21st Century Research Articles

Assessing The Effectiveness of Training and Development Programmes on Employee Performance at Tata Steel Ltd.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of training and development programs at Tata Steel Ltd., focusing on their alignment with organizational strategies and their impact on employee performance. The primary objective is to assess how these programs contribute to organizational competitiveness and employee skill enhancement in the 21st century. Using purposive sampling technique, data was gathered from a sample of 100 employees who have participated in the company's training initiatives. The findings reveal that a majority of employees (98%) recognize training as integral to the organization's strategy and effective in enhancing productivity. However, discrepancies in perceptions suggest the need for improved communication and training customization. Keywords: Training, Training effectiveness, Training programmer, Evaluation of Training, development.

Политико-экономическая теория популизма

The paper presents a cross-disciplinary theory of populism. The first part of the article considers a definition of populism, the main electorate of populist forces, and the economic triggers of protest votes for populist parties. The second part deals with the different types of political populism, the reasons for their actualization in the 21st century, and the institutional consequences of populist power. The demand for populism comes from fragmented social groups that lost out in the social transformations following the neoliberal revolution of the 1970s and experienced the negative shocks of globalization. The protest electorate is organized around charismatic leaders who find 'scapegoats' in the form of traditional elites, migrants, or minorities and claim to speak for the «nation». Populism can contribute to democratization in its early stages. However, once in power, populists tend to undermine the system of checks and balances, leading to a decline in the quality of institutions and a slowdown in economic growth. The third part of the paper assesses the impact of economic populism. It is concluded that the definitional approaches used in academic literature do not meet the requirement of universality and do not imply a sufficient level of operationalization necessary for empirical research. An alternative approach is proposed that develops the «classical» definition of R. Dornbusch and S. Edwards: economic policy aimed at provoking economic shocks in order to increase the political ratings of the authorities and downplaying socio-economic risks. This approach enables economic populism to transcend the ideological framework of «right-left» economic policy, separate it from the economic policy of political populists, and evaluate the populist policies of mainstream parties. The theory of economic populism converges with the theory of political business cycles, but is not limited to elections and focuses on assessing demand rather than supply.

The Utility of International Negotiation: Four Hundred Years of Attempts to Negotiate Political and Diplomatic Stability

Abstract This article examines the challenges to international negotiation processes in a world where attempts have been made to create order, but, at present, disorder is on the rise again. Several historical cases are analyzed and compared to detect both positive and negative factors influencing the utility of negotiation processes as an instrument of conflict management and international governance. How has mankind managed to use negotiation as an alternative to warfare? What are the conditions for negotiation effectiveness? What is the utility of negotiation if the context is not ripe for solving problems in a peaceful way? What does history tell us about the ways to deal with interstate wars in the 21st century?

Improving Sexual History Documentation in Teenagers.

Teen access to sexual health care is essential. The 21st Century Cures Act mandates that most electronic health information be shared with patients; no standard exists for how to meet this mandate for teens and their proxy caregivers. Our confidential shared teen sexual history (SexHx) section, which is not note-based, allows clinicians to easily find information, promotes clinical decision support, and protects privacy. Nevertheless, significant variability existed in SexHx section usage, SexHx documentation, and teen note-sharing practices. For teens (aged 12-17) admitted to the Pediatric Hospital Medicine service, we aim to increase the use of the SexHx section by 10% and increase History and Physical notes (H&Ps) shared with teens by 5% over 12 months. Quality improvement methodology and tools were used to conduct a barrier analysis and implement a series of interventions, which included education, training, and electronic health record clinical decision support. Statistical process control charts were used to examine the impact of the interventions. At baseline, from April to July 2021, sexual activity was documented or reviewed in the SexHx section for 56% of teen patients. Over the intervention period, the center line shifted to 72%. At baseline, 76% of teen H&Ps were shared with patients. The percentage of H&Ps shared revealed a center-line shift to 81% throughout the intervention period. The shared teen SexHx section is an innovative tool for capturing sensitive patient history discretely. We demonstrated increased and sustained SexHx section use and H&P note-sharing in this quality improvement initiative.

Editorial: teacher education in Singapore in the twenty-first century: the past, the present and envisioning the future

Editorial: teacher education in Singapore in the twenty-first century: the past, the present and envisioning the future

Fiscal Federalism in the Twenty-First Century

Fiscal federalism concerns the division of policy responsibilities among different levels of government. Many current economic and policy developments, such as globalization, environmental crises, and rising inequality, may not appear to be favorable to fiscal federalism, yet countries are further decentralizing their fiscal systems. We summarize the efficiency and equity aspects of fiscal decentralization, fiscal competition, fiscal externalities, and intergovernmental grants. The review introduces readers to theoretical reasons for/against a federalist structure. We discuss how federalism relates to classic problems in economics: externalities, inequality, spillovers, information, and aspects of political economy. Our review integrates both theory and empirics, while also focusing on the variety of federal systems in different countries, both developing and developed. We conclude by discussing how fiscal federalism is being shaped by economic, technological, and environmental changes, while discussing the effects of globalization, polarization, and global crises on the future of federal systems.

