Search

In the field of microbiome studies, it is of interest to infer correlations between abundances of different microbes (here referred to as operational taxonomic units, OTUs). Several methods taking the compositional nature of the sequencing data into account exist. However, these methods cannot infer correlations between OTU abundances and other variables. In this paper we introduce the novel methods SparCEV (Sparse Correlations with External Variables) and SparXCC (Sparse Cross-Correlations between Compositional data) for quantifying correlations between OTU abundances and either continuous phenotypic variables or components of other compositional datasets, such as transcriptomic data. SparCEV and SparXCC both assume that the average correlation in the dataset is zero. Iterative versions of SparCEV and SparXCC are proposed to alleviate bias resulting from deviations from this assumption. We compare these new methods to empirical Pearson cross-correlations after applying naive transformations of the data (log and log-TSS). Additionally, we test the centered log ratio transformation (CLR) and the variance stabilising transformation (VST). We find that CLR and VST outperform naive transformations, except when the correlation matrix is dense. SparCEV and SparXCC outperform CLR and VST when the number of OTUs is small and perform similarly to CLR and VST for large numbers of OTUs. Adding the iterative procedure increases accuracy for SparCEV and SparXCC for all cases, except when the average correlation in the dataset is close to zero or the correlation matrix is dense. These results are consistent with our theoretical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we set out to examine children's voices on inclusion through a systematic review of empirical studies carried out in Cyprus over the past 20 years. Specifically, it focuses on research related to this field and investigates the ways in which these studies illustrate the importance of children's perspectives as a means for promoting inclusion and challenging segregational practices. The aim of such analysis is to bring to the surface the diverse ways and methodological tools in which children may be actively involved and have their voices heard. Moreover, our analysis seeks to point out the major issues raised by children with regards to areas of concern or suggestions for inclusion. In this context, the originality of this study lies in integrating findings and perspectives from the available empirical studies as well as in synthesising research findings to depict evidence on a meta-level and reveal areas in which more research is needed and to sum up suggestions for further policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of normative analysis with empirical data often remains unclear despite the availability of many empirical bioethics methodologies. This paper sought bioethics scholars' experiences and reflections of doing empirical bioethics research to feed these practical insights into the debate on methods. We interviewed twenty-six participants who revealed their process of integrating the normative and the empirical. From the analysis of the data, we first used the themes to identify the methodological content. That is, we show participants' use of familiar methods explained as "back-and-forth" methods (reflective equilibrium), followed by dialogical methods where collaboration was seen as a better way of doing integration. Thereafter, we highlight methods that were deemed as inherent integration approaches, where the normative and the empirical were intertwined from the start of the research project. Second, we used the themes to express not only how we interpreted what was said but also how things were said. In this, we describe an air of uncertainty and overall vagueness that surrounded the above methods. We conclude that the indeterminacy of integration methods is a double-edged sword. It allows for flexibility but also risks obscuring a lack of understanding of the theoretical-methodological underpinnings of empirical bioethics research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As different classes of residential dwellings, government-subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) housing and unsubsidised private housing are aimed at adjacent groups of households on the housing ladder in Hong Kong. Subsidised housing is in high demand, and one important way of meeting it is to have better-endowed HOS families move up by buying into the private market. The paper explores the differences in price trends between these two classes of properties and attempts to find some of their determinants. Empirical analysis of historical prices of HOS and private housing reveals higher volatility in HOS prices and a differing trend with private market prices, as well as many more HOS transactions after the implementation of the White Form Secondary Market (WSM) Scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used ethnographic methods to examine the efficacy of the Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA) in promoting peace in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The IEA is an apolitical organization based in Jerusalem that strives to build bridges between the Jewish and Arab people in the Holy Land through interfaith activities. Through participant observation of thirteen encounters and semistructured interviews with ten participants, this study explores the effects of interfaith discourse on perceptions, emotions, and reconciliation attempts in the Holy Land. This paper argues that interfaith encounters do not negate or ignore the complexities inherent in the power dynamics between the Jewish and Arab people, the tensions upon initial interaction, or linguistic barriers; rather, these challenges remind participants of the political background and the hostility among people that this organization seeks to overcome. While scholarly debates still exist on the impact of dialogues that do not explicitly address political themes, the IEA’s endeavors in peacemaking demonstrate the efficacy of religion in establishing a common ground for peaceful interactions between Jewish and Arab communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically examines the relationship between outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of Korean manufacturing firms and the servicification of domestic employment using a firm-level panel data. In this study, considering the issue of low productivity in the Korean service sector, we categorize service employment into core and non-core services and investigate their relationship with OFDI using the firm-fixed effects model. The empirical results show that the share of core service employment exhibits a positive correlation with the extensive OFDI. On the other hand, the share of non-core service employment, which is expected to generate relatively low valueadded, does not show a significant relationship with the extensive OFDI. When we divide the samples based on host countries and the type of subsidiaries, the impact on servicification varies depending on the technological capabilities of host countries and their participation in global value chains. Our study suggests that Korean manufacturing firm's internationalization strategies may facilitate a transition from labor-intensive employment, like the cases in advanced countries, to technology-intensive employment through OFDI and other means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross‐version defect prediction (CVDP) for evolutionary projects has attracted much attention from researchers in recent years. For multiple versions of an object‐oriented project, the degree of evolution (e.g., the degree of class change) between successive versions can reflect the differences between versions, which could affect the performance of CVDP. Therefore, how to measure the degree of evolution between successive versions and explore the correlations with the performance of CVDP are very important for software defect prediction. Based on the successive versions of evolutionary projects, this paper proposes six evolutionary measures from three aspects of class change, metric change, and label