Search

The purpose of the article is to analyze why Huntington's ideas about civilizations, which have been much criticized, misused, and abused, continue to show amazing vitality by tackling the trends of international order. His paradigm has been a good predictor of international conflicts, but at the same time a tool that allows us to accept some primordial things. Properly understood and applied, civilizational analysis, which considers one's strengths and weaknesses, can be used, like geopolitical analysis, as an indispensable component of planning a strategic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To manage Earth in the Anthropocene, new tools, new institutions, and new forms of international cooperation will be required. Earth Virtualization Engines is proposed as an international federation of centers of excellence to empower all people to respond to the immense and urgent challenges posed by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From planetary climate change to the COVID pandemic, the human family is faced with urgent challenges that transcend the borders of the traditional nation state. Here, the Catholic moral tradition, as embodied in different ways by the writings of Jacques Maritain and Pope Francis, offers constructive insights as to how the global political landscape should be organized. In the wake of the Second World War and the advent of the nuclear age, Jacques Maritain proposed a political philosophy for the creation of a future world state. Six decades later, Pope Francis offers a more pastoral argument for a more just, equitable, and fraternal world order. This paper examines the visions of global governance advocated by both Maritain and Pope Francis. Drawing from both figures, this paper identifies five key values that might guide the mobilization of the Catholic community as it works for a more just and common world order: a universal solidaristic vision centered on the human person that affirms the value of pluralism, a multi-layered structure of global governance, and bottom-up change through participation. Together, these values offer ethical guideposts as the international community considers how to reform the present system of global governance, including the United Nations system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stem cell‐based therapy (SCT) is an important component of regenerative therapy that brings hope to many patients. After decades of development, SCT has made significant progress in the research of various diseases, and the market size has also expanded significantly. The transition of SCT from small‐scale, customized experiments to routine clinical practice requires the assistance of standards. Many countries and international organizations around the world have developed corresponding SCT standards, which have effectively promoted the further development of the SCT industry. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review to introduce the clinical application progress of SCT and focus on the development status of SCT standardization. Results: We first briefly introduced the types and characteristics of stem cells, and summarized the current clinical application and market development of SCT. Subsequently, we focused on the development status of SCT‐related standards as of now from three levels: the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), important international organizations, and national organizations. Finally, we provided perspectives and conclusions on the significance and challenges of SCT standardization. Conclusions: Standardization plays an important role in the sustained, rapid and healthy development of SCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMandDC) has received recognition from the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) for the next ten years. This achievement was made possible through the efforts of the PMandDC leadership, committee members, and supporters within the World Health Organization. The recognition is a relief for medical institutions in Pakistan, as there were concerns and delays in the process. The accreditation by WFME signifies that Pakistan's medical education meets international standards and allows graduates to pursue postgraduate training and practice in countries that require WFME recognition. The President of PMandDC, Prof. Rizwan Taj, expressed gratitude and emphasized the need to continue improving medical education standards in Pakistan with the support of WFME. [Extracted from the article]

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMandDC) has received recognition from the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) for the next ten years. This achievement was made possible through the efforts of the PMandDC leadership, committee members, and supporters within the World Health Organization. The recognition is a relief for medical institutions in Pakistan, as there were concerns and delays in the process. The accreditation by WFME signifies that Pakistan is meeting international standards for medical education and will allow PMandDC-accredited students to pursue postgraduate training and practice in countries that require WFME recognition. The President of PMandDC, Prof. Rizwan Taj, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders and emphasized the need to continue efforts to elevate the standard of medical education in Pakistan. [Extracted from the article]

Taking the regime established by the Convention on Biological Diversity as a foundation, the purpose of this article is twofold. First, it examines how the international biodiversity regime integrates the private property paradigm into its toolbox for conservation and sustainability and then critically evaluates the shortcomings of the intellectual property mechanism. Second, it argues that the increasing ubiquity of open access emerging technologies should lead the international community to carefully assess the benefits for conservation research of reverting to a framework that places biodiversity within the global commons. The impasse between global commons advocates and the intellectual property status quo obscures the underlying problematic of the “commodity fiction” of biodiversity and increasing use of digital sequence information likely exacerbates power asymmetries. One remedy explored here is an alternative to these two approaches that dislodges rather than discards the concept of private property. Drawing inspiration from Polanyi and building on May (2010), the article shows how a hybrid approach bridging a public and private conception of genetic resources and traditional knowledge could more effectively and equitably distribute benefits to countries and communities providing resources of value to industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the in vitro disinfection efficacies of six commercial lens