Search

Value co-creation for service innovation is a rapidly developing concept in the current competitive market. Prior studies emphasize the conceptual aspects of the value co-creation, with limited research focusing on the interactive effects between firms and their customers created in the process of value co-creation. We propose a framework for synthesizing the interactive concepts associated with service innovation based on the service-dominant logic. We recruited participants (N = 448) from 11 sports clubs in Iran. Results indicated that openness and consumer engagement facilitate value co-creation, which in turn leads to perceived service innovation. Furthermore, perceived brand interactivity moderated the mediating role of value co-creation in the relationship between consumer engagement and perceived service innovation. Results from this research suggest openness and consumer engagement are key antecedents of value co-creation and highlight the significance of perceived brand interactivity and value co-creation in promoting service innovation at sports clubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between openness to external collaborations and innovation outcomes in tourism micro-firms, considering the variety of partners, the geographical outreach of the relationships, and the number of implemented innovation types. A quantitative analysis of tourism micro-firms located in the Italian Alps is complemented with rich qualitative evidence gathered through follow-up interviews. Our findings show that higher openness to external collaborations leads to a higher probability of introducing an innovation and to higher innovation performances. However, above a certain threshold, the returns from open innovation decrease as a firm's openness increases. This assumption does not hold when considering openness to national and international partners, which is positively and significantly related to innovation performance. The results suggest that the purposive management of external collaborations is a central issue for tourism entrepreneurs and highlight the positive role that intermediaries can play in facilitating such dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pre-test post-test control group design sought to compare the effectiveness of delivering different types of information ([1] factual information vs. [2] factual information + descriptive and explanatory information vs. [3] factual information + descriptive, explanatory + directive information) in an animated video intervention in increasing university students' autism knowledge and openness toward peers on the autism spectrum. The sample consisted of 92 undergraduates (27 males, 65 females; age range = 18–36) from various universities in Singapore. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions/videos, where they completed a measure of their autism knowledge and openness scale, before viewing a 5-minute long animated video containing different types of information about autism. After which, participants completed the measure of autism knowledge and openness scale again, followed by a measure of their empathy level. Results indicated that participants' autism knowledge improved following the viewing of the animated video. However, the three different videos containing different types of information did not differ in influencing participants' openness toward peers on the autism spectrum. Nevertheless, qualitative responses proposed that the video containing factual information, with descriptive, explanatory, and directive information was useful in helping participants to know how to interact with their peers on the autism spectrum. The findings of this study provide preliminary support for the most effective method to educate and raise awareness about autism, among the general student population in order to foster a supportive and inclusive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As trade volume has exponentially increased over the past decades, we investigated the impact of free trade on relative poverty using data from 123 countries between 1995 and 2018. In this investigation, we used three variables for free trade, reflecting three aspects of free trade, trade openness, trade barrier or trade freedom, and trade policy, and two variables for relative poverty; the income share of the bottom 10% and the bottom 20%. When economic growth, polity and socioeconomic factors are controlled for, we found that (1) trade openness hurts the poor, increasing relative poverty regardless of industrialization, (2) trade freedom benefits the poor, decreasing relative poverty although the poor in industrial countries are hurt by trade freedom, and (3) WTO membership as a proxy for a trade policy is not statistically significant to the poor, although it seems beneficial to the poor. Given these results, we conclude that free trade lowers relative poverty, implying that the income shares of the bottoms 10% and 20% can increase more than by 0.9%p and 1.5%p, respectively, as free trade is promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to model the structural relationships between personality traits (neuroticism and openness) and mental health with the mediating role of social support among students. Methods and Materials: The research method was fundamental in terms of purpose and correlational in terms of method, specifically using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all students of Islamic Azad University, Sari branch, in the 2023-2024 academic year, totaling 5,400 individuals. Using Kline's method and a non-random (available) sampling method, 269 individuals were selected as the sample. After explaining the research by the investigator and obtaining the respondents' willingness to participate, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) (McCrae & Costa, 1992), the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) (Goldberg, 1972), and the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (Zimet, 1988) were administered. For data analysis, both descriptive (dispersion index, central tendency index, mean, and standard deviation, data normalization) and inferential (structural equations) statistical methods were used. Findings: The results showed that the two personality traits of neuroticism and openness have a direct effect on mental health. Additionally, the personality traits of openness and neuroticism have an indirect effect on mental health through the mediation of social support. Furthermore, the findings indicated that 59% of mental health can be explained by personality traits and social support in direct and indirect pathways (R² = 0.59). Specifically, the personality trait of neuroticism has a 31% direct effect on mental health, and neuroticism with the mediation of social support has a 37% indirect effect on mental health among students. The findings also showed that 12% of mental health can be explained by the variables of neuroticism and social support in direct and indirect pathways (R² = 0.12). Additionally, the results indicated that the personality trait of openness has a 15% direct effect on mental health, and openness with the mediation of social support has a 26% indirect effect on mental health among students. The findings further suggested that 3% of mental health can be explained by the variables of extraversion and social