Search results for: theories of rights

Authors: Elli Karampela

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In Specters of Marx (1993), Jacques Derrida refers to the ghost as an Other presence that occupies the space of the self and emanates from there, haunting in its shadowy pastness and threatening/striving to break free. In times of change, ghosts both reflect the dissolution of set principles and voice traumas of the past that create a sense of fear and instability. This paper observes the way female ghosts create connections with the living in the poetry of Joanna Baillie and Anne Bannerman, both integral, albeit under-researched in different ways, writers of the English Romantic period working in the aftermath of the French Revolution. Especially at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when ghost narratives were devoured by readers and enjoyed as stories that re-awakened sensation in times of revolution, there was at the same time fear of intrusion by terror’s unruly forces that threatened to turn the readers restless. The ghost was particularly dangerous because it was associated with memory and the intrusion of past trauma in the here and now. As will be seen, both Baillie and Bannerman explore the idea of the female ghost’s ‘return’ (a Freudian term that will be approached) which breaks both time and space boundaries to raise the suppressed female voice, threaten stability, and correct wrongs. As a result, the varied manifestations of female ghosts render Baillie and Bannerman active in the contemporary discourse about human rights and the reclamation of the agency.

Keywords: poetry, romanticism, spectrality, trauma, women

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Authors: Md. Najiur Rahman

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This hypothesis reveals a profound and symmetrical connection that goes beyond the boundaries of quantum physics and cosmology, revolutionizing our understanding of the fundamental building blocks of the cosmos, given its name ‘The Theory of the Mystery’. This theory has an elegantly simple equation, “R = ∆r / √∆m” which establishes a beautiful and well-crafted relationship between the radius (R) of an elementary particle or galaxy, the relative change in radius (∆r), and the mass difference (∆m) between related entities. It is fascinating to note that this formula presents a super synchronization, one which involves the convergence of every basic particle and any single celestial entity into perfect alignment with its respective mass and radius. In addition, we have a Supporting equation that defines the mass-radius connection of an entity by the equation: R=√m/N, where N is an empirically established constant, determined to be approximately 42.86 kg/m, representing the proportionality between mass and radius. It provides precise predictions, collects empirical evidence, and explores the far-reaching consequences of theories such as General Relativity. This elegant symmetry reveals a fundamental principle that underpins the cosmos: each component, whether small or large, follows a precise mass-radius relationship to exert gravity by a universal law. This hypothesis represents a transformative process towards a unified theory of physics, and the pursuit of experimental verification will show that each particle and galaxy is bound by gravity and plays a unique but harmonious role in shaping the universe. It promises to reveal the great symphony of the mighty cosmos. The predictive power of our hypothesis invites the exploration of entities at the farthest reaches of the cosmos, providing a bridge between the known and the unknown.

Keywords: unified theory, quantum gravity, mass-radius relationship, dark matter, uniform gravity

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Authors: Paula-Catalina Meirosu

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The economic migration (intra-EU) is a topic of debate in the public space in both countries of origin and countries of destination. Since the 1990s, after the collapse of communist regimes and then the accession of some former communist countries to the EU, the migratory flows of migrants (including Romanian migrants) to EU countries has been increased constantly. Italy is one of the main countries of destination among Romanians since at the moment Italy hosts more than one million Romanian migrants. Based on an interdisciplinary analytical framework focused on the theories in the field of transnationalism, media and migration studies and critical media analysis, this paper investigates the media construction of intra-EU economic migration in the Italian press from two main perspectives. The first point of view is the media representation of Romanian migrants in the Italian press in a specific context: the EU elections in 2014. The second one explores the way in which Romanian journalists use the media in the destinations countries (such as Italy) as a source to address the issue of migration. In this context, the paper focuses on online articles related to the Romanian migrants’ representation in the media before and during the EU elections in two newspapers (La Repubblica from Italy and Adevarul from Romania), published during January-May 2014. The methodology is based on a social-constructivist approach, predominantly discursive and includes elements of critical discourse analysis (CDA) to identify the patterns of Romanian migrants in the Italian press as well as strategies for building categories, identities, and roles of migrants. The aim of such an approach is to find out the dynamic of the media discourse on migration from a destination country in the light of a European electoral context (EU elections) and based on the results, to propose scenarios for the elections to be held this year.

Keywords: migration, media discourse, Romanian migrants, transnationalism

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Authors: Maliheh Rezaei

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Peace education has been introduced into many higher educational contexts by designing different programs, expecting to result in constructive changes, specifically in post-conflict countries. Teachers are the potential agents of positive change who play a major role in fostering the culture of peace in their classes. The purpose of this literature review was thus to evaluate the implementation of peace pedagogies by teachers in the context of higher education. More specifically, it addressed a) the role and characteristics of teachers and b) the pedagogies that they used to construct the culture of peace. The systematic literature review was used and several inclusion criteria were applied. Only papers published in English, which contained the keywords of university, higher education, peace, peace education, and similar derivatives such as ‘peacebuilding’ in their title and/or abstract, were included in this review. Moreover, only papers that dealt with the actual implementation of peace education theories were investigated. Findings highlighted that most teachers relied on pedagogies adopted from social justice, global citizenship, and positive psychology practices aiming to foster positive human traits such as resilience, empathy and reflection that were also believed to play an important role in peacebuilding efforts. Nevertheless, the incorporation of peace remained peripheral. The main challenge to incorporate the tenets of peace education was the shortage of teachers who were skilled and qualified enough to incorporate and promote the culture of peace in their classes. This literature review presents the body of research that has linked peace education to Higher Education. Therefore, it informs teachers about the potential roles they have in creating a peaceful and sustainable future. It also presents them with more effective pedagogies and practices to successfully integrate peace-related activities in Higher Education.