cleaning and disinfecting products for planned replacement soft contact lenses. Methods: Disinfection efficacies of five multi-purpose solutions (MPSs) and one hydrogen peroxide solution (HPS) as control were evaluated in the presence of organic soil according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, Geneva, Switzerland) ISO 14729 stand-alone test protocol. The five specified compendial organisms, three bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens) and two fungi (Candida albicans and Fusarium solani) were incubated with each solution under standard conditions, after which microbes were recovered and quantified. Results: Each of the solutions evaluated met or exceeded the standard's primary criteria (3-log reduction of bacteria and 1-log reduction of fungi) after incubation for the manufacturer-recommended soaking time, except for COMPLETE MPS, which achieved only 0.4 ± 0.1 average log reduction for C. albicans. However, differences in efficacy between the solutions were noted. Average log reduction across all microbes for Biotrue Hydration Plus (4.6 ± 0.1) was comparable to that for CLEAR CARE PLUS HPS (4.3 ± 0.1) and greater than those for OPTI-FREE puremoist (3.6 ± 0.1), OPTI-FREE Replenish (4.0 ± 0.2), ACUVUE RevitaLens (3.9 ± 0.03), and COMPLETE MPS (3.6 ± 0.1). Biotrue Hydration Plus was especially effective at reducing the population of C. albicans (4.2 ± 0.7-log reduction). Conclusion: Products marketed for planned replacement soft CL disinfection generally meet the ISO 14729 standard's primary criteria for reducing populations of compendial organisms, with larger differences between solutions noted with C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does "shaming" work in NATO? More precisely, does publicly using negative language criticizing allies' defense spending improve burden-sharing, or is it counterproductive, leading to lower spending? We evaluate the effectiveness of public shaming language; specifically, whether it increases allies' defense spending or whether other considerations like external threat, domestic budgets, economic growth, or unemployment rates are better predictors of contributions. Using an original dataset of presidential statements and NATO defense spending data disaggregated across the four categories tracked by the alliance, we conclude that negative language toward allies' spending is at best ineffective and may even adversely affect burden-sharing in the long run. These findings have important implications for the political economy of alliances and both theories and policies on the use of rhetorical pressure to elicit compliance in asymmetric power relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the UN-Charter system, the maintenance of international peace and security is traditionally the primary responsibility of the UN Security Council as set forth in Chapter VII. Since the Security Council's competence for dealing with matters of international peace and security is not exclusive, other international bodies may take a role in addressing threats emanating from outer space. A regional security organization for planetary defence can be established under Article 52 UN-Charter and may provide for an alternative forum to decide upon the necessary steps for Near Earth Object (NEO)-deflection missions. The international legal personality of an international organization for planetary defence leads to the capacity of entering into treaties, the international responsibility for acts and omissions attributed to it and the enjoyment of privileges and immunities. Such organization can also declare acceptance of the UN Space Treaties. • The decision-making process of a regional security organization for planetary defence creates synergies with the functions of the Security Council. • Outer space can be understood as "region" in the sense of Art. 52 UN-Charter. • NEO-threats are matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security. • A regional security organization for planteray defence may incur international legal personality. • Such organization can be subject to international space law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the profound impact of European integration on international relations, highlighting the European Union's (EU's) growing role as a global player in economic, political, and security affairs. It explores the EU's multiple roles in China-the US..-Europe relations, emphasizing its unique stance in major-power competition and its impact on future China-EU relations, amidst intensified geopolitical dynamics.

The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began in 2022 has reached diverse effects and reasons in the system. But Russia deems Ukraine within her sphere of influence and has been infuriated at Ukraine's nearness with the West and her desire to join NATO or the EU. The main purpose of this article is to discuss the multiple effects of the conflict on the global powers and explain how states' national interests and goals have driven their responses in the foreign policy. The main driving point of this article is to focus on the several reasons and effects of Ukraine war that shakes the balance between the global powers in the world and how it disturbs the already existing order. This article will benefit from the perspectives of realism theory when deciphering the causes of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the regional and global implications of this conflict in various ways. To reveal the increasing power race within the system, to be able to see the changing balances within the framework of the concept of national interest and to see the impact of the war within the system, the theory of neorealism has been included in the study. This article will focus on three levels of analysis such as individual, state, and systemic in examining the main driving forces behind of Russia and Ukraine conflict. This war was not only occurred between Russia and Ukraine, it has had also created a huge impact on the other regions or international organizations in a different area. Regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine, Russia remains the most dangerous, immediate, and long-term threat to the Euro-Atlantic community and rules-based world order. During this study, it will focus on the descriptive theory by using comparison methods and techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The process of describing the location, size, and character of uterine fibroids, commonly referred to as 'fibroid mapping'. Mapping techniques helps surgeons plan efficient resection of the fibroid to optimize surgical outcomes. Hence this study was done to correlate and estimate the diagnostic accuracy of 3D ultrasound in fibroid mapping compared with intraoperative findings. Methodology: A longitudinal study was done in a tertiary care hospital during March 