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The technical development in modern means of communication and the proliferation of social networking sites made it possible to conclude contracts via the Internet. This led to the emergence of a new type of writing and signature that is electronic in nature, in addition to the existence of paper contracts, where data messages are exchanged via the Internet and uploaded to electronic supports, in addition to sending them on paper to the contractor. Which may lead to a dispute between an electronic editor and a paper editor, whether formal or regular, and both of them contain the same contract, but there is a conflict between them? Which one will the judge prefer? In order to answer the problematic of this research, this study followed the comparative analytical approach, and it came to the conclusion that the Jordanian legislator called for adding a text to the Electronic Transactions Law that gives the judge the wide discretionary power in the event of denying the document or the electronic signature or its conflict with the paper document to return to the electronic certification authority as the owner of the role The largest in proving electronic contracting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A pterygium is a triangular fibrovascular subepithelial outgrowth of degenerative bulbar conjunctival tissue that often crosses the limbus and extends on to the corneal surface. Impaired lid movement, pathological conjunctival, corneal, or eyelid changes in pterygium lead to disturbed functioning of tear film. The gold standard treatment is pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft due to its lower (1.9–8%) recurrence rate. This study aimed to see the tear film changes associated with pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft procedure. Materials and methods: This comparative study was conducted on 66 diagnosed patients of pterygium enrolled after fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were subjected to the Tear breakup time (TBUT) test and Schirmer’s test with a pre-sterilized Whatman 41 filter paper. Pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft was done. TBUT, schirmer’s test was done at each follow up at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. Results: Mean age of the patients was 57.95±12.41 years. 36 out of total 66 (54.54%) patients were males. The number of patients with deranged TBUT and schirmer’s test decreased drastically after pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft and the number further reduced at each follow up visit. The patients had significantly higher TBUT values (p=0.0001) 1 month after pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft as compared to the TBUT values before the surgery. The Schirmer’s test results changed insignificantly over the follow-up period of 1, 3 and 6 months. Conclusion: Abnormal tear film function is associated with development of pterygium. Pterygium excision improves tear film function, TBUT significantly, although the improvement in schirmer’s test is insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper wasps are a model system for the study of social evolution due to a high degree of inter- and intraspecific variation in cooperation, aggression, and visual signals of social status. Increasing the taxonomic coverage of genomic resources for this diverse clade will aid comparative genomic approaches for testing predictions about the molecular basis of social evolution. Here, we provide draft genome assemblies for two well-studied species of paper wasps, Polistes exclamans and Mischocyttarus mexicanus. The P. exclamans genome assembly is 221.5 Mb in length with a scaffold N50 of 4.11 Mb. The M. mexicanus genome assembly is 227 Mb in length with a scaffold N50 of 1.1 Mb. Genomes have low repeat content (9.54–10.75%) and low GC content (32.06–32.4%), typical of other social hymenopteran genomes. The DNA methyltransferase gene, Dnmt3  , was lost early in the evolution of Polistinae. We identified a second independent loss of Dnmt3 within hornets (genus: Vespa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores a collection of over two thousand "travel patents" issued during the sixteenth century by the chanceries of the Republic of Venice and the Order of St. John of Rhodes and Malta. Far from being the equivalent of modern passports, these papers were ad hoc concessions of exceptional travel rights. The article's systematic comparative approach shows that magistrates in Venice and Malta used travel patents to promote the circulation of valuable people and goods in response to both exceptional and recurring mobility needs. However, these letters were not only an expression of princely desire to "control the legitimate means of movement," but also tokens of a convergence of administrative and individual interests that worked together, from above and from below, to address contingent mobility challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparison of the opportunities for energy savings provided by market pulp mills and integrated pulp and paper mills in Scandinavia. The model mills in this study have identical pulp mill connected to either a pulp dryer or two paper machines. An energy analysis of the integrated mill indicated that there are steamed-saving opportunities of about 16%, which allow an increase in electricity production or fuel savings through reduced bark burning. It was found that the integrated mill would offer better profitability over the market pulp mill in terms of steam demand and water usage.

This paper focuses on digital education in European primary schools, examining trends, challenges, and financing strategies. The study uses a combination of research methods, including the comparative method, analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction, statistical data collection, and the monographic method. The paper identifies the current state of digital education in primary schools across Europe and highlights the challenges faced by educators and policymakers in implementing digital education initiatives. It analyzes the different financing strategies adopted by European countries and their effectiveness in promoting digital education in primary schools. The study finds that while many European countries have made significant progress in digital education, there are still challenges to be addressed, including infrastructure and connectivity issues, digital skills gaps, and funding constraints. The paper concludes with recommendations for policymakers and educators to promote digital education in primary schools and ensure that all students have access to quality digital learning opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This meta-analysis looked at 17 studies which focused on the comparison of reading on screen and reading on paper in terms of reading comprehension and reading speed. The robust variance estimation (RVE)- based meta-analysis models were employed, followed by four different RVE meta-regression models to examine the potential effects of some of the covariates (moderators) on the mean differences in comprehension and reading speed between reading on screen and reading on paper. The RVE meta-analysis showed that reading on paper was better than reading on screen in terms of reading comprehension, and there were no significant differences between reading on paper and reading