Oaxaca: El viaje al más allá / Oaxaca: A jornada para a vida após a morte / Oaxaca: The journey to the afterlife

La función del ajuar funerario para el viaje al más allá formaparte esencial de los ritos y rituales funerarios de Oaxaca.La ideología de la iglesia es que una vez que estas muerta,el alma va directa al cielo, al purgatorio o al infierno. Lospueblos indígenas de Oaxaca tienen una visión mucho máscompleja y matizada. La sombra, no el alma, sigue presente enestado liminal, observadora consciente. Hay pocos estudiossobre prácticas funerarias de rituales del ajuar funerario y lacosmovisión en regiones indígenas. El objetivo es describirprácticas funerarias en comunidades indígenas del sur deOaxaca y su sentido simbólico. Se realizaron entrevistasen profundidad con 73 personas mayores indígenas quiendescribieran los objetos enterrados, sus propósitos, el viajedurante la novena y el final, la Tierra de los Muertos. Elconocimiento de las creencias y prácticas representa unacercamiento a las estrategias cognitivas y emocionales de lascomunidades. Nos permite adentrarnos en el conocimiento yrespeto de su organización social y cosmovisión. La enseñanzay práctica no pueden ser adecuada sin una conciencia delas diversidades en las creencias sobre la muerte, el viaje almás allá y la Tierra de los Muertos.(AU)

The function of the funerary trousseau for the journey tothe afterlife is an essential part of the funerary rites andrituals of Oaxaca. The church’s ideology is that once dead,the soul goes straight to heaven, purgatory, or hell. Theindigenous peoples of Oaxaca have a much more complexand nuanced view. The shadow, not the soul, is still presentin a liminal state, a conscious observer. There are few studieson funerary practices, grave goods rituals and cosmovision in indigenous regions. The objective is to describe funeralpractices in indigenous communities in southern Oaxaca andtheir symbolic meaning. In-depth interviews were conductedwith 73 indigenous elderly people who described the buriedobjects, their purposes, the nine-day journey to the Landof the Dead. Knowledge of beliefs and practices representsan approach to the cognitive and emotional strategies ofcommunities. It allows us to delve into the knowledge andrespect of their social organization and worldview. Teachingand practice cannot be adequate without an awareness of thediversities in beliefs about death, the journey to the afterlifeand the Land of the Dead.(AU)

A função do enxoval funerário para a viagem ao além éparte essencial dos ritos e rituais funerários de Oaxaca. Aideologia da igreja é que, uma vez morto, sua alma vai diretopara o céu, purgatório ou inferno. Os povos indígenas deOaxaca têm uma visão muito mais complexa e matizada.A sombra, não a alma, ainda está presente em um estadoliminar, um observador consciente. Existem poucos estudossobre práticas funerárias, rituais funerários e visão de mundoem regiões indígenas. O objetivo é descrever as práticasfunerárias em comunidades indígenas do sul de Oaxaca eseu significado simbólico. Foram realizadas entrevistas emprofundidade com 73 idosos indígenas que descreveram osobjetos enterrados, suas finalidades, a jornada durante a nonae a última, a Terra dos Mortos. O conhecimento de crenças epráticas representa uma aproximação às estratégias cognitivase emocionais das comunidades. Permite-nos aprofundar noconhecimento e respeito de sua organização social e visãode mundo. O ensino e a prática não podem ser adequadossem a consciência das diversidades de crenças sobre a morte,a jornada para a vida após a morte e a Terra dos Mortos.(AU)

[On the issue of parallel import of medical articles and component units to them in the Russian Federation in conditions of sanctions policy].

