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Indigenous values in international law and politics : the perpetual state of Tuvalu
Get PDFSouth Pacific low-lying atoll state Tuvalu has taken innovative steps to secure its continuous statehood against the existential threat of climate change, by combining Indigenous cultural values and knowledge with an innovative interpretation of existing international law. This paper examines Tuvalu’s new foreign policy and the 2023 constitution amendments in the context of the modern state system from the perspective international law and Tuvaluan and Pacific relational cosmologies, analysing how traditional values and principles, as well as the Oceanian worldview, have been introduced into Tuvalu’s foreign affairs and constitutional law to ensure the state’s existence in ‘perpetuity’. By uniquely combining relational cultural values as well as Christian political theology with the modern state, Tuvalu is attempting to guarantee its continuous statehood and sovereign rights, even if the worst-case scenario – a complete inundation of land – becomes a reality.peer-reviewe
Analysis of corporate insolvency trends in Poland between 2021 and 2024
Get PDFPURPOSE: This paper analyzes the escalating trend of corporate insolvencies in Poland within
the 2021-2024 timeframe, focusing particularly on the dynamics between economic
pressures, regulatory frameworks, and global market conditions that contribute to corporate
insolvencies.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research methodology involves a mixed-methods
approach, integrating quantitative analysis of corporate insolvency statistics with qualitative
assessments of legal and economic factors influencing corporate financial stability. The
study analyzes official records from COIG and MGBI.FINDINGS: The findings indicate a significant rise in corporate insolvency proceedings, with
the most affected sectors being manufacturing, construction, and services. The findings mark
an increase in insolvency activity, including a significant year-on-year rise in restructuring
proceedings, and underscore a growing reliance on the proceeding for approval of an
arrangement due to its popularity among SMEs and its susceptibility to procedural abuse.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Strengthen early warning systems, optimize regulatory tools, and
adapt financial risk management strategies to reduce insolvency risk; aimed at businesses,
policymakers, corporate managers, and investors.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a
comprehensive analysis of bankruptcy trends in Poland, highlighting the limitations of
traditional prediction models, and advocating for the integration of advanced analytical
tools to improve risk assessment and forecasting accuracy.peer-reviewe
Consensus Ecclesiae : Aquinas on the real and apparent unity of the Church
Get PDFCurrent sociological and theological observations point to the existence of a phenomenon known as «de-churching» in Western countries. Within the Church, there has been a long-standing discussion on the relativisation of some points of the doctrine and the dilution of the notion of consensus in the Church in favour of what could even be described as deliberate multiplicity that does not need to be reconciled. In this perspective, I would like to analyse Aquinas’s teaching about the consensus Ecclesiae, a theme which opens up the wider subject of the unity of and affiliation with the Church. Aquinas analyses the notion of ecclesial consensus and the unity/multiplicity relationship — concerning, for instance, opinions on the truths of the faith, permissible divergences, or «differences» in faith — in the context of unity with Christ and the concept of the persona mystica. This implies an alignment of the members with the Head, a constant movement of reconciliation that takes place not so much among the members as it does between them and Christ. In this sense, the «wounds of unity» in the form of heresies and schisms and the dangers that stem from them occupy his attention in many commentaries in which he makes an effort to demonstrate errors. This pursuit of unity is more than a concordance of opinions; it is an ontological perseverance in communion with Christ. Aquinas’s reflections on the unity of the Church in the historical dimension will be presented in this light, with his distinction between implicit and explicit faith.peer-reviewe
Proceedings of the Third International Conference of the Journal Scuola Democratica. Education and/for Social Justice. Vol. 1 : inequality, inclusion, and governance
Get PDFAll students have the right to access ‘powerful’ financial knowledge that guides their financial decisions. In this paper, I extend the theory of powerful knowledge to financial literacy by articulating the nature of powerful disciplinary knowledge in the area. Based on the literature and research findings, I propose a financial literacy programme for the secondary school years that includes the ‘powerful’ financial knowledge that can empower students to make decisions in a way that can positively influence their lives. Considering the relationship between financial literacy, powerful knowledge, and threshold concepts assists in the reflection, pol-icy development and practice of financial wisdom.peer-reviewe
Industry and regional spillover effects of penalties for disclosure noncompliance among public firms
Get PDFThis study investigates the industry-wide and regional spillover effects of penalties for noncompliance with information disclosure regulations, focusing on publicly listed firms in China. The analysis is based on panel data from Chinese listed companies, revealing that penalties imposed by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) on noncompliant firms lead to significant improvements in the quality of information disclosure by other firms in the same industry or geographical region that were not subject to penalties. These spillover effects are found to be contingent on factors such as the competitive dynamics within the industry and the level of regional economic development. Furthermore, the results indicate that the impact of penalties on neighbouring firms is amplified when the publication cycle for penalty announcements is shorter, though the effect diminishes over time as the information becomes less salient. These findings contribute to the understanding of regulatory enforcement mechanisms and their broader influence on corporate transparency, highlighting the role of both industry and regional contexts in shaping compliance behaviour.peer-reviewe
