Objective Foundation Research Articles

Integrating Business Ecosystems and Social Networks: A Case Study on Sustainable Transitions

This paper critically reviews the convergence between Business Ecosystem Theory and Social Network Theory in sustainability studies. While both frameworks view organizations as part of larger, interconnected systems, they can be differentiated by six key dimensions: unit of analysis, focus, decomposability, types of relationships, market segment, and worldview. To better reflect real-world phenomena, this paper argues for a new stream of theoretical convergence that is practical, reliable, generalizable, and reproducible. Specifically, it proposes shifting from interorganizational networks to interfunctional networks, offering a clearer theoretical framework, reducing strategic bias and complexity, enhancing stability over time, and providing a more objective foundation for diversification strategies. This is illustrated through a case study of Tesla Inc., built from secondary data, which serves as an example of the emergence of a new strategic construct named the Business Ecosystem Footprint. This construct could assist managers in understanding where their organization stands within the network of functions, guiding them in making informed decisions about resource allocation and diversification aimed at supporting financial goals as well as sustainability and decarbonization objectives. The article concludes by suggesting potential research agendas, such as automating ecosystem mapping, exploring constraints of the new construct, and testing hypotheses related to firm performance.

The world of polycentrism: the role of values in major powers' competition

The Cold War was replaced by a post-bipolar world, which is morphing into polycentricity (multipolarity).In spite of the uncertainty regarding its final parameters and structural pillars, it is possible to assert that the current stage of international relations has two main features: selective deglobalisation and a new round of competition between major powers. Centrifugal forces in the 21st century have proved themselves stronger than the necessity of consolidation in the face of universal challenges: international terrorism, climate change, pandemics, etc. Apart from economic and political contradictions, opposite interpretations of national security interests, the sphere of competition of values has emerged and is going through a restructuring process. The task of this research is to determine if value narratives and accompanying ideologies are reasons or consequences of the escalation of tensions in the “Russia - USA - EU” triangle. The author compares the role of value antagonisms today with the periodof the Soviet-American clash of capitalism and socialism paradigms. The research shows that the resumption of geopolitical competition results not from the incompatibility of certain socio-economic models, but from a struggle for leadership in the system of global governance and regulation. In the course of this struggle, the value discourse, which in general has an objective foundation, is exposed with time to profound securitisation and geopolitisation, leading to the construction of antagonisms: “democracies - autocracies” and “pseudo-values - traditional values”. It is noted that the hypertrophied usage of the values' differences, with all their objectivity, can evolve from the function of cultural interaction to a self-perpetuating factor of interstate contradictions, which hinders adequate assessment of national and foreign resources and potential.

관광 기호 체계와 의미 생성 : 소쉬르의 구조언어학에 기반한 개념적 접근

This study explores the objective structures and mechanisms that generate meaning in tourism through a semiotic approach. It conceptualizes tourism as a non-linguistic sign system and reconfigures the tourism framework accordingly. Drawing on Saussure’s structural linguistics, the research examines the structures that underpin meaning creation in the tourism sign system. First, Ferdinand de Saussure’s views on language and epistemology are reviewed, along key concepts such as langue and parole, signifier and signified, syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, and synchrony and diachrony. The study differentiates between signifier and signified in tourism signs, emphasizing that the ‘langue of tourism’ is not an independent 'substance' with inherent “content” but rather a “form” and “social fact” collectively constructed in the minds of potential tourists’ mind. Meaning in tourism emerges through syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, demonstrating how meaning is produced in the tourism sign system. Through this process, the objective structures and mechanisms of meaning creation in the tourism sign system are revealed. This study complements prior semiotic research by providing a framework for understanding the objective foundations that enable subjective tourist experiences. Finally, the implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Nociception Coma Scale-Revised with Personalized Painful Stimulus Versus Standard Stimulation in Persons with Disorders of Consciousness: An International Multicenter Study.

