Ambiguous Relationship Research Articles

A French Jesuit in China: The Case of André Yverneau 1948–1951

During the many centuries of interaction and exchange between China and Europe, one of the most complex and ambiguous relationships was that of the Catholic Church and its missionaries in China. On one hand, they contributed to and can be seen as a part of the European imperial project of world colonisation, but on the other hand, they were instrumental in sharing and exchanging knowledge, as well as creating schools and other institutions in the places they created missions. At the same time, attempts were being made within the Catholic Church to promote the development of a Chinese clergy, although this issue remained divisive. This article examines these complex relationships through the eyes of a French Jesuit, André Yverneau, who was in China between 1948 and 1951 and who left a collection of letters back to his family describing these years. His experiences, observations, reactions and attitudes towards China and the mission are presented and analysed in order to re-evaluate some of the main debates surrounding the mission in China in the mid-twentieth century: education, language, indigenisation, and politics, both internal to the Catholic Church and with its relations in China.

ESG scoring and financial performance in micro and small enterprises

This paper investigates the influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles on corporate financial management within micro- and small enterprises. The primary objective is to assess the impact of ESG integration on the financial performance of these firms. The study commences with a comprehensive review of ESG reporting, underscoring its significance in evaluating corporate performance and ensuring long-term sustainability. A mixed-method approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative analyses, is employed to examine data from 200 Slovak companies across various industries. The study explores the correlation between ESG assessments and financial metrics, including Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Sales (ROS). The results indicate an ambiguous relationship between ESG scores and financial performance, implying that while ESG adoption is vital for sustainability, its short-term financial advantages may be limited. Additionally, the paper addresses the challenges encountered by Slovak enterprises in ESG reporting, such as insufficient awareness and the perceived financial burden of compliance. Recommendations include broadening the dataset and extending the temporal scope of the analysis for more robust insights. The paper also advocates for heightened awareness of ESG principles through educational programs and the enforcement of EU regulations on ESG reporting. These findings aim to contribute both to academic discourse and the practical application of ESG principles, thereby fostering sustainable business practices in Slovakia.

Exploring the complex relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the immune system: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that can be accompanied by alterations in immune markers. However, the intricate nature of the association between ADHD and immune markers remains insufficiently elucidated. To explore the currently ambiguous causal relationship between ADHD and the immune system, we performed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis of immune cell traits and ADHD under the randomized inverse variance weighting (IVW) method based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data. We found ADHD increased the level of 3 immune cell traits including myeloid dendritic cells (β = 0.28, P = 0.008), monocyte (β = 0.25, P = 0.024) and granulocyte (β = 0.2, P = 0.042). We also identified 1 trait which belongs to B cell panel was a risk factor (odds ratio (OR) = 1.07, P = 0.001) for ADHD onset. Other 5 traits including CD14+ monocyte (OR = 0.98, P = 0.002), immature myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) (OR = 0.98, P = 0.003), monocyte MDSC (OR = 0.95, P = 0.005), CD33br HLA DR+ (OR = 0.97, P = 0.021) and basophil (OR = 0.96, P = 0.022) were protective factors for ADHD. Here we identified a range of causal relationships extending from ADHD to immune cell traits, underscoring the complex interaction patterns between ADHD and the immune system. Enhanced interventions for protective and risk factors may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of ADHD.

Capital Investment, Equity Returns, and Aggregate Dynamics in Oligopolistic Production Economies

Abstract We analyze effects of tacit collusion in a dynamic general equilibrium model of oligopolistic sectors with capital investment and real frictions. Through their effects on equilibrium- and off- equilibrium stock prices, fundamental shocks affect incentives for defection from tacit collusion, amplifying the interaction between the real economy and financial markets as well as firms‘ risk exposure. The model implies ambiguous relationship between industry concentration and equity returns depending on operating leverage, which helps reconcile conflicting evidence in the literature. We find quantitative and empirical support for novel theoretical predictions regarding the effects of concentration on returns and investment. (JEL G12, G31, D43)

FROM PERCEPTION TO SUPPORT: THE ROLE OF POLITICAL BUREAUCRACY IN RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN LOMBOK, INDONESIA

Numerous studies emphasise the importance of local governance and governmental support in promoting long-term rural tourist growth. Political bureaucracy, which encompasses the duties and activities of government officials and institutions, plays an important role in developing policies, providing required infrastructure, and fostering stakeholder collaboration. The challenge at hand is the ambiguous relationship between perceived benefits (economic, social, and environmental) and community support influenced by political structures. This study explores moderating role of political bureaucracy on the relationship between the impact of perceived tourism benefits and the community support for rural tourism development in Lombok, Indonesia. The objective is to understand how these perceptions affect support when moderated by political bureaucracy. Data were collected using quantitative methods from 183 residents via online surveys and analysed using SmartPLS SEM for measurement and structural model assessments. The findings revealed no significant relationship between perceived economic and social benefits and community support. However, environmental benefits showed a positive influence. The moderating role of political bureaucracy was found to be minimal. The study suggests that enhancing awareness and empowerment of local communities could improve support for tourism. These insights are vital for policymakers and stakeholders to develop strategies that foster sustainable rural tourism.

