Level Of Technological Development Research Articles

“Particle therapy - future for the Baltic states?” – synthesis of the expert workshop report

Abstract Background Baltic States remains one of the few regions in the Europe without a dedicated particle therapy center. An initiative since 2021 has been started by CERN Baltic Group on a novel particle therapy center development in the region in partnership with CERN NIMMS collaboration. With a conceptual design idea in early 2022 and stakeholder engagement activities in late 2022 - next step forward was necessary for the initiative for a more in-depth analysis. Methods A dedicated workshop “Particle therapy - future for the Baltic States? State-of-play, synergies and challenges” was held. The workshop was attended by medical community from the Baltics, as well as CERN technical experts and particle therapy practicing clinicians, with scientific programme split in 5 main areas of investigation. Results Current cancer epidemiology statistics and RT technological possibilities in the region were analyzed, with first estimates of eligible number of patients calculated. Technological development level of the proposed accelerator complex was discussed, as well the clinical needs and synnergy possibilities with the nuclear medicine field. Conclusions The current state and calculated first estimates presented here have shown a promising starting point, which prompts even further in-depth work – a feasibility study for development of a novel particle therapy center in the Baltic States.

Analysis of network patterns and its influencing factors in Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration based on multi-flow

With the strengthening of the cross-regional flows of the economy, information, innovation, and population, this paper constructs a network model of multi-flow integration and analyzes the spatial pattern and influencing factors of urban networks in Chengdu-Chongqing Urban Agglomeration using social network analysis and spatial analysis technology. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) The density and efficiency are in the transition stage from the primary level to the medium level in the comprehensive network. (2) The overall pattern keeps a polyhedral pyramid structure with Chengdu ↔ Chongqing as the core axis, and the grade of each axis has been significantly raised. (3) Four groups are formed using the social network method and show a geographic proximity effect. In addition, the connections within each group are relatively close, but the connections between the groups are significantly different. (4) Location conditions, economic development level, enterprise development level, scientific research investment, scientific and technological development level, and government support have a greater impact on the formation of the comprehensive network of Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration. Information application level and transportation accessibility show a small impact and human capital level has not yet produced a significant impact.

Research on the Spatial Effect of Igital Economy Development Enabling Green Technology Innovation in Yangtze River Delta region

At the time of the transformation of old and new driving forces for economic growth, green technology innovation enabled by the digital economy has gradually become a powerful driving force for scientific and technological innovation and the improvement of the development level of green economy in the Yangtze River Delta region. This paper takes 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region as the research object, and empirically analyzes the spatial correlation degree and the spillover effect of green technology innovation in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2016 to 2020 by constructing the spatial Dubin model. The results show that: (1) Digital economy has a strong positive impact on green technology innovation and development, and has an empowering effect on regional green technology innovation and development. (2) The development of green technology innovation in the Yangtze River Delta showed a significant positive spatial autocorrelation, and the spatial autocorrelation decreased with the increase of years, and the trend of unbalanced development of green technology innovation increased. (3) The level of digital economy, the level of opening up to the outside world, the rate of urbanization and the level of scientific and technological development have a spatial spillover effect on regional green technology innovation and development. Based on the above conclusions, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions to promote the innovation and development of green technology enabled by digital economy in Yangtze River Delta region.

Is there a universal limit to technological development? Evidences from astrobiology

Considering the vastness of time and space, if one civilization — ours — has been able to advance technologically to the point of leaving its own planet, why technosignatures from other advanced extraterrestrial civilizations have never been identified? In this paper, I offer an explanation for that, developing an insight originally presented by Webb and others and using insights from astrobiology, sustainability and archaeology. I argue that there exists a universal limit to technological development (ULTD), determined by decreasing technological returns on societal complexity, increasing maintenance costs of existing technology, the eventual untestability of scientific theories due to the high costs involved and the unattainable energy levels needed to test them and civilization-damaging catastrophes. I also argue, based on the principle of mediocrity, that the ULTD is not much above our current level of technological development. Technology, therefore, will not be able to provide another home to humankind. Such a possibility should be taken into consideration during the decision-making process concerning both the allocation of resources to research or mitigation of technology-induced planetary changes and the definition of goals to space exploration.