2022 to September 2023 in all 50 patients posted for elective surgery. Complete 3D ultrasound assessment (both transabdominal and transvaginal) and mapping was performed by same radiologist for number of fibroids, size, location, type and FIGO class. Intraoperative findings were documented immediately after surgery. Spearman's Correlation and diagnostic accuracy was estimated with P<0.05 considered as significant. Results: The mean age and range of patients in this study includes 39±9.5 years and 15-48 years. Of 50 patients studied, the number of fibroids predicted by ultrasound matched with intraoperative findings in 42 patients which was 105 out of 117 (89.7%) fibroids. Strong positive correlation was seen with fibroid mapping with Spearman rho value of 0.89, 0.94 and 0.97 in subserosal, intramural and submucosal respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of subserosal, Intramural, Submucosal fibroids was 70.6%, 73.6% and 90.6% respectively. Conclusion: Strong positive correlation was seen with fibroid mapping, done on ultrasound compared to intraoperative findings in 42 patients (84%) which was significant statistically. Also diagnostic accuracy of Subserosal, Intramural, Submucosal was 70.6%, 73.6% and 90.6% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good governance ensures sustained development. Good governance in operations and projects for sustained progression and development is a mark of good governments and organizations. In this article, the concept of good governance has been discussed from different perspectives. A multi-method qualitative approach was adopted to comprehend the construct in-depth. A thorough systematic literature review approach was adopted in the first phase, and internationally reputed journals were targeted for literature synthesis. In the second phase, in-depth interviews were conducted. The interview's thematic analysis and a word cloud were developed using NVIVO11 software. Additionally, data was collected using a check sheet regarding good governance from the Project Management Professionals (PMPs) to add to the phenomenon of interest. The study found that the literature is silent on governance issues in the developmental sector and demands extensive research to develop a project governance framework aligned with project context and culture. This study also proposed Good Global Governance (3G) embeddedness in developmental projects for sustained development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Origins of Global Economic Governance" by Jamie Martin explores the early development of international economic governance from the 1910s to the 1940s. The book highlights how the World Wars, self-determination movements, and economic crises during this period blurred the lines between national and international affairs. It discusses the emergence of international economic institutions and their impact on state sovereignty, as well as the debates surrounding the democratic legitimacy of institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The author argues that these institutions transformed the exercise of sovereignty in a new international order based on principles of self-determination. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical context and offers potential avenues for further research in the field of international economic governance. [Extracted from the article]

This paper examines how APEC has transformed itself into an international forum for the vision of regional integration. It aims to quantify the documentation produced by the international organization and provide quantifiable evidence that aligns with prior knowledge rather than relying solely on intuition. For this purpose, I use various text mining techniques to extract multi-dimensional features from the text of APEC Leaders' Declarations from 1993 to 2023. In terms of interest and expectations for APEC as a forum, it is found that members have experienced two major peaks and troughs over the last three decades. It is found that the change point coincides with the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the tensions between the United States and China since 2017. To explore more various aspects of economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region, this study also considers how consistently APEC has been an international forum for addressing issues, which members are active, and how members have clustered based on their views of APEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After 2020, many countries claim a dominant position or serious participation in global politics. In monitoring the development of macroeconomic indicators, especially from the point of view of forecasting their development with regard to the direction of the globalized political-economic trend, one can look for the future of the world order. The combination of factors reflects the conflictual and complex nature of development, pointing to areas with high demographic pressure. The expansion of the sphere of influence of NATO and the European Union in the former Soviet republics caused great resentment in Russia. Russia, on the other hand, is trying to create a Eurasian bloc with a strong Orthodox core, but also with considerable influence in relatively weaker Islamic countries. The aim of the contribution is to predict the future development of the world's political-economic distribution of forces based on the position of the weakening role of the US dollar as a global reserve currency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The law of belligerent occupation permits the Occupying Power to administer and use the natural resources in the occupied territory under the rules of usufruct. This provision has no counterpart in the provisions of humanitarian law applicable to non-international armed conflicts, which may suggest that any exploitation of natural resources by non-State armed groups is illegal. The International Committee of the Red Cross's updated 2020 Guidelines on the Protection of the Environment in Armed Conflict did not touch on this issue, and nor did the International Law Commission in its 2022 Draft Principles on the Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflicts, where it applied the notion of sustainable use of natural resources instead of usufruct. The present paper aims to fill this gap. It first reviews the development of the concept of usufruct and then studies whether the current international law entitles non-State armed groups with de facto control over a territory to exploit natural resources. By delving into the proposals raised by some commentators to justify such exploitation for the purpose of administering the daily life of civilian populations, the paper advocates for a limited version of this formula as the appropriate lex ferenda. In the final section, the paper discusses how situations