Keywords: culture of peace, higher education, teacher, pedogogy

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Authors: Seung Oh, Satoshi Okada

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This study is information-intensive research that provides insight from the factual history, social perception, and robust ideas derived from the social conflict in the most progressively thriving district in the world, Times Square. The case study provides the socio-environmental setup since the Inceptive Point of the development, the Great Depression, the history archives, and evaluation based on the master-level journals as standard. The Great Depression invited macro-sized changes, including financial systems, to raise fluidity by gutting off the debt limit by the gold value, organizing the labor, and social problems in the major cities. The locality of Times Square was implemented by the socio-political changes, overturning ownerships of properties, including theaters, delocalizing tourism, and re-entering the labors with organizations through infrastructure projects and civil activities for minorities and preservations amid the progressive developments over time. Naturally, chasing the media for factual research before and after Inceptive Points. Times Square is understood not just the ‘tower with subway’ progression but also social conflicts raised for adjustment for civil rights, preservations, and progression to deliver the environmental background to trigger the 42nd Street Development (42DP) in the 1990s.

Keywords: development, district, progressive, preservation, social conflict, value chasing

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Authors: Gyula I. Tóth, Shaho Abdalla

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Even though numerical simulations indeed have a significant precursory/supportive role in exploring the disordered phase displaying no long-range order in pattern formation models, studying the stability properties of this phase and determining the order of the ordered-disordered phase transition in these models necessitate an analytical description of the disordered phase. First, we will present the results of a comprehensive statistical analysis of a large number (1,000-10,000) of numerical simulations in the Swift-Hohenberg model, where the bulk disordered (or amorphous) phase is stable. We will show that the average free energy density (over configurations) converges, while the variance of the energy density vanishes with increasing system size in numerical simulations, which suggest that the disordered phase is a thermodynamic phase (i.e., its properties are independent of the configuration in the macroscopic limit). Furthermore, the structural analysis of this phase in the Fourier space suggests that the phase can be modeled by a colored isotropic Gaussian noise, where any instant of the noise describes a possible configuration. Based on these results, we developed the general mathematical framework of finding a pool of solutions to partial differential equations in the sense of continuous probability measure, which we will present briefly. Applying the general idea to the Swift-Hohenberg model we show, that the amorphous phase can be found, and its properties can be determined analytically. As the general mathematical framework is not restricted to continuum theories, we hope that the proposed methodology will open a new chapter in studying disordered phases.

Keywords: fundamental theory, mathematical physics, continuum models, analytical description

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Authors: Elona Saliaj

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The registration of real estate in Albania after the 90's has been a long process in time and with high cost for the country. Passing the registration system from a centralized system to a free market private system, it’s accompanied by legal uncertainties that have led to economic instability. The reforms that have been undertaken in terms of property rights have been numerous and continuous throughout the years. But despite the reforms, the system of registration of real estate, has failed to be standards requirements established by the European Union. The completion of initial registration of real estate, legal treatment of previous owners or legalization of illegal constructions remain among the main problems that prevent the development of the country in its economic sector. The performance of the registration of real estate system and dealing with issues that have appeared in the Court of First Instance, the civil section of the Albanian constitute the core of handling this analysis. This paper presents a detailed analysis on the registration system that is chosen to be applied in our country for real estate. In its content it is also determined the institution that administrates these properties, the management technique and the law that determinate its functionality. The strategy is determined for creating a modern and functional registration system and for the country remains a challenge to achieve. Identifying practical problems and providing their solutions are also the focus of reference in order to improve and modernize this important system to a state law that aims to become a member of the European Union.

Keywords: real estates registration system, comparative aspects, cadastral area, property certificate, legal reform