support in direct and indirect pathways (R² = 0.03). Conclusion: The results indicated that the personality traits of neuroticism and openness have a significant direct effect on mental health; and that these traits, through the mediating role of social support, have an indirect effect on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working mothers with young children bear dual responsibilities, managing professional duties while attentively caring for their children, often leading to parenting stress. This study aims to examine the influence of Big Five personality traits on parenting stress among working mothers with young children. This research fills a gap in the literature regarding how personality aspects affect parenting stress. The study involved 206 participants specifically working mothers with children aged 0-6 years, who are married, and reside in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study utilized the Parenting Stress Scale (PSS) and The Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI), with data analysis conducted through multiple regression techniques. The results indicate that agreeableness and extraversion negatively affect parenting stress, while openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism do not have a significant impact. These findings underscore the importance of understanding personality traits in managing parenting stress among working mothers. The implications of this study can be used to develop more effective interventions to support the mental health of working mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Linking platform governance and value, the article explains how platforms manage openness, which gives users access and authority, to shape the user experience and orchestrate interactive value co-creation within their ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach: We adopted an abductive approach, drawing on an embedded multiple case study of platform-based local alternative food networks. The strong symbolic dimension embedded into that context allowed for a full exploration of value in its interactive nature. Findings: Platform openness influences value creation directly, but also through two mechanisms: one behavioural, involving interactions between users and sides, and the other cognitive, involving users' abstraction level. Value co-creation goes beyond the online space and occurs in complex sets of interactions between users. Digital platforms can thus generate intrinsic value co-creation that enhances their utility. Originality/value: We have adopted a marketing channel theory reading of openness and mobilised a broader conception of value as well as cognitive science to explain how this key element of platform governance affects value creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific article explores the issue of corruption in the local self-government bodies of Ukraine and provides suggestions for its prevention and eradication. The article emphasizes examining the reasons and mechanisms for the formation of corrupt practices at the local level, pointing to insufficient transparency and openness in governmental processes, instability in governance structures, and political influences as key factors contributing to the spread of corruption. One of the main recommendations is the necessity of ensuring consistency and stability in legal regulation. It is believed that laws and regulatory acts should be appropriately updated and adapted to changes in society, as well as accessible and understandable to all citizens, which is an important factor in preventing corruption. The active participation of the public in monitoring the activities of governmental structures is also recognized as an effective mechanism for combating corruption. Civil society organizations, activists, and journalists can act as important parties tracking the activities of authorities and contributing to the detection of corrupt practices. Furthermore, the implementation of electronic governance and reporting can significantly enhance transparency and openness in the activities of local self-government bodies and contribute to the detection and prevention of corrupt practices. An important aspect of combating corruption is the role of anti-corruption agencies and international partners. For example, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) in Ukraine oversees the financial activities of officials, including representatives of local self-government bodies. International organizations and programs, such as the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank, provide financial and technical support for the implementation of anti-corruption measures at the local level. Achieving progress in combating corruption in local self-government bodies requires a systematic approach to improving legal regulation and active citizen participation. Ensuring accessibility and transparency of information about the activities of local authorities, implementing mechanisms of accountability, and increasing the level of legal literacy among citizens are key factors in successfully combating corruption. Therefore, by analyzing the political, legal, and social prerequisites of corruption in local self-government bodies, the article emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive measures to improve legal regulation, engage civil society, and involve international partners in the fight against this negative phenomenon. Only through joint efforts can significant reduction of corruption levels be achieved and improvement of democratic governance at the local level in Ukraine be ensured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the challenge of assessing relatedness and functional interdependence through connecting passes within invasion games, which may offer valuable pedagogical insights into gameplay for accessibility and inclusiveness. Hence, the purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, it presents preliminary work on the methodology for computing open passing lanes and derived metrics, integrating spatiotemporal data analysis with event data. Secondly, using a within-subject design, it investigates how modified handball games influence game play opportunities. Data were collected during handball matches in a pre-teens Physical Education (PE) class with mixed-skill-level teams. Game actions (e.g., passes, receptions, and shots) were manually recorded through systematic observation of video footage, while players' positional data were captured with ultra-wideband technology. Findings provide evidence that employing a numerical advantage (one player up) enhances overall opportunities for individual attacking actions (i.e., more passing, catching actions, and goal-scoring opportunities) and relational actions (i.e., more open passing lanes) compared to equal numbers. Conversely, equal numbers with individual marking appeared more challenging, as fewer secure passing lanes were observed, and the ball possessor spent more time with the ball before releasing it. The developed approach holds promise for studying designed games to enhance inclusion and learning opportunities for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the health status of developing nations in the context of liberalization. In the existing literature, trade openness and foreign direct