of disaster, as circumstances which may preclude the wrongfulness of the act, may justify the exploitation of natural resources by non-State armed groups in the current international legal order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has upended the contemporary world order - and with it the global energy, manufacture, supply, and financial systems in deep distress. In many ways the war recaps the appalling horrors of the two world wars. The conflict between Moscow and Kiev is unfolding against the backdrop of other correspondingly significant crises and cataclysms, for instance the continuing coronavirus pandemic, worsened tensions namely in the U.S. - China relations, U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, uncertainty in the Sahel Region, the unending civil war in Yemen, increased nuclear polarization in North Korea, and lead to a new pattern of European rearmament. The cost of war is having geopolitical and economic ramifications on the rest of the world. The Russian aggression in Ukraine is manifestation of the struggle for a new world order. Russia and China are openly challenging the Pax Americana, far beyond the visible economic realm. The recent Global Security Initiative (GSI) put forward by the Chinese President, in the April 2022 at BOAO forum, the narratives associated to Shangri-La 2022 defense talks, the Global Development Initiative proposed at the UN General Assembly 2021 and the Global Think Tank Network for Democracy Studies, underlined this evidence. As asserted by Kuo, the GSI is "Blueprint for integrating China's security priorities and practices (...) Using the U.N. aegis, Beijing is promoting China as a primus inter pares dispute arbiter, architect of new regional security frameworks, and trainer of security professionals and police forces in developing countries" (Kuo, 2023). But the question how the next world order will look like remains open. The Russian war in Ukraine has fast-tracked a shift in the world order forcing a renewed balance of power. There's an extensive assessment that the "Ukraine effect" could be as sweeping in restructuring global relations as significant as the chain of events following the breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1989 expect that this time the power shift might be away from Washington hegemony. Since President Vladimir Putin attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022, there is proliferation of research and academic papers about the future shape of world order. Therefore, these developments beg questions: Is the idea of an "end" to history is fallacy? Are there no key difficulties within liberal policies that can fuel struggle and contradictions? Is Ukraine a wakeup call for Western Liberal order? Do liberal democracies need to pay cognizance to rapidly emerging new international order which is less weighed down by old ideological loyalties but is more realist and transactional and driven by national interests? How can we comprehend China-Russia open diplomatic alignment? This paper provides an analytical discussion on New-Cold War developments and the emerging world order in the backdrop of ongoing struggles and power rebalancing. In this regard, the manuscript addresses some of the main features of the new international power configurations system, apparent drifts, and new threats in international relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the Arctic Basin as an emerging focal point patent in the political and strategic conjuncture in the global framework. If observed in a "quasi-equidistant azimuthal projection", this basin borders five riparian States, although it includes many others that interact with these five. A formal international organization, the Arctic Council, was created to try to regulate the multiple interests that converge on it. International law has not been sufficient to carry it out, if only because security matters are not part of its purview. On the other hand, the mere fact that it is an area related to a maritime basin, which bears many of the traits of "a lake", raises unexpected difficulties, and is often poorly understood, in terms of the emergence of its centrality. Unlike other "area studies" that we know better, we often tend to have little awareness of its growing importance. In this study, I try to define relational moments in the growing tensions that make this region a crucial region. It should be noted that, in this regional area, cooperation and competition links are growing more and more evident. Of the five riparian states (Denmark-Greenland, Canada, USA-Alaska, Russian Federation, and Norway), four belong to the Atlantic Alliance, as well as the accession of Finland and Sweden (both since their inception full members of an Arctic Council which has no security competences) into the Atlantic Alliance in the High North, which shall tilt the balance by leaving Russia as the sole non-NATO in that region. In the current situation, tensions are becoming more acute due to the convergence of many other states that are aligning with the previous ones. I will argue, as it seems obvious to us, the regional rising tensions and the militarization associated with them, take place in moments and phases linked to intervals of a Russia that regards itself as ever-expanding, and its potential northern surpassing by China. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate that most facets of this temporal iteration in the adversarial tension processes have guided the recent historical evolution regarding the militarization of this basin. Albeit its' variable geometry, clearly, the Wider Arctic Basin justifies its treatment in terms of an Area subject to a geopolitical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On February 24, 2022, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Over a year later, the war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and led to the displacement of millions. In Spring 2023, both Ukrainian and Russian forces prepared new offensives, while the United States committed to providing Ukraine with military tanks--a move that Russian officials had previously warned would constitute direct involvement in the war. While countries debated how to respond, we also witnessed the privatization of foreign policy as hundreds of companies around the world similarly sought to assist Ukraine or punish Russia using the tools of national foreign policy--humanitarian aid and economic sanctions. Companies assisted Ukraine by donating millions of dollars to relief organizations or offering aid directly to those fleeing the war. Other companies punished Russia by closing stores, postponing investments, and exiting the country altogether. This Article explains that these individual business decisions illustrate a broader phenomenon of corporate foreign policy, which refers to business policies that