Open Access Books

The European Union's policy towards Asia constitutes an interesting area for analysis and reflection against the backdrop of changing international realities. Since its inception, the EU has gained the position of a significant player on the international stage. Asia, in turn, has become one of the key areas for EU foreign policy since the mid-1990s. This partnership has evolved and developed in response to changing circumstances and challenges, becoming an integral part of the Union's global strategy. Initially focusing on economic issues, EU-Asian cooperation now covers a wide range of themes from trade, politics, and security, to sustainable development, environmental protection, climate, and the strengthening of human rights and civil society. The EU's policy towards Asia stems from both a practical approach, focusing on developing trade exchanges, and a commitment to promoting values such as democracy, human rights, and sustainable development. As a community built on the foundations of peace, democracy, and the rule of law, the EU prioritizes the promotion of these values on the international stage, translating into its active role in Asia. The aim of this book is to introduce selected aspects of EU cooperation with Asia to Polish readers, focusing on three interrelated areas: development policy, environmental protection and climate change cooperation, and EU efforts to promote civil society development in Asia. These topics are interconnected as they represent significant elements of EU policy towards Asia, yet have been underexplored in Polish literature. Therefore, the book allows readers to understand the comprehensive picture of the specificity and dynamics of relations between the EU and the Asian continent.

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact

Quantum mechanics constituted a great scientific and cultural revolution that profoundly changed our approach to the study of the microscopic and subatomic world. The birth and evolution of the theories of quantum mechanics are revived through the personal and scientific history of the protagonists, their attempts and their working hypotheses, the discoveries, doubts and discussions. The substantially counterintuitive concepts of the new mechanics have redesigned the meaning of our knowledge of the world of atoms; particular attention is then paid to the impact that this new vision of the microscopic world has had on chemistry and our knowledge of the structure and reactivity of atoms and molecules.

Municipal administrations play a key role in the implementation of sustainability goals. How can employees be better prepared for this as part of their training? This book lays the foundations for the integration of vocational education for sustainable development (VETSD) in local authorities and for the training of administrative staff. Using empirical studies, the author develops a VETSD competence model to train administrative staff as ‘change agents’ and to integrate sustainable decisions in cities and municipalities. The book provides a practical basis for sustainability-orientated education in a municipal context.

This volume presents the results of the fourteenth workshop of the international network 'Impact of Empire'. It focuses on the ways in which Rome's dominance influenced, changed, and created landscapes, and in which ways (Roman) landscapes were narrated and semantically represented.; Readership: This publication will be of particular interest for institutions promoting Greek and Roman studies and for scholars and students of classical and archaeological studies, who explore the Roman Empire.

This compilation emphasizes the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the healthcare field, illustrating their potential to refine diagnostics, treatment protocols, and patient management. The studies confront critical healthcare challenges, presenting solutions that improve precision, efficiency, and accessibility. Featured are works on enhancing diagnostics, employing models like convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transformers for the early and accurate identification of various conditions, such as different cancers, stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, and acute aortic syndrome. The collection also delves into AI applications in surgical planning and intraoperative guidance, with research analyzing preoperative imaging predictors and AI tools for detecting surgical wound infections. New AI methodologies for addressing rare and complex diagnoses, such as early-stage osteosarcoma detection, bone mineral density screening in cystic fibrosis, and biomarker identification in leukemia, are included. Additionally, the compilation addresses the practical aspects of AI integration, such as interrater variability, reproducibility, and the necessity for standardized benchmarks. This collection serves as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, and technologists aiming to comprehend and utilize AI's potential in medicine.

Die Forschung zeigt, dass innovative fachdidaktische Konzepte häufig nicht den Weg in die Unterrichtspraxis finden. Das Projekt NAWI-Konzepte beschäftigt sich am Beispiel der Unterrichtskonzepte choice2learn und chem.LEVEL aus dem Arbeitskreis Marohn mit der Frage, in welcher Weise ein solcher Transfer gelingen kann. Dazu verfolgt es neben dem 'klassischen Weg' der Lehrkräftefortbildung den Ansatz des digitalen Transfers. Dafür wurde im Rahmen des Design-Based Research Ansatzes eine Website entwickelt, auf der die Unterrichtskonzepte und zugehörigen Lernmaterialien unter anderem über Erklärvideos vermittelt werden. Die Website soll Lehrkräften die Möglichkeit bieten, sich zeitlich flexibel und örtlich unabhängig mit den neuen Unterrichtsansätzen auseinanderzusetzen. Bei der Gestaltung der Website wurden Erkenntnisse aus Theorien zum multimedialen Lernen und zum interface Webdesign berücksichtigt. Die Verständlichkeit der Videos sowie die Nutzung der Website durch Lehrkräfte wurden auf Basis von videographischen Erprobungen, Fragebogenstudien und Interviews untersucht und die Daten inhaltsanalytisch ausgewertet. Die Erkenntnisse bildeten die Grundlage zur schrittweisen Optimierung der Website.