change, including the Ratio of New Classes (RNC), the Ratio of Deleted Classes (RDC), the Average Ratio of Metric Change (ARMC), the Ratio of Label Changed Classes (RLCC), the Ratio of Unchanged Classes (RUC), and the Ratio of Interference Classes (RIC). An empirical study was conducted on 40 versions of 11 object‐oriented projects from the PROMISE repository. Precision, Recall, F‐measure, and AUC were used as the performance indicators. Three correlation approaches (Pearson, Spearman, and Kendall) are applied to show the correlations between evolutionary measures and the performance of CVDP. The statistical results show that RNC, RDC, and RUC show no correlation with four performance indicators. ARMC shows weak or medium positive correlations with Recall and F‐measure. RLCC and RIC show very strong or strong negative correlations with Recall and F‐measure. The results indicate that the correlations between the proposed evolutionary measures and the performance of CVDP are different, which can guide the training set selection of CVDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the world, countries have engaged in different iterations of curriculum change, and one of the common denominators of reform is the proposal of more agency for teachers around curriculum making. This is not an easy task for teachers. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion about the effects that international ERASMUS+ mobilities have had on the power of curricular agency of teachers from two European countries. This work is based on an empirical investigation of a qualitative nature which collected the testimonies of four school headmasters, a deputy principal and eleven teachers from Ireland and Portugal, teaching different curriculum matters, who were involved in the ERASMUS+ programme. Our findings evidence a very positive impact on secondary teachers' capacity to self‐organize and achieve agency in relation to curriculum making by adapting their knowledge and skills, learnt through the mobility, to their own culture and context through collaborative communities of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, several publications and media outlets have highlighted how the skills and interests of autistic individuals may benefit organizations. However, there is scant empirical research on the topic. The present study's authors conducted a systematic review to find which potential employability skills, strengths, and interests of autistic individuals available research has highlighted. Data extraction methods identified 51 papers related to skills in this population. The skill sets autistic individuals may possess and the research behind these findings were organized, evaluated, and summarized. Based on these findings, investigators discuss implications for employment counseling and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on societies and individual lives across the globe. In this paper, we address the impact of the pandemic and the protective measures on empirical social scientific ageing research through the lens of 'ethically important moments'. One of the most crucial measures for preventing the spread of the virus includes social distancing; therefore, empirical research methods based on person-to-person direct contact (as in interviews) and first-hand observation have been scaled back since 2020. For ageing research, the challenges are particularly pronounced due to the ongoing discussion regarding vulnerabilities associated with higher age and age-based discrimination. Hence, many researchers focusing on ageing are facing some difficult questions: How and under what conditions can we carry on with empirical research without putting our research participants and ourselves at risk? Firstly, we systematically identify the key dimensions and challenges that have shaped social scientific research during the lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: fragmentation, fluidity, ambiguity and uncertainty. Then, using insights from two international research projects, we illustrate and critically reflect on the ethically important moments and practical dilemmas that have resulted from these pandemic challenges when researching with and about older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this paper is to present the evidence on the effectiveness of non‐surgical interventions to improve health and well‐being in women living with Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. Design: Systematic review guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews checklist. Data Sources: The search was conducted between June and September 2022 across the following databases: CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO and Cochrane. Trial registries (clinicaltrials. gov, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), Cochrane Controlled Trials Register‐CCTR), Google scholar, dissertations, conference proceedings and reference lists of included studies were also searched. Corresponding authors, formal and informal MRKH groups were contacted to obtain any significant studies or reviews. Review Methods: Eligible were only English‐language empirical studies of any time period. The review followed narrative synthesis. Results: Twenty‐three studies were identified that fit the inclusion criteria which included 1540 MRKH syndrome affected women. Four studies were on psychological interventions (n = 85) and 19 studies (vaginal dilation therapy n = 897, coital dilation n = 57) focused on non‐surgical vaginal dilation as a measure to vaginal agenesis in MRKH syndrome. Conclusions: Clearly, vaginal dilation is a viable initial treatment option for women with MRKH syndrome. There is limited evidence that 'coital dilation' is an effective method of dilation for vaginal agenesis. The literature, however, supports the need for psychological intervention to improve health and well‐being. Impact: Women with MRKH syndrome who require dilation can receive guidance and support from their healthcare providers, particularly sexual and reproductive health nurses, clinical nurse specialists and gynaecologists. From the point of diagnosis, clinical psychologists should be involved. As much as feasible, family and partner support can be encouraged. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Accreditation to standards developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practice provides assurance to the community of the quality and safety of general practices in Australia. The objective of this study was to conduct an empirical evaluation of the 5th edition standards. Minimal empirically driven evaluation of the standards has been conducted since their publication in 2020. Methods: Data encompass consecutive Australian general practice accreditation assessments between December 2020 and July 2022 recorded from a single accrediting agency. Met and not met compliance (binary) scores for 124 indicators evaluated at the site visit were recorded. A subset of indicators derived from a selection of existing and consistently non-conformant indicators within each criterion was generated. Concordance between the indicator subset and the criterion was assessed to determine the predictive ability of the indicator subset in distinguishing practices who are conformant to the entire criterion. Results: A total of 757 general practices were included in the analysis. On average, 113.69 (s.d. = 8.16) of 124 indicators were evaluated as conformant at the site visit. In total, 52 (42%) indicators were required to obtain a true positive conformity rate above 95% for all criterions of the standards. For criterion 1 (General Practice 1) conformity to the entire criterion (nine indicators; >95% true positive rate) could be obtained by including 2/9 indicators (C1-1a and C1-2a). Conclusion: Our results identified that indicator non-conformity was driven by a small proportion of indicators and identifying a subset of these consistently non-conformant indicators predicted a true positive rate above 95% at the criterion level. What is known about the topic? Minimal empirical evaluation of the 5th edition standards for accreditation have occurred since their implementation. What does this