investment (FDI) are often considered substitutes, with one being prioritized over the other to address health issues in developing countries (Chatterjee et al., 2022). Our study presents new evidence by viewing trade openness and FDI as complementary. Theoretically, we use a general equilibrium trade model based on the Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson-Venak framework, while static and dynamic panel data approaches are applied empirically. Our sample includes 51 developing countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America from 1980 to 2019. The findings provide policy recommendations that emphasize trade liberalization to improve health outcomes, particularly life expectancy and infant mortality. Additionally, health-specific trade liberalization is suggested for African and Latin American nations, as economic growth through liberalization can strengthen domestic health infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of research on how people with intellectual disabilities perceive different faiths, both their own and other people's. The aim of this study was to explore certain aspects of religious identification among adults with intellectual disabilities: their declared affiliation with a specific denomination, their perceptions and subjective knowledge constituting the image of a "good follower", their self-assessment, and their attitudes toward representatives of other denominations. In 2023, interviews were conducted with 34 adults with intellectual disabilities in three Polish cities to achieve this aim. The study was of an inclusive character and involved co-researchers with intellectual disabilities who participated in designing the research, conducting the interviews and the analysis. We found that people with intellectual disabilities do not always know how to define their religious affiliation and have limited knowledge and experience in relationships with individuals of different faiths, and their attitudes toward such individuals are varied. Nonetheless, they engage in various forms of religious activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presented here thematizes Heidegger’s view of affectivity, experience and passions in the context of his reading of Nietzsche’s philosophy. Following the basic plan of Heidegger’s analysis of moods (especially fear and anxiety) in Being and Time, the author attempts to show us what Heidegger’s phenomenology of affectivity would have enabled us to see in the phenomenon of anger if Heidegger had elaborated it. The author analyzes anger as a social and moral emotion through the prism of what “angry” phenomena have in common; what we perceive when we are angry; and what it is for us that anger is even about. In conclusion, anger is presented as something existential that not only uncovers existence itself, but above all the relationship of our will to phenomena that are not acceptable to us.

Developing countries have greatly benefited from globalization, coinciding with economic growth and structural transformation. The standard trade theory postulates that trade openness contributes to poverty alleviation directly by changing factor proportions of production and indirectly through the trickle-down effect of growth. Existing multicountry studies using the trade-to-gross-domestic-product ratio to measure openness often fail to find a direct effect of openness on poverty over and above the growth–poverty nexus. This paper is motivated by the concern that the failure of these studies to detect the effectiveness of the factor proportion channel may be due to limitations of the commonly used measure of trade openness: the trade-to-gross-domestic-product ratio. Using a newly constructed index of trade openness, which I dub “the price convergence index,” I find a significant direct effect of openness on poverty reduction. The results also suggest that the impact of growth on poverty is greater for economies with more open trade regimes.

Previous research revealed that meaning in life is related positively to psychological engagement with art (i.e., aesthetic engagement), such as interest in art, knowledge about art, awe around art, and supernatural attributions for art experiences. We extended this work by considering the relevance of dispositions toward aesthetics (i.e., aesthetic dispositions), such as openness to experience, creativity in general and in art, and religious belief salience. Specifically, we proposed a conceptual model relating aesthetic dispositions, aesthetic engagement, and meaning in life. We tested hypotheses derived from the model with an online sample of N = 696 artists. Correlational results supported our hypotheses and replicated previous findings. Path analytic results showed that interest in art mediated associations between aesthetic dispositions and meaning in life. The results contribute to empirical work on aesthetic cognitivism, the philosophical stance that art can lead to understanding, by shedding light on factors associated with meaningful interactions with art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica 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.)

Objective: Examining the personality and well‐being correlates of positive event diversity. Background: Past research has highlighted that personality traits are linked to the frequency of daily positive events. This study is the first to examine positive event diversity, the extent to which positive events are spread across multiple types of positive life domains, as well as its personality and well‐being correlates. Method: We conducted parallel analyses of three daily diary datasets (Ns = 1919, 744, and 1392) that included evening assessment of daily positive events and affective well‐being. The Big Five personality traits were assessed in baseline surveys. Results: Positive Event Diversity was related to higher person‐mean daily positive affect but not negative affect. Higher Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness, and lower Neuroticism were correlated with more positive event diversity. These associations became nonsignificant when controlling for positive event frequency. Positive event frequency moderated the link between positive event diversity and person‐mean affect, such that higher positive event diversity was associated with higher negative and lower positive affect for people who experienced more frequent positive events. Conclusions: No consistent evidence was found for personality as a moderator of the positive event diversity–well‐being link across the three studies. Further, the well‐being implications of positive event diversity may be better understood when interpreting them alongside indexes of positive event frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To produce jasmine tea of excellent quality, it is crucial to select jasmine flowers at their optimal growth stage during harvesting. However, achieving this goal remains a challenge due to environmental and manual factors. This study addresses this issue by classifying different jasmine flowers based on visual attributes using the YOLOv7 algorithm, one of the most advanced algorithms in convolutional neural networks. Results: The mean average precision (mAP value) for detecting jasmine flowers using this model is 0.948, and the accuracy for five different degrees of openness of jasmine flowers, namely small buds, buds, half‐open, full‐open and wiltered, is 87.7%, 90.3%, 89%, 93.9% and 86.