Corporate Digital Responsibility

Digital technology is reshaping businesses across much of the world, but as companies introduce digital technologies into their business activities, they are facing new sets of responsibilities. While many businesses have enthusiastically embraced the economic benefits of these digital technologies, the social and environmental impacts of these developments have received much less attention. With this in mind, this chapter reviews how the leading information technology companies publicly address their social and environmental responsibilities. The chapter includes an outline of digital technologies and their potential social dimensions and environmental impacts, a brief review of the emerging academic and professional literature to provide some reference and context for the review, details of the method of enquiry and frame of reference adopted by the authors, a review of how the leading information technology companies publicly reported on their social and environmental digital responsibilities, and some general reflections on these social and environmental responsibilities.

Toward a New Rural Typology: Mapping Resources, Opportunities, and Challenges

While the concept of rurality has been debated in academic and professional literature for decades, less research has been done on a practical typology that can guide localized economic development strategies. This paper adds to the growing body of literature in search of a more nuanced definition of rural by applying unsupervised machine learning (ML) to the abundance of existing county-level data in the United States. The authors illustrate how this method can lead to a new county typology, named after economic development strategies, that accounts for idiosyncrasies in resources, opportunities, and challenges. This research serves as a practical step toward tractable, heterogeneous classifications that can inform the work of federal, state, and local policy makers, economic development practitioners, and many others.

FIRST STEPS BEFORE THE JUMP: UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIANS SURVEY ABOUT OER

Objective. The authors study: 1) the level of awareness of librarians of Ukrainian universities about Open Educational Resources (OER); 2) the ability of librarians to provide support services for the development, creation and use of OER in teaching, learning, research. Methods. The study was conducted by methods of analysis of professional literature, online survey (questionnaires) and analysis of the results. The questionnaires “Library of Higher Education Institution in Support of Distance Learning: Open Educational Resources” was distributed from 20.04. until 20.05.2021 among 137 directors of libraries of higher education institutions of Ukraine. Responses came from 77 libraries. The questionnaire consisted of 9 open-ended and closed-ended questions to allow researchers to get a holistic picture of the research process. Results. The analysis of 77 questionnaires showed that the vast majority of free HEI libraries in Ukraine have extensive experience in working with electronic educational resources. Ranking by resource type prove that 95.89% of library collections are the own generation resources (HEI authors): databases, incl. repositories. The concept of "Open Educational Resources" (OERs) is familiar and understandable to 84.42% of respondents. At the same time, 75.32% are already involved in supporting the OER. Librarians may catalog them (21.92%) or not catalog (32.88%). Among the OER types supported by librarians, educational materials (77.05%) and textbooks (55.74%) predominate. The closest partnership of librarians in OER support (except for teachers) is with the specialists of IT services (66.13%). Conclusions. Despite the still spontaneous, chaotic and little-studied nature of the library movement towards OER, librarians are well aware of this issue. At the same time, 96.1% of respondents want to improve their competencies in the direction of supporting open educational resources. This is very important, because it is the understanding and acceptance of OER that is crucial for a long-term vision of this movement. That is why specific aspects, such as organizational, economic, personnel and motivational, need urgent further study.

Designing Efficient Stratified Mean-Per-Unit Sampling Applications in Accounting and Auditing

Despite technological advances in accounting systems and audit techniques, sampling remains a commonly used audit tool. For critical estimation applications involving low error rate populations, stratified mean-per-unit sampling (SMPU) has the unique advantage of producing trustworthy confidence intervals. However, SMPU is less efficient than other classical sampling techniques because it requires a larger sample size to achieve comparable precision. To address this weakness, we investigated how SMPU efficiency can be improved via three key design choices: (a) stratum boundary selection method, (b) number of sampling strata, and (c) minimum stratum sample size. Our tests disclosed that SMPU efficiency varies significantly with stratum boundary selection method. An iterative search-based method yielded the best efficiency, followed by the Dalenius–Hodges and Equal-Value-Per-Stratum methods. We also found that variations in Dalenius–Hodges implementation procedures yielded meaningful differences in efficiency. Regardless of boundary selection method, increasing the number of sampling strata beyond levels recommended in the professional literature yielded significant improvements in SMPU efficiency. Although a minor factor, smaller values of minimum stratum sample size were found to yield better SMPU efficiency. Based on these findings, suggestions for improving SMPU efficiency are provided. We also present the first known equations for planning the number of sampling strata given various application-specific parameters.