use the traditional tools of national foreign policy to influence a government's conduct towards another government or international organization. It develops a market framework to explain that corporate foreign policies result from the interaction of two sets of factors: demand factors, such as the preferences of governments, consumers, and investors; and supply factors, which refer to organizational, contractual, and regulatory factors that enable or inhibit the capacity of companies to meet those preferences. Supply factors would include: the business model used for Russian operations; contract provisions that enable suspension of performance obligations; availability of political risk insurance and international investment dispute resolution to absorb losses; and organizational preparedness for crisis response. This Article makes three primary contributions to the study of foreign policy and international business transactions. First, it provides an analytical framework for understanding, evaluating, and even predicting whether companies will use a particular foreign policy in a crisis. Second, it uses this framework to analyze whether companies may similarly exit from China because of fears of conflict in the region. Third, the framework offers practical guidance to both policymakers and business executives on using foreign policy effectively in future crises. For policymakers, this framework explains that economic sanctions imposed by governments can encourage a second wave of private sanctions imposed by companies that magnify the economic, social, and political consequences of the former. This Article's framework helps policymakers to predict the nature, breadth, and strength of these private sanctions so that they can better evaluate if and how to use sanctions. For executives, this Article explains the relevance of business models, contract design, and strategic partnerships for preparing for the next crisis. Many of these decisions are made decades before a crisis arises but can inhibit a company's ability to respond when it does. It is therefore important to evaluate these decisions now in order to respond effectively in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Study Group (SG) 17 is a de jure organization that deals with security. Another such organization is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Joint Technical Committee (JTC) 1/Subcommittee (SC) 27. This article introduces the efforts of ITU-T SG17 and outlines trends in security standardization by comparing them with JTC 1/SC 27. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Article One stated: "Every nation has the right to exist, and to protect and to conserve its existence; but this right neither implies the right nor justifies the act of the state to protect itself or to conserve its existence by the commission of unlawful acts against innocent and unoffending states." He was explicit about his fervent opposition to the Monroe Doctrine and Pan-Americanism, for he stressed: "my purpose is to contribute to the formation of the history of North-American imperialism", and thus these "notes can be useful for the political and diplomatic history of America and the understanding of applied Pan-Americanism."[54] He argued that the Monroe Doctrine operated as an elastic and flexible principle, consolidating the United States's exceptional role on the continent, as a nation that committed to certain international legal values and institutions and at the same time violated them. He affirmed that the Monroe Doctrine "should be enacted and covenanted among all the nations of the continent that the territory of the American nations is no longer a subject for conquest whether from within or from without the continent", since "Pan-Americanism - the real, the genuine - rests primarily upon the Monroe Doctrine."[35] All in all, the outbreak of World War I and Wilson's Pan-American Pact contributed to popularizing Pan-American approaches to the Monroe Doctrine across the Americas. [Extracted from the article]

The imposition of sanctions by the UN Security Council (UNSC) is notoriously selective. Many crises have qualified for UNSC sanctions by endangering peace and security, yet the UN has imposed sanctions in only a few. Selectivity in UNSC sanctions is conventionally explained by conflict intensity or the interests of the Council's permanent members. Complementing these accounts, we document a third explanation: pre-existing sanctions by regional organizations. We argue that the UNSC has incentives to sanction countries which are already under sanctions by regional organizations because regional sanctions embody neighborhood consensus on the legitimacy of these sanctions and reassure the Council about implementation. Statistical analyses of original data, text analyses, a case study, and interviews strongly support our argument: regional sanctions increase the likelihood of UNSC sanctions adoption, particularly when these are enacted by regional organizations composed of neighboring states. This study advances research on sanctions, conflict resolution, and regime complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines conflict and migration in different countries couple with the new crisis facing global governance in battling refugee's problem. The major causes of conflict are irreconcilable differences between political elites and rebels, bad governance and economic crunch leading to war and refugees movement. Refugees movement have overpopulated border in some states causing socio-economic disputes in host state sparking up confrontation between the local people and the migrants. The method used in this research is secondary and interview of returned migrants to ascertain the patterns of treatment and problems of migration. The study reveals that the pressure of escaping from their homeland either through war or seeking for jobs in another country have made migrants to be confrontational whenever they get to border that security guards are mindless of their long distance suffering. The study recommends that there should be development centres in both developed and developing countries to accommodate migrants running away from war-like state to stay for four years before repatriation to a place that demand their services, in doing so, they would have save for the purpose of investment and at the same time discourage request for permanent status in host state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to investigate and understand the perceptions of and lifestyle changes adopted by healthcare workers (HCWs) in Turkey who were on the front line of the fight against the outbreak of COVID-19. A total of 33 female HCWs with bachelor's degrees were included in the study. In-depth interview techniques were used. The data analysis was performed with MAXQDA 2020 qualitative data analysis package