Background/Objectives: Persons with disorders of consciousness (DoCs) may perceive pain without being able to communicate their discomfort. The Nociception Coma Scale (NCS) and its revised form (NCS-R) have been proposed to assess nociception in persons with DoCs. The main aim of this international multicenter study was to confirm (or not) our preliminary results and compare the NCS-R scores of standard stimulus (NCS-R-SS) to scores of personalized painful stimuli (NCS-R-PS). A secondary aim of the study was to verify possible correlations between the NCS-R-PS and Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) and to estimate convergent validity. Methods: Sixty-one patients with prolonged DoCs (pDoCs) were enrolled from seven European post-acute rehabilitation centers. Responsiveness and pain perception were assessed by CRS-R and NCS-R with standard stimulus (NCS-R-SS) and personalized stimulation (NCS-R-PS). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06012357. Results: our results support our prior findings on the superiority and the validity of the personalized painful stimulus approach in assessment of pain in persons with DoCs in comparison with the standardized pain assessment methodology. Conclusions: A more in-depth and tailored assessment of pain perception in persons with a DoC may lead to better acknowledgment of its presence and by extension an objective foundation for more aggressive and appropriate pain management.

МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКОЕ МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ ПРОЧНОСТНЫХ СВОЙСТВ ЛЁССОВ МЕТОДОМ КОРРЕЛЯЦИОННО-РЕГРЕССИОННОГО АНАЛИЗА

The strength properties of subsiding loess soils are considered in the mathematical modeling of their compaction by deep explosions. Soil compaction is carried out in order to eliminate their subsidence properties. Correlation and regression analyzes of the dependences of strength on the physical characteristics of loess were carried out, using the soils of the North Caucasus as an example. The correlation dependence of the specific cohesion and the angle of internal friction on the physical characteristics of the subsidence soil is established. Correlation coefficients were obtained for various indices of moisture content and loess density. The studies were carried out before and after soil compaction in this way. Both positive and negative correlations between the studied characteristics of subsiding loess soil were recorded. With an increase in moisture, a high correlation was observed with the strength characteristics of the soil before and after its compaction by deep explosions. The equations of regression of specific cohesion and the angle of internal friction on soil moisture and density are constructed. The reliability coefficients of approximation of theoretical regression equations and experimental data demonstrate high values. The regression equations of specific adhesion and the angle of internal friction on soil moisture showed that the values of strength characteristics increase with decreasing values of soil moisture. The regression dependence of the specific cohesion and the angle of internal friction on the density of subsidence loess has been studied. It has been established that an increase in the values of strength characteristics was recorded with an increase in the density of loess soil before and after its compaction by deep explosions. The constructed regression equations make it possible to predict the strength characteristics of loess at the stage of designing the bases and foundations of construction objects.

Shallow Foundation With a Modified Shape of the Base

The issue of optimizing the construction of shallow foundations is considered, due to the change of the base to a stepped one. Optimization involves reducing the cost of construction of a zero-cycle without losing the strength, reliability and durability of the object. The study was conducted in several stages, including numerical modeling, laboratory tests and field tests with foundation model. The simulation results showed that foundations with a flat base have a large shrinkage compared to foundations with a stepped base, varying from 6% to 28% depending on geological conditions and modeling techniques. Laboratory tests and a field experiment confirmed these results, showing that foundations with a stepped base have a lower draft relative to foundations with a flat base by at least 30%. In addition, stepped foundations turned out to be more resistant to random eccentricities and eccentric loading. The study makes it possible to assert that the use of foundations with the proposed geometry can lead to significant savings by reducing material and resource consumption, as well as provide additional load-bearing capacity. These conclusions can be useful in choosing the optimal type of foundation for objects with shallow foundations.