Modern Surgical Methods of Treatment of Odontogenic Jaw Cysts (Literature Review and Own Data)

The purpose of the study was to analyze the data of modern domestic and foreign professional literature, which are devoted to new surgical methods of treatment of odontogenic cysts, to highlight the results of own clinical studies on the effectiveness of developed methods of cystectomy in jaw bones and their anesthesia. Materials and methods. Analytical and bibliosemantic methods were used in the research. The search for scientific information on medical topics for the period from 2010 to 2021 was carried out in the databases of electronic searching systems. Results and discussion. The use of standard techniques of conduction anesthesia of the trigeminal nerve is not always effective during cystectomy in the lateral parts of the mandible, due to the variability of branching of the trigeminal nerve, the possibility of additional innervation of the jaw branch from the superficial cervical plexus. Taking into account these anatomical factors, it is painless to perform a cystectomy of odontogenic cysts on the mandible. During oronasal cystectomy of odontogenic cysts that have grown into the nasal cavity it is advisable to block the nasopalatine nerve in the middle nasal passage. Modified methods of marsupialization can be used as an independent method of treatment of odontogenic cysts of large size, or be combined with radical removal of the cyst membrane. The use of ultrasound medical techniques reduces the risk of damage to adjacent soft tissues during enucleation of bone membranes in complex topographic and anatomical areas. The use of modern laser technologies and medical radiophysical equipment can increase the effectiveness of surgical treatment of odontogenic jaw cysts. The use of endovideosurgery techniques reduces the percentage of intraoperative complications. The introduction of computer spatial imaging of anatomical objects in dental practice has made it possible to develop new surgical technologies for precision-guided osteotomy and resection of the tips of the roots of masticatory teeth adjacent to the shells of radicular jaw cysts. Conclusion. In modern clinical practice, technical developments are used, which are based on the latest advances in laser optics, radio physics, bioacoustics, computer technology, which minimizes injuries during cystectomy operations, reduces the frequency of intraoperative complications. Individual-anatomical features of innervation of the maxillofacial area should be taken into account during local anesthesia, cystectomy and cystotomy operations in the jaw bones

The bioeconomy paradigm as a factor stimulating companies innovation in SMEs sector

Purpose of the study: This study intended to do an assessment of the bioeconomy paradigm importance for companies’ innovation in the SMEs sector. Methodology: The research material was collected on the basis of desk research method using professional literature, including book publications, scientific articles, presentations, reports, as well as various legal acts and press sources in paper and electronic form. Case studies of selected companies were prepared on the basis of the European Commission report. Main Findings: The concept of knowledge-based bioeconomy has become an important factor determining the innovation of enterprises. In the face of global eco-threats, companies that implement strategies in areas convergent with the new development paradigm are increasingly using innovative biotechnologies in their manufacturing processes or replacing non-renewable production resources with biodegradable bio-materials. In the process of changes, an important role is played by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), whose activities are to fill the gap between scientific research and the implementation of innovation, especially in such areas as food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology. Therefore, despite numerous implementation barriers, this sector has gained a new source of competitive advantages thanks to the bioeconomy. Applications of this study: The presented material may become a source of knowledge for entrepreneurs interested in developing activities in the area of bioeconomy and for institutions focused on creating innovation support programs for the SMEs sector. The originality of this study: In the literature the bioeconomy is considered mainly as the sustainable production of renewable resources and the possibility of their transformation into food, feed, bio-based products or bioenergy. The new development paradigm should therefore be considered as a valuable source of competitive advantages for enterprises. This study documented its importance as a factor stimulating the innovation activity of small and medium-sized enterprises. This phenomenon is particularly important from the point of view of the Polish SMEs sector, whose innovations are most often of an imitative nature.