Has the Development of Digital Technology Promoted the Efficiency of Logistics Enterprises?

Digital technology is a new driving force to promote the evolution of industrial chain and value chain, can the logistics industry realize quality and efficiency through the empowerment of digital technology? This article utilizes the annual report data of logistics enterprises from 2012 to 2021, constructs and measures a dictionary of digital technology development level of logistics enterprises based on Python, and uses BCC model and Malmquist index model to analyze and group comparison the operational efficiency of sample enterprises, in order to test the impact of digital technology development level on the operational efficiency of logistics enterprises.. The results of the study show that (1) with the improvement of the development level of digital technology of logistics enterprises, the static efficiency represented by comprehensive efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency have all gained a significant improvement, and the number of effective companies in DEA is positively proportional to the level of digital technology; (2) in terms of the dynamic efficiency represented by technological progress and total factor productivity, the above positive relationship is also significant, especially in 2017 After 2017, the "efficiency" effect is very obvious, indicating that with the increase in the breadth and depth of the application of digital technology in the logistics industry, the effect of improving the operational efficiency of logistics enterprises will be further strengthened.

How does digital transformation empower knowledge creation? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises

Knowledge creation is the foundation for indigenous innovation in manufacturing enterprises; however, the effects of digital transformation on knowledge creation are still not well understood. Nonaka put forward the model of knowledge creation, which includes four processes: socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization, known as the famous SECI model. Based on the SECI model, this study analyzes the effects of digital transformation on four knowledge creation processes, using panel data from Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises from 2007 to 2020. The study provides several novel findings. First, digital transformation positively affects all knowledge creation processes, with the effects on knowledge combination capability being particularly notable. Second, the effects of digitalization inputs on externalization and combination are insignificant but exert a negative impact on socialization and internalization. Third, a heterogeneity analysis reveals that the facilitating effect of digital transformation is more significant in state-owned and large enterprises. Moreover, it primarily acts as the "cherry on top," significantly benefiting enterprises that already have strong knowledge creation capabilities. A low level of digital technology development in the region where an enterprise is located will inhibit the role of digital transformation in promoting knowledge socialization. Furthermore, enterprise innovation culture and regional innovation environments play positive moderating roles. This study contributes to further understanding of how digital transformation affects enterprises’ knowledge creation activities.

Digital technologies in the financial sector of Kazakhstan

Digital systems play an important role in the activities of various fields, including the tasks of the financial sector. Simultaneously with the innovative development of the banking system in the field of information technology, in order to further improve the processes of providing services, significant steps are being taken towards improving the quality of services provided, as well as in the organization of business processes of second-tier banks. The authors investigate the impact of large financial institutions on the level of digital technology development: Kaspi Bank and Freedom Bank. The object of the article is to study the principles and models of action on the basis of which these digital ecosystems work. The ways of their development and functioning in the activities of two commercial banks are being investigated. This research is relevant due to the fact that in the context of the introduction of new technologies, for example: digitalization, as well as, in general, the limits and boundaries of services offered by the largest market players are being overcome, which creates the potential to accelerate the development of a competitive and secure digital financial market of a new generation. In this article, the authors define the concept of the ecosystem of banks and analyze large Kazakhstani financial institutions based on their financial services. Based on the data analysis, conclusions are drawn and the main conclusion is proposed, which determines the main direction of development for the development of financial digital ecosystems. Currently, two types of ecosystems are actively developing in Kazakhstan. In the first of them, the bank is the core of the ecosystem of non-financial services, in which it acts as a settlement operator. In the second case, a large non-financial company begins to build its own ecosystem of lifestyle services and eventually thinks about creating its own settlement center. At the same time, the digital ecosystem is definitely not limited only to its own services, but also integrates with partner solutions. At the same time, the ecosystem assumes, first of all, the transformation of human resources, their involvement in the process.