program. The female HCWs perceived COVID-19 as rapidly contagious, deadly, dangerous, and long-term. Their perception as to the cause of the outbreak was akin to conspiracy thoughts such as bioweapon. In addition, the study determined that social media was the preferred medium for getting news because the news given in the traditional media was not trusted. It was seen that the attitude of participants regarding the preventive measures was in line with the recommendations of international organizations. In terms of lifestyle changes, for example, the dietary habits and physical activity levels of all the HCW participants, changed and online environments were used for communication/socialization. Those HCW participants who smoked, stated that smoking increased the risk and severity of COVID-19, and they declared an increase in the amount of their use. Those HCW participants who consumed alcohol, reported that alcohol consumption increased during the period of the outbreak in order to maintain socialization and relaxation. Those HCW participants who did not smoke or drink alcohol mentioned that they did not intend to start. This study contributes to an understanding of the impact on HCWs of significant health events especially in terms of their perceptions of and their lifestyle changes as a result of such health events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, China and Russia decades have adopted accommodation, normalisation and convergence strategies that transformed their cooperation into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Despite having this strategic alignment, several issues still constrain their long-term relations, such as divergent views and assessment of the world order, imbalance in bilateral trade and investment, competition in their respective spheres of influence, Russians' fear of a Chinese immigrant onslaught, ideological cleavages, and asymmetrical power distribution between the two. This study explains the factors behind their convergence and divergences of interests and its implications for their future relations. While utilising content analysis as the research methodology this study hypothesizes that though the two are engaged in strategic and other partnerships, yet the structural differences will inhibit their long-term cordiality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During most of the 20th century, Chile played a prominent role in the multilateral arena; however, the overthrow of President Salvador Allende buried the diplomatic prestige of this small country. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to characterize Chile's performance at the United Nations between 1973 and 1978, a period in which a diplomatic style called "praetorian-ideological" prevailed. This research seeks to analyze the multilateral offensive of the Soviet Union and the socialist countries against Chile in this international organization, as well as the circumstantial alliance systems established by Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in the General Assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the dialectical relationship between continuity and change in the foreign policy of the United States, a hegemonic power. The article begins by exploring the agent–structure problem and the factors that affect changes in foreign policy and the legitimacy of hegemony. It compares the hegemonic leadership styles of three former United States Presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. The article aims to contrast the foreign policy approaches of the three presidents and present two main arguments. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of foreign policy, it is imperative to analyse dynamic components such as contextual factors and leadership. This includes the leaders' worldviews and their ability to adapt to unanticipated crises. The gradual decline of the United States' hegemony in the international order can be attributed to structural transformations within the international order and the erosion of its social capital and its role as hegemon. Yet, the leadership styles adopted by American presidents have a significant impact on the erosion of the nation's hegemonic leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To manage Earth in the Anthropocene, new tools, new institutions, and new forms of international cooperation will be required. Earth Virtualization Engines are proposed as international federation of centers of excellence to empower all people to respond to the immense and urgent challenges posed by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has set up a poly-tiered dispute resolution mechanism to deal with alleged breaches of its institutional statutes. It calls these 'judicial' bodies even though they are not established by law. They consist of the Independent Hearing Panel (IHP) and the Sports Dispute Panel (SDP). The former entertains mostly governance-related disputes while the SDP enjoys jurisdiction for substantive sports disputes. The IHP also serves as an appellate forum against SDP decisions. Neither of these entities has been endowed with arbitral qualities and the BWF dispute settlement architecture is paradigmatic of expert determination. The two 'judicial' entities are complemented by a Referral officer who serves as sui generis prosecutor and who receives pertinent evidence from national confederations or the BWF (investigating parties). It is argued that while this represents a successful example of expert determination in a context with a relatively small caseload, the system itself would be better served by a self-contained arbitral tribunal, seated in an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reporting a measurement procedure and its analytical performance following method evaluation in a peer-reviewed journal is an important means for clinical laboratory practitioners to share their findings. It also represents an important source of evidence base to help others make informed decisions about their practice. At present, there are significant variations in the information reported in laboratory medicine journal publications describing the analytical performance of measurement procedures. These variations also challenge authors, readers, reviewers, and editors in deciding the quality of a submitted manuscript. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Working Group on Method Evaluation Protocols (IFCC WG-MEP) developed a checklist and recommends its adoption to enable a consistent approach to reporting method evaluation and analytical performance characteristics of measurement procedures in laboratory medicine journals. It is envisioned that the Laboratory Evaluation and Analytical Performance Characteristics (LEAP) checklist will improve the standardisation of journal publications describing method evaluation and analytical performance characteristics, improving the quality of the evidence base that is relied upon by practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the introduction to the 40th anniversary issue of Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals, this paper looks at developments in international relations over the last four decades, alongside the publication's content and against the backdrop of the current crisis of the international order (or disorder). It spans the end of the Cold War and the faith deposited in globalisation and liberal democracy in the unipolar world of the mid-1990s, taking in the spread of the values and ideas of global governance at the end of the last century, before arriving at the growing multipolarity, rivalry between China and the United States and the challenge to the liberal order and permacrisis of recent years. Special mention is made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evaluating the prognosis of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) who may be at risk of poor outcomes using grading systems is one way to make a better decision on treatment for these patients. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of the modified World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), WFNS, and Hunt and Hess (H&H) Grading Scales in predicting the outcomes of patients with aSAH. Methods: From August 2019 to June 2021, we conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study on adult patients with aSAH in three central hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam. The primary outcome was the 90-day poor outcome, measured by a score of 4 (moderately severe disability) to 6 (death) on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). We calculated the areas under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve (AUROCs) to determine how well the grading scales could predict patient prognosis upon admission. We also used ROC curve analysis to find the best cut-off value for each scale. We compared AUROCs using Z-statistics and compared 90-day mean mRS scores among intergrades using the pairwise multiple-comparison test. Finally, we used logistic regression to identify factors associated with the 90-day poor outcome. Results: Of 415 patients, 32% had a 90-day poor outcome. The modified WFNS (AUROC: 0.839 [95% confidence interval, CI: 0.795–0.883]; cut-off value≥2.50; PAUROC<0.001), WFNS (AUROC: 0.837 [95% CI: 0.793–0.881]; cut-off value≥3.5; PAUROC<0.001), and H&H scales (AUROC: 0.836 [95% CI: 0.791–0.881]; cut-off value≥3.5; PAUROC<0.001) were all good at predicting patient prognosis on day 90th after ictus. However, there were no significant differences between the AUROCs of these scales. Only grades IV and V of the modified WFNS (3.75 [standard deviation, SD: 2.46] vs 5.24 [SD: 1.68], p = 0.026, respectively), WFNS (3.75 [SD: 2.46] vs 5.24 [SD: 1.68], p = 0.026, respectively), and H&H scales (2.96 [SD: 2.60] vs 4.97 [SD: 1.87], p<0.001, respectively) showed a significant difference in the 90-day mean mRS scores. In multivariable models, with the same set of confounding variables, the modified WFNS grade of III to V (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 9.090; 95% CI: 3.494–23.648; P<0.001) was more strongly associated with the increased risk of the 90-day poor outcome compared to the WFNS grade of IV to V (AOR: 6.383; 95% CI: 2.661–15.310; P<0.001) or the H&H grade of IV to V (AOR: 6.146; 95% CI: 2.584–14.620; P<0.001). Conclusions: In this study, the modified WFNS, WFNS, and H&H scales all had good discriminatory abilities for the prognosis of patients with aSAH. Because of the better effect size in predicting poor outcomes, the modified WFNS scale seems preferable to the WFNS and H&H scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the topics discussed is the current crisis of civilization, to which the institution of war in an era of all-destroying thermonuclear weapons strongly contributes. Another issue that is discussed is the human emotional tendency that might be called "tribalism". It is our tendency to be kind and altruistic towards members of our own group, and extremely hostile towards groups that are perceived to be competing with or threatening our own. Probably this tendency was built into the genes of our ancestors when they lived in small, genetically homogeneous tribes, competing for territory on the grasslands of Africa. Another important topic discussed is the need for effective and just global governance. It is argued that the United Nations should be strengthened by converting it into a federation, with a greatly increased income, and the power to make laws that are binding on individuals. The International Criminal Court, established by the Treaty of Rome, is discussed as an important first step towards individual accountability. It is my hope that this article will contribute to our understanding of Human Security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explains China's Middle East policy through its relations with Iran and Saudi Arabia. The main argument is that China's Middle East policy is not based on achieving global hegemony but on cooperation and avoidance of conflict with the United States, which is still a hegemon power albeit its declining effect in the region. In support of the argument, the study discusses the "mutually dependent hegemonic powers" theory developed by J. Abu Lughod and interprets Chinese relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran comparatively. Lughod predicts that the 21st-century world order will have an appearance in which there is not one hegemonic power dominating the system, but there are several core powers that can coexist instead. According to the findings, China's Middle East policy is based on coexistence with the dominant power of the region as one of the core powers in the global system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sophie Orr oversees International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) operations in North, Central and South America (the ICRC Americas Region), providing strategic steering for the organization's response and contributing to humanitarian diplomacy efforts at different levels. The delegations and missions in the region work on addressing a wide range of needs of people affected by present and past situations of conflict and armed violence. Prior to her appointment as Regional Director for the Americas, Ms Orr worked in many different and often complex environments, first as a foreign affairs producer and journalist with the UK's Channel 4 News. She has previously worked for the ICRC in several countries, mainly in protection and management positions, and later at headquarters, first as Strategic Adviser to the Director of Operations from 2012 to 2016 and then leading the ICRC's operational cooperation with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and