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, other ways of processing the images in the dataset, such as blurring and changing the brightness, also increased the credibility of the algorithm. Conclusion: This study shows that it is feasible to use deep learning algorithms for distinguishing jasmine flowers at different growth stages. This study can provide a reference for jasmine production estimation and for the development of intelligent and precise flower‐picking applications to reduce flower waste and production costs. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work focuses in architectural dimension of urban form, by confronting the plans of three neighborhoods in Prishtina that represent potentially three main urban paradigms of the last decades in city's urban transformation. The study aims to unfold the main elements, confront them, and expose to possible transformation. The work progressively decomposes each case into basic components and deductively to their minimal unit. The research, through interpretation and graphic illustrations, analyzes the three plans by layers: basic elements and their relational modalities, urban matrix, open space character and composing minimal units. The process will identify the main components, and their generic potentiality to be considered as future inputs in city's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of local and global challenges (such as COVID-19, wars, natural disasters, etc.) requires advanced communication and information technologies to support economic development. The study aims to form a theoretical basis and practical tools for creating and functioning of wiki communities. Wiki communities are a new form of social association based on Internet communications of socio-economic subjects (individuals and organizations), in which each participant has equal rights to receive information, exchange opinions, and generate solutions. The theoretical basis involves substantiating the key principles on which wiki communities are formed, e.g., decentralization, openness, peering, sharing, and mass nature of activity. Wiki communities are represented by a set of specific types, such as professional, academic and research, custom, creative, public and non-commercial communities. The specific managing activities of wiki communities are described by several classification levels, such as operational activities, ensuring security, quality assurance, and motivation. The wiki community management toolkit includes a goal-setting algorithm, decision-making procedures, communications, rules of operation, typical tasks, areas of application, the operation and development cycle, and functional capabilities. It allows effective transfer of information, communication in real-time, and mutually enriching each other in forming knowledge and innovation. AcknowledgmentThe publication was prepared in the framework of the research project “Restructuring of the national economy in the direction of digital transformations for sustainable development” (№0122U001232) from National Research Foundation.

‘Open schooling’ has become in recent years a burgeoning theme in the discourse on how to rethink education for the 21st century. This paper addresses a gap between calls for implementing an open schooling approach in policy papers and international reports and the scarcity of rigorous academic discourse on what open schooling theoretically means and practically entails in terms of school organization and curriculum. To this end, the paper presents an ecological model of school openness that is composed of eight interrelated dimensions: shared governance, ‘open’ curriculum, inner-school communities, learning communities, student participation, social engagement, parental involvement, and community collaborations. These dimensions are organized into three categories, accounting for organizational, pedagogical and communal aspects of school openness. The multidimensional nature of the model presented here provides a more intricate and nuanced account of open schooling that acknowledges the complexities and challenges that the movement towards greater openness yields for school communities. From an educational research perspective, this model functions to inform the understanding and examination of the multidimensionality of opening schools to their community. From an educational practice perspective, it can instigate in-depth and meaningful dialogue within school teams on what open schooling is and its ensuing merits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between personality traits and foreign language anxiety among university students of English as a foreign language. Using a cross-sectional study design, 524 Chinese undergraduate students completed the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE). The PROCESS mediation analysis findings indicated that personality traits predicted foreign language learning anxiety. Self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between personality traits and foreign language anxiety, associated with lower foreign language anxiety. Openness and extroversion were associated with higher self-efficacy and lower foreign language anxiety. Neuroticism was associated with lower self-efficacy and higher foreign language anxiety. Educational programs, therapeutic interventions, and policy measures should be designed to enhance self-efficacy as an asset in foreign language learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal with the study reported on here was to determine pre-service music teachers' views regarding the effectiveness, utility, and sufficiency of technology use in music education as well as the associations between their personality traits and their attitudes towards this use. The participants were 224 pre-service teachers studying in music teacher training programmes in Türkiye. The use of technology in music education questionnaire, the big 5 inventory and the attitude towards using technology in music education scale were used as survey instruments to collect the data. The results reveal that attitudes towards using technology in music education showed a positive relation with openness, and a negative relation with neuroticism. A qualified majority of pre-service music teachers think that technology is beneficial and that they can use technology effectively in music education. Nonetheless, the majority of pre-service music teachers still thought that educational technologies were used inadequately during their music education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muslims in the USA experience unfair treatment and direct exposure to discriminatory acts because of their religion. Trauma stemming from discrimination can strengthen couples' relationships as they find solace in each other, or strain relationships if couples struggle to cope with the stress. This study examined the relationship between experiencing anti-Muslim hate and couples' interactional quality. Further, the role of open communication between partners in moderating the impact of anti-Muslim hate on couple interactions was examined. The study included a sample of 129 Muslim couples. The results indicated gender disparity whereby anti-Muslim hate