The place of Ukraine in Mark Donskoi’s The Rainbow

ABSTRACT This article argues that Mark Donskoi’s 1944 film The Rainbow, made at the evacuated Kyiv film studios in Turkmenistan, gains an enormous amount when seen as a Ukrainian film. While the Odesa-born Donskoi is usually associated with his work at the Gor’kii film studios in Moscow, The Rainbow is one of a number of films he made at Kyiv studios, and one that is particularly productive when seen in the light of its ambiguous relation to Ukraine. On the one hand, Donskoi’s film is indicative of what Yuri Shevchuk has called ‘imperial appropriation’ and treats Ukrainian linguistic and cultural identity as a subset of Russian; on the other hand, through the evocation of the location of Ukraine, the casting and performance of celebrated Ukrainian actor Nataliia Uzhvii, the homage to the poetics of Oleksandr Dovzhenko, and the poignant if inadvertent relevance of the subtextual commentary about occupation and resistance, Donskoi created a film that enriches Ukrainian film history, and is at the same time enriched by being seen in this context.

Polymorph‐Dependent Multi‐Level Supramolecular Self‐Assembly and Local Charge Transport of a Conjugated Polymer in Solution and Solid States

AbstractThe polymorphic behavior of conjugated polymers enables tunable optoelectronic properties, but their transport mechanism remains elusive due to the inherent complexity and uncontrollability of polymorphic self‐assembly behaviors and electronic processes at various length scales, alongside the ambiguous relationship between solution and solid states. Herein, precise control of multi‐level supramolecular self‐assembly of a polymorphic conjugated polymer, N‐PDPP4T‐HD with two distinct semi‐crystalline aggregated phases (β1 and β2) via solvent engineering is demonstrated. β1 forms 1D worm‐like nanostructures in solution, whereas β2 generates 2D nanoscale lamellar configuration, confirmed by experimental observation and molecular dynamic simulation. Such solution‐state features are inherited in the solid state (1D nanofibers for β1 and 2D granular‐like structures for β2). X‐ray characterizations reveal larger crystalline domains on the nanometer scale, reduced π‐stacking distance on the Ångstrom scale, and diminished paracrystallinity disorder for solid‐state β2. Going beyond conventional DC transistor characterizations, contact‐free ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy to unveil AC short‐range, intrinsic transport properties is employed. Longer charge carrier scattering time and thus intrinsic mobility of β2 result in threefold higher short‐range photoconductivity than β1. This work establishes the “solution structure – solid structure – local transport” relation in polymorphic conjugated polymers and provides new opportunities for high‐performance plastic electronic devices.

Hybrid design scheme for enabling large-aperture diffractive achromat imaging.

Diffractive achromats (DAs) combined with image processing algorithms offer a promising lens solution for high-performance ultra-thin imagers. However, the design of large-aperture DAs that align seamlessly with image processing algorithms remains challenging. Existing sequential methods, which prioritize focusing efficiency in DAs before selecting an algorithm, may not achieve a satisfactory match due to an ambiguous relationship between efficiency and final imaging quality. Conversely, image-quality-oriented end-to-end design often entails high computational complexity for both front-end optics and back-end algorithms, impeding the development of large-aperture designs. To address these issues, we present a hybrid design scheme that begins with end-to-end optimization of the DA with the simplest image processing algorithm, i.e., Wiener filter, significantly reducing the back-end complexity. Subsequently, we apply complex algorithm fine-tuning to further enhance image quality. We validate this hybrid design scheme through extensive investigations on several DA imagers. Our results demonstrate a reduction in memory requirement by approximately 50% while maintaining a high imaging quality with a reasonably large aperture. As a case in point, we simulated a DA imager with a 25 mm diameter aperture. Furthermore, our hybrid design scheme provides two crucial insights. Firstly, we find no strong linear correlation between focusing efficiency and imaging quality, which challenges the conventional understanding. Secondly, we establish a prediction formula for imaging quality, benefiting from the hybrid design scheme.