Automatic Content Analysis Systems: Detecting Disinformation in Social Networks

In the 21st century, the rapid rise of disinformation and propaganda has become a significant global issue, undermining democratic processes and socio-political institutions. Disinformation, defined as intentionally false or misleading information, aims to manipulate public opinion and cause economic harm. This paper explores the use of computational linguistics and machine learning methods to detect disinformation. Techniques such as text preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification algorithms (e.g., SVM, naive Bayes) are adapted for identifying fake news. Recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods in social media and news platforms, highlighting the importance of advanced models like GPT-4 in improving detection accuracy and combating the spread of disinformation.

The prospect of social medicine in South Africa

The term “médecine sociale” (social medicine in English) was first coined in 1848 during the French Revolution by Dr. Jules Guérin. It is a branch of medicine that focuses on the impact of social and economic conditions on health, disease, and the practice of medicine, with the intention of creating a healthier society. It is an interdisciplinary program between medicine and social sciences, expected to equip medicine with the knowledge and skills needed for analyzing the social causes of health and illness, akin to how the alliance between medicine and laboratory sciences provided insights into the biological, chemical, and physical bases of diseases. Social medicine is also interconnected with social determinants of health. While social determinants of health specifically target social and environmental conditions that affect health, social medicine has a broader scope, encompassing the entire social context of health, including societal structures and cultural factors. In the post-apartheid era, social medicine could play an important role in transforming the healthcare system to ensure equity and inclusivity, leading to improved health outcomes. This would require re-engineering the education of health professionals in South Africa at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as practiced in many parts of the world. This will assist South Africa in joining the global movement of social medicine for the promotion of human rights and social justice in medicine, and a better understanding of the impact of social factors on the aetiology and management of medical disorders in the 21st century.

A gathering storm: offensive and defensive accelerationism in an online far-right community

ABSTRACT Increasingly fringe and violent far-right ideologies have become a significant threat to national security in Western countries in the twenty-first century. Accelerationism is growing in far-right narratives while populism and ethnocentrism garnered public attention. This study presents an empirical study of Stormfront, the largest and oldest online white nationalist community in the world, to identify accelerationist themes in the ideological narratives used to discuss white nationalist philosophy over time. The study applied a Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithm and a supervised learning AI model to a corpus of more than 66 m words collected from 367,000 posts across a 20-year period. This analysis identified two kinds of accelerationist sentiment in the dataset, an offensive form, which portrays violence as both an inevitable and desirable mechanism to pursue political change, and a defensive form, which portrays violence as a reactionary and protective means to prevent undesirable social changes. The study then used a thematic analysis on a subset of the data to support its findings that both offensive and defensive accelerationism are embedded in ideological narratives on Stormfront. This is an important consideration for further research on ways that accelerationism may be influencing popular white nationalist ideology, particularly fringe and violent narratives.

Projected changes in ultraviolet index and UV doses over the twenty-first century: impacts of ozone and aerosols from CMIP6.

This study evaluated the health-related weighted ultraviolet radiation (UVR) due to the total ozone content (TOC) and the aerosol optical depth (AOD) changes. Clear-sky Ultraviolet Index (UVI), daily doses, and exposure times for erythema induction (Dery and Tery) and vitamin D synthesis (DvitD and TvitD) were computed by a radiative transfer estimator. TOC and AOD data were provided by six Earth System Models (ESMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). For projections, we consider four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenarios-SSPs (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5)-and two time-slices (near: 2041-2060 and far future: 2081-2100). UVR projections showed pronounced changes for the summer hemispheres in the far future. TOC increases in mid- and high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere caused decreases in UVR at the summer solstice. However, projections did not indicate sun-safe exposure conditions in South America, Australia, and Southern Africa. On the contrary, exposure around solar noon from 10 to 20min will still be sufficient to induce erythema in skin type III individuals throughout this century. In southern Argentina and Chile, the UVR insufficiency for vitamin D synthesis at solar noon in skin type III remains the same during this century at the winter solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, UVI and Dery at the summer solstice should remain high (UVI ≥ 8; Dery ~ 7.0kJm-2) in highly populated locations. Above 45 °N, UVR levels cannot be enough to synthesize vitamin D in skin type III during the boreal winter. Our results show that climate change will affect human health through excess or lack of solar UVR availability.