paper add? Our findings suggest that more than half of the indicators currently do not adequately distinguish practices at the site assessment. What are the implications for practitioners? These findings may suggest that a review of individual indicators and the standards structure is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, Convergence Research has increasingly gained prominence as a research, development, and innovation (RDI) strategy to address grand societal challenges. However, a dearth of research-based evidence is available to aid researchers, research teams, and institutions with navigating the complexities attendant to the specifics of Convergence Research. This paper presents a multilevel research agenda that accounts for an integral understanding of Convergence Research as a complex adaptive system. Furthermore, by developing a framework that accounts for ancillary, yet essential, systems associated with Convergence Research, we enrich the agenda with a literature-steeped discussion that considers how systems-based practices of collaboration, inquiry, and context interact with the processes and products of Convergence Research. Finally, we synthesize and apply insights from the reviewed literature by providing paths for empirical exploration emphasizing systems-based practices. In so doing, we delineate an extended boundary for a research stream that both clarifies and enlarges our understanding of Convergence Research as a 'system-of-systems'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, conceptual but with empirical support, fills in some blanks in Vygotsky's reworking of Spinoza's Ethics. Here Vygotsky sought to develop a developmental theory of emotions that would fit his developmental theory of higher psychological functions; that is, one which used function to explain how structure changes (much as Darwin had already done) and used social and cultural history to explain how functions change (much as Halliday would later do). We propose three ways – roughly, the structural, the functional, and the developmental – to continue Vygotsky's unfinished 'The Teaching about Emotions', which we illustrate with instances from classroom data. Using the systemic-functional approach of Halliday, we show how language development provides an answer to the Cartesian dualism that has divided thinking from feeling, how objective logical and experiential meanings emerge from emotionally colored and interpersonal ones, and how the study of speech can bypass the 'theory of mind' problems that have long bedevilled child development studies. Each step draws support from a teaching log of first year elementary students in South Korea maintained by one of the authors, and each step suggests a different kind of classroom talk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are multimodal communicators. However, in classroom interactions involving children and staff, achieving mutual understanding and accomplishing task-oriented goals by attending to the child's unaided AAC can be challenging. This study draws on excerpts of video recordings of interactions in a classroom for 6–9-year-old children who used AAC to explore how three child participants used the range of multimodal resources available to them – vocal, movement-based, and gestural, technological, temporal – to shape (and to some degree, co-control) classroom interactions. Our research was concerned with examining achievements and problems in establishing a sense of common ground and the realization of child agency. Through detailed multimodal analysis, this paper renders visible different types of practices rejecting a request for clarification, drawing new parties into a conversation, disrupting whole-class teacher talk-through which the children in the study voiced themselves in persuasive ways. It concludes by suggesting that multimodal accounts paint a more nuanced picture of children's resourcefulness and conversational asymmetry that highlights children's agency amidst material, semiotic, and institutional constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on empirical research this paper explores how gendered discourses position emotions and emotion practices in social work environments characterised as 'macho'. It highlights the intersection of traditional emotion-reason dualism and gendered constructions of emotions with dominant hegemonic organisational and professional norms. This ethnographic study in an English Children's Service explored how emotions were understood and used in practice. It identified essentialist negative beliefs and a paradoxical positioning of practitioners' emotions alongside their constructive use. Problematic perceptions of professionalism fed into notions of conformity, heroism and transgression, devaluing engagement in agile emotion practices which underpin relationship-based systemic practice. Institutionalised dynamics created scope for differential impacts given practitioners' status and social locations such as, gender, race, age, sexuality or status. These findings contribute new knowledge, relevant to humane social work, professionalism and workforce retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian cities have promoted TOD to increase MRT use and decrease private vehicle use. A crucial factor in achieving this goal is improving the pedestrian environment, which can increase people's willingness to walk to MRT stations. This paper analyses how Asian cities have improved the pedestrian environment around MRT stations and the factors influencing walking willingness by reviewing literature and taking Taipei as the empirical area. The results demonstrated that reducing obstacles in pedestrian space, evening the pavement, using transparent window displays in stores along the pavement, and constructing rain shelters can increase people's willingness to walk. The simulations of improved environments can provide references for countries improving the pedestrian environment. The contribution and innovation are to point out the differences in the motivation and goals of TOD in Asian and Western cities and propose improvements to increase people's willingness to walk to achieve TOD's goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the many advantages of flipped learning, it is challenging for educators to ensure that students complete the pre‐class learning assignments before the in‐class session. Objectives: Using a learning analytics approach, this study analysed students' pre‐class video‐watching behaviour in flipped learning with a focus on learners' resource management strategies, procrastination, and repeated video‐watching. Methods: For the empirical study, three types of data (i.e., log data, survey and exam) were obtained from 70 undergraduate students who were enrolled in pre‐service teacher program designed in a flipped classroom including pre‐class videos and in‐class session. Results and conclusions: The findings showed significant differences between the non‐procrastination group and procrastination group in their video watching time and resource management strategies. Those who watched the pre‐class videos at home/dorm greatly outnumbered those who did not, and they performed better than students who watched the pre‐class videos in other locations. What are the major takeaways from the study?: This finding highlights the importance of resource management strategies in terms of the time and study environment to promote success in flipped learning courses. However, the number of times students accessed the pre‐class videos or watched the videos before class was not correlated with learning achievement. The reason for re‐watching pre‐class videos is a suggested future direction so instructors can design effective flipped learning courses. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Flipped learning is a type of blended learning that combines two teaching and learning modes: face‐to‐face learning and online learning. The effectiveness of flipped learning has also been demonstrated in many empirical studies and meta‐analyses.Despite the many advantages of flipped learning, it is challenging to ensure that students complete the pre‐class materials before class.Data‐driven decisions based on the learning analytics approach can help instructors revise the in‐class activities more adoptively and individual learners can be more engaged in flipped learning. What this paper adds?: Using a learning analytics approach, this study analysed students' pre‐class video‐watching behaviour in flipped learning with a focus on learners' resource management strategies, procrastination, and repeated video‐watching.We also examined the correlations among pre‐class video‐watching behaviour variables and learning achievement.This study highlights the following: (1) The no‐procrastination group had better resource management strategies than the procrastination group; (2) students who watched pre‐class videos at home outperformed those who watched them in other locations: (3) the number of times students accessed pre‐class videos was not correlated with learning achievement; and (4) whether or not students watched pre‐class videos prior to the in‐class sessions was not correlated with learning achievement. Implications for practise and/or policy: Although flipped learning gives students considerable autonomy in terms of when and where to watch pre‐class videos at their convenience, it is necessary to help students develop resource management strategies by providing role models, best practises, and statistics in previous flipped learning classes.Research findings suggest that instructors should provide guidelines and learning strategies on how to review or repeat the pre‐class videos to improve the quality of learning.To encourage students to repeat the videos, the pre‐class videos should be short and concise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing integration of the Internet of Things in smart buildings, it is crucial to ensure the precise implementation and operation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This paper aims to study the implementation aspect of WSNs in a commercial multi-story building, specifically addressing the difficulty of dealing with the variable environmental conditions on each floor. This research addresses the disparity between simulated situations and actual deployments, offering valuable insights into the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and responsiveness of building management systems. We obtain real-time sensor data to analyze and evaluate the system's performance. Our investigation is grounded in the growing importance of incorporating WSNs into buildings to create intelligent environments. We provide an in-depth analysis for scrutinizing the disparities and commonalities between the datasets obtained from real-world deployments and simulation. The results obtained show the significance of accurate simulation models for reliable data representation, providing a roadmap for further developments in the integration of WSNs into intelligent building scenarios. This research's findings highlight the potential for optimizing living and working conditions based on the real-time monitoring of critical environmental parameters. This includes insights into temperature, humidity, and light intensity, offering opportunities for enhanced comfort and efficiency in intelligent environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the emerging trend of mobile learning (hereinafter "m-learning") has obtained increasing attention from educators and higher popularity among students worldwide. Partly due to its short history, there seems to be a lack of comprehensive and in-depth understanding on the distinctiveness of m-learning. It is maintained in this paper that m-learning should be described and researched in three intertwined aspects: the mobility of devices, learners and materials. The multi-faceted mobility may help achieve highly portable and genuinely personal learning, which distinguishes m-learning from other forms of technology-enhanced education. This paper also reports an empirical study on m-learning for academic English. With a total of 60 participants (and six in the pilot study) over three progressive phases, the data obtained from mixed methods of automatic logging, questionnaire and interview were used to assess multidimensional learner engagement in the self-directed process of m-learning. The triangulated data can reflect and highlight some known features of m-learning, and they may also imply learners' expectations towards m-learning. Based on the literature review and data analysis, this paper aims to contribute to the (re)conceptualisation of "m-learning" and also provide some technical and pedagogical implications on future and further development of m-learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burden is one of the major influencing blast design parameters which should be optimised for the extraction of narrow vein ore bodies. Numerical simulation-based approach has been used for the optimisation of burden in this paper. Different models were prepared under varying parametric conditions including width of the vein, blasthole diameter and burden. The RHT concrete constitutive model was used for the analysis of damage contour. The volume of the excavated rock along the free face (EV) was quantified from the model output in all the scenario. The study showed that EV initially increases with the increase in burden for a particular width of vein. Furthermore, EV starts decreasing after a point termed as pivot point. The value of burden at this pivot point was considered as optimal in this study. The best fit curve between EV and burden for three blasthole diameter and seven different width of vein were plotted. In all instances, the outputs of the model followed the second-degree polynomial equation. The study also suggests that the optimum burden reduces with the increase in the width of the vein. It has also been found that the optimum burden follows power trend with the increase in width of the ore body irrespective of blasthole diameter. Based on the optimum burden obtained from the output of simulation along with different blasthole diameter and width of the ore body, an empirical relationship has been established. The developed empirical relationship has a good agreement with the experimental trial data. Highlights: Numerical simulation technique has been used in this paper for the optimisation of burden while extraction of narrow vein stopes. The study suggest that the relation of volume of the excavated rock along the free face and burden is second-degree polynomial in nature. It has been found that the optimum burden for narrow vein is higher as compared to wider width ore body. Study also suggest that optimum burden follows power trend with the increase in width of ore body. The influence of width of the ore body in the selection of burden vanishes after certain width of ore body as per the observation of model output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative project delivery methods that support collaboration are gaining significant attention in the public sector in the U.S., with increasing examples of owners that transform their traditional delivery methods into ones that reflect relational contracting principles. These approaches are new and despite their proven benefits, their widespread is hindered by the novelty and unfamiliarity nature. The aim of this paper was to contribute to bridge this gap. The key elements associated with relational principles were drawn from the literature and discussed in the light of an empirical case in California. This successful case study provides evidence that these elements can work, even with the limitations commonly observed in the public sector. The paper discusses observed best practices and reveals some practical insights from a project team that was implementing relational elements in the public sector for the first time. The findings of this study will hopefully contribute to the widespread of these practices, and inspire academics and practitioners to initiate or continue their journey towards more collaborative project delivery methods in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents theoretical background and empirical research on text comprehension processes of a junior school-age child. The first part of