The Role of the Supercomputer in the Modern World of Innovative Technologies

What is a supercomputer and why is it needed? What place does it occupy among computing equipment? Thanks to this article, we will determine the evolution and role of the supercomputer in the modern world and in the life of an average citizen. A supercomputer is a class of the most powerful computer systems available, which are evaluated in comparison with currently existing general purpose computer systems and the level of technology development. In general, the term "supercomputer" refers to a complex of server computers. All of them are connected to each other and work in parallel through a high-speed network. The similarity of a home computer and a supercomputer lies in their functions – data storage and processing, belonging to the same von Neumann architecture (the architecture of computing machines, the feature of which is the joint storage of data and machine commands in cells of the same memory). But the difference is huge in quantitative characteristics: these are the arrays of data that can be processed on these devices and the speed of performing the assigned tasks. By the way, a new unit of measurement – FLOPS – was proposed for measuring the speed of supercomputers. It is thanks to this value that performance is measured - the higher the number, the more powerful the computer is and which serves as the basis for ranking supercomputers. Today, supercomputers help solve a number of tasks in various fields – medicine, physics, mathematics, energy, etc. and are considered advanced computing technology. Traditionally, supercomputers are not considered rare: their development is ongoing and they bring a lot of benefits in many areas. In the future, powerful computing machines can become the main assistants in fields closely related to machine learning and artificial intelligence. Keywords: supercomputer, development evolution, computer architecture, FLOPS.

Scientific Approaches to Explore the Essence of the Technological Sovereignty of the Economy

On the current stage of economic and geo-political development of the country, that can be characterized by weakening of foreign-economic relations with unfriendly countries, sanctions against Russian economy and blocking the access to import technologies strategically important for Russian production, issues dealing with Russian economy arrival on the advanced technological level become more and more acute. Ensuring technological sovereignty of national economy in crucial industries is a top-priority task for attaining this goal and academic research of technological sovereignty is especially topical today. Thus, the present article studies essential and conceptual characteristics of economy technological sovereignty. By analyzing academic literature the author identified three scientific and practical approaches to understanding the essence of technological sovereignty: technological sovereignty as a component of economic and national security; technological sovereignty as an element of open-type economy; technological sovereignty as a factor of geo-political development and as a level of science and technological development collated with global one. The article shows strategic basis of technological sovereignty in Russia. And finally, the author came to the conclusion that the vector of Russian economy development combined with achieving technological independence of national economy is strategically true.

PECULIARITIES OF INNOVATION MANAGEMENT AT RTE

The purpose of the article is to identify the peculiarities of managing the innovation activity of an enterprise, as well as to determine the sources of information necessary for assessing the innovation activity of a road transport enterprise. The methodological basis of this article is the scientific works of prominent scholars and materials of periodicals. In the course of the study, the article uses the method of logical analysis to substantiate and determine the main prerequisites for innovation activity. The method of system analysis was used to assess the effectiveness of innovation activities. The article also uses a graphical method to present a classification of sources of information on the analysis of innovation activities of enterprises. An initiative in the field of innovation at any enterprise is always aimed at generating and attracting innovative ideas from the external environment in order to increase competitiveness, strengthen market positions and ensure development prospects. However, different enterprises have significant differences in their ability to attract innovations, which is mainly due to resource constraints. Certain features and the system of innovation management at motor transport enterprises are not equivalent to the management system of the enterprise as a whole. It includes certain functions and actions related to the selection, initiation and implementation of relevant innovation processes at the enterprise. These processes will contribute to the creation of significant competitive advantages under existing resource constraints and ensure proper economic return on resources. Evaluating the results of the study, it can be argued that the management of innovation activity is a key element of its high-quality, long-term and efficient functioning. However, innovation activity, like any other, requires appropriate management through a mechanism that should be part of the overall strategic management mechanism of the enterprise. Information for further analysis of innovation activities and minimization of investment risks has a decisive impact on the quality of the final data of the motor transport enterprise. A qualitative analysis of the level of technical and technological development of the enterprise serves as an information base for determining the directions of investment in the modernization processes of the road transport enterprise.