Against the background of sanction policy and escalation of political conflict of Russia with unfriendly countries, trade relations with many foreign suppliers degraded. The current situation affected supply of medical goods, most of which were imported from countries of the European Union. At the state level, it was decided to legalize parallel import. As regards medical articles practical implementation of this mechanism met large number of exceptions that resulted in delays and disruptions of supplies. Indisputably, main problem remains inability to provide necessary amount of medical goods by national industry. The national market of medical articles and its components always significantly depended on import and found oneself completely unprepared for rupture of trade relations with unfriendly countries. It resulted in legalization of parallel import for particular categories of medical goods that seems to be possible solution of current problem. The article examines in detail basic principles of exhaustion of exclusive right to intellectual property objects. The analysis is presented concerning classification groupings of medical articles for customs purposes under the Customs Code of the EAEU. Also is analyzed structure of lists of products that are subject to legalization of parallel import in retrospective view. The main problematic aspects in analyzed issue were identified and recommendations for their elimination were formulated.

[LEGAL BASIS FOR THE MOVEMENT OF MEDICINES ACROSS THE CUSTOMS BORDER OF THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION BY LEGAL ENTITIES].

The issues of the movement of medicines across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union are timely and relevant, due to the increase in the turnover of medicines in the Russian Federation. The article deals with the issues of import and export through the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union of both registered and unregistered medicines in the Russian Federation by legal entities. In addition, the authors investigated the regulatory and legal procedure for the movement of medicines across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union containing narcotic and psychotropic substances. Topical issues of falsification of medicines and criminal norms of the law on combating it are touched upon. The analysis carried out in the work allowed the authors to identify the existing problems of regulatory regulation of the issue under study and propose a solution.

On the Optimal Size and Composition of Customs Unions: An Evolutionary Approach.

Customs unions enable countries to freely access each other's markets, which is thought to increase intra-regional trade and economic growth. However, accession to a customs union also comes with the condition that all members need to consent to a common external trade policy. Especially if countries feature different economic structures, this may act as a force against the creation of large customs unions. In this paper, we propose a new mathematical approach to model the optimal size and composition of customs unions in the form of a bi-objective combinatorial non-linear problem. We also use a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (NSGA-II) to search for the best (non-dominated) configurations using data on the trade flows and economic characteristics of 200 countries. Our algorithm identifies 445 different configurations that are strictly preferable, from a global perspective, to the real-world landscape of customs unions. However, many of these non-dominated configurations have the feature that they improve outcomes for the world as a whole, on average, but not for all individual countries. The best configurations tend to favour the creation of a few large customs unions and several smaller ones.

The second near-infrared fluorescence concealed imaging for identifying smuggled baggage.

Smuggling methods are renovating with more diversified, complicated means, thereby developing concealed and non-sensitive luggage identification technology is of great significance. Herein, for the first time, the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-2500 nm) concealed imaging for identifying smuggled baggage based on organic small molecule luminescent material was studied. A small molecule luminescent material (Y6) with the excitation in invisible near-infrared (NIR) light was used to generate fluorescence-emission in NIR-II region. The traceless Y6 sprayed on the surface of criminal luggage does not emit light under visible light irradiation, but shows hidden NIR-II signs under NIR excitation that can prevent the suspects to find abnormality and lose their luggage. The Y6 organic luminescent material has invisibility, low toxicity, long-term fluorescence stability and high transparency. This NIR-II fluorescence imaging technology can be used as a new type of concealed baggage marking, which is of great significance to help the customs combat smuggling crimes.

Hong Kong as a separate customs territory: Past, present and prospect.

This article reviews the journey of Hong Kong attaining and retaining the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) membership as a separate customs territory, and examines the present challenges for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to maintain its status within the multilateral trade system. By exploring the related facts and laws, the article concludes that Hong Kong has been a separate customs territory member of the GATT and WTO by virtue of the multilateral trade rules, and other countries are not entitled to revoke the HKSAR's separate customs territory status through unilateral measures. Given the past journey and present challenges with the separate customs territory status of Hong Kong, the following prospects can be drawn. The HKSAR remains qualified to possess full autonomy when conducting external commercial relations. A malfunctioning Appellate Body of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) may be incapable to safeguard the interests of HKSAR as a separate customs territory.

Chemistry, trade, and the economy: Exploring the history of customs laboratories in the United States (1870s-1930s).