on screen in terms of reading speed. None of the moderators were significant at the 0.05 level. In the meanwhile, albeit not significant, examination of the p-values for the difference tests prior to 2013 and after 2013 respectively (not shown here) indicated that the magnitude of the difference in reading comprehension between paper and screen followed a diminishing trajectory. It was suggested that future meta-analyses include latest studies, and other potential moderators such as fonts, spacing, age and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explores and dissects the philosophical roots of neo-classical realism. The analysis aims to disclose the theoretical underpinnings of this framework that enable it to describe the state’s behavior. The analysis is based upon a comparative approach that helps to understand the complex synthesis scheme of the neo-classical realist framework. The neo-classical realism is based upon an extensive array of internal and external sets of variables that help to explain foreign policy actions. The bedrock of foreign policy behavior of a state is intricately woven from these interplaying variables. As a matter of fact, the neoclassical realist perspective on security and the distribution of power lays the foundation for the analysis of foreign policy behavior of states. The discussion reveals that the major portions of its attributes are constructed through neo-realist routes synthesizing the domestic intervening variables. Though the framework has the capacity to incorporate complexities of foreign policy and decision-making, however, it cannot be considered an independent theory for foreign policy studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) is a key equipment for the material transportation in smart workshops, the scheduling of AGV is an important link of resource logistics, and a reasonable scheduling plan is an important means to ensure fast and effective operations of the smart workshops. This study took a Tablet PC manufacturing workshop as an example to study the AGV scheduling algorithm of smart workshops; the paper analyzed the structure of the Tablet PC manufacturing workshop and related issues, constructed a simulation platform for the AGV scheduling problem of smart workshops and proposed a Window scheduling rule based on soft time windows; moreover, this paper applied the constructed simulation platform and comparative analysis method to compare the effects of the proposed rule with other four commonly used scheduling rules, and the simulation results suggested that, although under the five rules, the differences in equipment and AGV utilization were not significant, the equipment utilization and product output of the workshop under the proposed rule were the highest, and the equipment starving time and the maximum completion time were the shortest, its comprehensive performance outperformed the other four rules, which had verified the effectiveness of the proposed scheduling rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following Fridays for Future's transnational mobilization, research into digital environmental and climate activism has rapidly grown. We contribute to the solidification of this emerging field through a mixed-methods systematic literature review. We quantitatively analyze 138 peer-reviewed articles regarding their theories, methodologies, and empirical focus. To identify research trajectories and emerging fields of interest, we add an in-depth qualitative analysis of influential publications. Research interest has grown rapidly and shifted from various areas of environmental grievance towards climate change as the primary focus. The field is driven by theories of framing, connective action, and (in)visibility. It is methodologically diverse, but geographically biased towards the West. Popular approaches include ethnographic case studies and Twitter studies, while other platforms receive limited attention. We diagnose a need for more comparative and relational approaches going beyond individual cases, countries, and platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the knowledge network structure of foreign research literature by applying the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method to the field of information science and library science (ISLS) from the perspective of the cocitation of social network actors such as authors, institutions, countries, and literature, and it further reveals the future application trends of this method. [Method/process] Based on 86 journals in the ISLS field that were downloaded from the Web of Science using the QCA method, the social network analysis (SNA) method and the visual analysis tool Gephi are used to analyse the author cooperation network, the research institution cooperation network, the national cooperation network, the cocitation network, the cutting-edge trends, etc., of journal papers. The analysis shows that the QCA method covers a wide range within the field of ISLS, but the research topics involved in this field are not concentrated, and the author cooperation network has scale-free characteristics. The application of the QCA method is still dominant in European and American countries, and China, the USA, and Italy all play key roles in the national cooperation network. Finally, the institutional cooperation network has certain small group attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and Leucoptera coffeella Guérin-Méneville (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) are major pests of coffee. Diamides, are a new group of insecticides that activate ryanodine receptors causing muscle contraction, and have been used to control H. hampei and L. coffeella. Bioassay methods need to be standardized for insecticide susceptibility studies on H. hampei with cyantraniliprole and L. coffeella with chlorantraniliprole. Four bioassay methods for H. hampei (topical application with a microsyringe, artificial diet, immersion of green coffee fruits in insecticide solution, and coffee branch bagging) and five for L. coffeella (spraying coffee seedlings, immersion of coffee leaves, immersion of filter paper and topical application with microsyringe were evaluated. The best performing method was selected based on the greater slope (β) of the probit curve, lower LC 50 , lower natural mortality in the control, and lower variance. The results showed that the best methods for bioassays were the artificial diet for H. hampei and spraying of coffee seedlings for L. coffeella. Image 1 • Diamides are efficient to control of Leucoptera coffeella and Hypothenemus hampei. • Bioassay of mortality with diamides is not real to pests of the coffee. • Artificial diet is a good method to coffee berry borer. • Spray of coffee seedlings is a good method to leafminer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In the protocol for cleaning and sterilizing dental handpieces (DHs), water retention within the instrument poses a challenge and may compromise the sterilization process. This study aimed to assess the reliability and reproducibility of the sterilization protocol regarding the dryness of DHs. It evaluated the presence of residual water in these instruments after various conditions of treatment through multiple dryness tests. Methods: This comparative study examined the dryness of seven different DHs following five washing–disinfection and/or sterilization protocols. Dabbing tests, shaking