Black Marxism, Racial Capitalism, and Greek and Balkan Coloniality Studies: Toward an Abolitionist Perspective

The end of the Cold War marked the beginning of the Balkan and Greek postcolonial and de-colonial studies. The Yugoslav ethnic wars, the Greek “financial crisis,” and the European migration crisis generated a body of critical studies on regional nationalism, coloniality, and racialism and the Balkans and Greece's ambiguous relation to Europe. Cedric J. Robinson's Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition was missing from the large spectrum of postcolonial literature. This absence is surprising given that the book historicizes the simultaneous occurrence of colonialism, capitalism, racism, and modernity in the Balkan and the East Mediterranean during the late feudalism. The absence of this history from the Balkan's post and de-colonial studies deprives these studies of an abolitionist perspective; rather than opting for “provincializing Europe” empowered by this history of the native enslavements and colonization, these studies, much as Black radicalism should mobilize the region for the political culture for the abolition of “Europe.”

Expansion painting: a visual essay

ABSTRACT ‘Expansion Painting: A Visual Essay’ attempts another way of thinking about and through my practice of expansion painting through the form of a visual essay. In Asian art, images and words often come together as one. As can be seen in Chinese ink painting, images and words appear on the same visual plane, suggesting we look equally at both, seeing and reading both image and text. I aim to replicate this equal relationship between images and words in this paper as ‘another’ form of expansion painting. The image/text relationship also aims to reflect the viewers’ ambiguous relationship between their bodies and the work in the installations.

Diversity of flexible working time arrangements and workers' health: An analysis of a workers’ panel and linked employer-employee data for France

Flexible working time arrangements (FWTA) have increased over the last decades, favored by labor market deregulation, the decentralization of collective bargaining and the development of new technologies. The negative impact of some non-standard working hours on health (like night work, shift work) is quite well-known but other forms of FWTA have been studied less so far.This article aims to investigate the relationship between FWTA and workers’ health. It focuses on employer-oriented FWTA and uses a job demands-control framework to identify different types of working time demands and control.The study uses individual data from the French working conditions survey, including panel data from 2013 to 2019 (64,981 observations) and cross-sectional employer-employee linked data from 2019 (5687 employees from 4672 workplaces).We identify empirically two main dimensions of employer-oriented FWTA, based on 14 working time variables. The first type involves “atypical working hours”, such as working weekends, nights, early mornings, evenings, or doing shift work. The second type – “work overflow” – is characterized by long working hours, overtime, taking work home, and having variable working hours.Using a fixed-effects model based on panel data, we show that both types of FWTA have a negative impact on workers' self-rated general health and mental health, as measured by the WHO-5 index. The study also finds that workers who have more control – both individual and collective – to face these demands demonstrate better health. Workers with control over their working hours report better health and are less negatively affected by FWTA. Moreover, workplace-level practices have ambiguous relationships with workers' health. However, those involving social dialogue and workers’ participation have more favorable effects: the positive effect of health and safety committees is especially clear.To improve workers’ health in the context of increased flexible working time arrangements, public policies should promote the development of control over working time and participation of workers to social dialogue on working time related issues.

Exogenous putrescine plays a switch-like influence on the pH stress adaptability of biofilm-based activated sludge.

Microbial community adaptability to pH stress plays a crucial role in biofilm formation. This study aims to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of exogenous putrescine on pH stress, as well as enhance understanding and application for the technical measures and molecular mechanisms of biofilm regulation. Findings demonstrated that exogenous putrescine acted as a switch-like distributor affecting microorganism pH stress, thus promoting biofilm formation under acid conditions while inhibiting it under alkaline conditions. As pH decreases, the protonation degree of putrescine increases, making putrescine more readily adsorbed. Protonated exogenous putrescine could increase cell membrane permeability, facilitating its entry into the cell. Subsequently, putrescine consumed intracellular H+ by enhancing the glutamate-based acid resistance strategy and the γ-aminobutyric acid metabolic pathway to reduce acid stress on cells. Furthermore, putrescine stimulated ATPase expression, allowing for better utilization of energy in H+ transmembrane transport and enhancing oxidative phosphorylation activity. However, putrescine protonation was limited under alkaline conditions, and the intracellular H+ consumption further exacerbated alkali stress and inhibits cellular metabolic activity. Exogenous putrescine promoted the proportion of fungi and acidophilic bacteria under acidic stress and alkaliphilic bacteria under alkali stress while having a limited impact on fungi in alkaline biofilms. Increasing Bdellovibrio under alkali conditions with putrescine further aggravated the biofilm decomposition. This research shed light on the unclear relationship between exogenous putrescine, environmental pH, and pH stress adaptability of biofilm. By judiciously employing putrescine, biofilm formation could be controlled to meet the needs of engineering applications with different characteristics.IMPORTANCEThe objective of this study is to unravel the regulatory mechanism by which exogenous putrescine influences biofilm pH stress adaptability and understand the role of environmental pH in this intricate process. Our findings revealed that exogenous putrescine functioned as a switch-like distributor affecting the pH stress adaptability of biofilm-based activated sludge, which promoted energy utilization for growth and reproduction processes under acidic conditions while limiting biofilm development to conserve energy under alkaline conditions. This study not only clarified the previously ambiguous relationship between exogenous putrescine, environmental pH, and biofilm pH stress adaptability but also offered fresh insights into enhancing biofilm stability within extreme environments. Through the modulation of energy utilization, exerting control over biofilm growth and achieving more effective engineering goals could be possible.