A Legacy Lost to the Reformed Imagination: Luther and Confessional Lutheranism on the Extent of the Atonement

The “Young, Restless, Reformed” movement has sought to establish itself upon reformational foundations rooted within the sixteenth century. The new movement’s undertaking, however, has virtually ignored the differences between its own adherence to “limited atonement” and the developed theology of Martin Luther. Even on an academic level, the legacy of gratia universalis ensconced within confessional Lutheranism has been largely lost to the Reformed imagination. This article focuses upon relevant materials in Luther’s Lectures on Galatians (1531/1535) and his Sermon on John 1:29 (1537), as well as the pertinent statements found within early Lutheran confessions. What emerges is a Lutheran tradition that espoused both “unconditional election” and a robust form of “unlimited atonement,” a divine provision of redemption and satisfaction for all. In Lutheran theology, this provision in Christ extra nos serves as an objective foundation for confident faith. As contemporary Reformed scholars increasingly delve into the diversity of the Reformed tradition within early modernity, the distinctive Lutheran voice is another legacy worth remembering.

Economic and Socio-cultural Changes at the Edge of Eras: Post-industrial Society

The article offers an analysis of the most famous scientific works of the 20th century (such as, С. Clark, J. Fourastié, D. Bell, T. Roszak, H.-M. McLuhan, T. Stonier, R. Katz, F. Webster, Z. Brzezinski, A. Toffler, A. Toynbee, J. Baudrillard, J.-F. Lyotard, etc.), related to the study of the key concepts of the information age, its objective foundations of development, which formed the main scientific, sociopolitical currents of the last century, opened perspectives for the development of modern political thought and possible ways of forming society in the 21st century. What happened at the end (or rather in the second half) of the 20th century, forcing even conservative skeptics to recognize the end of a long era of industrial development? The reasons for these processes, as shown by social and socio-political processes, must be sought in the economy. In addition to the primary and secondary sectors of the economy, there has always been a tertiary sector related to the sphere of services. In the second half of the 20th century thanks to the development of technology, the importance of the tertiary, service sector of the economy began to grow steadily, which marked the end of the era of industrial society and the beginning of a new, post-industrial history. The consequence of this was the emergence of new forms of culture and the transformation of social relations. The concepts of “post-industrial society,” “information society,” and “information age” are often mentioned in journalistic texts of the mass media and scientific publications. However, if you set yourself the goal of understanding what a post-industrial society or the information revolution is, it will not be so easy. Different authors often put their own meaning into these concepts, thus turning their texts into what is called in psychoanalysis a flow of free associations. The intention to make certain corrections to the concept of “post-industrial society,” to outline the main trends and features of the postmodern era, and explore the potential consequences of its influence on various spheres of life of modern civilization, became the reason for the creation of this article.

Ethical trade-offs in AI for mental health.

It is expected that machine learning algorithms will enable better diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment in psychiatry. A central argument for deploying algorithmic methods in clinical decision-making in psychiatry is that they may enable not only faster and more accurate clinical judgments but also that they may provide a more objective foundation for clinical decisions. This article argues that the outputs of algorithms are never objective in the sense of being unaffected by human values and possibly biased choices. And it suggests that the best way to approach this is to ensure awareness of and transparency about the ethical trade-offs that must be made when developing an algorithm for mental health.

Sensory-Perceptual Preferences and Its Relationship to The Abilities of Superior Excitations of Distinguished Students

The development of creative thinking minds depends on the availability of stimuli in the environment, because most minds in performance necessarily need to motivate and consult them to perform the work entrusted to them by exposing them to a set of stimuli. Our knowledge of the superior consulting capabilities of our students and the methods used in processing information and their perceptual preferences helps to understand the academic difficulties faced by some of them and provides the objective foundations that ensure overcoming or alleviating these difficulties, as well as the balance of psychological and educational reality for our students is in addition to our knowledge balance, and they are future creative men in facing challenges and building society. The current research aims to identify: - 1- Sensory-cognitive preferences of outstanding students? 2- Superior arousal abilities of outstanding students? 3-The nature of the correlation between sensory-cognitive preferences and superior arousal abilities in outstanding students? The research sample consisted of (500) male and female students, (323) male and (177) female students from three secondary schools in Baghdad / Rusafa side. The Fleming VARK 1987 scale was applied to sensory-perceptual preferences after ensuring the translation and truthfulness of the translation and with some modifications to suit the research sample, which consists of four sub-scales (visual - audio - reading - written - kinetic) and each paragraph consists of four alternatives (A, B, C, D) and the scale of superior excitation capabilities was also built in line with technological development, the world of virtualities and developments in technological progress at the present time and we are in 2022 in line with the aspirations of the new generation, and after processing the data statistically, the results of the research It was concluded that outstanding students have superior arousal abilities in arousal (psychomotor, sensory, imaginary, mental, and emotional), and there is a positive relationship between motor preference and superior consulting abilities and an inverse relationship with reading preference, while there is no statistically significant relationship between visual and auditory preference and superior consulting abilities when outstanding students, and in light of the results of the research, the researcher developed a number of recommendations and proposals.

