Universal Issues Research Articles

Reflections on higher education institutions responses intra-period COVID-19: A road towards a new normal in Arab universities

<p><span lang="EN-US">While the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact, the new normal era becomes the latest universal issue to be discussed. Hence, most Arab countries are still categorized as developing countries, this stipulates the need to provide deep discussion on the typology of the types of responses currently undertaken by their higher education institutions. This can assess their agility in preparing for the intra-pandemic period and the unprecedented future disruption. This paper aims to give reflections on the adopted practices in Arab higher education institutions in response to COVID-19 disruption. It also aims to utilize the success indicators and challenges encountering these universities in a way to propose recommendations to shape the new normal era forward. In this study, a desktop analysis, leveraging six Arab universities websites and governments’ sources, was conducted wherein systematic literature, policy documents, as well as related procedures targeting COVID-19 and higher education were reviewed. The results indicate that, throughout the uncertainties of COVID-19, Arab higher education institutions continuously strive to deliver high quality of teaching and learning through employing consistent high-tech procedures entitling government legislations, education management, curriculum, scientific research and stakeholders’ collaboration.</span></p>

Biodegradation of cassava starch modified low density polyethylene by Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from waste dumpsite

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) is used for packaging and other industrial application is a significant source of environmental pollution. The present study was aimed at testing the ability of bacterial strains identified as Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to degrade LDPE. These strains were isolated from soil samples collected from dump site. All bacterial isolates were screened for their ability to degrade synthetic LDPE. Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa produced weight loss percentages of 0.18% and 0.17% respectively and were used for further studies. The biodegradation was further enhanced by blending pellets of the LDPE (90, 80 and 70 %) with cassava starch (10, 20 and 30%). The screened bacteria isolates were incubated along with the cassava starch modified LDPE for a period of 60 days. Degradation was observed in terms of weight loss and tensile strength of the modified LDPE. Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa achieved a maximum weight loss reduction of 42.01 % and 51.03 % respectively in LDPE modified with 30 % cassava starch. However, the highest weight loss reduction of 54.03 % in 30 % Cassava starch modified LDPE by the bacterial consortium. Tensile strength of 42.01% was achieved in LDPE containing 30% starch. Therefore these results show that the bacteria used in this study can colonize, utilize and modify LDPE as a sole carbon source, signifying the potential of Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp. to degrade LDPE film. This work would also pave way for future studies on biodegradation to resolve the universal pollution issues.

Pathways Towards Green Management Policies in Public Sector

Sustainable development is becoming the topic most discussed nowadays. It is a universal issue targeting peace and freedom for people, the planet and prosperity. Supporting sustainable sectors, encouraging sustainable lifestyles, and allocating time and resources to scientific research are important strategies to promote sustainable development. This research paper purposes a theoretical framework of green HRM and its effects on an organization’s sustainable performance. This study aims to understand the influence of green human resource management (green HRM) practices on sustainable performance in Malaysia's public service organizations. This article is expected to help researchers develop an interest in green HRM and perhaps gain conceptual knowledge of this as well. Finally, this paper is expected to provide a deeper understanding of the managerial perspectives on green HRM and the perceived importance of sustainable performance for future researchers.

Antibiotic Resistance: A Universal Issue of Concern

The antibiotic resistance forthwith is the worldwide severe health problem. Clinical and economically, outcomes are harmed by the antibiotic resistance, along with consequences ranging from a patient’s failure to respond treatment and the expensive and alternative drugs costs higher morbidity and mortality rates, preponderant hospital stays and the need for changes in standard therapy. The usage of antibiotic in the population as a whole a few leading sources of antibiotic resistance. Patients who do not have a prescription are frequently given ‘prescription-only’ medications like antibiotics by pharmacists in undeveloped nations like India. There is a lack of information on how community pharmacists use antibiotics which is critical for developing a viable and long-term intervention programmed to encourage judicious antibiotic use. Antibiotics are one of the most effective weapons to fight against life-threatening illnesses. Their discoveries have a significant impact on human as well as animal health. Consequently, because of the advent and spread of antimicrobial resistance, people all around the world including Americans are sinking due to intractable diseases. In this review, we will look at the trapping of antibiotic resistance on the general public health, community, society and health care system. Resistance to antibiotics is a danger sign that is putting strain on healthcare systems and resulting in severe health loss; we must continue to monitor and support activities aimed at preventing and controlling the infection.