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Authors: Parima Kotanut

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It is commonly known that Le Corbusier, a pivotal figure in modern architecture, developed a diverse range of architectural languages. Due to his emblematic work of the International Style has become a central focus in architectural education and historiography, many scholars have redirected their attention to the architect's formative years and early career. One of the significant contributions to this is the treatise titled Le Corbusier before Le Corbusier: Applied Arts, Architecture, Painting, Photography, 1907-1922, published in conjunction with an exhibition in Switzerland in 2002, aiming to provide an extensive catalog of Le Corbusier's personal life, the societal contexts he engaged with, and his artistic pursuits. While the publication offers profound insights into the experiences and ideologies that shaped his early works, it only partially addresses the influence of those formative ideas on his later practice. This raises a question regarding the long-term impact of his early experiences as Charles-Edouard Jeanneret upon his later practice as Le Corbusier. The research aims to re-examine theoretical frameworks proposed by Le Corbusier and other scholars in juxtaposition to his built works, correspondences, and artistic persona. Although there are several milestones shaping Le Corbusier's works, through historical research, the paper is divided into three categories: 1911 "Voyage d'Orient", the immersion in the technology of reinforced concrete, and the participation in the Parisian art world. These three experiences serve as a foundation for his lifetime theories concerning function, construction, and form of architecture, demonstrating how experiences beyond the architectural domain are critical to the design of buildings. Furthermore, this study intends to illuminate the contributions of lesser-known figures who consistently influenced Le Corbusier's passionate journey toward his architectural identity.

Keywords: architecture, Le Corbusier, 20th century architecture, modern architecture

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Authors: Josephine Eghonghon Ahiante, Barry Hanyane

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To give effect to the constitutional rights of gender equality, the South African government instituted various legislative policy frameworks and legislations to equalise the public service. Nonetheless, gender inequality in senior management positions remains a rift in government institutions, particularly the local sphere of government. The methodology for gathering and analysing data for this study was based on both primary and secondary data sources, namely literature review, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, triangulation, and inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The study found that misogynist tendencies which are manifest in organisational culture suffocate the good intentions of government in ensuring social justices, leadership diversity, and women equality. It also demonstrates that traditional gender role expectation still informs the ground in which senior management positions are allocated, men perceive women as non-leadership fit and discriminate against them during recruitment, selection, and promotion into high positions. The analyses from the study portray that, while government legislation and framework has been instrumental in the leadership acceleration of women, much more has to be done to deconstruct internalised leadership stereotypes on women's gender roles and leadership requirements. The study recommends that gender bias training intervention is needed to teach public employees on management excellence.

Keywords: gender, leadership, misogyny, orgnisational cultural, patriachy

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Authors: Shih-Ching Wang, Mark Lang

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This paper examines the secondary effects and consequences of special displays on subsequent shopping behavior. Special displays are studied as a prominent form of in-store or shopper marketing activity. Two experiments are performed using special value and special quality-oriented displays in an online simulated store environment. The impact of exposure to special displays on mindsets and resulting product choices are tested in a shopping task. Impact on store image is also tested. The experiments find that special displays do trigger shopping mindsets that affect product choices and shopping basket composition and value. There are intended and unintended positive and negative effects found. Special value displays improve store price image but trigger a price sensitive shopping mindset that causes more lower-priced items to be purchased, lowering total basket dollar value. Special natural food displays improve store quality image and trigger a quality-oriented mindset that causes fewer lower-priced items to be purchased, increasing total basket dollar value. These findings extend the theories of product categorization, mind-sets, and price sensitivity found in communication research into the retail store environment. Findings also warn retailers to consider the total effects and consequences of special displays when designing and executing in-store or shopper marketing activity.

Keywords: special displays, mindset, shopping behavior, price consciousness, product categorization, store image

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Authors: Divya Dawadi, Kerry Bissaker

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Inclusion of children with a disability (CwD) in Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) programs in Nepal while viewed as desirable is not widespread. Even though the ECED program is currently providing access to ECED services for one million young children, with the aim to improve children's school readiness by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed more effectively in their primary schooling, access to early year's education in inclusive settings for CwD is challenging. Using a heuristic qualitative design, this research aims to construct a framework by analyzing the perspectives of parents and professionals through interviews and focus group discussions, with a view to recommending a new policy to address the rights of CwD and their families. Several school-based and/or organizational and contextual factors interact to contribute to CwD becoming victims of multiple layers of exclusion. The school-based factors include policy, attitudes, teacher efficacy, resources, coordination and parental engagement. The contextual factors are spirituality, caste ethnicity, language, economic status, and geographic location. However, there is a varied effect of the interaction between school-based and contextual factors on different groups of CwD. A policy needs to recognize the multiplicity of the interactions between these factors that inhibit the inclusion of varied groups of CwD in ECED programs and address them separately.

Keywords: children with a disability, early childhood education and development, framework, inclusion

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Authors: Mathias Ebot, Päivi Harinen

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This article focuses on challenges of parenthood for Sub-Saharan African fathers in Finland. In this analysis Finland represents a Nordic welfare society where family relationships are strongly guided by national family policies and discourses. These policies are based on both traditional ideas of a proper Finnish family, as well as on the contemporary waves of female liberation and emphasis on children’s rights. We analyze how especially Cameroonian fathers perceive their parenthood positions and how they characterize and frame their fathering experiences in relation to the mainstream sociopolitical, cultural and national representations of fatherhood in Finland. The analysis is based on interviews and narrative reports collected among Cameroonian fathers living in Finland with their African spouses. The scrutiny shows that in the context where the mainstream cultural and national family representation is created by equality between parents and also between parents and their children, and where “good fatherhood” is created by embodied presence and warm relationships with children these fathers have difficulties: They have to fulfill another fatherhood duty – bread-winning – and thus ensure their labor possibilities all the time, from very marginalized positions of the labor market. When comparing their fatherhood position with the one in Cameroon they also feel embarrassed as the Finnish educational system teaches and encourages their children to challenge their authority as up-raising adults, which in Cameroon could not be possible.