Incorporating Rail Potential and Equity Analysis into Market Analyses for Rail Investments: A Case Study of the Link21 Program in Northern California

This paper presents an innovative approach for conducting market analyses for major rail investments. The approach considers which locations have the greatest potential to repay investment support and/or benefit specifically from the investment in the form of potential rail riders and the factors that could influence their decision to travel by rail. It is guided by an overarching commitment to equity with an emphasis on identifying potential benefits to communities that have been marginalized. The approach is applied to a case study of the Link21 program, a transformational investment in the Northern California passenger rail network that is focused on a new transbay passenger rail crossing between San Francisco and Oakland. The analysis found there is significant unmet potential for transbay rail ridership across the Northern California megaregion, with the greatest unmet potential found in and around San Francisco and Oakland, specifically in locations with a poor or no rail service. Although much of the potential for new riders centers around transbay travel, the Link21 program could also benefit non-transbay trips and riders. Ultimately, new transbay rail infrastructure and services will create more opportunities for accessible, direct, faster, or less crowded trips across the megaregion. These findings illustrate the value of the innovative market analysis approach as follows: it serves as an objective foundation for developing investment alternatives; and it influences the findings of the analysis and the development of alternatives by emphasizing the importance of serving communities that have been marginalized.

Development of MRI-Based Deep Learning Signature for Prediction of Axillary Response After NAC in Breast Cancer

To develop a MRI-based deep learning signature for predicting axillary response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer (BC) patients. We enrolled 327 BC patients with axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases receiving axillary operations after NAC. The deep learning features were extracted by ResNet34, which was pretrained by a large, well-annotated dataset from ImageNet. Then we identified deep learning radiomics on magnetic resonance imaging with dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE-MRI) in predicting axillary response after NAC in BC patients. The extraction of 128 deep learning radiomics (DLR) features relied on the DCE-MRI for each patient. After the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, 13, 8, and 21 features remained from the pre-treatment, post-treatment, and combined DCE-MRI, respectively. The DLR signature established based on the combined DCE-MRI achieved good capacity in ALN response after NAC. The support vector machineachieved the best performance with an 0.99area under the curve (AUC) of (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98-1.00) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.73-0.92) in the training and test sets, respectively. The LR model established with clinical parameters represented the best performance with 0.73 AUC (95% CI, 0.62-0.84), 0.73 sensitivity, 0.73 specificity, 0.63 PPV, and 0.81 NPV in the test set, respectively. Finally, the integration of radiomic signature and clinical signature resulted in establishing a predictive radiomic nomogram, with an AUC of 0.99 (95%CI, 0.99-1.00). In conclusion, our current study constructed a predictive nomogram through the deep learning method, demonstrating favorable performance in the training and test cohort. The present prognostic model furnishes a precise and objective foundation for directing the surgical strategy toward ALN management in BC patients receiving NAC.

The Policy of Forming a Socially Responsible business: Strategies and Opportunities for Implementation

"The article represents a study of the objective foundations and specific forms of implementation of the social responsibility of business, associated with the need to determine the fundamental reasons for its functioning and development trends in the world community. The country (world region)-based analysis concludes that there are significant conceptual differences in the models of state participation in the formation and implementation of business efforts in the framework of socially responsible behavior. At the same time, the “unifying” role of voluntary CSR standards set out in the documents of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is shown, which are intended for use by organizations regardless of size, industry, and location reporting prepared in accordance with these standards determines a positive image of companies in the eyes of both government regulators and consumers and investors, and is a kind of tool for companies to compete, including on an international scale."