Why did he say that? Teaching physicians-in-training how to recognize hidden emotions in end-of-life prognosis conversations: an autoethnography

Background: Intuitively accessible via WhyDidHeSayThat.com, this article begins with two unconscionable end-of-life prognosis-related quotes from best-selling physician-author, Atul Gawande, and an unnamed doctor, asking: “Why did he say that?” The article then proceeds to answer this question by showing how physicians’ most common end-of-life communication blunders are rooted in their unexplored emotions. Healthcare’s only widespread conversation analysis training focused on examining the role of hidden emotions in influencing the flow of conversation is found in Spiritual Care’s “Verbatim” education modules. While the need for physicians’ emotional self-awareness for improved end-of-life communication has been identified in the literature, no one has explored how this need might be met by custom-tailoring Spiritual Care’s “Verbatim” education modules for physicians-in-training. Methods: This article utilizes the qualitative research method of autoethnography to grant physicians access to the content and power of Spiritual Care’s “Verbatim” education modules for conversation analysis and emotional intelligence. Results: Using a profound personal example from the author’s firsthand experience of the suggested training tool, the “Verbatim” module is shown to grant revelatory self-knowledge and invaluable emotional intelligence. The same model then illuminates the physician cases. Conclusion: Spiritual Care’s “Verbatim” education modules address universal issues of clinical communication and emotional self-awareness that are applicable to physician-patient/family conversations surrounding end-of-life decision-making. Customizing these conversation analysis modules for physicians-in-training may help to address physicians’ emotionally-triggered conversational miscues in end-of-life prognosis communication. Existing programs for complementary end-of-life communication training are noted, and it is claimed that a combination of each of these models, together with the proposed module, may be ideal. It is also admitted that no form of education or training can ensure ethical communication. Therefore the ultimate solution is to supplement communication training with real-time, third-party support and accountability. This can be achieved by the "Doctor Body Cam" intervention protocol, accessible via DoctorBodyCam.com.

Historical empathy and medicine: Pathography and empathy in Sophocles' Philoctetes.

The aim of this article is to explore the ways in which the engagement with Greek tragedy may contribute fruitfully to the unfolding of empathy in medical students and practitioners. To reappraise the general view that classical texts are remote from modern experience because of the long distance between the era they represent and today, I propose an approach to Greek tragedy viewed through the lens of historical empathy, and of the association between past situations and similar contemporary experiences, in particular. After a brief examination of the concept of empathy, its links with literary reading, and the discussion of these interrelations within the training of narrative medicine, and narrative ethics in particular, the focus turns to selected parts of Sophocles’ Philoctetes, such as the disease scene—an ancient example of pathography. Here Neoptolemus’ empathy for Philoctetes’ situation and its consequences are explored with specific interest in the modern readers’ affective response in connection with their own experiences in medical practice. Neoptolemus’ ethical conflict, which is resolved by his decision to care for Philoctetes, and the problematic nature of this attitude are both indicative of the aim of Greek tragedy to problematize universal issues and thus to point towards the instability of human life and the fluidity of human nature. Realizing through historical empathy the precariousness of human existence may lead to a better understanding and hence better care for others and open new perspectives in the development of empathy within the context of contemporary medical education and practice.

Smartphone standoff: a qualitative study exploring clinician responses when a patient uses a smartphone to record a hospital clinical encounter

ObjectivesPatients are initiating recordings of their clinical encounters using a smartphone. While this is an important, universal issue, little is known about the clinician viewpoint. Understanding clinician perspectives and behaviours...