the paper discusses the most influential models of text comprehension and inference making as centrally important component of comprehension. The research findings concerning children's text comprehension are discussed as well. Further, we present our ongoing empirical research, which focuses on children's inference making when listening to and reading an informational, narrative, and multimodal text. We focus both on the online and offline inferences, i.e., on the inferences during and after listening to and reading the text. The aim of the research is to find out how children make different types of inferences and to compare their individual skills in inference making. The last part of the paper outlines preliminary data collected via retelling technique after reading the informational text. The data indicate individual differences between children in processing and verbalising information from the text and beyond the text. However, to draw complex conclusions about individual inference making profiles of children, further research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the goal of carbon reduction, China has been piloting the Carbon Emission Trading System (CETS) since 2013. As the economy faces a downward trend, it is significant to explore the impact of CETS on business development. There is still debate in academia about whether this policy can boost the level of business development. This paper, based on all A-share data of listed companies in China from 2009 to 2018, uses the Difference in Differences (DID) model to verify the impact of CETS on the input of capital and labor factors and the level of technology in enterprises and discusses the industry heterogeneity of this impact in detail. Placebo tests, propensity score matching, and triple differences ensure the robustness of the conclusions. In further research, this paper decomposes the policy effect of CETS. It regresses the impact of carbon quota prices and carbon market trading scale on business development. The final conclusion is that CETS has a positive impact on the input of capital and labor in enterprises and a negative impact on the level of technology. After distinguishing industries, this conclusion shows differences according to different characteristics of high emissions and low emissions. In addition, the increase in carbon quota prices hinders business development, while the scale of carbon market trading shows an inverted "U" relationship with business development. The article provides meaningful policy references for China and countries in the early stages of CETS construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To uncover and analyze conceptualizations of cross-institutional collaboration in engineering education, a systematic review study was conducted, identifying commonalities in frameworks, assessments and evaluations, and challenges across prior studies. 74 papers were reviewed, revealing study descriptors, theoretically applied frameworks, outcomes of assessments and evaluations, and common challenges. The findings indicate that the concept of cross-institutional collaboration in engineering education is region-specific, with papers most frequently originating from the US. The outcomes identified also highlight the difficulty in establishing clarity among outcomes based on assessments and evaluations, since the majority of the reviewed papers do not include empirical data gathered outside the collaborative activities. The structural and personal challenges and barriers found underline the need for more efforts to ensure successful collaboration with and across engineering education. Finally, designing, delivering, and sustaining collaboration require further attention from decision-makers in engineering education to address and facilitate collaboration between academic staff and students across institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the number of studies examining resilience in relation to mathematics teaching/learning (or mathematical resilience, according to some), increased significantly. This paper is a systematic review of 78 studies published between 2010 and 2021, and investigates (a) conceptualisations of mathematical resilience, (b) demographic characteristics of participants in the papers identified, and (c) factors that influence the development of mathematical resilience. Our analysis indicates that mathematical resilience is conceptualised in two ways: as the coexistence of disadvantage and high mathematical performance; and, as part of one's mathematical identity. Participants in related studies belong to one of the following categories: disadvantaged pupils; "typical" pupils; disadvantaged university STEM students; "typical" university students; prospective teachers; in-service teachers. Mathematical resilience is found to be influenced by both psychological and social/environmental factors. Finally, we discuss implications and how the field can move forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this updated article, APA Style experts give advice about conquering APA Style based on the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2020; cf. Hughes et al., 2017). Learning and teaching APA Style can be difficult because of the many rules (Hughes et al., 2017), and the seventh edition added additional rules and changed existing rules that writers are expected to follow. This article is meant to be a resource for those teaching and learning APA Style. The first part of the article covers these new rules. The second part details common writing issues that APA Style tutors often see. The third part gives writing tips and tricks to help in a research methods course. The next part contains APA Style rules that many writers do not know, and the final part has style rules often missing from empirical research submissions to academic journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific and technological innovation and the sustainable development of new urbanization are the key factors to promote national economic growth, and have a very important role in promoting regional development and international competitiveness. Based on the panel data of 16 cities in Chengdu-Chongqing dual-city economic circle from 2015 to 2022, this paper uses entropy weight method to determine the weight of each index and constructs a coupling coordination model to explore the sustainable development of scientific and technological innovation and new urbanization, the Panel Vector Autoregression (PVAR) model was used to further verify the interaction between the two. The empirical results show that the coupling coordination degree of scientific and technological innovation and new urbanization in Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is increasing year by year. There is a balanced relationship between scientific and technological innovation and new urbanization, and the two are two-way Granger causality. Therefore, the conclusion puts forward the practical enlightenment of increasing investment in scientific and technological innovation, guiding enterprises to carry out scientific and technological innovation to feedback new urbanization and accelerate the construction of new urbanization, and actively integrating with urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new advancement in test automation is the use of natural language processing (NLP) to generate test cases (or test scripts) from natural language text. NLP is innovative in this context and promises of reducing test cases creation time and simplifying understanding for "non‐developer" software testers as well. Recently, many vendors have launched on the market many proposals of NLP‐based tools and testing frameworks but their superiority has never been empirically validated. This paper investigates the adoption of NLP‐based test automation in the web context with a series of case studies conducted to compare the costs of the NLP testing approach—measured in terms of test cases development and test cases evolution—with respect to more consolidated approaches, that is, programmable (or script‐based) testing and capture&replay testing. The results of our study show that NLP‐based test automation