Beyond lecture halls : learning preferences, barriers and support for entrepreneurship education
Get PDFEntrepreneurship is vital to national economies, particularly in small island states such as Malta, where more than half (58.3%) of registered business units are sole ownerships or partnerships (NSO, 2025). This study examined the attitudes, knowledge gaps and pedagogical preferences of Maltese university students related to academic entrepreneurship. A cross-sectional online survey conducted in May 2024 yielded 71 valid responses from 299 invited students. The study utilised exploratory, descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as exploratory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis identified two attitude dimensions: entrepreneurial optimism and entrepreneurial pessimism, indicating that students perceive business creation as exciting and creative, but also as risky and unrealistic, highlighting an intention-action gap. Perceived barriers were centred on educational (knowledge) and financial (business planning) factors, with observed limited funding resources and insufficient entrepreneurship training. Regarding instructional models, students preferred active learning models, including mentoring, discussions with entrepreneurs and experiential courses, over traditional lectures, emphasising the need for learner-centred delivery of entrepreneurship education content. Findings highlight the importance of embedding practical, inclusive and network-rich entrepreneurship education across curricula and providing networking opportunities for students with the business community to strengthen Malta's entrepreneurial and innovative capacity.peer-reviewe
Acts from the cracks : representations and positions of the decolonial in the geopolitical (de)construction of power-entangled knowledge
Get PDFThis paper examines the geopolitical implications of knowledge production in psychology through two studies that respond to the growing body of work on the ‘Decolonisation of Knowledge’ and the ‘Decolonisation of Psychology’ over the past two decades. By adopting a constructivist approach, particularly through the lens of Social Representation Theory (SRT), these studies explore the ways in which geopolitical contexts shape decolonial activism within psychological and scientific discourse. The first study sheds light on the lexical divergences in the construction of knowledge within the domains of psychology. We reviewed 300 article abstracts related to decolonial studies using lexicometric analysis based on the Reinhart method (IraMuTeq). Four clusters were identified: Educational Reform, Historical Temporalities, Social Actors, and Epistemological Discourse. These clusters suggest differences in knowledge production within different geopolitical localities. The second study explores these variations by immersing itself in the perspectives and representations articulated by decolonial scholars. The second study is conducted using 12 semi-structured interviews with academics actively engaged in decolonial efforts. The aim of the two studies is to demonstrate regional variations in decolonial discourse and highlight the ongoing influence of geopolitical factors on scientific inquiry.peer-reviewe
A brief review of the gut microbiome : composition and contribution to carbohydrate metabolism
Get PDFMany microorganisms form part of the normal, healthy microbiota of the gut for maintaining health and
avoiding pathological states. It not only deters the colonisation of pathogens, but also helps in the
metabolism of various nutrients. This literature review provides a general overview of the composition of the
microbiome in the gut and its role in carbohydrate metabolism.peer-reviewe
Glioblastoma multiforme metastasis to the parotid gland : a systematic review of case series and case studies
Get PDFIntroduction:
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive, IDH-wildtype grade IV brain tumor with rapid
growth, invasiveness, and poor prognosis despite treatment. Extra-neural glioblastoma (GBM) metastasis to
the parotid gland is exceedingly rare and inadequately documented.Methods:
A systematic review following PRISMA2020 guidelines for case-reports or case-senes documenting
histologically confirmed GBM metastasis to the parotid gland was conducted for studies published until
01/05/2024 (CRD42024517593).Results:
13 studies were included, with general good reporting quality. Average age on GBM diagnosis was 42.73
years (range: 25 - 58 years), with metastasis occurring after 9.77 months (range: 2.5 - 24 months). 8 patients
had intracranial GBM metastasis and 9 had additional extra-neural metastasis, 7 being lymph-nodes.
Frontal lobe and temporal lobe GBM involvement was noted in five tumours respectively, with two
involving the parotid and one the occipital lobe. All parotid metastases were ipsilateral to the site of the
original GBM tumour. All patients underwent resection and postoperative radiotherapy for their primary
tumours.Discussion: GBM metastasis to the parotid gland is exceedingly rare and occurred in younger individuals, with all
documented cases showing ipsilateral spread which may suggest a pattern of lymphatic spread, though the
limited data makes this challenging to confirm definitively. Additional research and case documentation are
necessary to better understand the mechanisms and pathways of extra-neural metastasis, particularly to the
parotid gland.peer-reviewe
Small states : sports diplomacy as foreign policy strategy
Get PDFIn focusing on great powers and the shifting balance of power (U.S. decline, rise of
China, and Russian revisionism), how small states exercise power is often neglected. These
shifts in the international balance of power can create a more permissive environment for small
states, providing them with opportunities and more agency in terms of their foreign policies.
Among different strategies, small states use sports to boost their status, punch above their size,
promote national identity and nation-building, engage in soft power diplomacy and manage
disputes. Whether through hosting mega-sporting events, investing in elite sports and
infrastructure, engaging in collective action to sanction more powerful states in international
sporting competitions, or acting as norm entrepreneurs, the use of sports diplomacy
demonstrates to larger states that small states do have agency in navigating the complexities of
a changing international order.peer-reviewe