FORMATION OF LITERARY COMPETENCE OF FUTURE TEACHERS IN THE «SCHOOL COURSE OF FOREIGN LITERATURE WITH THE METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING IN HIGH SCHOOL»

The relevance of the problem lies in the fact that in line with the current trends in the development of society, it is necessary to state the fact of a decrease in interest in reading poetic and prose texts, even by those who choose philological specialties for training. Therefore, the question of how to interest a modern philologist student in a work of fiction is not illogical. The main task in solving this problem is to provide an opportunity to realize oneself involved in the creation of a new artistic environment and the opportunity to connect students of educational institutions to it. In this approach, it will be relevant and necessary to identify the types of artistic communication inherent in the work under study. While studying at a higher education institution, the teacher introduces students to the features of the school course of foreign literature in high school, provides a system of knowledge, professional skills and abilities necessary for practical activities in a modern school, forms the creative foundations of the personality of a word teacher. The development of professional and subject competencies will help future teachers develop flexible skills when teaching foreign literature at school. The purpose of the article is to highlight the importance of forming the literary competence of future teachers in the «school course of foreign literature with the methodology of teaching in high school» in educational institutions. As a result of the study, we note that attention should be focused on practical improvement of the learning process for the development of personal professional competence of future teachers of educational institutions. Training that is accompanied by a motivational effect is always effective. It is in the ability to interest High School students in information and communication technologies, differentiated learning, and an individual approach to the perception of both poetic, prose, and dramatic works that young people will read. Methods of research applied: analysis of psychological and pedagogical, professional literature on the research topic; empirical: generalization of pedagogical experience; observation and analysis of lessons taking into account the problem under study. In educational institutions, you can also use the cross-section method or the mass simultaneous survey method; the method of purposeful observation contributes to a detailed study of the course of the pedagogical process, in accordance with the problem and hypothesis set by researchers, the method of natural experiment (close to the method of observations); laboratory experiment, training program.

Buryat Crossroads: Poetry and Mythological Thinking

The authors give a literary assessment of the monograph by I.V. Bulgutova Buryat philosophical lyrics: mythopoetic foundations and traditions with the involvement of some of her other works. A set of questions is studied related to the Buryat mythological school, the mythogenicity index of the Buryat professional literature, various types of mythological thinking, zoonymous mythical plots, the shamanistic cycle, the mythologization of history, and ethno-poetic constants. The practical part of the monograph under review is a mytho-ontological analysis of representative philosophical poetic texts by D. Ulzytuev, L. Tapkhaev, B. Syrenov, G. Radnaeva, R. Shoymardanova. Much attention is paid to the features of the Buryat Russian-language poetry, represented by the works of N. Nimbuev and B. Dugarov.

Prediction of the Shear Tension Strength of Resistance Spot Welded Thin Steel Sheets from High- to Ultrahigh Strength Range

The tensile strength of newly developed ultra-high strength steel grades is now above 1800 MPa, and even new steel grades are currently in development. One typical welding process to join thin steels sheets is resistance spot welding (RSW). Some standardized and not standardized formulas predict the minimal shear tension strength (STS) of RSWed joints, but those formulas are less and less accurate with the higher base materials strength. Therefore, in our current research, we investigated a significant amount of STS data of the professional literature and our own experiments and recommended a new formula to predict the STS of RSWed high strength steel joints. The proposed correlation gives a better prediction than the other formulas, not only in the ultra-high strength steel range but also in the lower steel strength domain.

Polish-English Basic Dictionary of Archaeological Terminology of Modern Tobacco Pipe Findings with Elements of Pipe Production and Tobacco Smoking in the Modern Period

The aim of this work is to present the translation of professional terminology concerning tobacco pipes acquired by excavation methods, supplementing the already existing term base of concepts with a Polish-English translation, important in the context of the current research on this subject. This dictionary is a translation of the basic terms used in English-language works (also used in works of researchers from Central and Eastern Europe) concerning descriptions of tobacco pipe remains (based on finds of stub-stemmed pipes, one-piece clay pipes and porcelain pipes) in archaeological research, the production of such paraphernalia and elements of history of tobacco smoking, which were additionally supplemented with terms currently used in Polish archaeological literature. This dictionary should be treated as a contribution to further work on standardisation of European archaeological terminology, which should provide an aid for both specialists and enthusiasts reaching for professional literature on antique pipes.