appears to be competitive for small‐ to medium‐sized test suites such as those considered in our empirical study. It minimizes the total cumulative cost (development and evolution) and does not require software testers with programming skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine and critique adaptive management (AM) practices for protected areas (PAs), in pursuit of practices that can account for more-than-human relations. Engaging with empirical research from Australian PAs, we reflect on the formation of PAs as "exceptional places" where Nature is implicitly/explicitly to be controlled. We find that AM practices harness the spatial and temporal characteristics of the PAs to deliberatively construct a static and timeless scene, creating a particular vision of Nature. This metaphoric vision is captured "like a postcard." It reinforces and justifies static protectionism as Nature conservation, arraigning a series of material objects that are meant to assist with maintaining that image: that "reality." Using sentipensar as an exemplar, we explore and highlight relational and everchanging human-nonhuman engagements to contest the ontological dimensions of a static Nature and ideas of control and power associated with the binaries of Nature and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this paper we review the current literature on the clinical problem that some patients do not achieve response after adequately conducted psychotherapy. We explicate our understanding of nonresponse and treatment resistance including the operational definitions, summarize the theoretical explanations and empirical studies and put forward possible study designs and treatment options. Methods: Literature search using PubMed and Web of Science. Results: For the domain of psychotherapy, the term treatment resistance does not seem appropriate; instead, we use the more descriptive terms nonresponse and recurrent nonresponse. Generally, this topic is far less represented in psychotherapy than in pharmacotherapy. Controlled switching studies with a switch from pharmacotherapy to psychotherapy are rare and those switching from one psychotherapeutic approach to another are nearly nonexistent. Building on clinical considerations, we propose a flow-chart for clinical decision making after nonresponse in psychotherapy. Discussion: Learning from errors is highly beneficial. This principle should be more consistently followed up in psychotherapy research as well as in supervision and training. Guidelines should include consensual and evidence-based advice on how to deal with nonresponse and recurring nonresponse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of an empirical research on the topic of personal data awareness, conducted through a survey of a representative sample of the Italian population. Considering five self-perceived levels of digital competence, we investigate the perception of digital footprints people leave online, how they act when apps and platforms demand to share personal data, and whether they are concerned about privacy issues. We discuss these topics and the research data in the light of theoretical frameworks regarding the emerging forms of new digital inequalities, which are broadening to include the awareness gaps, among different users, about how apps and online platforms collect and use personal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the burgeoning doctoral mobility scholarship, inhabiting an entwined international and doctoral student status has been argued to render the PhD enterprise peculiarly challenging for candidates. Nonetheless, recognizing that this academic population has a relatively higher level of maturity and sophistication, research has increasingly turned attention to their agency exercised in navigating the international PhD experience. Notwithstanding the surge of research adopting this agential lens, a clear and integrated knowledge of what precisely constitutes agency has yet to surface. To address this concern, we systematically reviewed 28 papers wherein references to the agency of international doctoral students have been explicitly present. The results reveal that agency has more often appeared as an epiphenomenal phenomenon than being prioritized as a focal research object across the literature. For this reason, the characterization of agency as a static human property has been found to take dominance and evidence to the varying individual and structural influences over students' agentic actions are largely bereft of theoretical underpinnings. Furthermore, while enacting agency has been substantively cited to induce individuals' development and change, there are few testimonies to the difference it makes on social and cultural structures that have commonly transpired as constraints. Informed by the findings, we outline a research agenda serving to promote the central empirical investigation and the fluid conceptualization of student agency in the international academic mobility context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'governance' is one of the most widely applied concepts in education policy and research. Yet its meaning has changed over space and time both analytically and normatively. This history is a complicated one marked by both shifts and continuations in the politics of language and the development of unique intellectual histories and conceptual and empirical turns in the field of education. In this paper we systematically delineate the different meanings ascribed to governance within education with a focus on its polyvalence as a political project, empirical object and research analytic. Specifically, we highlight the various complementarities and tensions flowing from this rich and evolving language. We conclude by calling for more education researchers to reflect on this complicated history and attendant language as part of their framings and interpretations of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing use of artificial intelligence, search engine providers are increasingly pushing advertisers to use automated bidding strategies based on machine learning. Such automated decision‐making systems leave advertisers in the dark about the data being used and how they can influence the outcome of the decision‐making process. Previous literature on artificial intelligence lacks an understanding of the dangers related to artificially intelligent systems and their lack of transparency. In response, our paper addresses the inherent risks of the automated optimization of advertisers' bidding strategies in search engine advertising. The selected empirical case of a service company therefore demonstrates how data availability can trigger a long‐term decline in advertising performance and how search engine advertising performance metrics develop before and after an event of data scarcity. Based on data collected for 525 days, difference‐in‐differences analysis shows that the algorithmic approach has a considerable and lasting negative impact on advertising performance. Furthermore, the empirical case indicates that self‐regulated learning can initialize a downward spiral that gradually impairs advertising performance. Thus, the aim of this study is to increase awareness regarding automated decision‐making dangers in search engine advertising and help advertisers take preventive measures to reduce the risks of algorithm missteps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human movements in urban areas are essential to understand human–environment interactions. However, activities and associated movements are full of uncertainties due to the complexity of a city. In this paper, we propose a novel sensor-based approach for spatiotemporal event detection based on the Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method. Specifically, we first identify the key locations, defined as "sensors", which have the strongest correlation with the whole dataset. We then simulate a regular uneventful scenario with the observation data points from those key locations. By comparing the simulated and observation scenarios, events are extracted both spatially and temporally. We apply this method in New York City with