About the Possible Solar Nature of the ~200 yr (de Vries/Suess) and ~2000–2500 yr (Hallstadt) Cycles and Their Influences on the Earth’s Climate: The Role of Solar-Triggered Tectonic Processes in General “Sun–Climate” Relationship

(1) Introduction: The subject of the present study concerns the analysis of the existence and long time evolution of the solar ~200 yr (de Vries/Suess) and ~2400 yr (Hallstadt) cycles during the recent part of the Wurm ice epoch and the Holocene, as well as their forcing on the regional East European climate during the last two calendar millennia. The results obtained here are compared with those from our previous studies, as well as with the results obtained by other authors and with other types of data. A possible scenario of solar activity changes during the 21st century, as well as different possible mechanisms of solar–climatic relationships, is discussed. (2) Data and methods: Two types of indirect (historical) data series for solar activity were used: (a) the international radiocarbon tree ring series (INTCAL13) for the last 13,900 years; (b) the Schove series of the calendar years of minima and maxima and the magnitudes of 156 quasi 11 yr sunspot Schwabe–Wolf cycles since 296 AD and up to the sunspot cycle with number 24 (SC24) in the Zurich series; (c) manuscript messages about extreme meteorological and climatic events (Danube and Black Sea near-coast water freezing), extreme summer droughts, etc., in Bulgaria and adjacent territories since 296 and up to 1899 AD, when the Bulgarian meteorological dataset was started. A time series analysis and χ2-test were used. (3) Results and analysis: The amplitude modulation of the 200 yr solar cycle by the 2400 yr (Hallstadt) cycle was confirmed. Two groups of extremely cold winters (ECWs) during the last ~1700 years were established. Both groups without exclusion are concentrated near 11 yr sunspot cycle extremes. The number of ECWs near sunspot cycle minima is about 2 times greater than that of ECWs near sunspot cycle maxima. This result is in agreement with our earlier studies for the instrumental epoch since 1899 AD. The driest “spring-summer-early autumn” seasons in Bulgaria and adjacent territories occur near the initial and middle phases of the grand solar minima of the Oort–Dalton type, which relate to the downward phases and minima of the 200 yr Suess cycle. (4) Discussion: The above results confirm the effect of the Sun’s forcing on climate. However, it cannot be explained by the standard hypothesis for total solar irradiation (TSI) variations. That is why another hypothesis is suggested by the author. The mechanism considered by Svensmark for galactic cosmic ray (GCR) forcing on aerosol nuclei was taken into account. However, in the hypothesis suggested here, the forcing of solar X-ray flux changes (including solar flares) on the low ionosphere (the D-layer) and following interactions with the Earth’s lithosphere due to the terrestrial electric current systems play a key role for aerosol nuclei and cloud generation and dynamics during sunspot maxima epochs. The GCR flux maximum absorption layer at heights of 35–40 km replaces the ionosphere D-layer role during the sunspot minima epochs.

Biocompatibility Analysis of Bio-Based and Synthetic Silica Nanoparticles during Early Zebrafish Development

During the twenty-first century, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have attracted rising interest, globally revolutionizing all industrial sectors. The expanding world population and the implementation of new global policies are increasingly pushing society toward a bioeconomy, focused on fostering the adoption of bio-based nanomaterials that are functional, cost-effective, and potentially secure to be implied in different areas, the medical field included. This research was focused on silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) of bio-based and synthetic origin. SiO2-NPs are composed of silicon dioxide, the most abundant compound on Earth. Due to their characteristics and biocompatibility, they are widely used in many applications, including the food industry, synthetic processes, medical diagnosis, and drug delivery. Using zebrafish embryos as in vivo models, we evaluated the effects of amorphous silica bio-based NPs from rice husk (SiO2-RHSK NPs) compared to commercial hydrophilic fumed silica NPs (SiO2-Aerosil200). We evaluated the outcomes of embryo exposure to both nanoparticles (NPs) at the histochemical and molecular levels to assess their safety profile, including developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and pro-inflammatory potential. The results showed differences between the two silica NPs, highlighting that bio-based SiO2-RHSK NPs do not significantly affect neutrophils, macrophages, or other innate immune system cells.