Признаки иммунитета от уголовного преследования и его виды

Abstract: Relevance of the research topic. In the Russian Federation, the equality of all persons before the law and the courts is enshrined at the constitutional level. At the same time, it is well known that there are several types of immunity available in criminal proceedings according to the law (in particular, immunity from criminal prosecution, immunity from the application of a number of measures of criminal procedure compulsion, witness immunity). Immunity from prosecution occupies a special place among procedural immunities since it requires additional procedures to address the key and the most universal issue of bringing a person to justice. As an exception to the general rules of the uniform criminal procedure, the law establishes specific criminal proceedings for some categories of persons performing certain types of public legal activities (see chapter 52 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation). At the same time, the features of those persons are not universal. Therefore, there is a need to examine the concept of immunity from prosecution and to classify its types.
 Problem setting. Chapter 52 of the Code of Criminal Procedure defines the specifics of judicial proceedings in relation to a very wide range of persons. In respect to some persons, the initiation of a criminal case may be carried out only by the senior investigative authorities. The question arises whether this feature can be considered immunity from criminal prosecution, and if not, what are the essential features of this immunity. Furthermore, immunity from criminal prosecution should be classified, since the court proceedings vary markedly depending on the type of immunity. In the science of criminal procedure, these aspects have not received due attention. Commonly, any complications in the course of the criminal procedure described in chapter 52 of the Code of Criminal Procedure are declared immunity from criminal prosecution, which does not correspond to the legal position of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation.
 Research objectives and methods. The purpose of the study is to define the essential signs of immunity
 from criminal prosecution and to classify its types.
 The objectives of the study are to explore the legal nature of immunity from criminal prosecution and distinguish the types of immunity according to different grounds.
 The methodological basis of the study is the universal dialectical-materialistic method, as well as the general scientific methods of theoretic inquiry: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, formal-legal method.
 Results and key findings. Immunity from criminal prosecution entails a decision to prosecute the person with immunity only with the permission of the competent public authority, usually within the legislative or judicial branch of power. Immunity guarantees a certain procedure for obtaining such consent, that grants significant rights to the person in question. Due to the mentioned circumstances, the complication of proceedings limited solely to the initiation of criminal proceedings by the superior authority of the investigative agency cannot be considered immunity from criminal prosecution. This immunity is granted to persons expressly specified in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Its provision to other persons is fundamentally permissible accounting for the restrictions contained in the legal position of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation.

Lotus-Leaf-Inspired Biomimetic Coatings: Different Types, Key Properties, and Applications in Infrastructures

A universal infrastructural issue is wetting of surfaces; millions of dollars are invested annually for rehabilitation and maintenance of infrastructures including roadways and buildings to fix the damages caused by moisture and frost. The biomimicry of the lotus leaf can provide superhydrophobic surfaces that can repel water droplets, thus reducing the penetration of moisture, which is linked with many deterioration mechanisms in infrastructures, such as steel corrosion, sulfate attack, alkali-aggregate reactions, and freezing and thawing. In cold-region countries, the extent of frost damage due to freezing of moisture in many components of infrastructures will be decreased significantly if water penetration can be minimized. Consequently, it will greatly reduce the maintenance and rehabilitation costs of infrastructures. The present study was conducted to explore any attempted biomimicry of the lotus leaf to produce biomimetic coatings. It focuses on anti-wetting characteristics (e.g., superhydrophobicity, sliding angle, contact angle), self-cleaning capability, durability, and some special properties (e.g., light absorbance and transmission, anti-icing capacity, anti-fouling ability) of lotus-leaf-inspired biomimetic coatings. This study also highlights the potential applications of such coatings, particularly in infrastructures. The most abundant research across coating materials showed superhydrophobicity as being well-tested while self-cleaning capacity and durability remain among the properties that require further research with existing promise. In addition, the special properties of many coating materials should be validated before practical applications.

Associations between socio-spatially different urban areas and knowledge, attitudes, practices and antibiotic use: A cross-sectional study in the Ruhr Metropolis, Germany.