Keywords: Cameroonian fathers, perception, fathering experiences, Finland

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Authors: Clive Sealey

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This article will analyse the impact that the increasingly multicultural nature of the UK has had on the nature and direction of social policy. The increasingly multicultural nature of the UK is being driven by a variety of demographic changes, particularly increased net migration from EU10 and the EU 2 enlargement. This has become an increasingly political issue, as exemplified by the specific rise of the United Kingdom Independence Party as a political force with the primary intention of restricting such migration. Perhaps not surprisingly, this has also had a significant impact on the nature and direction of social policies, as evident in the prominence given to efforts to reducing immigration and to restrict welfare benefits paid to such migrants. These policies have largely reflected the retreat away from the emphasis in UK policy on multiculturalism towards assimilation for all migrants, both prior and newly domiciled. Linking these two main policy emphases of reducing immigration and limiting entitlement to benefits is the concept of citizenship. An important point that this article will highlight, is that this changed citizenship does not just relate to new migrants, but also to existing domiciled migrants, such as in relation to specifying the assimilation of ‘Britishness’ and ‘British values’ in their daily life. Additionally, the article also analyses how the changes in welfare entitlements for new migrants is also impacting in an exclusionary way on the living standards of the native population, and therefore also their social rights as citizens. The article discusses the implication that this change presents for social work practice, particularly in terms of both migrants and native population changed citizenship.

Keywords: migration, citizenship, exclusion, social policy, migrant welfare

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Authors: Thanduxolo Nomngcoyiya, Simon M. Kang’ethe

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The aim of this article is to explore whether a relationship exists between traditional male circumcision mishaps and level of education in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, exemplified by an empirical case study. The study used qualitative paradigm; was exploratory in nature and used case study design that was descriptive and exploratory; and entailed interviewing twenty-eight (28) research participants comprising of eleven (11) newly initiated men and their families on one-on-one in-depth interviews, twelve (12) traditional nurses and community members in focus group discussions; and five (5) society key informants on key informant method. An interview guide served as a data collection instrument for focus group discussions, key informant method and in-depth interviews with unstructured open-ended questions. Findings indicated an array of traditional male circumcision (TMC) gaps, some of which were indicative of a relationship between the mishaps and level of education: the phenomenon of schooling became secondary in newly initiated men’s lives; TMC mishaps became a drawback towards the newly initiated men’s education progression; the newly initiated men are sacrificed at the altar of culture, and TMC mishaps ushered in socioeconomic setback to the newly initiated men. The study suggested that: TMC be developmental; TMC as a cultural endeavor be educational and human rights friendly; and the need to identify and integrate all other players with diverse specialties.

Keywords: culture, education for all, EFA, millennium development goals, traditional male circumcision

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Authors: Xingyue Yang

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This study focused on Chinese social media stars and the relationship between their level of fame on the social media platform Sina Weibo and their sales revenue on the E-commerce platform Taobao/Tmall.com. This was viewed from the perspective of Adler’s superstardom theory and Rosen and MacDonald’s theories examining the economics of celebrities who build their audience using digital, rather than traditional platforms. Theory and empirical research support the assertion that stars of traditional media achieve popular success due to a combination of talent and market concentration, as well as a range of other factors. These factors are also generally considered relevant to the popularisation of social media stars. However, success across digital media platforms also involves other variables - for example, upload strategies, cross-platform promotions, which often have no direct corollary in traditional media. These factors were the focus of our study, which investigated the relationship between popularity, promotional strategy and sales revenue for 15 social media stars who specialised in culinary topics on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo. In 2019, these food bloggers made a total of 2076 Sina Weibo posts, and these were compiled alongside calculations made to determine each food blogger’s sales revenue on the eCommerce platforms Taobao/Tmall. Quantitative analysis was then performed on this data, which determined that certain upload strategies on Weibo - such as upload time, posting format and length of video - have an important impact on the success of sales revenue on Taobao/Tmall.com.

Keywords: attention economics, digital media, network effect, social media stars

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Authors: Elijah Ojochonu Okpanachi

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This paper explores the ethical dimensions of organ donation and transplantation through various philosophical lenses, including utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. As advancements in medical technology increase the possibilities for life-saving transplants, ethical dilemmas surrounding consent, allocation, and the commodification of human organs have become increasingly pertinent. Utilitarian perspectives emphasize maximizing overall well-being, raising questions about how to equitably allocate limited resources. Deontological approaches focus on the moral obligations of individuals and institutions, particularly regarding informed consent and the sanctity of the human body. Virtue ethics encourages a consideration of the character and intentions of donors and medical professionals, fostering a holistic understanding of the ethical landscape. By analyzing real-world case studies and ethical frameworks, this study highlights the complexities in decision-making processes related to organ donation. It addresses issues such as presumed consent, living donations, and the societal implications of organ markets. Ultimately, this paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on organ donation ethics, advocating for policies that respect individual rights while promoting altruism and social responsibility. Through a philosophical lens, we seek to propose a balanced approach that honors both the dignity of individuals and the urgent need for organ transplants in modern medicine.