their International Federation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Chinese-speaking academic community, the topic of Confucian cosmopolitanism is intricately linked to the concepts of "Tianxia" and "Datong", carrying significant political implications. This context arises from the tension between the Confucian vision of a borderless world order and the reality of the bounded nation-state system since the late 19th century. This modern situation constitutes the dual predicaments for Confucian cosmopolitanism: the contradiction between the logic of Datong and the logic of national empowerment, as well as the conflict between the specific Confucian identity and the universal concern for the world. Represented by notable figures like Liang Qichao, modern scholars have devoted themselves to resolving these predicaments. On one hand, Liang, in contrast to his teacher Kang Youwei, emphasized the coexistence of the global ideal and the nation-state system. He proposed the concept of a 'cosmopolitan nation,' which not only considers nationalism as a stepping stone toward cosmopolitanism but also views the nation as an organizational form with the world as its ultimate purpose. This response addresses the first predicament. On the other hand, Liang redirected the focus of cosmopolitanism to the individual, establishing a connection with the core Confucian value of Ren. He interpreted the ideal of Datong as the awakening and refinement of each individual's kinship consciousness, thereby mitigating the constraints imposed by Confucian identity and the national narrative on the discourse of cosmopolitanism. This tackles the second predicament. Reflecting on these modern predicaments not only sheds light on the political reasons underlying Confucian cosmopolitanism but also reveals its broader dimension as a universal ethical concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keir Giles' book, "Russia's War on Everybody and What it Means for You," offers a comprehensive guide to Russian foreign activities. It covers various aspects of Russia's behavior, including its surreal and outdated mentality, propaganda-controlled politics, and opportunistic approach to international relations. The book emphasizes the need to understand the unique nature of Russia's actions and suspend disbelief, rather than treating it as a normal negotiating partner. It discusses the concept of "hybrid warfare," which involves tactics like targeting digital infrastructure, supporting protest movements, and information warfare. The author argues that Russia consistently creates problems and crises to extract concessions and blackmail other nations. The text also explores the role of the Russian military, including their use of nuclear threats. The author emphasizes the importance of understanding Russian tactics, responding with unity and joint actions, and protecting the values of a free democratic society. [Extracted from the article]

Azerbaijan's September 19, 2023 attack on the Republic of Artsakh resulted in the almost total displacement of the indigenous Armenian population, making it one of the most successful genocides in history. For over a year before Azerbaijan's attack, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention viewed Artsakh as the "perfect storm" for genocide prevention and was using as many strategies as possible to urge Western leaders to recognize the threat and take effective action. Any leader willing to challenge Azerbaijan diplomatically would have had the work of many genocide scholars and genocide prevention organizations to back them up. We still believe that coordinated pressure from the Western powers could have had a chance of avoiding genocide and may have resulted in finding a secure, and perhaps independent, space for Artsakh Armenians in their ancestral homeland. This article aims to show how the case of genocide in Artsakh is an object lesson in how diplomatic silences, shaped by geopolitical interests, can provide the power framework in which genocide can easily take place, offer diplomatic cover for the state or organization committing the crime, and normalizing the crime within international relations. It proposes that the genocide in Artsakh ushered in a new "New Imperialism", in which the post-1945 law-based world order is jettisoned for raw power, threatened communities and unwanted peoples are less safe than they were before September 19, 2023, and genocide will become the order of the day - unless we find new mechanisms to prevent it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to discuss about the relationship of the School of Social Work of University of Costa Rica with international organizations during the decades of 1950-1960. For the development of this study, a documentary analysis of sources such as books, files, correspondence and minutes of the School belonging to the aforementioned period was carried out. As part of the results, the influence of this relationship is observed in some courses of the 1954 and 1965 curriculum of the School. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a review of Karl Marx's theory of surplus value to understand the world civilizational crisis occurring at present that exploded in 2020. Fifteen theses are presented together with an explanation of each one, to develop the main thesis that the present crisis is a crisis of overaccumulation of capital, as Karl Marx established in the Law of the Decreasing Tendency of the Rate of Profit. In this way, it is determined that the civilizational crisis stems from normal capitalist development; in this framework the covid-19 pandemic emerged, which deepened the subjugation of the population and is an expression of this civilizational crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new dataset of membership in informal international organizations—IOs founded with non-binding instruments—which constitute one-third of operating IOs. We introduce state-IO-year–level membership data for 195 countries that complements the dataset on formal IOs from the Correlates of War Project. We explain our conceptualization of an informal IO, contrast it with other approaches, and detail the data collection process. We illustrate similarities and differences across formal and informal IOs, and across states and regions. We explain how our data validate or challenge conjectures about informal cooperation that have been inaccessible for lack of data. We demonstrate that while formal and informal IOs are similar in size, the composition of informal memberships in informal IOs is more fragmented. While informal IOs are a growing part of the governance portfolios of most states, some countries and regions participate more. We conclude by outlining elements of the research program our dataset unlocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]