Inappropriate and excessive antibiotic use fuels the development of antibiotic resistance. Determinants of antibiotic use, including knowledge and attitudes, are manifold and vary on different spatial scales. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between socio-spatially diverse urban areas and knowledge, attitudes, practices and antibiotic use within a metropolitan city. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the general population in socio-spatially different areas in Dortmund, Germany, in February and March 2020. Three urban areas were chosen to represent diverse socio-spatial contexts (socio-spatially disadvantaged: A, intermediate: B, socio-spatially disadvantaged: C). Participants were selected via simple random sampling. The questionnaire comprised knowledge and attitude statements and questions around antibiotic use and handling practices. Differences between the areas were examined by estimating odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals by multiple logistic regression. Overall, 158 participants were included. Participants of Area C showed the lowest proportions of correct knowledge statements, indicated more often attitudes contrary to common recommendations, lower risk awareness and reported more often antibiotic use (C: 40.8%; A: 32.7%; B: 26.5%) and potential mishandling practices (C: 30.4%; A: 9.6%; B: 17.3%). The multiple logistic regression confirmed these differences. Around 42.3% (C), 33.3% (A) and 20.0% (B) of the diseases mentioned for which an antibiotic was used are mainly caused by viral pathogens. A common misconception across all areas was the perception of antibiotic resistance as an individual rather than a universal issue. This study reveals distinct differences between socio-spatially diverse urban areas within a metropolitan city, regarding knowledge, attitudes and practices around antibiotics and ABR. Our findings confirm that enhanced efforts are required to better inform the population about the adequate use and handling of antibiotics. This study emphasizes the need for future interventions to be tailored to the specific local socio-economic context.

Morphological Audit of glomerular diseases in a tertiary care Hospital.

Background: Glomerular diseases are a universal health issue, and Pakistan ranks eighth in renal disease, causing 20,000 deaths every year. Renal biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool and provides prognostic insight and therapeutic plans. The study's objective is to determine the frequency and pattern of various glomerulopathies concerning age and gender. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was performed at the Department of Pathology, Ziauddin Medical University, and Hospital, Karachi, from 19th December 2018 to 15th April 2019. A total of 91 patients were included of either gender with a clinical history of glomerulonephritis. All biopsy samples were analyzed by using light and immunofluorescence microscopy techniques. Patient data were compiled and analyzed through SPSS version 20.0. Results: A total of 91 cases of the renal biopsy were evaluated; 51.6% of these cases were male patients. Forty-nine (53.8%) cases were reported as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, 35(38.5%) were diagnosed with membranous glomerulonephritis, and 7(7.7%) were reported as mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis. In membranous glomerulonephritis, 7.7% were pre-spike membranous glomerulonephritis. In the current study, 35.2% of cases showed diffuse glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening with spikes, and 4.4% showed GBM thickening with focal spikes on silver stain. Conclusion: Glomerular diseases are slightly more prevalent in males than females. The most commonly diagnosed primary glomerulonephritis was focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, followed by membranous glomerulonephritis.

Global challenges in breast cancer detection and treatment

Breast cancer represents an urgent global priority. While this is a universal issue, and as the burden of the disease is increasing globally, current estimates indicate that in the next couple of decades, much of the incidence and mortality related to breast cancer will be seen in underserved populations. The fragile and ill-prepared healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) need to address this challenge and find solutions with their limited resources. Significant disparities can be identified in stage at presentation as the ability to detect the disease in earlier stages is compromised in these scenarios leading to worse outcomes associated to late diagnoses. Furthermore, access to healthcare in general and to basic surgical, radiotherapy and systemic care is suboptimal additionally limiting treatment results. With a small portion of their budget allocated to healthcare, LMIC need to make the most of their resources prioritizing cost-effective strategies that could offer the best possible results. Countries that invest in women's health do develop into healthier, more educated, and importantly, more productive societies with benefits seen across generations. Finally, recognition of inequities should stimulate a concerted effort engaging all involved stakeholders to find context-adapted solutions to improve healthcare outcomes.

