Character Traits Research Articles

Cold War II

The article defines the current geopolitical situation as the Second Cold War which resembles a lot the configuration of a global counteropposition between the USA and the Soviet Union in the 2nd half of the 20th century. The term “Cold War II” has already been introduced to the Western scientific literature and is made to emphasize that the current conflict between Russian and China, on one hand, and the USA and their allies, on the other, replicates many of the processes which were going on in the world after World War II but still possesses a number of characteristic traits. The paper analyses concrete parallels in the international political and economic relations in Cold War I (1946-1991) and in today’s world. A comparative analysis is made of military, political, ideological, and economic aspects of the two Cold Wars. The distinction between the two periods is made, and a forecast of the development of international relations in the context of this global opposition in the 21st century is made.

Spectral graph model for fMRI: A biophysical, connectivity-based generative model for the analysis of frequency-resolved resting-state fMRI

Abstract Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is a popular and widely used technique to explore the brain’s functional organization and to examine whether it is altered in neurological or mental disorders. The most common approach for its analysis targets the measurement of the synchronized fluctuations between brain regions, characterized as functional connectivity (FC), typically relying on pairwise correlations in activity across different brain regions. While hugely successful in exploring state- and disease-dependent network alterations, these statistical graph theory tools suffer from two key limitations. First, they discard useful information about the rich frequency content of the fMRI signal. The rich spectral information now achievable from advances in fast multiband acquisitions is consequently being underutilized. Second, the analyzed FCs are phenomenological without a direct neurobiological underpinning in the underlying structures and processes in the brain. There does not currently exist a complete generative model framework for whole brain resting fMRI that is informed by its underlying biological basis in the structural connectome. Here we propose that a different approach can solve both challenges at once: the use of an appropriately realistic yet parsimonious biophysics-informed signal generation model followed by graph spectral (i.e., eigen) decomposition. We call this model a spectral graph model (SGM) for fMRI, using which we can not only quantify the structure–function relationship in individual subjects, but also condense the variable and individual-specific repertoire of fMRI signal’s spectral and spatial features into a small number of biophysically interpretable parameters. We expect this model-based analysis of rs-fMRI that seamlessly integrates with structure can be used to examine state and trait characteristics of structure–function relationships in a variety of brain disorders.

Pengertian Pemimpin dan Kepemimpinan, Dimensi, Teori Kepemimpinan

Leaders and leadership have been an inseparable part of human nature since the beginning of their existence. The discussion of leaders and leadership not only explains the characteristics and abilities needed to be an effective leader, but also highlights their strategic role in driving the organization and achieving common goals. A popular saying states that no country or organization can survive without adequate leaders. This confirms that leaders are the essence of management, and the success of an organization is greatly influenced by the morality and competence of its leaders. However, not all individuals who occupy leadership positions have the appropriate abilities or even a deep understanding of the essence of leadership. Conversely, many have a natural talent for leadership but never get the opportunity to explore their full potential. Rasulullah SAW. is considered a prime example in terms of leadership, spreading goodness and beauty in life. In the educational context, leadership plays an important role in organizing educational institutions. Even in a smaller scope, teachers must have a leadership spirit to manage the class, organize learning well, and motivate students. Leadership itself can be defined as the process of influencing and directing group activities towards a common goal, involving strategy, commitment and development of organizational culture. Leadership theory can be categorized into 4 parts, namely (1) Great Man Theory and Big Bang Theory, (2) Theory of Personality Traits (Characteristics), (3) Behavioral Theories (4). Contingency Theory or Situational Theory. In conclusion, leaders and leadership play a crucial role in every aspect of human life, from organizations to education. Effective leader development requires a deep understanding of leadership theories and the application of leadership values ​​in everyday life.

Аксиологическая характеристика концепта «добро» (на материале русских и немецких пословиц)

The research aims to determine the value content of the concept "good" in Russian and German linguocultures. The novelty of the research lies in the study of the ethnocultural features of the value component of the concept "good" in Russian and German linguistic consciousness, taking into account culture codes actualized in proverbs. The research established that the semantics of Russian and German proverbs about good represent all basic culture codes. The anthropic code and its subcodes, anthropic-axiological and anthropic – activity-based, are prevalent. Both linguocultures emphasize the value of good and its connection to God, modesty, the longevity/immortality of good, and the simultaneously short-lived nature of the memory of it. Both evaluate a person's good deeds and the person themselves, and their qualities. In Russian linguoculture, the anthropomorphic subcode postulates the family as the origin of good; the anthropic-emotional and anthropic-axiological subcodes indicate the connection of good with joy and human character traits; and the anthropic – activity-based subcode emphasizes the importance of striving to do good. In German linguoculture, the anthropic-mental subcode highlights that a person's thoughts and speech are more often and more directed towards evil than towards good.