Keywords: organ donation, medical technology, virtue ethics, Altruism

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Authors: Tang Mui Joo, Chan Eang Teng

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The use of social media has become more defined. It has been widely used for the purpose of business. More marketers are now using social media as tools to enhance their businesses. Whereas on the other hand, there are more and more people spending their time through mobile apps to be engaged in the social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and others. Social media has even become common in Public Relations (PR). It has become number one platform for creating and sharing content. In view to this, social media has changed the rules in PR where it brings new challenges and opportunities to the profession. Although corporate websites, chat-rooms, email customer response facilities and electronic news release distribution are now viewed as standard aspects of PR practice, many PR practitioners are still struggling with the impact of new media though the implementation of social media is potentially reducing the cost of communication. It is to the point that PR practitioners are not fully embracing new media, they are ill-equipped to do so and they have a fear of the technology. Somehow that social media has become a new style of communication that is characterized by conversation and community. It has become a platform that allows individuals to interact with one another and build relationship among each other. Therefore, in the use of business world, consumers are able to interact with those companies that have joined any social media. Based on their experiences with social networking site interactions, they are also exposed to personal interaction while communicating. This paper is to study the impact of social media to PR. This paper discovers the potential changes of PR practices in a developing country like Malaysia. Eventually the study reflects on how PR practitioners are actually using social media in the country. This paper is based on two theories in its development of this research foundation. Media Ecology Theory is to support the impact and changes to PR. Social Penetration Theory is to reflect on how the use of social media is among PRs. This research is using survey with PR practitioners in its data collection. The results have shown that PR professionals value social media more than they actually use it and the way of organizations communicate had been changed due to the transformation of social media.

Keywords: new media, social media, PR, change of trend, communication, digital culture

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Authors: Aleburu Rufus Edeki

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The activities of Boko Haram terrorist group have become worrisome in Nigeria. Boko Haram killed innocent civilians, destroyed schools, churches, military barracks, police stations, and other government establishments. The federal government of Nigerian Military engaged in counter-insurgency to curtail the activities of Boko Haram militant. The engagement of the military led to mass killing across the Northeast region. The reported cases of mass-killing led to petition written to the International Criminal Court by the civil society organization as a result of denial by the military authorities of their involvement. The investigation carried out by the International Criminal Court awash by denial of military involvement in war crimes. As a result of this denial, the ICC called for further investigation of war crimes by the military. This study was carried out among fifty-eight participants. In-depth interviews were conducted among the following participants: civilians 41; human rights commission 5 and civil society 12. This study revealed that professional ethics is associated with denial of military involvement in mass killing in the region. This study also revealed that denial is associated with personality. It was also found that social attributes such as trauma, shame, ostracism, criticism, and punishment are found with denial. It is therefore concluded in this study that protection is needed for war actors, so that situation of denial is minimal in post-conflict truth findings.

Keywords: Boko Haram, crime, insurgence, war

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Authors: Donna L. Roberts

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The theory of archetypes contends that themes based on universal foundational images reside in and are transmitted generationally through the collective unconscious, which is referenced throughout an individual’s experience in order to make sense of that experience. There is then, a profoundly visceral and instinctive agreement on the gestalt of these universal themes and how they apply to the human condition throughout space and time. The inherent nature of projective tests, such as the Rorschach Inkblot, necessitates that the stimulus is ambiguous and thus elicits responses that reflect the unconscious inner psyche of the respondent. As the development of the Rorschach inkblots was relatively random and serendipitous - i.e., the inkblots were not engineered to elicit a specifically defined response - it would stand to reason that without a collective unconscious, every individual would interpret the inkblots in an individualized and unique way. Yet this is not the case. Instead, common themes appear in the images of the inkblots and their interpretation that reflect this deeper iconic understanding. This study analyzed the ten Rorschach inkblots in terms of Jungian archetypes, both with respect to the form of images on each plate and the commonly observed themes in responses. Examples of the archetypes were compared to each of the inkblots, with subsequent descriptions matched to the standard responses. The findings yielded clear and distinct instances of the universal symbolism intrinsic in the inkblot images as well as ubiquitous throughout the responses. This project illustrates the influence of the theories of psychologist Carl Gustav Jung on the interpretation of the ambiguous stimuli. It further serves to demonstrate the merit of Jungian psychology as a valuable tool with which to understand the nature of projective tests in general, Rorschach’s work specifically, and ultimately the broader implications for our collective unconscious and common humanity.