The possible protective role of N-acetyl cysteine on duodenal mucosa of high fat diet and orlistat treated adult male albino rats and the active role of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and Interleukin 6 (IL6) (histological and biochemical study)

ABSTRACT Background Obesity is a major universal health issue linked to a majority of illness. Aim To evaluate the histological and biochemical changes occurred in the duodenal mucosa of high fat diet HFD and orlistat fed rats and to assess the possible protective role of N-acetyl cysteine NAC supplementation. Material and method Sixty male albino rats weighing 180–200 g were classified randomly into control group I and three experimental groups (HFD group II, HFD + orlistat group III, and HFD + orlistat + NAC group IV). All experimental groups received HFD alone/and treatment for 6 weeks. Group III received orlistat (32 mg/kg/day) before meals and group IV received the same regimen as group III in addition to NAC (230 mg/kg/day) after meals. After completion of the experiment, duodenal sections were processed for histological examination, oxidative stress parameters, and semiqualitative real time PCR for proinflammatory mediators TNFα and IL6 evaluation. Also, plasma lipid parameters were assessed and morphometric duodenal results were analyzed statistically. Results By histological examination of HFD and (HFD + orlistat) groups, we found severe to moderate duodenal structural disturbances, increased goblet cells, collagen fibers, and BAX and iNOS immunostaining. By Biochemical examination, both groups showed increased proinflammatory markers level (TNFα and IL6) with decreased all antioxidant parameters and increased MDA. Moreover, NAC treatment in group IV significantly reduced all structural changes, levels of proinflammatory mediators and increased all antioxidant parameter levels and decreased MDA. Conclusion All findings elucidated that NAC could be accounted to be a useful drug for protection of duodenal mucosa of HFD and orlistat treated animals.

Aquinas vs. Buridan on the Universality of Human Concepts and the Immateriality of the Human Intellect

Under the traditional classification of medieval positions on the issue of universals, both Aquinas and Buridan would have to be deemed to be “conceptualists”: they both deny the existence of mind-independent, Platonic universals (against “realists”), and they both attribute universality primarily to the representative function of our universal concepts, and thus only secondarily to universal names of human languages (against “nominalists”). Yet, Aquinas is quite appropriately classified as a “moderate realist,” and Buridan as an “Ockhamist nominalist.” This paper will argue that what justifies these more refined classifications is the two authors’ radically different conceptions of the representative function of our universal concepts. The paper will show how this difference results in their opposing judgments concerning the demonstrability of the thesis of the immateriality of the human intellect and will reply to Buridan’s main objection to Aquinas’s argument for this thesis, by pointing out the objection’s conflation of merely indifferent, non-distinctive singular representation with genuinely universal intellectual representation. In its conclusion, the paper will briefly gesture at an important contemporary implication of Aquinas’s thesis concerning a metaphysical limitation of artificial intelligence.

Colon + Hyphen + Right Paren: At the Origins of Face Semiotics from Smileys to Memes

The article engages with the semiotics of “stylized faces” in online communication, focusing on “smileys.” It reconstructs the origins of both emoticons and emojis, outlining how they differ functionally (paralinguistic signs vs. narrative figures) and commenting on their pragmatics, with regard to the issue of literacy as related to generational fruition. A chronology is provided of the first tokens of smileys in written communication, both before and after the Internet. By relying upon the anthropology of the face dating back to prehistory, the issues of iconism and universality are discussed, supporting the view that there is a strong cultural, conventional component in face depiction, varying diachronically (emoticons versus emojis) and diatopically (emoticons versus kaomojis, i.e., Japanese emoticons). Emoticons and emojis are regarded as prominent examples of intermedia, working at the intersection of written word and image. Finally, stylized digital faces are set in the broader framework of Internet memes, thus discussing the dichotomy between structural memes (the focus is on the formula) and iconic memes (the focus is on the image and, thus, the face). Throughout the text, great care is devoted to the philology of sources, some of them being presented in this form for the first time.