A new obolellid brachiopod from the Wirrealpa Limestone (Cambrian; Stage 4), Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Obolellids are a monophyletic group of calcareous brachiopods with a worldwide distribution that often occur near the Series 2 (Stage 4)–Miaolingian Series (Wuliuan Stage) boundary. The poorly known taxon, Obolella wirrialpensis Etheridge, 1905 originally described from the lower Cambrian Wirrealpa Limestone in the Flinders Ranges has several unique character traits including prominent “stepped” concentric lamellae and, unusually for the family, lacks any type of radial ornament. The ventral valve has a well-defined acuminate beak and single asymmetrical tooth on the left side of a raised, orthocline ventral interarea platform that aligns with a wide median notch in the dorsal valve. This unique suite of character traits reveals the taxon to be a new endemic obolellid genus, here revised as Jagoellus n. gen., part of the late Stage 4 Chalasiocranos-Kaimenella shelly fossil zone and lower Kostjubella djagoran brachiopod assemblage zone from Australia.

Plasticity and the structural characteristics of personality traits in captive-reared Japanese quail during ontogeny

Plasticity and the structural characteristics of personality traits in captive-reared Japanese quail during ontogeny

Autumn diet of Little Owls (Athene noctua) in southern Tunisia

Abstract The Little Owl (Athene noctua) is a widespread nocturnal raptor whose diet has extensively been studied. In the Mediterranean, a tendency towards increased ingestion of insects has been highlighted, but this tendency still needs more empirical validation. Here, we provide data on the autumn diet of Little Owls in an arid area in southern Tunisia. We analyzed 621 pellets from 30 different territories and identified 4,267 prey items, with insects being by far the most ingested prey. However, based on biomass, the diet was more evenly distributed across the identified prey categories. Vertebrates accounted for 63% of the biomass ingested, while the remaining part of prey composition was almost equally shared between insects and arachnids. The importance of arachnids looks like a characteristic dietary trait of Little Owls in south Mediterranean deserts, where arachnids represent a main component of the community of potential prey. In summary, our findings highlight the great food opportunism of the Little Owl due to its capability of adapting its diet to the availability of potential prey.

Identity‐Based Motivation and the Motivational Consequences of Difficulty

ABSTRACTDifficulty is an under‐appreciated but powerful motivational force. As outlined by identity‐based motivation (IBM) theory, a social cognition theory of self, self‐regulation, and goal pursuit, people prefer to act (action‐readiness) and understand their experiences (procedural‐readiness) in ways that fit who they are (identity‐congruence). IBM also predicts that experienced identity congruence is context‐sensitive—though experienced as stable anchors, people's identities are dynamically constructed in context. Contexts shape which identities come to mind, what these on‐the‐mind identities imply for action, and what people infer when thinking about a task, goal, or life feels hard. People can draw two inferences (termed difficulty‐as‐importance and difficulty‐as‐impossibility) when a task or goal feels hard to think about and a third (termed difficulty‐as‐improvement) when their life feels hard to think about. IBM predicts, and studies support, a bidirectional relationship among these three components (action‐readiness, procedural‐readiness, and dynamic construction). Situations shape the identities that are on the mind and feel relevant (dynamic construction) and the inferences people draw from difficulty (procedural readiness). On‐the‐mind and context‐relevant identities shape inferences from difficulty. Inferences from difficulty affect identity and action—when applying a difficulty‐as‐importance lens, people feel more certain of attaining their self‐relevant goals. They perform better and find engaging a “me” thing to do—“no pain, no gain”. When applying a difficulty‐as‐impossibility lens, people find engaging a waste of their time and unlikely to yield self‐benefits unless an easy means to goal attainment exists—“cut your losses”. They focus on their virtuous character traits and prefer effortful means to attain self‐relevant goals when applying a difficulty‐as‐improvement lens—“the high road”. Difficulty can be a green light of importance signaling you to get going, a detour sign of impossibility signaling you to shift to something else, or angel wings pointing you to the effortful route.

Emergence of New Male Leads in Korean Dramas

Korean TV production has been greatly influenced by the arrival of a wave of feminism in South Korea and the subsequent wave of anti-feminism. Moreover, writers and directors have taken the opportunity to update the main male and female characters of the series. The aim of this paper is to introduce two new types of male heroes that we notice in contemporary Korean dramas: an “underdog” and a “dream-like hero”. Through a narrative analysis that focuses on the personality development of characters within a narrative, we examine two heroes – Park Sae-ro-yi from Itaewon Class and Ryu Sun-jae from Lovely Runner. Park Sae-ro-yi introduces the character of an underdog whose life became worse after a tragedy and was left marked by the inaction of his surroundings when he entered this unfortunate situation. He can succeed despite adversity. The adversity in question can be aided by illegal practices, which is why the underdog often becomes a vigilante as well. Ryu Sun-jae embodies a dream-like hero, but he should not be understood as a person who exists solely for the heroine, and loses himself. He is a character who is mature but willing to give the heroine anything she desires. In doing so, he fulfills feminist views, sentiments and expectations of actualization that came to Korean television production after 2012. At the same time, he does not have to be a selfless character because the character may not only be positive, but may also have certain negative character traits.