Keywords: archetypes, inkblots, projective tests, Rorschach

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Authors: Samuel Reisman

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Background: Comparative rankings are increasingly used to evaluate health care systems. These rankings combine discrete attribute rankings into a composite overall ranking. Health care equity is a component of overall rankings, but excelling in other categories can counterbalance low inequity grades. Highly ranked inequitable health care would commend systems that disregard human rights. We simulated the ranking of a maximally inequitable health care system using a published, influential ranking methodology. Methods: We used The Commonwealth Fund’s ranking of eleven health care systems to simulate the rank of a maximally inequitable system. Eighty performance indicators were simulated, assuming maximal ineptitude in equity benchmarks. Maximal rankings in all non-equity subcategories were assumed. Subsequent stepwise simulations lowered all non-equity rank positions by one. Results: The maximally non-equitable health care system ranked first overall. Three subsequent stepwise simulations, lowering non-equity rankings by one, each resulted in an overall ranking within the top three. Discussion: Our results demonstrate that grossly inequitable health care systems can rank highly in comparative health care system rankings. These findings challenge the validity of ranking methodologies that subsume equity under broader benchmarks. We advocate limiting maximum overall rankings of health care systems to their individual equity rankings. Such limits are logical given the insignificance of health care system improvements to those lacking adequate health care.

Keywords: global health, health equity, healthcare systems, international health

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Authors: Hossein Jafari, Xiangfang Li, Lijun Qian, Alexander Aved, Timothy Kroecker

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Traditionally in sensor networks and recently in the Internet of Things, numerous heterogeneous sensors are deployed in distributed manner to monitor a phenomenon that often can be model by an underlying stochastic process. The big time-series data collected by the sensors must be analyzed to detect change in the stochastic process as quickly as possible with tolerable false alarm rate. However, sensors may have different accuracy and sensitivity range, and they decay along time. As a result, the big time-series data collected by the sensors will contain uncertainties and sometimes they are conflicting. In this study, we present a framework to take advantage of Evidence Theory (a.k.a. Dempster-Shafer and Dezert-Smarandache Theories) capabilities of representing and managing uncertainty and conflict to fast change detection and effectively deal with complementary hypotheses. Specifically, Kullback-Leibler divergence is used as the similarity metric to calculate the distances between the estimated current distribution with the pre- and post-change distributions. Then mass functions are calculated and related combination rules are applied to combine the mass values among all sensors. Furthermore, we applied the method to estimate the minimum number of sensors needed to combine, so computational efficiency could be improved. Cumulative sum test is then applied on the ratio of pignistic probability to detect and declare the change for decision making purpose. Simulation results using both synthetic data and real data from experimental setup demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented schemes.

Keywords: CUSUM, evidence theory, kl divergence, quickest change detection, time series data

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Authors: Arpita Paul

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Wang Yang-ming introduced a revolutionary dimension to Japanese thought through his philosophy on intuitive moral consciousness. Post-Meiji Restoration,Emerson struck a chord with the Japanese due to the striking similarities his theories on transcendentalism had with doctrines of Wang Yang-ming'sschool of thought (Yōmeigaku), as pointed out by HomeiIwano (1873-1920). Wang's philosophy, chiefly anchored in the idea of the fundamental unity of thought and action, resembles the non-dualistic aspect of Brahman, a subject of Emerson's deep interest. Kitamura Tōkoku's (1868-1894) ardent reading of Emerson corroborated what he had learned in Wang Yang-ming's philosophy. This essay shall begin with a discussion on Emerson's discoveries of Vedanta that later, on a parallel ground with Yōmeigaku, significantly influenced Tōkoku. This essay will then demonstrate how Tōkokutransforms these philosophies to portray the advent of modern consciousness in Japan in his magnum opus"Naibuseimeiron." In his attempt to undo the blindfold of past feudalism,Tōkoku repeatedly championed the mental process of a self-reliant individual in his essays which showcase the metamorphosis of Japanese individualism in the final decades of the Meiji Period. In seeking to express Japan's budding intellectual enterprise,Tōkoku asserts securing one's vantage point in the world through an awakened consciousness. In his desire to articulate this, Tōkoku becomes, as argued in this paper's penultimate and final sections, a fascinating merging point of the philosophical doctrines of Vedanta, Yōmeigaku, and Emerson, a rare depiction in the existing scholarship.

Keywords: meiji intellengtsia, yomeigaku, vedanta, modern consciousness

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Authors: Argyro Maria Skourmalla

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Internationalization and management of linguistic diversity in Higher Education (HE) have gained much attention in research in the last few years. Internationalization policies in HE aims at promoting the dual role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), civilization and competitiveness. In the context of the European Union, the European Education Area initiative aims at “inclusive national education and training systems” through networking and exchange between HEIs. However, the use of English as a ‘lingua academica’ in the place of the official, national, and regional/minority languages raises questions regarding linguistic diversity, linguistic rights and concerns that have to do with the scientific weakening of these languages. In fact, the European Civil Society Platform for Multilingualism, in the Declaration for Multilingualism in Higher Education, draws attention to the use of English at the expense of other regional/national languages and the impact of English-only language policy on an epistemological level. The above issues were brought up during semi-structured interviews with lecturing staff coming from three multilingual Universities in Europe. Lecturers shared their experiences and the practices they use to manage linguistic diversity in these three Universities. Findings show that even though different languages are used in teaching across disciplines, English -or ‘Globish’ as mentioned during an interview- is widely used in research. Despite English being accepted as the “lingua academica,” issues regarding loss of identity come up