Evaluation of microalbuminuria in obesity phenotypes.

BACKGROUND:Obesity is a universal health issue of the present time. Nearly 2 billion people were estimated to be either overweight or obese in 2020, with nearly 3.4 million deaths worldwide. Proteinuria is now widely known to be a significant predictor of renal pathologies including end-stage renal disease. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the presence of microalbuminuria (MA) in obese individuals.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending the outpatient department of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha. From the subjects meeting the study criteria, selected 150 individuals with BMI ≥ 25 that formed the obese group. Obese individuals were further subdivided as metabolic healthy obese (MHO) and metabolic abnormal obese (MAO) based on metablic syndrome criteria. From the non-obese patients (BMI≤25), one age and gender matched control was selected for each obese subject. All subjects were tested for MA by dipstick method. Data was analyzed using SPSS and Chi-square test was performed to test for statistical significance.RESULTS:The study reflected the association of MA in the groups studied. The metabolic abnormal obese group was noted as having the highest percentage of positive cases (53.7%) of MA, followed by the MHO group (31.3%). A significant association of prevalence of MA was seen in MHO and MAO obese individuals (P < 0.001). MA was present in the urine samples of 26 (31.3%) obese subjects in the MHO group, 36 (53.7%) in the MAO group, and 8 (5.3%) in the control population.CONCLUSION:Both MHO and MAO subgroups of obese individuals showed higher proportion of MA indicating adverse renal function. Therefore, primary prophylactic measures such as health education and lifestyle modification should be promoted for the obese to reduce their body weight and thereby possibly reduce the risk of future obesity-related renal complications.

Contribution of Illicit Drug Use to Pharmaceutical Load in the Environment: A Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.

Illicit drug abuse and addiction are universal issues requiring international cooperation and interdisciplinary and multisectoral solutions. These addictive substances are utilized for recreational purposes worldwide, including in sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand, conventional wastewater treatment facilities such as waste stabilization ponds lack the design to remove the most recent classes of pollutants such as illicit drug abuse. As a result, effluents from these treatment schemes contaminate the entire ecosystem. Public health officials are concerned about detecting these pollutants at alarming levels in some countries, with potential undesirable effects on aquatic species and increased health hazards through exposure to contaminated waters or recycling treated or untreated effluents in agriculture. Contaminants including illicit substances enter the environment by human excreta following illegal intake, spills, or through direct dumping, such as from clandestine laboratories, when their manufacturer does not follow accepted production processes. These substances, like other pharmaceuticals, have biological activity and range from pseudopersistent to highly persistent compounds; hence, they persist in the environment while causing harm to the ecosystem. The presence of powerful pharmacological agents such as cocaine, morphine, and amphetamine in water as complex combinations can impair aquatic organisms and human health. These compounds can harm human beings and ecosystem health apart from their low environmental levels. Therefore, this article examines the presence and levels of illicit substances in ecological compartments such as wastewater, surface and ground waters in sub-Saharan Africa, and their latent impact on the ecosystem. The information on the occurrences of illicit drugs and their metabolic products in the sub-Saharan Africa environment and their contribution to pharmaceutical load is missing. In this case, it is important to research further the presence, levels, distribution, and environmental risks of exposure to human beings and the entire ecosystem.

An Efficient Intrusion Detection Framework Based on Embedding Feature Selection and Ensemble Learning Technique

Network security has emerged as a crucial universal issue that affects enterprises, governments, and individuals. The strategies utilized by the attackers are continuing to evolve, and therefore the rate of attacks targeting the network system has expanded dramatically. An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is one of the significant defense solutions against sophisticated cyberattacks. However, the challenge of improving the accuracy, detection rate, and minimal false alarms of the IDS continues. This paper proposes a robust and effective intrusion detection framework based on the ensemble learning technique using eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and an embedded feature selection method. Further, the best uniform feature subset is extracted using the up-to-date real-world intrusion dataset Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection (CICIDS2017) for all attacks. The proposed IDS framework has successfully exceeded several evaluations on a big test dataset over both multi and binary classification. The achieved results are promising on various measurements with an accuracy overall, precision, detection rate, specificity, F-score, false-negative rate, false-positive rate, error rate, and The Area Under the Curve (AUC) scores of 99.86%, 99.69%, 99.75%, 99.69%, 99.72%, 0.17%, 0.2%, 0.14%, and 99.72 respectively for abnormal class. Moreover, the achieved results of multi-classification are also remarkable and impressively great on all performance metrics.