was linked to negative interactions in relationships for Muslim women, but this was not true for their male partners. In addition, open communication had contracting gender effects on the relationship between anti-Muslim hate and couple interactions. Increased self-disclosure buffered the adverse effects of anti-Muslim hate by reducing the likelihood of negative interactions. Among women, increased self-disclosure exacerbated the detrimental effects of anti-Muslim hate on the couples' relationship such that couples engaged in more negative interactions. Clinical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to explore the reciprocal associations between personality traits (conscientiousness and openness to experience) and academic achievement in adolescents, using the Personality Achievement Saturation Hypothesis (PASH). Background: Personality traits, especially conscientiousness, and openness, have been identified as strong predictors of academic achievement. The PASH provides a framework for understanding these relationships but has mainly been studied from a unidirectional perspective. This study extends the PASH to examine reciprocal associations and how they vary with different achievement indicators. Methods: Using large‐scale panel data (N = 6482) of secondary school students in Germany, we applied cross‐lagged panel models and latent change score models to examine the differential reciprocal associations between personality traits (conscientiousness/openness) and academic achievement (school grades/achievement test scores) in language and math over two years from grades 7 to 9. Results: In line with the PASH, initial levels of conscientiousness were more strongly associated with school grades than with achievement test scores over two years. Simultaneously, prior school grades were more strongly associated with conscientiousness over two years. However, initial levels of openness did not show differential associations with either school grades or achievement test scores over two years. Similarly, prior school grades and achievement test scores were also not differentially associated with openness over two years. Conclusions: Our findings introduce an innovative lens through which we observe how the PASH can be leveraged to explain the differential reciprocal associations between conscientiousness and academic achievement. Further research is needed to examine if PASH could be similarly extended to disentangle the associations between openness and academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The default mode network (DMN) can be subdivided into ventral and dorsal subsystems, which serve affective cognition and mental sense construction, respectively. An internally dissociated pattern of anti-correlations was observed between these two subsystems. Although numerous studies on neuroticism and openness have demonstrated the neurological functions of the DMN, little is known about whether different subsystems and hubs regions within the network are engaged in different functions in response to the two traits. We recruited 223 healthy volunteers in this study and collected their resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory scores. We used independent component analysis (ICA) to obtain the DMN, before further decomposing it into the ventral and dorsal subsystems. Then, the network coherence of hubs regions within subsystems was extracted to construct two structural equation models (SEM) to explore the relationship between neuroticism and openness traits and DMN. We observed that the ventral DMN could significantly predict positive openness and negative neuroticism. The dorsal DMN was diametrically opposed. Additionally, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG), both of which are core hubs of the subnetworks within the DMN, are significantly positively correlated with neuroticism and openness. These findings may point to a biological basis that neuroticism and openness are engaged in opposite mechanisms and support the hypothesis about the functional dissociation of the DMN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study aims to investigate how Foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade openness influenced economic growth in BRICS countries from 1990 to 2022, using the Pooled Mean Group Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) and System Generalized Method of Moments (System-GMM) methods. Our findings show that these two variables boost economic growth by 0.172, 0.021, 0.291, and 0.072%, respectively. Additionally, the results indicate that BRICS countries have demonstrated greater resilience in terms of FDI and trade before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, underscoring the effectiveness of their investment and trade policies in maintaining economic growth amidst global disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor awareness and stigmatising experiences influence menstrual attitudes. The study compared menstruators' cognitive attitudes towards menstrual health (MH) in public and private schools. A three-stage sampling identified respondents and outcomes reported by descriptive and inferential statistics (p < 0.05). Negative feelings (20.3% vs. 12.2%), Openness (7.3% vs. 17.2%) and living with menstruation (38.% vs. 63.9%) were significantly different, while positive feelings (36.2% vs 30.6%), menstrual symptoms (22.6% vs. 30.0%) and menarche acceptance (28.% vs. 35.6%) were similar. Negative attitude predominates (87.4%) and is negatively predicted by Yoruba ethnicity (77.9%). Overall, menstruators exhibited negative menstrual attitudes. Puberty education through ethnic constructs is recommended to improve attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies liminality as an important urban phenomenon that deconstructs patriarchal orders and hegemonic practices to establish an alternative middle ground that is dialectical and exploratory. It is crucial to recognize the liminality emerging in between time and space in order to understand the city as a transitional and transforming entity, constantly in flux between established structures and norms. The purpose of the study is to therefore, position liminality as a central concept in urban design. Using discourse analysis and case study methods to study a historical maidaan in Hauz Rani in Delhi, the study examines how the place went through a process of desacralization in the interim stages of its development into a sports complex, initiated by the state. The study further establishes that it was the liminality of the interim stages of development that led to significant social formations, that were unconventional though temporary. Analyzing the case study using historical and phenomenological analysis, findings reveal that it was the openness and incompleteness of the emergent liminal space that facilitated such formations in that duration of time, and were lost to formal planning later. A theoretical framework is thus developed to establish a liminal perspective towards urban space analyses, with an implication on urban design and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Leviathan: Zeitschrift für Sozialwissenschaft (Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG) is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG 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.)