This article focuses on the history of the customs laboratories in the United States between the 1870s and the 1930s, focusing especially on the decades up to World War I. It pays attention to the various dimensions of these laboratories, in particular the context of their creation. The first customs laboratory was established in New York in 1878, and over the subsequent years, similar laboratories were set up across the country. The evolution of this network was influenced by factors such as the increasing specialization of these spaces, their geographic distribution, and changes in their organization and scope. The article also explores the types of imported merchandise analyzed in these labs; the roles of their staff, especially customs chemists, both within and outside these laboratories; their impact on the circulation of goods and in generating revenue from taxation; and the main challenges faced by customs chemists in adapting and standardizing their work. After discussing the necessity of customs laboratories in the United States, the article examines their progressive specialization, with a detailed study of the customs laboratory in New York. This laboratory was the largest and most significant due to its location and longevity. Finally, the paper considers the relationship between customs labs and the law, and how these spaces adapted to new challenges during the first third of the twentieth century.

[Protecting the life and health of customs officials from the harmful impact of radiation materials].

Radiation materials pose a serious danger to human life and health, especially for personnel who interact with such materials in the performance of their duties. The effect on the human body of ionizing radiation that emits radiation material manifests itself in the form of «radiation sickness¼, when all human organs are affected, and radioactive rays can cause gene mutations that can be inherited in the form of deformities or serious diseases. For this reason, it is very important to ask whether the radiation safety of officials of customs authorities is ensured at a sufficient level, who, when carrying out customs control of such materials, endanger their lives and health. The analysis carried out in the study testifies to the disparity in the requirements and established rules for ensuring the safety and protection of the health of customs officials working with radioactive materials. In this regard, this article studied the risks of the negative impact of radiation materials on the health of a customs inspector during customs control, studied in detail the process of organizing the work of group «A¼ personnel who have access to work with such materials, and formulated appropriate conclusions and recommendations for eliminating imperfections in ensuring the radiation safety of customs officials from the harmful effects of radioactive materials in order to protect the life and health of the inspector from the radiation threat in the performance of his duties.

[Problematic aspects of customs regulation of imported components of medical devices].

In modern conditions of sanctions policy, the issue of import of various categories of goods is subject to special control and attention from the state. This aspect may be due, on the one hand, to the introduction of retaliatory measures related to the prohibitions and restrictions imposed on the import of certain goods, and, on the other hand, to the development of a special approach to customs clearance of products, manifested in the simplification of requirements for the provision of accompanying documents. Of course, such a category of goods as medical devices, being the most important from the point of view of its intended purpose, requires close attention from the state, especially due to the fact that a significant amount of medical devices and their corresponding accessories are imported from third countries. The article discusses in detail the basic requirements for documents that must be accompanied by imported medical devices, examines the key aspects of customs clearance of this category of goods, and highlights problematic issues related to the import of medical device accessories, on the basis of which proposals were formulated for their settlement.

A systematic review of the intercontinental movement of unregulated African meat imports into and through European border checkpoints.

There is an urgent need for biosurveillance of unregulated African meat imports at border points of entry in destination markets. This is underscored by recent pandemics linked to exotic wildlife products. Our objective was to catalog the quantity of meat that is informally transported from Africa into and through Europe often without any veterinary or sanitary checks. We searched and included peer-reviewed studies that contained data on the intercontinental movement of unregulated meat from the African continent. This was followed by an investigation of the reported contamination of such meat. We included fifteen airport studies with limited data on this topic. The references included in this review describe the quantity of meat found at border inspection posts and the presence of pathogens. Disease-causing pathogens were found to be present, and the results are organized into bacteria, virus, and parasite categories. The species of animal meat found in this review were linked to CITES-protected species some of which are known reservoir hosts for infectious diseases. This represents a potential and unquantified human health risk to populations along the supply chain, and a loss to biodiversity in supply countries. Meat samples described in this review were primarily found opportunistically by Customs officials, indicating that any estimate of the total quantities passing undetected through border checkpoints must remain tentative, and cannot rule out the possibility that it is indeed considerably higher. We propose a template for future studies regarding African meat imports at border points of entry. The result of this review illustrates a gap in knowledge and lacunae regarding the amount of unregulated African meat imports worldwide, the pathogens it may contain, and the resulting biodiversity loss that occurs from the intercontinental movement of this meat.