Comparison of the Profile of Portuguese Companies That Receive Public Support for Innovation: National Support vs. European Support

Innovation has emerged as the key driver of economic growth, technological advancement, and societal well-being. Recognizing the significance of fostering innovation, governments and policymakers worldwide have increasingly emphasized the need for public support to bolster the innovation ecosystem. This article explores the crucial importance of public support for innovation and delves into the characteristics of companies that receive such support. Based on the Community Innovation Survey of 2014, 2016, and 2018, information was compiled from 1857 companies. Of these companies, common to these 6 years of information, 755 received national support for innovation and 490 received European support. Based on these data, the main objective was to identify and distinguish the characteristics of Portuguese companies that receive European support and national support for innovation. To achieve this objective, logit models were estimated using Stata software. The results suggest that national support favors companies that belong to sectors with greater technological development, which develop new products and processes. Companies that establish cooperation agreements and that belong to groups of companies are also preferred for national support. In turn, of the companies that received European support, it appears that there is less differentiation in preference for the level of technological development. Companies that invest internally in R&D and that establish cooperation agreements for innovation are more likely to obtain European support, as are companies that have a higher proportion of workers with higher education. Finally, both national and European support favor companies with a greater volume of business from foreign markets.

Green transformation and manufacturing value chain climbing: the moderating role of environmental regulations

ABSTRACT The promotion of environmental regulations and the realization of manufacturing value chain climbing while protecting the environment are crucial for China’s green transformation. This study analyzes how the green transformation of China’s manufacturing industry impacts the ascent of the value chain and bridges the gaps in the previous research. By analysing panel data from 30 Chinese provinces and employing the SBM-GML and fixed-effects models, this study reveals the combined mechanisms of environmental regulations on green transformation and manufacturing value chain climbing. We also consider various environmental regulations, technological development levels, and the policy environment to investigate the heterogeneity of green transformation in the manufacturing industry. The results show that: 1) Green transformation significantly promotes the climbing of China’s domestic and global manufacturing value chains; 2) Command-control and market-incentive environmental regulations negatively impact value chain climbing during green transformation, while the effects of public-participation environmental regulations are inconspicuous; 3) Challenges such as ‘low-end locking’ and technical ‘bottlenecks’ persist in China’s manufacturing value chain climbing. However, the strategic implementation of command-control environmental regulations presents a new opportunity for achieving value chain climbing.

State primary special standard of acceleration unit in the field of gravimetry GET 190-2023: reproduction and transmission of the unit under the influence of geophysical factors

The relevance of research on the reproduction and transmission of the acceleration unit in gravimetry is determined by the development of measuring instruments for the absolute value of the acceleration of free fall and its changes. Qualitative and quantitative changes in the instrument base are due to the requirements of applied tasks solved using gravimetric data in such fields as geodesy, navigation, geodynamics, as well as the expansion of the field of practical application of absolute gravimeters. At the same time, in order to solve applied problems, along with accuracy requirements at a level close to the maximum achievable at the current level of technology development, maximum territorial coverage of measurement sites within the entire territory of the Russian Federation is often necessary. The accuracy of the results obtained with the help of measuring instruments is determined by the level of their metrological support, the main stages of which are the reproduction of the corresponding unit by the standard and its transfer to the measuring instrument. An analysis of possible sources of errors in gravimetric equipment has shown that when reproducing and transmitting the acceleration unit in gravimetry, it is necessary to take into account the influence of geophysical factors that manifest themselves as additional accelerations of a gravitational or inertial nature. The distribution of the gravitational field within a gravimetric point can manifest itself as an additional constant acceleration. Seismic processes and lunar and solar tides manifest themselves as variable accelerations. For various stages of metrological support of gravimetric devices, the mechanisms of the effects of such accelerations have been studied, as well as methods for accounting and reducing their influence using additional equipment have been developed. An additional gravimetric point with a cryogenic relative gravimeter and a broadband seismometer, as well as transported absolute ballistic and relative quartz gravimeters, were introduced into the State primary special standard of acceleration units in the field of gravimetry GET 190-2023.

Victimological aspects of countering internet crime: State and local government practices