Keywords: higher education, internationalization, linguistic diversity, teaching, research, English

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Authors: Nur Emma Mustaffa, Hii Ping Ping

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Late payment is a common issue in the construction industry and the subcontractors are not spared from it. This study has been carried out with the objectives to identify the implications of late payment issues toward the subcontractors and the strategies adopted by them to overcome the late payment issues. In terms of the strategies which can be adopted in overcoming the late payment, the subcontractors may suspend or slow down the construction process, making periodic follow up with the client, demand the rights to interest on late payment or the issuance of a promissory note by the client. The focus of the study is primarily on Grade 4 to Grade 7 contractors in Johor Bahru, Malaysia who carried out subcontracting works and registered under Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Employing survey as the main research method for data collection, the analysis would therefore mainly be adopting Likert Scale Analysis, Ranking Analysis and Frequency Distribution Analysis. This research showed the main implication of late payment issues towards subcontractors is created financial hardship to them. Besides, the most effective strategy adopted by the subcontractors to overcome the late payment issues is follow-up with client using formal procedure. From the findings, most of the subcontractors had low level of experiences and frequency in the adoption of Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act (CIPAA) 2012 to solve the payment disputes in the construction industry. In a nutshell, it is hoped that these findings will become guidance to the subcontractors to overcome the late payment issues in their future projects.

Keywords: subcontractors, implications, strategies, CIPAA 2012, payment

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Authors: Nancy Ayman Kamal Mohamed Mehrz

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As the economies of other countries in the Mediterranean Basin, the tourism sector in our country has a high denominator in economics. Tourism businesses, which are building blocks of tourism, sector faces with a variety of problems during their activities. These problems faced make business efficiency and competition conditions of the businesses difficult. Most of the problems faced by the tourism businesses and the information of consumers about consumers’ rights were used in this study, which is conducted to determine the problems of tourism businesses in the Central Anatolia Region. It is aimed to contribute the awareness of staff and executives working at tourism sector and to attract attention of businesses active concurrently with tourism sector and legislators. E-tourism is among the issues that have recently been entered into the field of tourism. In order to achieve this type of tourism, Information and Communications Technology (or ICT) infrastructures as well as Co-governmental organizations and tourism resources are important. In this study, the opinions of managers and tourism officials about the e-tourism in Leman city were measured; it also surveyed the impact of level of digital literacy of managers and tourism officials on attracting tourists. This study was conducted. One of the environs of the Esfahan province. This study is a documentary – survey and the sources include library resources and also questionnaires. The results obtained indicate that if managers use ICT, it may help e-tourism to be developed in the region, and increasing managers’ beliefs on e-tourism and upgrading their level of digital literacy may affect e-tourism development.

Keywords: financial problems, the problems of tourism businesses, tourism businesses, internet, marketing, tourism, tourism management economic competitiveness, enhancing competitiveness

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Authors: Teresa M. Odipo

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Inclusive physical education and an inclusive educational approach in German schools have received much attention in recent years due to the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities proposals, which came into force in Germany in 2009. The aim of inclusive PE is to include children with disabilities and able bodied children, based on the idea, that all children should attend school together. While PE mostly took place in a heterogeneous environment, introducing children with all kinds of disabilities posed more challenges to the teachers, when children with disabilities were included. Therefore it is important that the educational approach should include pre-service teachers’ (PST) self-efficacy for and their attitudes towards inclusive practices. The PSTs’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices is one of the strongest predictors of the success of the inclusion reforms introduced in 2009, in order to improve PSTs’ ability to handle these very new challenges. PE stands out because the very nature of sport involves the body which means that all children, especially those with special needs should be treated in an appropriate manner. Up till now, it has been mostly English-speaking countries that have been assessed for inclusive practices in PE. Due to the lack of research in Germany, there is a strong need to question PSTs’ prepared-ness. This paper presents results from the 2016 survey conducted on around 100 PSTs by the German University of Sports in Cologne and opens up new directions within PSTs’ education, concerning their attitudes and self-efficacy towards inclusive PE. These new aspects will be included in the construction of new learning and teaching tools to improve pre-service teachers’ education for inclusive Physical Education.