The role of data science and data analytics for innovation: a literature review

ABSTRACT Data science and data analytics (DS/DA) have been quickly adopted by decision-makers in organisations. Their relation to specific functions within organisations, however, remain unclear. Therefore, this study focuses on their relationship to innovation and aim to clarify the role of DS/DA relative to innovation and decision-making. To this end, we conducted a literature review. Based on a systematic query in the Web of Science, we identified 172 relevant articles, which address DS/DA and innovation. Our findings suggest a prevalence of different understandings of DS/DA relative to innovation and decision-making. Specifically, we identified three distinct categories of articles: (1) “Innovation as a result of DS/DA”, (2) “DS/DA as a result of innovation”, (3) “Diffusion of DS/DA technology”, and sorted the remaining in a fourth category “Miscellaneous”. Our study contributes to the understanding of DS/DA and its ambiguous relationship to innovation and decision-making. We outline implications for academics, practitioners, and educators.

Now boarding: Towards new geographies of aeromobility

In this article, we build on Adey, Budd and Hubbard’s 2007 ‘Flying Lessons’ paper by proposing four trajectories – bodies, infrastructures, technologies and disruptions – along which future research may follow for aeromobility studies. Since ‘Flying Lessons’, concerns for aviation have spread and developed into new areas beyond the experience of the individual air-passenger, but they have also remained somewhat disparate. Our article seeks to synthesise, trace and evaluate these shifts, and to draw out their interconnections, inter-referentialisms and contradictions. We envision a future geographies of flying that is far more entangled and attuned to aeromobilities' ambiguous relations, both human and more-than-human.

Characterization and the first complete genome sequence of a novel strain of Bergeyella porcorum isolated from pigs in China

BackgroundBergeyella porcorum is a newly identified bacterium that has an ambiguous relationship with pneumonia in pigs. However, few studies have adequately characterized this species.ResultsIn this study, we analyzed the morphological, physiological, and genomic characteristics of the newly identified B. porcorum sp. nov. strain QD2021 isolated from pigs. The complete genome sequence of the B. porcorum QD2021 strain consists of a single circular chromosome (2,271,736 bp, 38.51% G + C content), which encodes 2,578 genes. One plasmid with a size of 70,040 bp was detected. A total of 121 scattered repeat sequences, 319 tandem repeat sequences, 4 genomic islands, 5 prophages, 3 CRISPR sequences, and 51 ncRNAs were predicted. The coding genes of the B. porcorum genome were successfully annotated across eight databases (NR, GO, KEGG, COG, TCDB, Pfam, Swiss-Prot and CAZy) and four pathogenicity-related databases (PHI, CARD, VFDB and ARDB). In addition, a comparative genome analysis was performed to explore the evolutionary relationships of B. porcorum QD2021.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to provide fundamental phenotypic and whole-genome sequences for B. porcorum. Our results extensively expand the current knowledge and could serve as a valuable genomic resource for future research on B. porcorum.

Gendered Manifestations of Para-social Interactions between Female Fans and Male Idols in China

This study aims to reveal the gendered manifestations of para-social interactions between female fans and male idols in social media platforms in China, to clarify in which aspects they serve to reinforce the traditional gender order and in which aspects they deviate from the traditional gender norms, with a view to contributing positively to the optimisation of the relationship between female fans and male idols. Digital ethnography approach is used in this work, based on the Sina Weibo platform, to conduct a 15-day online observational study of seven Chinese male idols, namely Ma Jiaqi, Liu Yaowen, Song Yaxuan, Deng Jiaxin, Tang Yuzhe, Zhu Yilong, and Yang Yang, as well as their female fans. The blind consumption and unpaid labour of Chinese female fans for their male idols, as well as the polygamous "courtly love" relationship between the two, reaffirm and reinforce the traditional gender order. At the same time, the transformation of Chinese female fans from erotic objects to erotic subjects, their love for multiple male idols, their concern for ambiguous relationships between male idols, and their adherence to self-principle and subjectivity have rebelled against and even subverted traditional gender norms. However, the power to counteract the traditional gender order is not strong enough, and is still limited by factors such as exclusivity within the fan community, heterosexual hegemony, and idolatry that is as crazy and irrational as religious beliefs.