The place and role of adaptive sports in modern Ukrainian society

The article considers adaptive sports as a component of physical culture, a part of the general culture of society, and the international Olympic movement as the largest social movement of the modern era, which arises and operates under the influence of various social factors and, in turn, has a significant impact on society. It is noted that due to the conditions that have arisen in Ukraine as a result of the war, especially its consequences, the role of adaptive physical education and sports has acquired special significance for the further effective development of our society, the restoration of the employability of a special contingent of the population, and adaptation to new living conditions. Given the challenges facing Ukraine related to the increasing number of people with disabilities as a result of military actions, ensuring the effective functioning of sports organizations that develop adaptive sports is relevant. One of the significant achievements of the 20th and early 21st centuries is the realization and scientific substantiation of the decisive role of physical activity in the rehabilitation of people with special needs. The efforts of government agencies, scientists, and practitioners should be aimed at finding ways to optimally use means of physical culture and sports to strengthen health, achieve the necessary level of employability, and adapt disabled individuals in society. People with special needs are a global social phenomenon that cannot be ignored by physical education and sports professionals. The proposed direction of physical culture should increase the adaptation of individuals with special needs to the changed living conditions. It allows improving functional capabilities, contributes to the restoration of physical and mental health, the reintegration of the mentioned category of individuals into society during and after the war period, and the restoration of a sense of social completeness.

Music Curriculum in Higher Education that is Consistent with Student Development in the 21st Century: Empirical Data from Rajabhat University in Thailand

The curriculum is important in setting the directions of teaching and learning activities and developing students to have knowledge and ability which lead to success. This research focuses on the study of music curriculum development and student development with the objectives: 1. To analyze the music curriculum in higher education 2. To study structures and learning outcomes of music curriculum in higher education in student development according to the 21st century skills and 3. To develop music curriculum in higher education to respond to changes in the 21st century. The research scope is to study Rajabhat University group in Thailand by analyzing data from the curriculum structures and learning outcomes. The correctness and suitability are assessed by using EDFR technique for 2 rounds to confirm the data and use it to create a questionnaire to organize a group discussion (focus group). The study shows that the music curriculum in Rajabhat University has a total of 127-140 credits throughout the curriculum, which is in line with the standards for undergraduate programs, with a total of not less than 120 credits. The learning outcomes of music curriculum of Rajabhat University have 6 learning outcomes which are consistent with the standard qualifications of higher education. It is also found that developing the curriculum to be consistent with changes in the 21st century must be created with outstanding points and unique identity and set clear goals for developing students to have knowledge and skills consistent with the needs of Thai and global contexts.

Cognitive skills and economic growth in the twenty-first century: Evidence from PISA and cognitive ability studies

In recent years, some educational researchers have questioned the theory of a robust relationship between test scores in international large-scale assessments such as PISA and lagged economic growth. However, both the proponents and opponents of such a human capital approach have mainly focused on earlier growth patterns during the twentieth century. Hence, the current article analysed the relationship between PISA 2000 and economic growth in 2010–2019 for 31 countries, and composite cognitive skills for 80 countries and their relationships with economic growth in 2010–2019. The results indicate that PISA scores or other cognitive skill measures could to some extent predict economic growth between 2010 and 2019, even when controlling for a significant number of variables. In a consecutive analysis, the relations were substantially associated with Middle Eastern countries because many countries from this region experienced political instability and decreasing oil revenues throughout this period. Hence, it is possible that regional and contextual relationships affect these patterns.

Cultural Revival Among Kikuyu Christians: Impact and Implications in the 21st Century

The Kikuyu people were exposed to Christianity in the year 1900 following the arrival of Reverend McGregor. Subsequently, an overwhelming majority of individuals have adopted Christianity, with more than 90% identifying themselves as Christians. Nevertheless, the amalgamation of Western and Christian cultures throughout history has posed difficulties for the revival of Kikuyu traditional rituals. However, Anglican Christians have observed a revival of Kikuyu cultural traditions in Murang'a County, Kenya, during the twenty-first century. This return signifies a deliberate embrace of traditions that were previously forsaken. The objective of this study is to discover and examine the revived cultural traditions within the Anglican community, such as the reverence of ancestors, the categorization of individuals by age, the act of sacrificing animals, traditional marriage ceremonies, and the use of traditional brew. The study investigates the impact of cultural revival on Kikuyu Christianity through qualitative methodologies, including observation and interviews. The primary findings indicate that cultural revitalization entails both benefits and drawbacks. On one side, it assists in resolving identity challenges and enhances relationships with the community and family. Nevertheless, it also cultivates duplicity, undermines the Christian belief system, and engenders discord within the Christian community. These findings emphasize the necessity for dialogue among Kikuyu Christians to reconcile traditional behaviors with Christian principles. This will promote an authentic African Christianity that embraces Christian values while recognizing and integrating indigenous heritage. This study adds to the current discussion on the relationship between culture and religion in modern African settings by examining the intricacies and impacts of cultural resurgence in Christian communities.