taxi trip record data. Results show that this method is effective in detecting when and where events occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the panel data of 31 provinces in China between 2000 and 2018, this study theoretically and empirically analyses the impact of environmental regulations on the adjustment of the agriculture industrial structure from the perspectives of rationalisation and optimisation. Overall, variability in the impact of environmental regulation on the adjustment of the agricultural industrial structure is identified: a negative influence on the rationalisation of agricultural industrial structure and a positive influence on the optimisation of agricultural industrial structure. The impact of environmental regulations on the adjustment of agricultural industrial structure also reflects "large country characteristics": environmental regulations are more significant at the medium and low industrial structure levels. Environmental regulation significantly impacts the rationalisation of agricultural industrial structure in central and western regions and its optimisation in eastern and central regions. Through the panel threshold model test, this paper further finds that the effect of environmental regulations on the adjustment of agricultural industrial structure is not invariant. However, there is a non-linear relationship with significant threshold characteristics. Based on the above results, some countermeasures are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a novel approach to formulate efficient ratio estimator of the population variance using a transformed auxiliary variable. The impact of transformation on auxiliary information has also been discussed. It is observed that incorporating a transformed auxiliary variable result in a high gain in efficiency. Theoretical properties of the newly developed estimators have been derived. The empirical and simulation studies show that the suggested estimators outperformed the existing estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of agency and resource dependence theories, this paper mainly discusses the relationship between the board and financial performance of nonprofit foundations (NPFs) in China. The data used in this study were obtained from the 2017 annual work report of 203 national public and private fundraising NPFs. Conclusions of this empirical research are as follows. Board size is positively correlated with organizational performance. The size of the supervisory board is positively associated with total and donation incomes. In public NPFs, a negative relationship exists between the average age of directors and total and donation incomes. Foundations with fewer government officials among their directors have a higher total income. In public fundraising NPFs, a positive relationship exists between the proportion of paid directors and total and donation incomes, whereas no correlation is observed in private fundraising NPFs. This study has significant implications for understanding the relationship between board composition and organizational performance among NPFs in China. This study focuses on the effective features of boards in NPFs to enhance competitiveness in access to public resources after the enactment of the Charity Law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first theoretically analyzes the impact mechanism of digital finance on industrial structure upgrading, and then empirically analyzes the relationship between digital finance and industrial structure upgrading. The results show that the development of digital finance can promote the upgrading of industrial structure. Further analysis shows that the proper allocation of government attention is also key to achieving digital finance development and industrial structure upgrading. The above conclusions provide policy implications between the development of digital finance and the upgrading of industrial structure in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of deadly force in the Republic of Serbia is regulated by the Law on Police and the Rulebook on Police Powers. Empirical research on the use of deadly force or on refraining from the use of deadly force has never been undertaken in Serbia. Therefore, the research presented in this paper is the first on this important topic. It focuses on the use of firearms, abstinence from the use of firearms, and training in the use of firearms. In order to assess the competence of members of the Police Directorate of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia in the use of firearms (FA), a structured questionnaire developed by using close-ended, multiple-choice questions, and 5-point Likert scale questions (1 for strongly disagree to 5 for strongly agree) was used in the study. The research was conducted from September to October 2022. The research showed that the use of deadly force by members of the police in Serbia is rare, and that it generally does not differ largely from other European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is devoted to the definition of solutions for skyscraper office buildings in Warsaw against the background of the latest global technology of vertical communication systems. For this purpose, the paper presents the examples of research by design of four high-rise buildings in Warsaw, which indicate the adopted methodology of developing optimal solutions in the field of elevator service as well as the results of research and finally selected systems. The aim of the research was to achieve the initial criteria for the system’s operation. The research was carried out by iterating and varianting various configurations of the system and checking it as the basis for building core solutions. Solutions that met the defined criteria were optimal in terms of building efficiency and rental flexibility. Empirical research and its results are presented against the background of world achievements. The results indicate that both the research methodology and the systems used follow the contemporary development of the latest globally present solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being a graduate is no longer sufficient to secure a fulfilling and rewarding graduate role. This paper drew on Tomlinson's Graduate Capital Model to analyse the job-seeking narratives of recent computing graduates searching for a graduate job. Participants (n = 38), drawn from a national placement programme, were interviewed up to 12 months after they had graduated. Narrative interviews were analysed using the five graduate capitals of the Model, providing empirical evidence of the acquisition and application of graduate capitals, in particular through experiences of student work placements. The study found strong claims of human and cultural capital, arising from placement experience, while social and identity capital acquisition was found, but to a lesser extent. Fragile psychological and identity capitals were eroded by multiple unsuccessful job applications. This work empirically tested the Graduate Capital Model, contributing to understanding of capitals and their interplay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure‐as‐code (IaC) helps keep up with the demand for fast, reliable, high‐quality services by provisioning and managing infrastructures through configuration files. Those files ensure efficient and repeatable routines for system provisioning, but they might be affected by code smells that negatively affect quality and code maintenance. Research has broadly studied code smells for traditional source code development; however, none explored them in the "Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications" (TOSCA), the technology‐agnostic OASIS standard for IaC. In this paper, we investigate a prominent traditional implementation code smell potentially applicable to TOSCA: Large Class, or "Blob Blueprint" in IaC terms. We compare metrics‐based and unsupervised learning‐based detectors on a large dataset of manually validated observations related to Blob Blueprints. We provide insights on code metrics that corroborate previous findings and empirically show that metrics‐based detectors perform highly in detecting Blob