Divergent thinking (DT) enables flexible thinking and the generation of a wider range of original ideas that form the basis of creativity. Although personality traits and music listening have been found to be positively correlated with DT performance, the association remains inconclusive. Furthermore, there is a debate regarding whether originality should be included as an index to measure DT. The present study examines the association between DT, personality, and classical music listening. There were 162 Malaysian adults who participated in this experiment. Participants were randomly allocated to either happy, sad classical music (i.e., listen to a repeated clip of happy or sad music), or silent conditions (i.e., no music was played). DT and personality were assessed with Figural and Realistic DT Tests and 44-item personality model with five broad factors, respectively. Positive intercorrelations were found between fluency, flexibility, originality, and DT total score. A weak positive correlation was revealed between DT total score and openness trait. However, there was no significant difference between happy, sad music, and silent conditions on DT performance. The findings support the notion that fluency, flexibility, and originality are the essential indices in measuring DT performance. The results suggest that open-minded people have better DT performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Study Design Methods Results Conclusions Patient engagement is critical for the effective development and use of artificial intelligence (AI)‐enabled tools in learning health systems (LHSs). We adapted a previously validated measure from pediatrics to assess adults' openness and concerns about the use of AI in their healthcare.Cross‐sectional survey.We adapted the 33‐item “Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for Parents” measure for administration to adults in the general US population (AAIH‐A), recruiting participants through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) crowdsourcing platform. AAIH‐A assesses openness to AI‐driven technologies and includes 7 subscales assessing participants' openness and concerns about these technologies. The openness scale includes examples of AI‐driven tools for diagnosis, prediction, treatment selection, and medical guidance. Concern subscales assessed privacy, social justice, quality, human element of care, cost, shared decision‐making, and convenience. We co‐administered previously validated measures hypothesized to correlate with openness. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis and assessed reliability and construct validity. We performed exploratory multivariable regression models to identify predictors of openness.A total of 379 participants completed the survey. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the seven dimensions of the concerns, and the scales had internal consistency reliability, and correlated as hypothesized with existing measures of trust and faith in technology. Multivariable models indicated that trust in technology and concerns about quality and convenience were significantly associated with openness.The AAIH‐A is a brief measure that can be used to assess adults' perspectives about AI‐driven technologies in healthcare and LHSs. The use of AAIH‐A can inform future development and implementation of AI‐enabled tools for patient care in the LHS context that engage patients as key stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Editorial explores the contribution an academic journal can make to critically engaged scholarship through critical self-reflection and innovation. Community-university engaged research and practice, no longer marginalised perhaps, remains nonetheless institutionally precarious and the literature dominated by voices from the Global North. For this journal, with its stated aim of increasing the diversity of contributors to the scholarly literature, there is both a responsibility and an opportunity to innovate. This Editorial discusses two recent examples: writers’ workshops for manuscript development and the newly introduced ‘proposals’ section, where authors can gain early feedback on manuscript ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing availability of extensive governmental data, technological advancements, and a rising standard for government openness are encouraging global governments to implement open data initiatives. While some governments are actively adapting to these trends, others remain behind, despite the pressure. This research explores the political and administrative reasons behind these differences. By analyzing how local governments in South Korea handled requests for open data from citizens between 2007 and 2016, the study highlights the importance of political competition and administrative strength in fostering government transparency and effectively addressing citizen data requests. The study assesses open government data based on its scope, time, and quality, finding that higher levels of electoral competition and better administrative capabilities contribute to increased transparency and responsiveness. However, the study's use of a regression discontinuity design reveals that the political party controlling local governments had minimal influence on these factors. Related Articles: Heo, Inhye. 2013. "The Political Economy of Policy Gridlock in South Korea: The Case of the Lee Myung‐bak Government's Green Growth Policy." Politics & Policy 41(4): 509–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12029. Heo, Inhye. 2022. "Energy Democratization Policy without Democratization of Policy Governance in South Korea: A Participatory Democracy Perspective." Politics & Policy 50(4): 834–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12480. Nam, Aerang, and Christopher M. Weible. 2023. "Examining Experts' Discourse in South Korea's Nuclear Power Policy Making: An Advocacy Coalition Framework Approach to Policy Knowledge." Politics & Policy 51(2): 201–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12522. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, psychology and sociology researchers have independently identified similar patterns of cultural dispositions. These patterns notably involve differences in terms of eclecticism, openness, and aesthetic disposition. While some scholars have theoretically fused these constructs, the extent to which they empirically overlap is unclear. In addition, the extent to which personality traits vary with social factors has received insufficient attention to date. The present study had 3 main goals. First, we assessed the respective influence of social and psychological factors on aesthetic disposition and eclecticism. Second, we sought to clarify the contours of the constructs of aesthetic disposition, eclecticism, and openness. Third, we examined the social contingency of personality traits. Based on the assessment of aesthetic disposition and of both cinematographic and musical eclecticism in high-school students (N = 873), the conducted analyses revealed that personality trait openness and socioeconomic status were the best psychological and social predictors of cultural