Youth Employability Training Model from the Perspective of Education Poverty Reduction in Kenya and Its Enlightenment to China

Abstract Since the 21st century, the solution of poverty has become the focus of international assistance. And education is considered as one of the important ways to reduce poverty, more and more attention by international organizations and developing countries. Kenya, as one of the countries with the backwardness but most promising economic and social development in East Africa. It has received the attention of the World Bank. With the assistance of the World Bank, the Government of Kenya launched the KYEP project on the basis of Vision 2030, which is based on the training concept of “Education poverty reduction for youth entrepreneurship and employment”, with the goal of “Empowering young people in employment”, implementing a demand-oriented “four-in-one” skills training course through cooperative training of the World Bank and the Government of Kenya and the private sector, and ensuring the effectiveness of the project through the establishment of a multi-entity cooperative training guarantee mechanism. Practice shows that KYEP highlights Kenya’s demand-oriented approach and has achieved remarkable results in addressing youth unemployment and education for poverty reduction.

A Review of Factors Influencing Students Intrinsic Motivation to Engage in Online Learning Processes

Since the 21st century, with the development of the Internet, online education has gradually become an important trend in the development of the education industry. The motivation of online learning has also received extensive attention and research in the academic community, but compared with the external motivation, the specialized research of internal motivation is less. Therefore, this paper will base on the influence of Bruner's intrinsic motivation theory on online learning, and analyse the relationship between three elements of internal motivation and synchronous online learning and asynchronous online learning. Combined with the existing online learning software and platform, this paper analyses and summarizes the promotion effect of internal motivation on online learning, and puts forward some own views and opinions.

Individual Understanding and Importance of Business Agility in the 21st Century

Objective: In an era of rapid technological development, unpredictable global events and ever-changing customer expectations, new competences have become more valuable for economic operators. Those who can adapt best to change are those who can be flexible, changeable and fast at the same time. These can be collectively referred to as agility and its economic counterpart as business agility. Business agility is not just a buzzword, it is a fundamental change in the way organisations operate and respond to the dynamic challenges of the modern marketplace. The pace of change has accelerated exponentially, driven by technological breakthroughs, market disruptions and unforeseen global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic or international war conflicts. Businesses must adapt to change and have the flexibility to adapt their strategies, products and services accordingly. Moreover, competition is no longer confined to traditional industry boundaries. New players can appear on the market overnight and can pose very significant risks to any business. The ability to adapt, innovate and react quickly to changing circumstances is a core competence that can determine the survival and prosperity of a company. The paper focuses on the understanding and importance of business agility. Method: The paper aims to introduce the subject under study through a secondary research based on a literature review. Following the secondary research, the results of the questionnaire survey will be presented. The questionnaire assessed aspects of agility and agile operations along closed, scaled questions. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Results and conclusion: In this study we wanted to present an individual interpretation of agility. We were interested in the extent to which previous participation in economic and agile education influences the perception of agile criteria. The four cardinal domain statements presented in the survey and the impact of agility on them are not yet adequately assessed by the respondents. Due to the novelty of agility and misconceptions about it, it is not yet possible to clearly demonstrate the positive impact of this approach in Hungary, which is something that needs to change in the future. Research implications: The study can provide a good basis for understanding individual interpretations of agility. The results show that the concept itself is not yet embedded in everyday business thinking, which means that important steps are still to be taken, at least in the case of Hungary. Complex programmes to broaden our understanding would be important and necessary, challenging future education and providing a good basis for further research. Originality/value: The originality of the research lies in the fact that there have been no comprehensive studies and research on agility, on the human side of agile thinking. In this field, the study aims to serve as a thought-provoking tool, establishing the importance of the topic and the need for further research, which is particularly relevant for organisations and individuals in the rapidly changing and challenging world of the 21st century.

A Classification of Cloud Services and Their Security Assessment in the Healthcare Industry

The role of cloud-based services in healthcare settings is crucial in the 21st century. This paper discusses their advantages and tools in hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers, categorizing existing applications and services into data storage, computing power, networking, PaaS, SaaS, data analytics, business intelligence, and project management. It also provides an in-depth analysis of security and risk assessment issues in cloud-based services, supported by case studies. Additionally, it includes a comparative risk analysis diagram of secured versus non-secured cloud systems in healthcare. Finally, the paper concludes with recommendations for future work. Key Words: Healthcare facilities, diagnostic centers, cloud services, information technology systems, security, risk analysis.