Globalisation is a reason for increasing levels of anxiety, physical fatigue, and psychological problems, which weakens the ability of people to resist encroachment on themselves, especially in the Internet environment – the dominant sphere for communication. The study aims to identify the vectors of interaction between the state and potential victims of crime on the Internet by analysing the activities of the subjects of the direction in countries with different scientific and technical potentials. The study employed statistical methods to collect qualitative and quantitative indicators of the issue under consideration, as well as comparative analysis to compare the elements of state policy in the field of combating cybercrime. The intensity of crimes committed with the help of Internet tools is growing every year and it is primarily due to the growth of opportunities to perform various financial, social and other types of interaction in the online space. However, there is a direct correlation between the number of cybercrimes and the level of scientific and technological development of a country. According to the Global Innovation Index, some of the most innovatively developed countries are the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Japan, where the intensity of scientific progress is several times higher than in less developed countries, for example, in the Central Asian region. The role and place of state bodies concerning the prevention of Internet crime is extremely difficult to overestimate because it is the central and local government that has a leading position in the development of preventive measures to prevent and minimise the phenomenon of victimisation of society in the Internet space. The distinction and understanding of the types and directions of crimes in the online environment is necessary to create an effective mechanism to combat such crimes and to develop effective tools to inculcate a healthy lifestyle to prevent the development of victimisation traits in a person. The results of the work can be used as a practical basis for further research on the topic – development of state strategies to combat cybercrime

Оценка технико-технологической составляющей сельского хозяйства: методологические подходы разработки

Abstract. The purpose of the research is to substantiate the need for an assessment of the technical and technological component of agriculture, as well as the development of methodological approaches to its implementation. Methods. To achieve the goal of the study, such methods of scientific cognition as monographic, abstract-logical, institutional, analysis and synthesis, generalization of data were used. The information and theoretical and methodological base was made up of normative legal acts and strategic programs for the development of the industry, the works of domestic and foreign scientists and economists. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the research consists in substantiating the need to assess the technical and technological component of the agricultural sector of the country as a basis for the development of state projects and programs for the modernization of the industry in the transition to a new technological order. Methodological approaches are proposed for assessing the level of technical and technological development of the industry at three levels: federal, regional and the level of an economic entity. Results. The article substantiates the need to assess the technical and technological components of agriculture. The current state of the agricultural machinery industry, the main results of its work in recent years are analyzed. In order to identify problem areas and potential growth points of domestic agricultural machinery, its SWOT analysis has been compiled. It is noted that the modern Russian agricultural sector has a high dependence on imported machinery and equipment. To ensure the ability of the domestic agricultural machinery industry to replace imported supplies of machinery in the shortest possible time, it is necessary to expand and improve state support. In order to work out the most effective working directions and tools of state support in a particular region, a reliable assessment of the level of technical and technological development of the agricultural sector is necessary.

Research of Green Innovation of Companies of Countries with Different Levels of Technological Development of Production

Abstract In the conditions of the transition to higher technological systems in the conditions of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the companies of the world face the question of effective management of green innovative development in their economic activities. The goal of the research is the formation of effective organizational and economic support for green innovations of companies of countries with different levels of technological development of production. This research contains: to describe the known positions of scientific schools regarding the managerial aspects of green innovations of companies of the world; to form the economic support of this administration, by developing an assessment of the potential of green innovations of companies of the world (the data of the Global Innovation Index Report were taken as a source of empirical data), to form criterion values of the potential of green innovations of companies of the countries for the purpose of their clustering. The research methods used include: system method; bibliometric analysis; method of assessing competitiveness; criterion method; method of generalization. The objects of evaluation include companies from five countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The main results of the study include: development of management theory; forming an assessment of the green innovation potential of companies from countries of the world with different levels of technological development of production (the data of the Global Innovation Index Report were taken as a source of empirical data); formation of criterion support for the results of evaluation of the green innovation potential of the countries’ companies. The conclusions of the study should include establishing the actualization of managing green innovations by companies of the world by involving the results of the assessment of the green innovation potential of companies of the world to the formation of the criterion values of this assessment in order to make effective management decisions on the part of all interested stakeholders. For further scientific research, to focus on the formation of effective communication links between different groups of stakeholders, the basis of this scientific direction is the criteria developed by the authors to ensure the level of green innovation potential of companies of countries in order to make effective decisions on the part of stakeholders (state bodies, investors, manufacturers, suppliers, clients, financial institutions) regarding organizational, social, economic support of green innovations of companies of countries with different levels of technological development of production. This study can be useful for the governments of countries in the development of international and national programs for the innovative development of the economy in terms of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals; to company managers when forming strategic and tactical plans for green innovative business development; to students and scientists in the implementation of scientific and educational programs.