dispositions. In addition, our results suggest that the constructs of aesthetic disposition and eclecticism, on the one hand, and of "cultural openness" and personality trait openness on the other hand, cover distinct phenomena. Our findings also indicated that cinematographic and musical eclecticisms correlated moderately. The view of a general, or cross-area, eclecticism might thus be misleading. Finally, a strong positive association between socioeconomic status and personality trait openness was found. All in all, these findings stress the importance of adopting an interdisciplinary approach to cultural dispositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has examined how creative potential develops during childhood and has identified peaks, slumps, and bumps during maturation. However, little is known about the causes of such changes. This study employed a longitudinal approach to assess predictors of change in creative ideation over 2 years in young people (N = 76) aged 14–20 years old at the first time point. The analysis employed frequentist and Bayesian methods to evaluate the effect of individual factors, such as openness to experience (assessed using the BFI‐10 short form), and contextual factors, such as pursuing creative hobbies (measured with a leisure questionnaire). Openness at the first time point and change in openness over time predicted change in peak originality. Engagement in creative hobbies at the first time point predicted change in fluency. The findings support the contribution of individual factors, in the form of openness to experience, and contextual factors, in the form of engagement in creative hobbies, in the development of divergent thinking abilities in mid‐adolescence and young adulthood. Altogether, this study suggests that interventions aimed at increasing time spent on creative activities and promoting openness to experience may enhance divergent thinking abilities, which are essential components of creative potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We continued the study of "soft strong θ-continuity" and defined and investigated "soft almost strong θ-continuity" which is a generalization of soft strong θ-continuity. We gave characterizations and examined soft composition concerning these two concepts. Furthermore, we derived several soft mapping theorems. We provided several links between these two ideas and their related concepts through examples. Lastly, we looked at the symmetry between them and their topological counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to the great political and economic global openness that Sudan witnessed in late 2020, the USA decided to remove Sudan from the terrorism sponsors designation. The paper seeks to investigate whether Sudan's removal from the state sponsors of terrorism designation affects foreign direct investment (FDI). Data covered the 1974–2019 period, using a multivariate analysis combining VECM and ARDL models. Evidence reveals that the political and economic global openness headed by the removal of Sudan from state sponsors of terrorism designation, agricultural and oil investment as well as minerals investment opportunities are key variables that attract foreign direct investment in Sudan and affect FDI inflows positively and significantly in the long run. Policymakers should benefit from the global openness opportunities that offer a respectable environment for FDI inflows. Meanwhile, lifting the political and economic restrictions that were imposed, such as the state of a sponsor of terrorism and further economic restrictions, can boost investment in the agriculture, oil, and mineral sectors in the long run by creating some effective policies that are likely to lure foreign direct investment inflows and enhance sustainable economic development. Policymakers should emphasize implementing agriculture, oil, and mineral investment policies that must be accompanied with fundamental infrastructure restructuring policies by reforming the government system through the adoption of effective financial policies to combat corruption. Also, policymakers should develop towards geographic diversification of foreign investment flows to Sudan by focusing on European countries as essential partners given their crucial role in supporting Sudan and the strength of efficient companies in all areas that Sudan needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore how substitutability between internal and external R&D influences business conduct with regard to R&D approaches and their implementation with the support of managerial resources in a competitive innovation game. We develop a duopoly model which incorporates the assumption of substitutability due to managerial diseconomies of scope in firms using different innovation mechanisms to access technology. We establish that firms substitute internal sources of innovation for external sources as exogenous spillovers increase to manage the diseconomies of scope. We find a tension between the knowledge disclosures and the protections of innovation returns that arises as a paradox for firms. The finding of a positive association between the choice of a firm to be connected with the R&D environment and the appropriability of its innovation returns is understood to be consistent with empirical results of a paradox of openness that firms open to external sources of innovation face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is currently being forced into a dilemma in policy terms, needing a more open economy to boost growth at a time when conditions are poor, but also seeking to close society in the name of security. A range of issues currently constrain the Chinese economy, including a weak property market, demographics that will lead to an increasingly ageing population, and increasingly large numbers of unsuccessful loans from the Belt and Road Initiative. Furthermore, rural dwellers are unlikely to be able to reap the benefits of training and technology available to urbanites. However, openness seems troubling to many policy-makers when China defines itself in terms of its own modern history, in which it was repeatedly invaded or occupied, creating a wary attitude toward the outside world. However, overall, China is likely to find opportunities to try out new economic opportunities in its own region, which may be successful as long as there is no confrontation over issues such as the status of Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines community, friendship, and hospitality in Teju Cole’s novel Open City, drawing on Nancy’s The Inoperative Community, Blanchot’s The Unavowable Community, and Derrida’s The Politics of Friendship and Of Hospitality. I aim to show how the representation of migratory experiences in this novel revolves around the contrast between operative communities based on immanence, fusion, and essentialist concepts such as race and ethnicity, and inoperative and elective communities characterized by openness and exposure to alterity. I examine how friendship and hospitality prove to be the necessary force in the novel to transform New York and Brussels into truly “open cities” hospitable to people of different races.