by hand, or compressed air tests through DHs and over absorbent paper were employed to ascertain the thorough dryness of DHs after treatment. As soon as the first sign of water appeared on the absorbent paper, the DH was deemed to be not dry. Results: Upon completion of the washing–disinfection protocol without sterilization, five out of seven DHs were deemed dry using the dabbing test, yet none were fully dry when subjected to shaking or compressed air. However, in the four protocols incorporating final sterilization, all DHs were dry according to the three drying tests. Conclusion: This study underscores the essential role of the sterilization step in eliminating residual water from DHs, thereby ensuring optimal conditions for effective sterilization in terms of dryness. Furthermore, the study recommends against relying solely on the dabbing drying test, emphasizing the importance of shaking or using compressed air to confirm instrument dryness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the current legal framework on money laundering control in the insurance sector. Essentially, this examination is premised on the interrogation of whether it is still appropriate for Mauritius to apply such stringent, opaque and unyielding Anti-Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terrorism norms and rules on general insurance when developed nations such as the UK and Singapore have done away with them for a more effective combat against money laundering. It would also be assessed why the financial services commission (FSC) is not able to draw inspiration from its British and Singaporean counterparts in fighting money laundering more effectively. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses the doctrinal legal research methodology which is colloquially described as "black-letter law" approach. It is backed up by a contextual legal analysis that is based on an analysis of relevant legal provisions. It relies ground experience from the insurance industry through the experience of the authors. A comparative approach is used with Singapore and the UK as case studies given that there are significant commonalities to the Mauritian jurisdiction as well as useful differences. Findings: It is observed that a move towards a de-regulation of the legal framework on money laundering in the insurance sector with a more relaxed approach is more effective for the Mauritian insurance sector. Evidence is drawn from the Singaporean and British models. A re-structuring of the FSC of Mauritius is also warranted for such an approach to be adopted. Originality/value: This paper is among the first academic contribution that proposes a de-regulation and the adoption of a relaxed approach of and by the Mauritian Insurance Industry for a more effective combat against money laundering. It serves as a legal foundational basis for further research in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to set-theoretic methods with respect to their application to research in the qualitative paradigm, as part of a series of papers on qualitative research being featured in Early Human Development. It discusses the philosophical assumptions underlying set-theoretic methods and the properties that make them well-suited for use in the analysis of qualitative data. It also takes a closer look at qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a cross-case analysis method that has arguably been most widely applied among the set-theoretic methods and has also been gaining ground in the health field. Theoretical underpinnings, sample-size considerations, set calibration, QCA software packages, parameters of fit and limitations of the method are discussed. A description of the analytic output issued by a freely available software package, fs/QCA, is used as an example to illustrate QCA results and their interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As cultures become increasingly involved, attempts are made to find productive lines along which ethical understandings can be developed which respect diversity and yet go beyond simplistic comparisons. Much of the discussion in this area is squarely situated within existing religious or philosophical frameworks—and these, in turn, are in the aggregate decidedly based on Western traditions. This paper proposes a philosophical-religious reading of Confucianism, especially with respect to its appreciation of ethical responsibility based on the importance of community, tradition, and norms, as a foundation for developing post comparative ethical approaches. The majority of the paper is centered on reading of responsibility in early Confucian texts which challenges the assumptions of contemporary academic philosophy (as practiced in classrooms, journals, and conferences) and fits into a decidedly Chinese way of thinking about religion that can be used to go beyond simplistic comparisons. This offers, in terms of both the approach being used and the specific content, an avenue for constructing post-comparative understandings of ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine the right to access one's file in competition proceedings, as part of the right to fair trial provided by European legal instruments, in relation to limitations of this access imposed by competition legislation in the European Union (EU) and Western Balkan (WB) countries. Pursuant to their aspirations to become Member States in the EU, they must align their legislation with the EU's Acquis while ensuring the protection of rights, as established by the ECHR. The methodology used to answer the research question combines desk review and two-level comparative study methodologies. The desk review is applied in this paper to answer the research question, focusing on a careful examination of the EU legal framework, while comparative approach, seeks to identify similarities and differences in the provisions related to the right to access the competition file in the EU, Albania, and other WB countries such as Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Additionally, the study presents the interpretations of the right to access the file, as part of the administrative and/or trial proceedings in the case law of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights from a human rights perspective. The findings of this study indicate that the right to access the file is restricted by public enforcement of competition law, only in specific cases where limitation pursues a legitimate aim, is proportionate and does not jeopardise the party's situation. The European human rights instruments mandate that the EU institutions, Member States and Candidate Member States must carefully regulate the clash between human rights and competition law. The WB countries have adopted the EU standards regulating access to the competition file. However, each jurisdiction has its own specifications, challenges and domestic factors shaping the national rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realizing the common wealth of all people is the essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Measuring the process of realizing common wealth and the differences between groups is one of the important issues that need to be addressed urgently. In order to reasonably measure the process of realizing common wealth in China, on the premise of horizontal comparability and vertical consistency, the principles of comparability and consistency are