Blueprints. We deem our results put forward a new research path toward dealing with this problem, for example, in the scope of fully automated service pipelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I present my methodological approach to researching the sex practices of trans people developed during my PhD project How we Fuck. Using my body as both a fertile site of knowledge production (Bain and Nash, 2006), and an instrument for intimate analysis, I articulate an approach to 'intimacy-as-method' within an assemblage framework (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987) to provide new ways of engaging in empirical sex research. Intimacy-as-method draws attention to how senses, bodies, affects, human and more-than-human agents ('things') coalesce to produce both trans sex, and trans sex research(ers) (Fox and Alldred, 2015). If ontologically unstable 'things' gain their stability by assembling relationally, then how can we create the conditions that liberate both trans sex from dominant narratives of suffering, and (trans) sex research from its conventions of squeamishness? I argue that considering the dynamic and mutable ways in which trans sex (and trans sex research) is produced expands the capacities and limitations of what trans bodies can 'do', making space for novel assemblages, new embodied knowledges, and expansive possibilities of How we Fuck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify culturally related stressors that influence self‐care in Chinese older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Background: Effective self‐care can improve health outcomes for chronic conditions, but implementing self‐care is challenging. Individuals with multiple chronic conditions face even more self‐care complexity than those with single chronic conditions, generating additional stressors. Although stressors have been found to negatively influence self‐care in multiple chronic conditions, the role of culture in generating stressors has been neglected. Design: This paper reports on the qualitative component of a larger mixed‐methods study. Two free‐response items in a survey were used to identify culturally related stressors that influence self‐care. This report adhered to the SRQR guideline checklist. Methods: Data were collected between January and April 2022. One hundred and thirty‐eight free text responses asking participants to identify stressors that influenced their self‐care effectiveness were analysed sequentially using deductive content analysis and thematic analysis. Results: Findings from deductive content analysis largely confirmed published work in Western literature on stressors complicating self‐care, including symptom burdens, financial strains, social disconnection, caregiving responsibilities and major life events. Findings from reflexive thematic analysis extended current literature by identifying three culturally relevant stressors: intergenerational obligations and commitments, ambivalence about receiving care and worries about potential problems. Conclusion: Chinese older adults with multiple chronic conditions identified a wide range of stressors that impacted their day‐to‐day self‐care. This study provided valuable insights into culturally related stressors in older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Findings deepened our knowledge of cultural influences on the success of self‐care in older adults with multiple chronic conditions, suggesting the potential for reaching populations across different cultures and regions. Implications for the profession and/or patient care: Stressors that might influence self‐care ability are important for nurses to assess in people with multiple chronic conditions. The design of self‐care interventions should take a culturally tailored intergenerational family‐centred approach to help mitigate the impact of stressors and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Impact: What problem did the study address?Stressors documented in older adults with MCCs have all been generated from research with Western populations. China is now home to the largest population of older people in the world. Understanding the influence of culturally relevant stressors on self‐care in Chinese older adults with MCCs is lacking.What were the main findings?Findings from deductive content analysis largely confirmed published work in Western literature on stressors that complicated self‐care, including symptom burdens, financial strains, social disconnection, caregiving responsibilities and major life events. Findings from reflexive thematic analysis extended current literature by identifying three culturally relevant stressors in older adults with MCCs in China: intergenerational obligations and commitments, ambivalence about receiving care and worries about potential problems.Where and on whom will the research have an impact?The research will have an impact on guiding nurses' assessment of culturally relevant stressors' impact on self‐care for older adults with MCCs. In addition, findings could inform research and policy development to aim at mitigating the impact of culturally based stressors on self‐care. Reporting Method: This study adhered to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) guideline checklist. Patient or Public Contribution: During the member‐checking process, the validation of findings for accuracy was carried out by 10 participants, who also found resonance between these findings and their own experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formalistic tasks are widely utilized in modern companies due to their ability to increase productivity and contribute to the achievement of corporate goals at a lower cost. However, these tasks are often meet with resistance from individuals because they do not provide direct short-term rewards for their efforts. Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study examined the influence of individual quality and organizational attachment on the completion of formalistic tasks. To address this, the study conducted a questionnaire survey to collect data from 602 Chinese respondents and built a structural equation model for data analysis. Through empirical research, the study confirmed the positive role of individual quality, including knowledge and personality, in the completion of formalistic tasks. Furthermore, the study proved that avoidant attachment could significantly weaken the effect of some components of individual quality on formalistic task completion. This paper is the first to reveal the influence of individual and environmental factors on individuals' completion of formalistic tasks, progressing from bottom to top. The implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the strong convergence of L p -norms ( p ≥ 1 ) of a kernel estimator of a cumulative distribution function (CDF). Under some mild conditions, the law of the iterated logarithm (LIL) for the L p -norms of empirical processes is extended to the kernel estimator of the CDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of software effort and time in the software development process is a key activity to achieve the necessary product quality. However, underestimation or overestimation of effort has become a key challenge for software development. One of the main problems is the estimation with metrics from late stages, because the product must already be finished to make estimates. In this paper, the use of statistical models and machine learning approaches for software estimation are used in early stages such as software design, and a data set is presented with metric values of design artifacts with 37 software projects. As results, models for the estimation of development time and effort are proposed and validated through leave-one-out cross-validation. Further, machine learning techniques were employed in order to compare software projects estimations. Through the statistical tests, it was proven that the errors were not statistically different with the regression models for effort estimation. However, with Random Forest the best statistical results were obtained for estimating development time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]