The effects of language switching experience and acute stress on bilingual advantages in cognitive flexibility

Aims: This study aimed to investigate how bilingual advantages in cognitive flexibility were modulated by language-use parameters (e.g., language switching experience) and psychological factors (e.g., acute stress). Design/methodology: Chinese-English unbalanced bilinguals with a high or low amount of language switching experience (HLS or LLS bilinguals) performed a cued color-shape switching task in stress-free condition (Experiment 1) or in acute stress condition induced by the Trier Social Stress Test (Experiment 2). Switching and mixing costs were calculated to denote two aspects of cognitive flexibility: transient and sustained switching abilities, respectively. Data and analysis: Differences in switching and mixing costs between HLS and LLS bilinguals were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The predictive relationship between language switching experience and cognitive flexibility was examined using hierarchical regression models. The role of acute stress in the dynamics was tested by means of independent samples t-tests in a cross-analysis of Experiments 1 and 2. Findings/conclusions: HLS and LLS bilinguals showed similar switching and mixing costs in the stress-free condition, but in the acute stress condition, HLS bilinguals showed lower switching costs than LLS bilinguals. The result of cross-experimental analysis further revealed that higher switching costs were demanded in LLS bilinguals under acute stress. These findings suggest that language switching experience specifically influences transient switching ability under acute stress. Originality: This study was a first attempt to provide evidence that psychological stress may be a crucial determinant in exploring the theoretical implications of cognitive control in bilingualism. Significance: Our findings suggest that bilingual advantages in cognitive flexibility are conditional, shedding light on the ongoing debate about the ambiguous relationship between language experience and cognitive control in bilinguals.

Redistributive fiscal policy and marginal propensities to consume

This paper studies the output effect of transfers in a New Keynesian model with heterogeneous dynasties of overlapping generations, which allows for arbitrary heterogeneity in marginal propensities to consume (MPCs). The role of MPCs is mainly to determine the timing of the fiscal stimulus. Thus, it is not MPCs per se that determine the cumulative effect on output, but rather the interaction between the timing of the stimulus and other features of the model, such as financial frictions and an endogenous monetary policy response. Financially-constrained households always prefer a front-loaded stimulus, while the endogenous monetary policy can generate an ambiguous relation between MPCs and output. From a normative perspective, however, there is no ambiguity: with larger differences in MPCs, macro stabilization can be obtained at a smaller welfare cost.

The ambiguous relationship between food and health across the centuries

Since the Palaeolithic Age food has been closely linked to the development of the human species, meeting our energy needs and fuelling our cell metabolism. Without food there can be no life. However, over the centuries food and our eating habits have also had a damaging effect, whether through deficiencies, excesses, direct toxic effects or as a vector of pathogenic agents.The human species has known two major food revolutions: one at the start of the Neolithic Age and the other very recently in the years following the Second World War.In this article we will be looking at the ambiguous relationship between food and human health as well as the health of our planet.

Multi-agency counter-terrorism in Britain and Norway: Intelligence agencies and the administration of welfare

This article explores the emergence of new counter-terrorism programmes in the Britain and Norway through which intelligence and security agencies administer welfare. Support and resources are covertly allocated to persons identified as potential threats, through multi-agency structures led by intelligence and security agencies. Unlike Countering Violent Extremism programmes, this multi-agency management is not led by the local municipality; nor are its participants asked to consent to participation. These new programmes are covert. To conceptualize the significance of intelligence agencies entering the space of welfare administration, Mitchell Dean’s work ‘Liberal Government and Authoritarianism’ is used to underline the traditional separation of agencies within liberal governmentality. Governing through freedom entails the ostensible separation of policing, education and care agencies – reflecting the categorization of the population into groups requiring varying levels of coercion to self-govern. To avoid governing too much, each category of population is allocated a specific agency. Traditionally, intelligence and security agencies have been positioned at the highest tier of repression. By entering the space of welfare administration (and thus social policy), intelligence and security agencies have disturbed the sectoral separation integral to liberal governmentality, leaving care and repression in an ever more ambiguous relationship.