introduced, and a comparative method of opportunity advantage based on income distribution is proposed from the perspective of opportunity equity. Using the 2012–2020 CFPS data to measure and test the opportunity advantages and their differences across regions and groups in China. The study found, firstly, that the opportunity advantage persists but tends to diminish across groups, with the more educated group having a more pronounced opportunity advantage, but that this advantage is diminishing over time. Secondly, the doctoral degree group has a greater probability of earning higher incomes, followed by the master's and bachelor's degree groups, but this opportunity advantage, i.e., the probability of earning higher incomes, is diminishing, i.e., the education dividend is diminishing. Third, the difference in opportunity advantage between urban and rural areas still exists, as evidenced by the greater probability of higher incomes in towns than in rural areas, but this advantage has narrowed further over time, with a clear process of urban-rural integration. Fourthly, in terms of gender, men have a certain opportunity advantage over women, but this difference is not significant. Fifthly, in the context of education levels, gender and urban/rural subgroups, under the framework proposed in this paper, China has achieved some success in the process of realizing the common wealth, and is showing a steady upward trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interconnection of Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) has created new opportunities for remote management, data storage in the cloud, real-time data transfer over long distances, or integration between different OT and IT networks. OT networks require increased attention due to the convergence of IT and OT, mainly due to the increased risk of cyber-attacks targeting these networks. This paper focuses on the analysis of different methods and data processing for protocol recognition and traffic classification in the context of OT specifics. Therefore, this paper summarizes the methods used to classify network traffic, analyzes the methods used to recognize and identify the protocol used in the industrial network, and describes machine learning methods to recognize industrial protocols. The output of this work is a comparative analysis of approaches specifically for protocol recognition and traffic classification in OT networks. In addition, publicly available datasets are compared in relation to their applicability for industrial protocol recognition. Research challenges are also identified, highlighting the lack of relevant datasets and defining directions for further research in the area of protocol recognition and classification in OT environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positioning based on wireless signals such as mobile communication networks has become an important means to provide high-precision location services in environments where satellite signals are blocked. In complex environments such as indoors and underground, wireless signal propagation is obstructed and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) phenomena appear due to serious occlusion and reflection. The time delay caused by NLOS effects has little impact on communication system but can significantly increase positioning errors in positioning systems. Therefore, the effective suppression of NLOS errors is crucial to improving 5G positioning accuracy. To address the insufficient feature extraction of existing NLOS error suppression methods, the neglect of residual NLOS measurement errors, and poor stability of position estimation results, this paper innovatively proposes an NLOS mitigation and location estimation method for 5G positioning terminals. Simulation and experimental test results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the comparative methods both theoretically and practically, achieving an average positioning accuracy of 1.85 m in complex indoor NLOS environments. The method proposed in this paper provides a new strategy for NLOS error suppression in indoor 5G positioning, which can significantly contribute to high-precision location services based on commercial 5G networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes vowel shifts in Wichi (Mataguayan, South America) between the 18th and early 20th centuries, some of which contributed to the emergence of the Pilcomayeño and Bermejeño dialects. Based on a historical database and using the comparative method, we date the vowel shift over the period we have named as Middle Wichi. At the early stage of this period, the /e/ > /a/ lowering is analyzed as a sporadic change, spread across the dialects in part of the vocabulary. At a later stage, the chain shift /ɑ/ > /o/ > /u/ > /e, i/, the merger of /u/ with /e/ and /i/, and the sporadic change of /i/>/e/ lowering in some words took place in Bermejeño. The paper explores implications in the implementation of sound change, the regular changes and the lexical diffusion, in particular, in chain shifting. It also explores some connections with other Mataguayan languages in both the lowering e>a and the possible causes of the changes. Thus, the paper contributes to the historical study of the Wichi language and the Mataguayan family in the Gran Chaco area in South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Central European Public Administration Review is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Public Administration and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Central European Public Administration Review is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Public Administration and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The IOTA Tangle, a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG)-based distributed ledger, is popular for its scalability and suitability for IoT applications, offering fee-less transactions. A critical component of IOTA's architecture is the Cumulative Weight Calculation (CWC), essential for its tip selection mechanism. This paper introduces an optimization of the IOTA Reference Implementation (IRI) CWC process originally implemented using Breadth-First Search (BFS) by employing Depth-First Search (DFS) and Iterative Deepening Search (IDS) algorithms. We present a comparative analysis of these methods, demonstrating that DFS and IDS provide significant improvements in computational efficiency, particularly beneficial for IoT devices with limited processing capabilities. Our findings are substantiated through a series of experiments on a Tangle snapshot, highlighting the enhanced performance and reduced resource utilization of the proposed methods. This study contributes to the ongoing development of DAG-based distributed ledgers, offering insights into more efficient algorithmic solutions for large-scale, decentralized networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Ablai Khan KazUIRandWL: Series 'Philological sciences' is the property of Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations & World Languages and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Migration has almost always been accompanied by language-related processes and concerns. Integration dimensions interact with numerous language-related issues, such as language requirements and learning opportunities, and the purpose of our paper is situated in the broader field of linguistic integration