Keywords: attitudes, inclusive physical education, pre-service teachers, self-efficacy

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Authors: Yen-Sheng Ho

Abstract:

It is important to actively adjust the legal system of land use in archaeological sites and the reward system to meet the needs of modern society and to solve the dilemma of government management. Under the principle of administration according to law and the principle of the clarity of law, human rights, legal orders and legitimate expectation shall be regulated. The Cultural Heritage Preservation Act has many norms related to archaeological sites in Taiwan. However, in practice, the preservation of archaeological sites still encounters many challenges. For instance, some archaeological sites have ‘management and maintenance plans’. The restrictions of land uses are not clearly defined making it difficult to determine how planting types and cultivation methods will impact the underground relics. In addition, there are questions as follows. How to coordinate the ‘site preservation plan’ with the Regional Planning Act and the Urban Planning Act? How to define preservation of land, preservation area and other uses of land or area? How to define land use in practice? How to control land use? After selecting three sites for the case investigation, this study will analyze the site’s land use status and propose the direction of land use and control methods. This study suggests that the prerequisite to limit the use of land is to determine the public interest in the preservation of the site. Another prerequisite is to establish a mechanism for permitting the use of the site and for setting the site preservation and zoning maintenance practices according to the Regional Planning Act, Urban Planning Act and other relevant rules, such as, land use zoning, land use control, land management, land maintenance, regional development and management and etc.

Keywords: archaeological site, land use and site preservation plan, regional planning, urban planning

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Authors: Essa Alenazi, Zulfikar Adamu

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is not an exception in relying on the growth of its construction industry to support rapid population growth. However, its need for infrastructure development is constrained by low productivity levels and cost overruns caused by factors such as delays to project completion. Delays in delivering a construction project are a global issue and while theories such as Optimism Bias have been used to explain such delays, in KSA, client-related causes of delays are also significant. The objective of this paper is to develop a framework-based approach to explore how the country’s construction industry can manage and reduce delays in construction projects through building information modelling (BIM) in order to mitigate the cost consequences of such delays.  It comprehensively and systematically reviewed the global literature on the subject and identified gaps, critical delay factors and the specific benefits that BIM can deliver for the delay management.  A case study comprising of nine hospital projects that have experienced delay and cost overruns was also carried out. Five critical delay factors related to the clients were identified as candidates that can be mitigated through BIM’s benefits. These factors are: Ineffective planning and scheduling of the project; changes during construction by the client; delay in progress payment; slowness in decision making by the client; and poor communication between clients and other stakeholders. In addition, data from the case study projects strongly suggest that optimism bias is present in many of the hospital projects. Further validation via key stakeholder interviews and documentations are planned.

Keywords: building information modelling (BIM), clients perspective, delay management, optimism bias, public sector projects

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Authors: Nisar Ahmad, Xuyi, Ali Akbar

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As healthcare systems worldwide strive for improvement, the integration of advanced health information systems (HIS) has emerged as a pivotal strategy. This study aims to investigate the critical role of leadership in the implementation and enhancement of HIS in Chinese hospitals and how such leadership can drive improvements in patient outcomes and overall healthcare satisfaction. We propose a comprehensive study to be conducted across various hospitals in China, targeting healthcare professionals as the primary population. The research will leverage established theories of transformational leadership and technology acceptance to underpin the analysis. In our approach, data will be meticulously gathered through surveys and interviews, focusing on the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding HIS implementation and its impact on patient care. The study will utilize SPSS and SmartPLS software for robust data analysis, ensuring precise and comprehensive insights into the correlation between leadership effectiveness and HIS success. We hypothesize that strong, visionary leadership is essential for the successful adoption and optimization of HIS, leading to enhanced patient outcomes and increased satisfaction with healthcare services. By applying advanced statistical methods, we aim to identify key leadership traits and practices that significantly contribute to these improvements. Our research will provide actionable insights for policymakers and healthcare administrators in China, offering evidence-based recommendations to foster leadership that champions HIS and drives continuous improvement in healthcare delivery. This study will contribute to the global discourse on health information systems, emphasizing the future role of leadership in transforming healthcare environments and outcomes.

Keywords: health information systems, leadership, patient outcomes, healthcare satisfaction

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Authors: Alessandro Giardino

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The Iranian Revolution has been the object of numberless historical and semi-fictional accounts, often providing a monolithic perspective on the events, due to the westerner positioning of those recounting them. Against this tradition, two contemporary French-Iranian novels "Disoriental" (2016) by Negar Djavadi and "Marx and The Doll" (2017) by Maryam Madjidi have offered readers a female-oriented and interestingly layered representation of the Iranian Revolution, hence addressing the responsibilities and misconceptions of Western countries. Furthermore, these two women writers have shed light on the disenchantment of the Iranian intellectual class vis-à-vis the foundation of the Islamic Republic, by particularly focusing on the deterioration of women’s rights, as well as the repression of political, ethnical, religious and sexual minorities. By a psycholinguistic and semasiological analysis of the two novels by Djavadi and Madjidi, this essay will focus on alternative accounts of the revolution in order to reflect upon the role of intersectional literature to the understanding of history. More specifically, as both women, refugees, and bi-cultural writers, Djavadi and Madjidi unearthed moments and figures of the revolution which had disappeared from the prevalent narrative. In doing so, however, these two writers resorted to entirely opposite styles of writing that, it will be argued, stem from different types of female resistance. In defining these two approaches as a "narrative resistance" and a "photographic resistance," the essay will elucidate the dependence of these writers’ language on generational and psychological factors, but it will also stir a reflection on their different communicative strategies.

Keywords: Iranian revolution, French-Iranian, intersectionality, literature, women writers

Procedia PDF Downloads 158