Opening the black box of environmental governance: Environmental target constraints and industrial firm pollution reduction

Due to the increasingly serious problem of environmental pollution, environmental governance in various countries is constantly improving. To open the black box of environmental governance, this study assesses whether and how environmental target constraints affect pollution emissions from the perspective of firms’ behavior. Based on the exogenous impact of including environmental performance in officials' evaluations, the continuous difference-in-differences (DID) method was used. Benchmark analysis showed that the environmental target constraint policy effectively reduced the SO2 emissions of firms, especially polluting firms, and inhibited the emission of other air pollutants, exerting a collaborative governance effect on multiple pollutants. Expansion analysis showed that the environmental target constraint policy was beneficial for optimizing the energy structure and strengthening the pollution control of firms. However, the environmental target constraint policy did not effectively promote the green technology innovation of Chinese industrial firms. In addition, as a result of environmental target constraints, the distribution of the SO2 emission intensity of firms in each region tended to be uniform through an asymmetric impact on the entry and exit behavior of firms with different pollution levels. This study presents an objective foundation for developing an effective pollution control policy framework for other countries, especially developing countries.

Future perspectives and trends in inflammation in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury: Based on bibliometric analysis

BackgroundInflammation plays a crucial role in the initiation and progression of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and has gained much scholarly interest. However, this research field has not yet been examined bibliometrically. We intended to utilize bibliometrics to highlight the research hotspots and developing trends of inflammation in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and provide an objective foundation for basic and clinical research. MethodsThe Web of Science database was combed for articles relating to inflammation in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury from 2002 to 2022. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to visualize and analyze data pertaining to countries, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords. ResultsThere were a total of 1183 papers included in this analysis. Every year, the number of articles on inflammation research in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury increases. Brain Research and Stroke are, respectively, the most published and most cited academic journals in this discipline. We identified 646 scholars, with Zhao,jing producing the most publications and Longa EZ receiving the most citations. Inflammation, stroke, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were found to be the most frequently used terms after analysis. The main areas of current research on inflammation in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury involve non-coding rna, myeloperoxidase, Toll-like receptor-4, and neurotrophic factor. ConclusionThe importance of inflammation in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury diseases has been widely recognized. After decades of constant research, we are not yet sufficiently knowledgeable in this sector.Microglial activation, signaling pathway, protection and pathophysiology will be the new hot and new direction in this research field in the future.

Case Study of Technical Survey of Foundations of Cultural Heritage Objects

The task of ensuring the reliable operation of existing buildings is an urgent problem in modern geotechnical construction. As a rule, the foundations of any building and structure, due to their operation in difficult conditions, are subject to groundwater, freezing and thawing, and other negative impacts. In order to reduce the negative impacts on them, as a rule, the working design provides for horizontal and vertical waterproofing. After the expiration of time, these elements often fail, partially or completely stopping the originally set parameters to prevent soaking of the foundations. This is especially true for cultural heritage sites (CHOs), because the requirements for trouble-free operation are increased. The article is a review and it considers one of the cases of technical inspection of the foundations of the building of the Chuvash Drama Theater.