of adult refugees and migrants in Greece and Italy. Greece and Italy share a double role both as host and transition countries, as two of the main EU entry points for refugees and migrants since the 2015 refugee crisis, and therefore they have been selected as two suitable cases to be further explored. This paper aims to give an overview of the language requirements and language-learning opportunities in the migration context in Greece and Italy. Through our comprehensive review of language requirements and language-learning opportunities in Greece and Italy, we have undertaken an examination of the two contexts employing a comparative approach to scrutinize the processes of linguistic integration. The information presented has shown that similar linguistic requirements are set in both countries although the use and implementation of the Knowledge of Society (KoS) tests seem to discriminate between the two contexts. The results agree with similar findings through indexes such as the Language Policy Index for Migrants (LAPIM) and the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) allows a systematic and transparent comparison of cases while investigating explanatory conditions as sufficient or necessary for an outcome to occur. This paper aims to illustrate the usefulness of QCA in management research. Approach: There are five steps in a standard QCA process: 1) constructing a configurational model and selecting the conditions and outcome of interest, 2) identifying empirical cases and calibrating the data into sets, 3) converting the dataset into a truth table, 4) analysing set relations between the conditions and the outcome and 5) evaluating, interpreting and visualising the findings. We discuss these five steps and illustrate their application with a fictional analysis of configurations of conditions leading to high investment in research and development (R&D). In addition, we review the recent literature on QCA, including its application in management studies. Findings: We provide information on QCA-related resources and events, including workshops and summer schools. Current challenges in the diffusion and development of QCA involve analysing large data samples and including QCA in mixed-methods and multi-method research designs. Future challenges are related to configurational theorising, including time in the analysis and the foundations and procedures on which causal claims are made in QCA. Practical implications: QCA is gaining popularity in management research. Its assumptions about social reality and research procedures align well with management research questions and practices. There are many areas for further development. Nevertheless, QCA is a valuable tool for management researchers. Value: This paper focuses on the use of QCA in management research. It sheds light on the standard procedures involved in QCA and describes the application of QCA in management research based on the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first-response time (henceforth FRT) of economics journals has increased over the last four decades from 2 months to 3-6 months. The optimal FRT, however, is not zero because a longer FRT deters submissions of mediocre papers to good journals and consequently saves valuable time of referees and editors. Interestingly, the change in the actual FRT is in the same direction as the change in the optimal FRT The latter has increased because of the availability of research on the Internet prior to publication and because papers became longer and more mathematical, increasing the costs of refereeing a paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method to carry out an empirical analysis on Chinese latecomer enterprises and examines the key factors and realization paths that affect the technology path transformation of latecomer enterprises. This paper finds that there are configuration characteristics among the influencing factors of the technological path transformation of latecomer enterprises. The paper reveals the causal complexity mechanism of multiple factors that jointly affect technology path transformation. The key factors that affect the technological path transformation of latecomer enterprises include organizational vigilance, strategic transformation capability, network connections breadth, resource governance depth, dynamics of the technological environment, and the scale of social demand for technology. The above factors not only emphasize that latecomer enterprises should focus on new technologies rather than the market but also reveal that strategic transformation capability and resource governance depth are the keys for enterprises to achieve technology path transformation. In addition, it is pointed out that latecomer enterprises should pay attention to the "window of opportunity" brought about by the scale of social demand for technology. The transition from technology path dependence to technology path transformation of latecomer enterprises is a process in which the key factor becomes stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The purpose of the work is to find, study, thematically, chronologically present, and analyse the place of education and especially school education in Georgian politics in the post-Soviet period in Georgia, as well as to determine the attitude to the issue, highlight the ongoing activities, and show the existing results and future perspective. Methods. The work is presented based on several researched-studied official government documents, empirical materials, analysis of scientific research papers, and the use of the comparative method in the Georgian reality of the post-Soviet period. Results. The paper identifies the current situation at the level of public education in Georgia following the goals of modern-sustainable development since the 1990s, which is known as the most difficult period of Georgia's history; it highlights the existing legal framework in the school education system and the implementation of the set plans; it shows effective steps of the state to develop and implement education policy. Conclusion. By studying a number of materials, it is confirmed that the political course of Georgia for the promotion of school education in Georgian reality, despite the existing difficult political situation, was characterised by great support when all political teams were in power because the mentioned issue is a part of the domestic policy in the country, which is always important and relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The goal of the paper is migration processes in the context of globalisation leading to the erosion of cultural identity and the emergence of many heterogeneous cultures in many countries. Modern countries, where traditional societies with minor inclusions of another culture of European origin, have turned into multicultural communities, in which there are many scenarios for intercultural dialogue and multiculturalisation, including such negative options as xenophobia and racism, highlighting that one of the consequences of the multicultural approach in Europe has been a retreat into closed cultural communities. Methods. During the working process on the paper we applied the main methods of social and political studies such as the comparative analysis method; empirical methods; the method of observation; evaluation method and methods of content analysis. The paper is based on empirical research