Educational programs need to be updated and improved, taking into account the latest legislative changes to correctly reflect the transformations of financial services markets and the evolution of the main concepts of financial science. This affects the quality of educational training, the scientific component in higher education institutions of Ukraine, and the professional competence of future practitioners and scientists. The article aims to reveal, improve the essence and formulate the definition of the concepts of the market of insurance services, insurance market, and market of insurance, taking into account the new legislation in the insurance field and achievements of financial science. The methodological basis of the research is the position of the theory of open economy, as well as the methods of system analysis. The study includes four sections: the first section provides a brief review of scientific works on the definition of the insurance market; the second section contains the analysis of Ukrainian insurance legislation regarding the insurance market; the third section presents the quantitative calculations and a new understanding of basic concepts; in the last subsection, the authors explain how the concepts of the insurance market and the market of insurance services differ, highlight the activities of the regulatory bodies of the insurance market, and show the unresolved problem of insurance guarantees in the market. The analysis points to the still unsolved problem of state guarantees of returning insurance premiums to clients if the insurer ceases insurance activity. In this regard, the expediency of creating the Insurance Guarantee Fund, which should become a participant in the insurance market, is argued. It was found that the concepts of the market of insurance services and the market of insurance are identical. The concept of the insurance market covers the market of insurance and is distinguished by the fact that there are regulatory bodies in the insurance market. Based on the provisions of the open economy theory and the analysis of behavioral aspects of market participants, the work proposes new definitions of the concepts of the market of insurance services and the insurance market.

ABSTRACTThis study compares the performance of ensemble machine learning methods stacking, blending, and soft voting for Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) in a highly affected Northern Italy region, Lombardy. We first created a spatial database based on open data ensuring the accessibility to relevant information for landslide-influencing factors, historical landslide records, and areas with a very low probability of landslide occurrence called ‘No Landslide Zone’, an innovative concept introduced in this study. Then, open-source software was employed for developing five Machine Learning classifiers (Bagging, Random Forests, AdaBoost, Gradient Tree Boosting, and Neural Networks) which were tested at a basin scale by implementing different combinations of training and testing schemes using three use cases. The three classifiers with the highest generalization performance (Random Forests, AdaBoost, and Neural Networks) were selected and combined by ensemble methods. The soft voting showed the highest performance among them. The best model to generate the LSM for the Lombardy region was a Neural Network model trained using data from three basins, achieving an accuracy of 0.93 in Lombardy. The LSM indicates that 37% of Lombardy is in the highest landslide susceptibility categories. Our findings highlight the importance of openness in advancing LSM not only by enhancing the reproducibility and transparency of our methodology but also by promoting knowledge-sharing within the scientific community.

Objective Over the last decades, psychotherapy of psychosis has increasingly gained attention. The quality of the therapeutic alliance has been shown to have an impact on therapy outcome. Yet, little is know about the influence of the therapeutic stance on the alliance. In this study, we explore psychotherapists‘ stance towards persons with psychosis with the aim of better understanding its characteristic—hindering and helpful—aspects. Method 6 semi-structured interviews with psychotherapists from three different schools (CBT, PD, ST) were analysed with Grounded Theory. Credibility was checked through external and peer-researcher-supported debriefing. Results 4 core categories were generated and interrelated in a theoretical model. Therapists‘ stance was initially characterized by uncertainty. Different ways of dealing with uncertainty yielded different stances: a monological and an open one. A helpful stance was conceived as stemming from openness and was characterized by a dialogical structure. A co-presence (or „dosing“) of you and I was conceived as its core aspect. Conclusion These findings specify the interpersonal dynamics arising from different stances and their impact on the therapeutic alliance and process. Research is still needed to further understand the characteristics of helpful and hindering therapeutic stances, which should also inform the training of psychotherapists.

This research investigates the intricate relationship between financial openness, natural resources, and carbon neutrality in the N-11 countries. It provides insights into how environmental tax and innovation can drive carbon neutrality in these nations, thus advancing our understanding of the nexus among financial openness, natural resources, and carbon neutrality. The study aims to offer policymakers perspectives on formulating policies to foster sustainable economic development and environmental conservation in the N-11 nations. The discourse highlights the environmental implications of foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade openness, revealing a complex interplay between economic development, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability. While FDI can facilitate technological transfers and managerial advancements that enhance resource efficiency and promote environmentally friendly practices, its environmental impact varies based on regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms. In countries with weak environmental regulations, FDI may lead to negative outcomes such as pollution hotspots, resource depletion, and ecosystem degradation. Similarly, trade openness can exacerbate environmental degradation through increased production, energy consumption, and waste generation. However, both FDI and trade openness can contribute positively to environmental sustainability when coupled with effective environmental policies, investment in green technology, and the promotion of sustainable practices. Thus, policymakers must strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection by implementing stringent environmental regulations, promoting clean technology transfer, and fostering sustainable development practices domestically and internationally. This research offers valuable insights for policymakers aiming to navigate the complexities of achieving carbon neutrality while ensuring sustainable economic growth in the N-11 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]