Рецепция античного мифа об Атридах в кинофильме Вуди Аллена «Мечта Кассандры»

Modern Western artistic culture receives the Antiquity as the ancient myth. The myth of the Atreides enjoys an increased attention of playwrights in Western Europe and the United States, since it raises the universal issues of crime and punishment, awareness of guilt and assertion of truth. This article focuses on the reception of the Atreides myth in Woody Allen’s Cassandra ’s Dream. The article analyses the cultural dialogue between Antiquity and Modernity: the director has transferred the ancient plot to modern reality and endowed the Americans with the features of ancient heroes. The plot of the film develops around a murder committed by the brothers for financial gain. It correlates with the murder of Agamemnon as well as his wife and Aegisthus. Ian’s determination is reminiscent of Elektra’s behavior: he incites his brother to commit a crime and feels no repentance after the murder has occurred. Like Euripides’s Orestes, the other brother, Terry, cannot calm down after the crime, saying that he repents and wants to open himself to the police in order to suffer a well-deserved punishment. In the conflict between the brothers, killing a brother is the only way out of the situation, although Ian says that he feels the same “strange vision”: he must kill again. While ancient heroes act under the will of gods, which gives the impression of conscious and controlled actions, modern heroes are driven by circumstances. While heroes of ancient literature take murders for granted, as a legitimate revenge or even a feat, modern artistic culture focuses on the ethical side of the bloodshed. A modern human is dominated by a new Christian morality, which though oftentimes unrealized, affects human desires and functions as a source of ethical reflections. The story of the heroes, consisting of a chain of uncontrollable events, would seem to confirm the unpredictability of life and the total dependence of people on circumstances. Fatalism is an integral part of the ancient worldview: it is not by chance that “Fate” is personified and becomes a separate character in ancient Greek tragedy. However, modern culture affirms human independence and freedom, which Terry discoveres at a moment of spiritual enlightenment after committing a crime, followed by utter repentance. The finale of the film is strikingly different from the ancient interpretations of the myth of the Atreides: the killer-heroes die. The reception of antiquity in American culture of the 21st century is a reflection on what determines the behavior of a modern person in a critical situation, similar to that in ancient mythology, as well as what is the modern attitude of a criminal to their crime. Appealing to the ancient myth, Woody Allen proves that Christian morality allows making the right, “human” decision even in the most difficult circumstances. At the same time, he shows the duality of modern culture: the imposed ideals of mass culture beguile a morally developed person, who gets illusory freedom for a lost self-identity. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

Фундаментальные цивилизационные сдвиги с точки зрения метода политической экономии

the world civilization is currently facing not only problems caused by profound shifts in the global balance of economic and political forces, but also the growing need to resolve universal issues, including a dangerous aggravation of the ecological crisis, the erosion of human self-identification, and the growth of military confrontation as well. At the same time, technological progress bears the possibility of alleviating the resource strains on the natural environment, developing the creative content of human activity, and of reasonable consumption limitation on its own. The nature of social relations in which scientific and technological progress develops determines the choice between these two tendencies. Ultimately, the solution of the issue lies in the transition from economic rationality to rationality based on the criteria of reason and culture. However, as long as we remain within the boundaries of an economic society, it is necessary to learn how to single out those economic relations and institutions that will contribute to a gradual transition from a self-destructive orientation towards economic rationality and the solution to the civilizational crisis. The study of these relations and institutions is the subject of political economy, which makes it possible to reveal the fundamental foundations for the development of the socio-economic structure of society.