Metataxonomic characterization of the microbial community involved in the production of biogas with microcrystalline cellulose in pilot and laboratory scale.

Biogas, produced in anaerobic digestion, is a sustainable alternative for generating energy from agro-industrial and municipal waste. Information from the microbiota active in the process expands the possibilities for technological innovation. In this study, taxonomic annotations, and functional prediction of the microbial community of the inoculum of two processes were carried out: an industrial unit (pilot-scale urban solid waste plant-IU) and a laboratory-scale reactor fed with swine and cattle waste (LS). The biochemical potential of biogas was obtained using tested inoculum with microcrystalline cellulose, obtaining 682 LN/kgVS (LSC-laboratory scale inoculum and microcrystalline cellulose), and 583 LN/kgVS (IUC-industrial unit inoculum and microcrystalline cellulose), which is equivalent to a recovery of 91.5% of total biogas to LSC. The phyla Synergistota and Firmicutes were more abundant in LS/LSC. In the IU/IUC (treatment of restaurant waste and customs seizures), there was a greater microbiological variety and a predominance of the Bacteroidota, Cloacimonadota, Firmicutes and Caldatribacteriota. The genus Methanosaeta predominated in the process, and it was possible to infer the genes (K01895, K00193 and K00625) related to acetoclastic pathway, as well as endoglucanases that are involved in the metabolism of cellulose (LSC). Terpenoids, polyketides, cofactors, and vitamin metabolism were higher in reactors that received different substrates (IU; IUC). The taxonomic and functional differences revealed the importance of determining the microbiota in the analysis of the potential of an inoculum, combined with the use of microcrystalline cellulose, which can provide optimization information in the production of clean energy.

[The pharmacy tourism. Part II. The prohibitions, limitations and risks at importation of medications by natural persons in the Russian Federation].

The study of peculiarities of handling medications as goods for personal use by natural persons is quite actual in view of complexity of normative legal regulation of procedure under study. The actuality of study is also confirmed by rapidly growing rate of medical tourism and pharmacy tourism (as its part) as dynamically developing economy branch. Within the framework of research study the analysis was applied to procedure of handling medications by natural persons and to present prohibitions, limitations and risks as well. The occurrence of last ones is capable to be resulted in administrative or criminal responsibility. In case of handling medications by natural persons difficulties with identifying particular rules are conditioned by the fact that they are included both in international (Eurasian Economic Union) and national (Russian Federation) normative legal acts. Furthermore, regular alterations of customs legislation sometimes significantly affect customs administration that requires additional research studies to provide clarity of understanding measures of customs regulation. The article presents analysis of normative legal base of the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Union that regulates import of medications as goods for personal use by individuals, prohibitions and limitations concerning medications handled by natural persons. The consequences of risks in case of non-compliance with prohibitions and limitations are marked. The conclusions on study results are formulated.

The importance of christianity, customs, and traditions in the national identities of European countries.

Christianity has lost its salience, but customs and traditions maintained their importance in forming national identity in Europe. Using the ISSP National Identity 2003 and 2013 data from 17 European countries, this article tests how the salience of Christianity and sharing of national customs and traditions varies according to the share of Muslim and immigrant population, and whether the association changed across time. Multilevel regressions show that the link between the size of the Muslim population and the salience of Christianity changed between 2003 and 2013. In 2003, the link was negative. In 2013, respondents from countries with larger Muslim populations were more concerned about Christian background of nationals. The link between the share of immigrants and the demand on sharing national customs and traditions changed as well. In 2003, it was negative but, by 2013, it flattened out.

Securing the Cyber Resilience of a Blockchain-Based Railroad Non-Stop Customs Clearance System.

