and marriage readiness were measured using the Emotional Maturity Scale (EMS) and the Criteria for Marriage Readiness Questionnaire (CMRQ), respectively. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, assumption testing, and Pearson correlation analysis. Results indicated a significant positive correlation (r = 0.193, p = 0.036) between emotional maturity and marriage readiness, suggesting that higher levels of emotional maturity are associated with higher levels of marriage readiness. The findings highlight the importance of emotional stability, progression, social adjustment, personality integration, and independence in preparing individuals for marriage. This research underscores the critical role of fostering emotional maturity to enhance marriage readiness, providing valuable insights for future studies and interventions aimed at supporting early adult women in Batak families. The study concludes that emotional maturity is a significant factor influencing marriage readiness, contributing to the successful transition into married life.

Context-dependent effects of thermal acclimation on physiological correlates of animal personality in Asiatic toads.

Persistent individual variation in behaviour, or 'personality', is a widespread phenomenon in animals, and understanding the evolution of animal personality is a key task of current biology. Natural selection has been proposed to promote the integration of personality with animal 'intrinsic states', such as metabolic or endocrine traits, and this integration varies with ecological conditions. However, these external ecological modulatory effects have rarely been examined. Here, we investigate the effects of thermal acclimation on between-individual covariations between physiology and behaviour in Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans) along an altitudinal gradient. Our results reveal that the thermal modulatory effects on the covariations depend on the altitudinal population. Specifically, at low altitudes, between-individual covariations are highly plastic, with risk-taking behaviour covarying with baseline glucocorticoids (GCs) under warm acclimation, but risk-taking and exploration behaviour covarying with resting metabolic rate (RMR) under cold acclimation. In contrast, between-individual covariations are relatively fixed at high altitudes, with risk-taking behaviour consistently covarying with baseline GCs. Furthermore, at low altitudes, changes in covariations between RMR and personality are associated with adjustment of energy management models. Evidently, animal physiological states that determine or covary with personality can adapt according to the seasonal thermal environment and the thermal evolutionary background of populations. Our findings highlight the importance of a multi-system physiological approach to understand the evolution of animal personality.

COVID-19 health information system assessments in eight European countries: identified gaps, best practices and recommendations.

Global threats, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have highlighted the critical importance of robust and well-functioning health information systems (HIS) in effectively addressing public health emergencies. To enhance the understanding and the functioning of such systems, it is crucial to perform HIS assessments. This article explores key gaps and identifies best practices in the COVID-19 HIS of eight European countries. Furthermore, it provides recommendations to strengthen European systems for better pandemic preparedness. Assessments were carried out in eight European countries using an adapted version of the WHO support tool to strengthen HIS and the Joint Action on Health Information assessment tool. The assessments took place between January 2022 and April 2023. Four main themes emerged regarding the gaps and best practices identified in the various HIS: organizational, technical, legal and resources. The results of these assessments show different approaches implemented by countries to improve their HIS and respond to the demands of the pandemic. It is imperative for countries to draw valuable insights from the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen their HIS. This involves the adaptation or development of pandemic preparedness plans, strengthening legislative framework for data sharing and privacy protection, promotion of data standards and international definitions and implementation of a unique person identifier. Additionally, countries will have to act in this post-pandemic era and integrate the newly developed systems and innovations into existing structures, maintain and develop trust by citizens through transparent communication and engage in infodemic management and address resource gaps in the workforce.

"What you're born with, you die with." Half a Lifetime of Psychiatric Care for a Traumatized Young Woman With Cystic Fibrosis.

This case report describes 19 years of psychiatric care of a young female survivor of childhood sexual and physical abuse and neglect who also had the misfortune of having a life-compromising and life-limiting physical disease, cystic fibrosis. It summarizes ~ 100 therapeutic contacts from age 21 to age 40 and spans her journey through lung transplantation to the end of her life. The nature of cystic fibrosis and its treatment is reviewed and there is a discussion of the therapeutic process. The case is enriched by emails from the young woman describing her struggles to maintain personal integrity as her lung function declined. The case is presented with the young woman's consent.

School and separation anxiety in children: the psychotherapeutic value of art therapy

The clinical illustration presented here showcases the psychotherapeutic benefits of art therapy for children experiencing separation anxiety. Its containing quality facilitates the reconstruction of internal and external boundaries and fosters a sense of personal integrity. By stimulating creativity, imagination, and the projection of internal fears, art therapy enables children to process and express their emotions effectively, leading to improved emotional regulation and coping mechanisms. Separation anxiety can give rise to social and academic adaptation difficulties, which are often associated with learning challenges and academic failures. Based on this, we concluded through an experiment that introducing art therapy, as a form of mental health care for these children, is highly beneficial for improving their well-being.

A life in light - in honor of David Mauzerall on his 95th birthday.

David Mauzerall was born on July 22, 1929 to a working-class family in the small, inland textile town of Sanford, Maine. Those humble origins instilled a lifelong frugality and an innovative spirit. After earning his PhD degree in 1954 in physical organic chemistry with Frank Westheimer at the University of Chicago, he joined The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now University) as a postdoctoral fellow that summer, rose to the rank of professor, and remained there for the rest of his career. His work over more than 60 years encompassed porphyrin biosynthesis, photoinduced electron-transfer reactions in diverse architectures (solutions, bilayer lipid membranes, reaction centers, chromatophores, and intact leaves), the light-saturation curve of photosynthesis, statistical treatments of photoreactions, and "all-things porphyrins." His research culminated in studies he poetically referred to as "listening to leaves" through the use of pulsed photoacoustic spectroscopy to probe the course and thermodynamics of photosynthesis in its native state. His research group was always small; indeed, of 185 total publications, 39 were singly authored. In brief, David Mauzerall has blended a deep knowledge of distinct disciplines of physical organic chemistry, photochemistry, spectroscopy and biophysics with ingenious experimental methods, incisive mathematical analysis, pristine personal integrity, and unyielding love of science to deepen our understanding of photosynthesis in its broadest context. He thought creatively - and always independently. His work helped systematize the fields of photosynthesis and the origin of life and made them more quantitative. The present article highlights a number of salient scientific discoveries and includes comments from members of his family, friends, and collaborators (Gary Brudvig, Greg Edens, Paul Falkowski, Alzatta Fogg, G. Govindjee, Nancy Greenbaum, Marilyn Gunner, Harvey Hou, Denise and Michele Mauzerall, Thomas Moore, and William Parson) as part of a celebration of his 95th birthday.