materials, articles, reports, research, and books. Results and conclusion. By way of conclusion, we can say that Muslim migrants who arrive in Europe, for the most part, do not hurry to integrate into the local society. Compared to the local population, they wear different clothes, have different habits, and profess a different religion. All this sets one to consider them y as "others," as strangers, which, under certain conditions, can lead to a feeling of fear or hostility (Alaverdov, 2020). The fact that Muslims maintain respect for their traditions is often seen by residents of their host countries as a sign of disrespect for local traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an analytical solution to the differential equation that regulates the motion of the neo-Kaleckian model in the short run. After presenting a simple open economy neo-Kaleckian model with government activity, the paper analytically derives an expression for the time of adjustment, defined as the time required for the system to make a k percent adjustment from one steady-state to another. The solution shows that there is an inverse relationship between the time of adjustment and (i) the strength of the Keynesian stability condition; (ii) the behavior of entrepreneurs underlying their decisions to more rapidly/slowly respond to changes in goods market conditions. Last, the model is calibrated for the US, showing that the vicinity of the new equilibrium is reached after a period of about 5 quarters under a baseline calibration. By formally analyzing the out-of-equilibrium trajectory of the neo-Kaleckian model, this contribution moves away from the method of comparative dynamics and provides a historical-time representation of the model's traverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

That technology has permeated every facet of human endeavour is an undebatable truism. Literature, whose root is found in orality is no exception as its form of transmission, over time, has mutated from papyrus through paper to soft copy due to the inevitable influence of technology. It has equally been of service to literature as it has ensured a text-to-screen transformation, an act that limits reading time and increases the understanding of a text already read. Text-to-film adaptation dates back more than a century if one considers the 45-minute scene adapted from an 1895 novel, Trilby and Little Billee 1896. Since then many literary texts have been adapted into film. Our focus in this paper is a critical examination of the sociocultural challenges involved in the 2013 adaptation of Half of a Yellow Sun, a novel by Chimamanda Adichie published in 2006. The paper examines the extent to which the film succeeds in communicating not only the culture of the Igbo people as depicted in the novel, but also the level of inhumanity of war especially on women and children. The approach used to achieve our aim in this paper is the comparative method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential learning in food and agricultural higher education takes many different forms. This paper highlights an immersive, comparative approach to a graduate food studies course in the dairy sector. It explores how students in this class experience a particular combination of field trips, culinary workshops, hands-on activities, and classroom discussions, and explores how the structure and combination of these course elements contributes to reflection, critical thought, and a more nuanced and complex understanding of food systems (or not). Results suggest that this intensive compare/contrast approach to field trips and applied experiences, accompanied by multiple venues for in-depth verbal and written reflection on these experiences, can help facilitate (1) self-reflection, critical thinking, and broader systems thinking, (2) an understanding of and empathy towards conflicting views on food systems issues, and (3) an acceptance of and ability to work across differences, within the contradictions and complications that characterize food systems work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment is a sacred home created for both living and non-living things by creator-Animator to serve man's purposes. It is considered also a place where African and Christian religions are practise. God is the architect, focal and sacred object of worship, whose creative work manifest in the environment and spur deeper reflection and worship of Him in the universe among adherents of African and Christian religions. Climate change and environment have diverse lamentable impact on the duo religions as they are practiced in the environment which remained worrisomeness today. The aim of the paper is to examine the impact of climate change and environment on African and Christian religions in contemporary time, which is continually been championed by man's incessant degradational activities. The paper made use of historic, descriptive, comparative and analytic methods of research. Data were collected through participant observation and observer participant, and consultation of books. The paper unveils that, African and Christian religions have been dreadfully affected by climate change and environment as a result of man's incessant environmental degradational activities. The paper is of the view that, there is need for the two religions to foster preservation of the environment in order to curtailed impact of climate change and environment on African and Christian religions. African and Christian religions are part of nature, and all hands must be on deck to preserve them in order to sustain and foster harmonious utilization, preservation of the environment which is been affected by climate having lamentable impact on the existence and practice of the duo religions respectfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the feasibility of originalism as a constitutional interpretive approach in Malaysia. A doctrinal method through case analysis along with comparative method is applied in this paper. Originalism finds its strength in stability of language through fidelity of the text. This is pertinent in increasing the possibility of coherence and mitigating arbitrariness amidst the contemporary challenges arising from rapid change of values. Through illustration of cases, this paper suggests that originalism may have been applied in the past. This paper also proposes some supporting measures to optimize the effectiveness of originalism in interpreting the Federal Constitution by the Malaysian Judiciary. The author concludes that originalism has a place in Malaysia and in fact, serves a very important role to preserve the country's traditional values and traditional elements through fidelity to the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The lack of legal framework on corporate criminal liability (CCL) in Mauritius is a matter of concern with the growing number of corporate crimes. The purpose of the paper is therefore to provide a critical overview of the existing framework on CCL in Mauritius with the aim of underlining its deficiencies and lacunas. As a consequence, an attempt is made to compare the Mauritian model with the French one, so that salient features and characteristics of the French model of CCL can be borrowed into the Mauritian legal framework. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts the black-letter approach and the comparative research methodology. The legislative framework of Mauritius on CCL will be compared to the related laws of France with the goal of drawing lessons and inspirations for Mauritius, given that the French model of CCL is well established and highly effective. Findings: The mandatory application of the identification principle in CCL, inspired from the British common law, is a serious impediment towards successful criminal prosecution of companies responsible for criminal offences. In addition, the lack of clear legal provisions on substantive and procedural aspects of CCL is a matter of concern and demonstrates the dire need for legal amendments and action from the legislator as the paper discusses. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this paper will be among the very first one tackling this area of law from a comparative perspective. The issue of CCL has indeed receive very little academic attention and this paper will help in filling the literature gap on this matter. It will also help future research on the matter for students, academics and corporate law practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into examining the practical problems facing the police during the implementation of the arrest procedure within the realm of criminal justice administration. Employing a comparative analytical approach, the study juxtaposes the legal framework of the United States of America and the State of Kuwait, where the study traced the legal texts, judicial rulings, and regulations regarding the behavior of police officers in both systems. It has been shown through this study that some of these problems are due to legislative texts, others are related to practical practices, others are due to social problems, and some are related to the scientific (academic) aspect. Through a comprehensive exploration of these critical aspects, the paper contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on the challenges within the arrest process and underscores the need to address unresolved issues to enhance the efficacy of criminal justice administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infertility affects over 50 million couples worldwide and impacts people's social and emotional wellbeing. In low- and middle-income countries, particularly across Africa, the inclusion of fertility care into reproductive health (RH) policies remains fragmented or non-existent.Objective and Rationale: This review aims to provide a framework for understanding the inclusion (or lack thereof) of fertility care in RH policies in African settings. It synthesizes the barriers and facilitators to such inclusion, with a view to uncovering the positioning of fertility care in broader health systems and on the agendas of key stakeholders such as health policymakers and practitioners.Search Methods: A qualitative evidence synthesis was performed, systematically searching papers and grey literature. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus between February and April 2020. No date restrictions were applied. Language was limited to publications written in English and French. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, and extracted data, applying thematic coding. The quality of the included papers was evaluated using The Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Text and Opinion Papers.Outcomes: The search identified 744 papers, of which 20 were included. Findings were organized under four cross-cutting categories, namely: perceived importance of infertility; influence of policy context; resource availability and access; and perceived quality of care. Across these categories, key barriers to the inclusion of fertility care in RH policies were limited political commitment, under-recognition of the burden of infertility and high costs associated with ART. Conversely, facilitators comprised specialized training on infertility for healthcare providers, standard procedures for ART safety and guidelines and North-South/South-South collaborations.Wider Implications: The inclusion of fertility care in African RH policies depends upon factors that include the recognition of infertility as a disease, strong political engagement and proactivity and affordability of ART through opportunities for partnership with the private sector, which ease costs on the public health system. Further qualitative and quantitative research, including context-specific analysis and in-depth comparative approaches across diverse African countries, will help to delineate differential impacts of local and global factors on fertility care to address this neglected RH issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a vast literature evaluating the empirical association between stay-at-home policies and crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these academic efforts have primarily focused on the effects within specific cities or regions rather than adopting a cross-national comparative approach. Moreover, this body of literature not only generally lacks causal estimates but also has overlooked possible heterogeneities across different levels of stringency in mobility restrictions. This paper exploits the spatial and temporal variation of government responses to the pandemic in 45 cities across five continents to identify the causal impact of strict lockdown policies on the number of offenses reported to local police. We find that cities that implemented strict lockdowns experienced larger declines in some crime types (robbery, burglary, vehicle theft) but not others (assault, theft, homicide). This decline in crime rates attributed to more stringent policy responses represents only a small proportion of the effects documented in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the excessive growth of PM 2.5 in aerosol, the cases of lung cancer are increasing rapidly and are most severe among other types as the highest mortality rate. In most of the cases, lung cancer is detected with least symptoms at its later stage. Hence, clinical records may play a vital role to diagnose this disease at the correct stage for suitable medication to cure it. To detect lung cancer an accurate prediction method is needed which is significantly reliable. In the digital clinical record era with advancement in computing algorithms including machine learning techniques opens an opportunity to ease the process. Various machine learning algorithms may be applied over realistic clinical data but the predictive power is yet to be comprehended for accurate results. This paper envisages to compare twelve potential machine learning algorithms over clinical data with eleven symptoms of lung cancer along with two major habits of patients to predict a positive case accurately. The result has been found based on classification and heat map correlation. K-Nearest Neighbor Model and Bernoulli Naive Bayes Model are found most significant methods for early lung cancer prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islam influences Muslim societies through rules, regulations, and legislation. This paper highlights Islamic principles and legislation that protect the rights and dignity of older adults and compares them to policies and laws that have been applied and implemented in the United Arab Emirates. A comparative method was utilised to conduct this study, relying on sources that present the rights of older adults in Islamic Sharia, as well as official sources from the United Arab Emirates, where