Recent years have seen the idea of a close association between nutrition and the modulation of cancer development/progression reinforced. An increasing amount of experimental and epidemiological evidence has been produced supporting the concept that many different bioactive components of food (e.g. polyphenols, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, methyl-group donors, etc.) may be implicated in either the promotion of or the protection against carcinogenesis. At the cellular level, such compounds can have an impact on different but sometimes intertwined processes, such as growth and differentiation, DNA repair, programmed cell death, and oxidative stress. In addition, compelling evidence is starting to build up of the existence of primary epigenetic targets of dietary compounds, such as oncogenic/oncosuppressor miRNAs or DNA-modifying enzymes, which in turn impair gene expression and function. Since there is a growing interest in the study of the biochemical and molecular role played by food components and its impact on cellular processes and/or gene expressions directed towards the fine-tuning of cancer phenotypes, in this Special Issue researchers contributed with either research or review articles presenting the latest findings on the intracellular pathways and mechanisms affected by natural bioactive dietary molecules.

Zu viel Bevölkerung oder zu wenig? Wer soll Kinder bekommen und wer vom Gebären abgehalten werden? Kinderkriegen ist eingebunden in mächtige Regierungsstrategien, die auf Körper und Bevölkerungen abzielen. Das malthusianische Denken geht noch weiter, indem es fast alle Krisen unserer Zeit zu Bevölkerungsproblemen umdeutet. Der Status quo von sozialer Ungleichheit, Rassismus und globaler Zerstörung bleibt dabei allerdings unberührt. Susanne Schultz seziert das demografische Denken und versammelt Analysen deutscher Kinderwunsch-, Familien- und Migrationspolitik. Dabei hinterfragt sie auch eine »demografisierte« Klimadebatte und kritisiert repressive globale Verhütungsprogramme.

W opracowaniu podjęta została problematyka zasad zawieszania biegu terminu przedawnienia zobowiązania podatkowego w związku z wszczęciem postępowania karnego skarbowego. Zagadnienie to ma stosunkowo długą historię i wiąże się nie tylko z konstytucyjnymi standardami prawa finansowego, ale także z ustrojowymi granicami kognicji sądów administracyjnych i karnych. Nie sposób przejść do porządku dziennego nad praktyką instrumentalnego wszczynania postępowań karnych skarbowych bez wyraźnych podstaw. Takie działanie mogłoby bowiem niweczyć zasadę, zgodnie z którą regulacja terminów przedawnienia zobowiązań podatkowych stanowi wyłącznie domenę ustawodawcy.

Published

According to Stalin, Soviet music was to be "an art national in form and socialist in content." The degree to wich this dictum has been followed in modern Russian music is scrupulously recorded in the enlarged edition of Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia. It contains Boris Schwarz' frank comentary on Soviet music, composers, concerts, competitions, and musical conditions in the Soviet Union. But the book as a whole is more than a musical history. It encompasses the growth of Soviet cultural life—not only composition and performane, but also ballet and opera, educational institutions and curricula, books and journals on music, and musical "politics."

This chapter analyses to what extent the European Parliament’s political practices are supportive of gender equality and feminist governance. The chapter maps the formal institutional arrangements, which support gender equality within the institution and constitute important facets of feminist governance. These include a parliamentary committee, gender mainstreaming initiatives, gender action plans and sexual harassment policies. At the same time, there are a number of informal practices in the parliament, which have the potential to undermine the good formal practices and institutions for feminist governance. The chapter presents findings on opposition to gender equality in the parliament, which slows down good feminist governance practices and gender equality policies. Forms of opposition include: opposition to sexual harassment policies; direct and indirect opposition to gender equality and related policies by radical right populists; and institutional resistance to gender equality among the parliament as a whole and among established mainstream political groups.

Mathematical models constitute a fundamental tool for the understanding of physical phenomena, biological systems, and finance and engineering. In addition to theoretical aspects, simulations play a primary role in applications because they allow for the prediction of the behavior of quantities of interest. The aim of this reprint is to present original research of the contributing authors, providing the reader with a sample of actual investigation in the field of applied mathematics.

Cultural, social and economic history of municipal steam baths in early modern times