EEG microstate changes during hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with chronic disorders of consciousness.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is an effective treatment for patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). In this study, real-time electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were obtained from patients with DOC during HBO therapy. EEG microstate indicators including mean microstate duration (MMD), ratio of total time covered (RTT), global explained variance (GEV), transition probability, mean occurrence, and mean global field power (GFP) were compared before and during HBO therapy. The results showed that the duration of microstate C in all patients with DOC increased after 20 min of HBO therapy (p < 0.05). Further statistical analysis found that the duration of microstate C was longer in the higher CRS-R group (≥8, 17 cases) than in the lower group (<8, 24 cases) during HBO treatment. In the higher CRS-R group, the transition probabilities from microstate A to microstate C and from microstate C to microstate A also increased significantly compared with the probability before treatment (p < 0.05). Microstate C is generally considered to be related to a salience network; an increase in the transition probability between microstate A and microstate C indicates increased information exchange between the auditory network and the salience network. The results of this study show that HBO therapy has a specific activating effect on attention and cognitive control in patients and causes increased activity in the primary sensory cortex (temporal lobe and occipital lobe). This study demonstrates that real-time EEG detection and analysis during HBO is a clinically feasible method for assessing brain function in patients with DOC. During HBO therapy, some EEG microstate indicators show significant changes related to the state of consciousness in patients with chronic DOC. This will be complementary to important electrophysiological indicators for assessing consciousness and may also provide an objective foundation for the precise treatment of patients with DOC.

13. The Acoustic Analysis of Violins and the Artistic Impressions Evaluated by Musicians

Abstract Violin studies can be classified into two main types: psychoacoustic studies, which are based on the artistic perception of audibility by violinists and vibro-acoustic studies, which are based on the spectral analysis of the vibrations and sounds produced by the instruments. The paper presents the acoustic analysis of violins by means of specialized software, their main acoustic characteristics being extracted in the form of frequency spectrum, spectrograms, specific modes and number of harmonics. These results were compared with the results of the opinion poll among musicians regarding the acoustic qualities of violins, based on musical auditions. The results highlighted the fact that the acoustic analysis technique cannot detect in totality the psycho-acoustic effects of musical sounds, therefore the establishment of the acoustic quality of the instruments on objective foundations, since the personal touch of an instrumental artist aims at the approach and articulation of the musical discourse, in a complex manner, combined with the interpretation of forms and styles.

Scientific-Linguistic Framework: Identification of Tonal Relations

This study establishes a scientific-linguistic framework to specify tonal relations in Asian tonal languages. Applied to the empirical data from 21 speakers of Zhangzhou Southern Min, this model derives a linguistically tonetic F0 system for its eight-way tonal contrast. This represents this dialect as an independent variety from the scientific perspective while making it comparable with other tonal varieties and languages for typological and universal purposes. The description has gone beyond the inconsistency and inadequacy of those auditorily-based prior studies and laid out an objective foundation for further theoretical exploration. The exploration is expected to serve as a model to examining those tonal languages that possess complex tonal contrasts not only in China but also in Asia and beyond. It contributes vital linguistic data to the generalization of areal characteristics within the Sino-Tibetan language family, but also to the exploration of cross-linguistic tonal property in world’s natural languages, while enlightening the discussion on why and how human beings employ tone as an important language device in their cognitive activities and decode the competence for communicative purposes.

Quantification of equine stifle passive kinematics

This study aims to quantitatively characterize the passive kinematics of the healthy, soft tissue-intact equine stifle to establish an objective foundation for providing insights into the etiology of stifle disorders and developing a possible surgical treatment for stifle degenerative disease. 5 whole-horse specimens. Reflective markers with intracortical bone pins and a motion capture system were used to investigate the stifle joint kinematics. Kinematics of 5 whole-horse specimens euthanized within 2 hours were calculated for internal/external rotation, adduction/abduction, and cranial/caudal translation of the medial and lateral femoral condyles and estimated joint contact centroids as functions of joint extension angle. From 41.7° to 121.6° (mean ± SD, range of motion: 107.5° ± 7.2°) of joint extension, 13° ± 3.7° of tibial external rotation and 6° ± 2.7° of adduction were observed. The lateral femoral condyle demonstrated significantly greater cranial translation than the medial during extension (23.7 mm ± 9.3 mm vs. 14.3 mm ± 7.0 mm, P = .01). No significant difference was found between the cranial/caudal translation of estimated joint contact centroids in the medial and lateral compartment (13.3 mm ± 7.7 mm vs. 16.4 mm ± 5.8 mm, P = .16). The findings share similarities with kinematics for human knees and sheep and dog stifles, suggesting it may be possible to translate what has been learned in human arthroplasty to treatment for equine stifles.