Current railroad customs clearance systems are problematic in that the movement of trains is occasionally restricted for extended periods during inspections to verify cargo integrity at customs clearance. Consequently, significant human and material resources are consumed to obtain customs clearance to the destination, considering different processes exist for cross-border trade. Therefore, we developed a cross-border blockchain-based non-stop customs clearance (NSCC) system to address these delays and reduce resource consumption for cross-border trains. The integrity, stability, and traceability of blockchain technology are used to construct a stable and reliable customs clearance system to address these problems. The proposed method connects diverse trade and customs clearance agreements in a single blockchain network, which ensures integrity and minimal resource consumption, and includes railroads, freight vehicles, and transit stations in addition to the current customs clearance system. The integrity and confidentiality of customs clearance data are protected using sequence diagrams and the blockchain to strengthen the resilience of the NSCC process against attacks; the blockchain-based NSCC system structurally verifies the attack resilience based on matching sequences. The results confirm that the blockchain-based NSCC system is time- and cost-efficient compared with the current customs clearance system and offers improved attack resilience.

Sustainable Ecosystem Services of a Time-Honored Artificial River Ecosystem-Enlightenments from the Carp Brook, in Northern Fujian Province, China.

Building a harmonious relationship between human society and river ecosystems has attracted much attention from both government officials and the academy community. Based on the perspective of social-ecological systems (SES), taking the Carp Brook (located in northern Fujian Province, China) as an example, the construction and maintenance of a time-honored artificial river ecosystem was investigated, and its ecosystem services were analyzed. Findings show that the Carp Brook was constructed through a series of ecological engineering, including a transformation of the river channel, building a stable habitat, and breeding carps. The carps have been protected effectively by some folk customs, such as village regulations and folk belief. Meanwhile, the water quality has been maintained through some engineering and institutional measures, which were completed by the local government and villagers. Furthermore, some cultural elements with local characteristics have been formed during the long years of coexistence between human society and the Carp Brook. Based on a healthy ecosystem and abundant culture elements, the Carp Brook provided continuous ecosystem services to human society for more than 800 years, including regulation services (e.g., water purification and flood control) and cultural services (e.g., tourism, research and education, inspiration). Major enlightenments from the Carp Brook are: (a) the Chinese traditional view of nature is important for the construction and maintenance of an artificial ecosystem; (b) traditional folk customs have a strong binding force regarding the protection of the ecosystem; and (c) the choice between material and immaterial services should be made carefully.

Rapid analysis the type of customs paper using Micro-NIR spectrometers and machine learning algorithms.

Quick identification of paper types for customs is extremely crucial. Although there are a variety of researches focus on the discrimination of paper, these techniques either require complex preprocessing or large-scale instruments, which are not suitable for customs environments. In this study, we predicted the type of customs paper by using a Micro-NIR spectrometer, and compared the results with Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Four different classification algorithms, including linear and non-linear classifiers: K-nearest neighbor (KNN), soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and least squares-support vector machine (LS-SVM) were employed to classify the type of paper. 20 groups of datasets were selected by Monte Carlo sampling. For Micro-NIR data, the performances of KNN and LS-SVM were outstanding than SIMCA and PLS-DA, with the average accuracies 96.06% and 98.91%, respectively. The outcome of SIMCA and PLS-DA were similar, with the average accuracies 93.00% and 93.97%. Based on the standard derivation, the best stability of models was LS-SVM (1.06%), followed by PLS-DA (1.12%), KNN (1.22%) and SIMCA (3.07%). Compared with ATR-FTIR, the effects of Micro-NIR were better, which were embodies in the better KNN and SIMCA models, and the comparable LS-SVM model. The result demonstrated that the Micro-NIR combined with machine learning algorithms was an effective method to classify the type of customs paper efficiently and quickly, even better than ATR-FTIR.

A global systematic review of forest management institutions: towards a new research agenda.