Research on the Impact of China's Import and Export Trade on Carbon Emission under the Perspective of Carbon Emission Reduction ——Empirical Evidence Based on Provincial Panel Data

With the development of economic globalization, China's import and export trade with other countries around the world has become increasingly frequent. However, the huge energy gap has led to serious environmental pollution problems in China, and how to realize sustainable development has become an important issue. Therefore, based on the research of scholars at home and abroad, this paper utilizes the panel data of 30 provinces and cities from 2012 to 2021 as well as the method of multiple stepwise regression to study the influencing factors of carbon emissions in China. The results show that China has achieved some success in improving the level of regional economic development, transitioning from traditional finance to green finance, and improving the level of scientific and technological development, which can effectively curb the growth of carbon emissions; however, the total amount of import and export trade, the level of advanced industrial structure, and the energy structure are still the key factors hindering the cause of carbon emission reduction.

Unemployment and Digital Labor Platforms in Georgia

This article addresses the pressing issues of unemployment and employment in Georgia over the past three decades. With an average unemployment rate of around 20 percent, affecting approximately 300,000 people from 2010 to 2022, the labor force faces significant challenges. The advent of technological progress has highlighted the necessity for novel approaches to the labor market. In this context, digital work platforms have emerged as potential solutions, offering new forms of employment and creating opportunities driven by advancements in digital technologies. The aim of this study is to identify innovative employment opportunities in the context of the current unemployment situation in order to improve the Georgian labor market conjunction. The study draws upon interviews with labor market specialists and presents conclusions based on primary and secondary data. While the research indicates that digital work platforms do not currently play a major role in employment, their significance is projected to grow in the future. The extent of their impact on the population's employment prospects will depend on Georgia's technological development and educational level. These platforms demonstrate the potential to generate flexible jobs and provide supplementary income opportunities. However, challenges associated with their development must be addressed for their successful integration into the labor market.

Impact of Environmental Regulation on Export Technological Complexity of High-Tech Industries in Chinese Manufacturing

Since the reform and opening-up, China has developed into the world’s number one manufacturing country. Meanwhile, China’s environmental protection efforts continue to strengthen. So, will changes in the intensity of environmental regulatory policies have an impact on the technological development level and international competitiveness of China’s high-tech manufacturing industries? In response to this issue, we have reviewed relevant research in the field of environmental regulation and export technology complexity, and then selected appropriate indicators to quantify the environmental regulation and export technology complexity of high-tech manufacturing industries in different regions of China. Furthermore, the entropy method was used to calculate the intensity of environmental regulations in different regions of China. In the subsequent empirical analysis, based on relevant indicator data from 30 provinces in China, excluding Tibet, from 2006 to 2021, we quantitatively analyzed the impact of China’s environmental regulations on the complex export technology of high-tech manufacturing industries. The degree of influence and the robustness of the benchmark regression results was proved through endogeneity testing and robustness testing. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) from 2006 to 2021, China’s environmental regulation intensity and the technological complexity of high-tech industry exports have shown an upward trend. (2) The empirical analysis results show that the increase in intensity has a significant “U-shaped” impact on the technological complexity of exports of high-tech manufacturing industries. (3) The “U-shaped” impact of environmental regulation on the technological complexity of exports of high-tech manufacturing industries has regional differences. However, the high-tech manufacturing industry does not show obvious industry differences. (4) Environmental regulations will affect the level of export technology complexity of the high-tech manufacturing industry through foreign direct investment, human capital, and innovative R D investment, which cause indirect effects. Based on those conclusions, this paper has suggested corresponding policy measures and future research directions.

AMERICA IN THE EYES OF DIPLOMATS AND PRIESTS OF TSAR RUSSIA: THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The article examines the perception of the United States by Russian diplomats and priests of the Russian Orthodox Church in the United States in 1867–1917. The authors analyse the views of Russian diplomats and clergymen on various aspects of the American reality in the political, social, economic, scientific, technical, cultural and spiritual spheres. The research is based on a wide source base of domestic archives. Conclusions are drawn about the dual nature of perception of the United States by Russian diplomats and clergymen. On the one hand, they admired the level of economic, scientific and technological development of the United States, as well as the religiosity of Americans, on the other hand, they were critical of democracy and secularity of the American civilisation.