information on laws and regulations related to older adults is published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate extraction of agricultural parcels from remote sensing images is crucial for advanced agricultural management and monitoring systems. Existing methods primarily emphasize regional accuracy over boundary quality, often resulting in fragmented outputs due to uniform crop types, diverse agricultural practices, and environmental variations. To address these issues, this paper proposes DSTBA-Net, an end-to-end encoder–decoder architecture. Initially, we introduce a Dual-Stream Feature Extraction (DSFE) mechanism within the encoder, which consists of Residual Blocks and Boundary Feature Guidance (BFG) to separately process image and boundary data. The extracted features are then fused in the Global Feature Fusion Module (GFFM), utilizing Transformer technology to further integrate global and detailed information. In the decoder, we employ Feature Compensation Recovery (FCR) to restore critical information lost during the encoding process. Additionally, the network is optimized using a boundary-aware weighted loss strategy. DSTBA-Net aims to achieve high precision in agricultural parcel segmentation and accurate boundary extraction. To evaluate the model's effectiveness, we conducted experiments on agricultural parcel extraction in Denmark (Europe) and Shandong (Asia). Both quantitative and qualitative analyses show that DSTBA-Net outperforms comparative methods, offering significant advantages in agricultural parcel extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This investigation highlights the discrepancies in sustainability reporting practices, and their implications for sustainable service. Design/methodology/approach: A comparative analysis methodology was employed, examining sustainability reports from similarly situated companies, specifically PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and The Home Depot, Lowe's and HomePro. This approach was chosen to uncover variances in sustainability reporting and practices within these sectors using the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) guidelines which all four firms followed in their sustainability reports. Findings: The study reveals significant disparities in how companies within the same industry apply SASB guidelines. These inconsistencies highlight a broader issue of non-standardization in sustainability reporting, leading to challenges in effectively evaluating the relative performance of companies in the same sector. Practical implications: The findings suggest managers must prioritize standardized and transparent sustainability reporting to build stakeholder acceptance and trust. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a detailed comparison of sustainability practices in two distinct industry sectors. It offers new insights into the challenges and importance of standardizing sustainability reporting and the potential impact on stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the detriment of liberal democracy, governments have struggled to prevent the exploitation of personal data for voter manipulation in the digital era. Laws pertaining to political microtargeting are often piecemeal and tend to derive from a combination of laws on electoral advertising and privacy. Evidence indicates that this approach is insufficient to curtail microtargeting. However, little is known about the regulation of microtargeting outside of the European and US contexts within which the bulk of anti‐microtargeting research has been undertaken. Accordingly, this paper aims to shed light on the preparedness of the law in Australia and New Zealand to mitigate the potential harms of political microtargeting. A comparative analysis of legislation pertaining to microtargeting is therefore undertaken using a blended approach of comparative law and content analysis. This paper: (1) identifies current legislation relevant to microtargeting in Australia and New Zealand; (2) assesses patterns of similarity and difference between each country's laws in relation to microtargeting; and (3) evaluates the preparedness of current legislation to curtail microtargeting in an evolving social media landscape. It finds that in both countries, legislation is sufficiently robust to mitigate microtargeting in some limited circumstances, but a cohesive regulatory approach is needed to constrain the most insidious microtargeting operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the accuracy of cross-domain object detection, the existing unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) object detection methods mostly use Feature Pyramid Network (FPN), multiple Region Proposal Network (RPN), and multiple domain classifier, but these methods lead to complex network structures, slow model convergence, and low detection efficiency. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes an Efficient and Accurate Cross-domain Object Detection Method Using One-level Feature and Domain Adaptation (OFDA). This method realizes one-level feature object detection through feature fusion and divide-and-conquer technology; realizes overfitting feature suppression and unsupervised domain adaptation through domain-specific suppression and domain feature alignment technology; realizes background feature suppression through the Objectness branch, which replaces the time-consuming Region Proposal Network (RPN) structure and improves the efficiency of unsupervised adaptive detection. The paper verifies the feasibility and superiority of the proposed method by the comparative experiments and ablation experiments of multiple datasets. The proposed OFDA method not only improves the efficiency of object detection, but also ensures the accuracy of cross-domain detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem-solving is placed at top of the ten most important life skills recommended by World Economic Forum. Serious game has been one of the dominant tools for educating people in different subjects over the last 10 years. This study aims to critically analyse previous empirical studies conducted on Problem-Solving Serious Games (PSSG). Using Constant Comparative Method (CCM) framework, 737 studies in this area are listed; and after applying several filters, 36 studies are refined and finally chosen. The analysis shows that serious games not alone improve people's problem-solving ability, it also positively impacts on their problem-solving motivation, problem-solving measurement ability, critical thinking, and learning attitude. However, there is a lack of pedagogists' engagement with PSSG studies. As a result, those studies suffered from lack of educational rationale behind and lack of right direction in choosing their participants, research methods, focus, genre, and expected outputs. Theoretical and practical implications of this critical analysis are outlined at the end of this paper, shedding light on the future directions of PSSG studies. the main conclusions of this study are as following: 1. An inter-disciplinary approach led by pedagogists is needed to design, develop, and examine PSSGs effectively. 2. The over-optimistic viewpoint about serious games in general and PSSGs in specific should be moderated by looking more closely at the negative marginal and side effects of implementing these games on gamers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]