Context: Globally, forest landscapes are rapidly transforming, with the role of institutions as mediators in their use and management constantly appearing in the literature. However, global comparative reviews to enhance comprehension of how forest management institutions (FMIs) are conceptualized, and the varying determinants of compliance, are lacking. And so too, is there knowledge fragmentation on the methodological approaches which have and should be prioritized in the new research agenda on FMIs. Objectives: We review the regional variations in the conceptualization of FMIs, analyze the determinants of compliance with FMIs, and assess the methodological gaps applied in the study of FMIs. Methods: A systematic review of 197 empirically conducted studies (491 cases) on FMIs was performed, including a directed content analysis. Results: First, FMIs literature is growing; multi-case and multi-country studies characterize Europe/North America, Africa and Latin America, over Asia. Second, the structure-process conceptualization of FMIs predominates in Asia and Africa. Third, global south regions report high cases of compliance with informal FMIs, while non-compliance was registered for Europe/North America in the formal domain. Finally, mixed-methods approaches have been least employed in the studies so far; while the use of only qualitative methods increased over time, the adoption of only quantitative approaches witnessed a decrease. Conclusion: Future research should empirically ground informality in the institutional set-up of Australia while also valorizing mixed-methods research globally. Crucially, future research should consider multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to explore the actor and power dimensions of forest management institutions. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-022-01577-8.

Lodovico Brunetti, the Unknown Father of Modern Crematorium.

The cremation has been documented since prehistoric times and it was a common funerary custom until the advent of Catholicism. Falling into disuse, during XVII-XVIII centuries there were new movements to bring it back according to modern criteria, mainly due to hygienic reasons and cemeteries overcrowding. This also led to the prototyping of new crematory ovens to improve the ancient open-air pyre. Lodovico Brunetti was the first to carry out a crematory experimental research in the modern countries. Since Brunetti's studies were based on the study of ancient cremations, a comparison with a modern experience of reconstruction of archaeological cremation is presented to evaluate the validity of his crematorium oven. Furthermore, the social and religious aspects related to Brunetti's inventions and the revitalization of cremation shows how tools and technologies and also the cultural environment have evolved over the years, effectively accepting the cremation practice as an alternative to inhumation.

Investment strategy for blockchain technology in a shipping supply chain.

In the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, how to promote blockchain technology to improve the efficiency of port customs clearance and logistics transparency has become a hot research question in the shipping industry. In this paper, we investigate the value of blockchain-based vertical cooperation led by a port or a shipping company in a one-to-two shipping service competition model. A status quo scenario and two different investment scenarios led by different stakeholders are constructed, and equilibrium solutions of the Stackelberg game in three scenarios are proposed. Meanwhile, consumer surplus and social welfare under different cooperation frameworks are discussed. We find that i) investment in blockchain technology can significantly increase the profits of shipping supply chain participants. ii) From the point of view of profit, when the investment efficiency of the port and the shipping company satisfies a certain relationship, there is a balanced strategy for both parties to invest in blockchain technology. iii) The more intense the competition for the services of shipping companies, the lower the level of blockchain technology to improve the logistics capabilities of the shipping supply chain participants. iv) The port's investment in blockchain technology brings more consumer surplus and social welfare. The abovementioned findings can provide managerial insights for ports and shipping companies and present decision support for the government to formulate blockchain technology promotion policies.

Sniffing out what Australians know and believe about Drug Detector Dogs.

The ways in which drugs are policed, differs from country to country, with Drug Detector Dogs (DDDs) a commonly used detection strategy in Australia. However, their effectiveness has been scrutinized by Australian media and research. Despite this, their work and lives "on the job" continue to be portrayed in a positive light on popular television shows such as Border Security. The aim of the current study was to ascertain public perceptions and knowledge surrounding DDDs using a sample of 129 Australians. Results revealed participants believed DDDs were equally as interesting and as happy as companion dogs. However, while there was general support for both dog roles in human lives, participants were relatively less supportive of the use of DDDs. Importantly, findings suggest general Australians have little awareness of the lives of DDDs "off the job," including housing and handling practices that directly impact animal welfare. We suggest that greater transparency around these aspects of the dogs' lives and welfare experience be made publicly available so that the DDD industry can maintain their social license to operate.