From neoliberalism to authoritarianism in the perspective of socio-psychologial characterology

Today’s trend toward authoritarianism is not a rejection of neoliberalism, but rather a continuation of it through other means. This thesis can be supported by looking at the debate about changes in social character in social psychological characterology. Under neoliberalism, the authoritarian character (Fromm 1932) as a threat to democracy gave way to the marketing character (Fromm 1976). In the crisis of neoliberalism today, we are not observing a return to the authoritarian character, but rather the fusion of authoritarian and neoliberal character traits to form an affirmative character (Jäger 2020). The appearance of right-wing populist parties such as the AfD, which is both neoliberal and authoritarian, fits in with this.

From neoliberalism to authoritarianism in the perspective of socio-psychologial characterology

Today’s trend toward authoritarianism is not a rejection of neoliberalism, but rather a continuation of it through other means. This thesis can be supported by looking at the debate about changes in social character in social psychological characterology. Under neoliberalism, the authoritarian character (Fromm 1932) as a threat to democracy gave way to the marketing character (Fromm 1976). In the crisis of neoliberalism today, we are not observing a return to the authoritarian character, but rather the fusion of authoritarian and neoliberal character traits to form an affirmative character (Jäger 2020). The appearance of right-wing populist parties such as the AfD, which is both neoliberal and authoritarian, fits in with this.

Imagination as an intellectual virtue

Abstract Many philosophers have recently defended the epistemic value of imagination. In this paper, we expand these discussions into the realm of virtue epistemology by proposing and defending a virtue-theoretic conception of imagination. On this account, the intellectual virtue of imagination is a character trait consisting of dispositions to engage skilfully in activities characteristic of imagining, with good judgement and from appropriate epistemic motivations. We argue that this approach helps to explain important connections between related, but distinct, intellectual virtues, including creativity and empathy, and reveals avenues for future work on how best to develop intellectually virtuous imagination.

New species, new synonyms, and resurrected taxa: A review of West and Central Palaearctic members of the genus Pseudoanthidium (Apoidea: Megachilidae).

Wool carder bees of the genus Pseudoanthidium comprise approximately 60-65 species, which are found in the Palaearctic, Indo-Malayan and Afrotropical realms. Their taxonomic relationships are little understood. Herein, I revised West and Central Palaearctic members of the genus. Four species are described as new, namely P. farsiense sp. nov. from Iran, P. microrubrum sp. nov. from Morocco, P. syriacum sp. nov. from Syria, and P. tajikistanicum sp. nov. from Tajikistan. The largely overlooked species Anthidium fulviventre Friese, 1917, described from Russia, and Anthidium ivanovi Mavromoustakis, 1954, described from Tajikistan, are recognized as members of the Pseudoanthidium genus, as P. fulviventre (Friese, 1917) comb. nov. and P. ivanovi (Mavromoustakis, 1954) stat. resurrect. & comb. nov. Anthidium moricei Friese, 1911, from Jordan, and A. royoi Dusmet, 1915, from Morocco, are resurrected from synonymy with P. melanurum and suggested to be treated as P. moricei (Friese, 1911) stat. resurrect. and P. royoi (Dusmet, 1915) stat. resurrect. & comb. nov. The hitherto unknown males of P. moricei (Friese, 1911) and P. rubellulum Pasteels, 1969 are described based on material from Jordan and Israel, respectively. Royanthidium bicoloripenne Pasteels, 1981 (syn. nov.) from Morocco, is revealed to be a junior synonym of P. octodentatum (Pérez, 1895). Morphological traits, along with DNA sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene ("barcoding gene"), allowed clustering the species in five polytypic and five monotypic species groups. As key character traits of the type species of nominate Pseudoanthidium largely fit the subgeneric characters of the subgenus Royanthidium Pasteels, 1969, Royanthidium is regarded as a junior synonym (syn. nov.) of nominate Pseudoanthidium. The species of the subgenus Exanthidium Pasteels, 1969 form a uniform clade both in terms of morphology and DNA marker. An examination of the non-Palaearctic Pseudoanthidium species is suggested to determine whether Exanthidium deserves subgenus status.

Strengths use and emotional disorder symptom reduction during a transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy: A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model study.

Strengths use, the engagement of positive character traits in everyday contexts, is associated with both positive functioning and symptom reduction. The present study examined longitudinal relationships between strengths use and emotional disorder symptoms (anxiety, stress, and depression) during a randomized clinical trial of the Digital Unified Protocol, a transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy. Participants (N = 120) completed assessments at four major time points during treatment and at 3-month follow-up. We specified three random-intercept cross-lagged panel model to capture within-person, bidirectional, time-lagged relationships between strengths use and anxiety, stress, and depression, respectively. Prospective increases in strengths use were associated with significant decreases in anxiety at all time points (β = -0.26 to -0.49), while prospective decreases in anxiety were associated with significant increases in strengths use at most time points (β = -0.25 to -0.36). Prospective increases in strengths use were associated with significant decreases in stress at most time points (β = -0.23 to -0.54), while prospective decreases in stress were associated with significant increases in strengths use at Week 4 (β = -0.21) and at follow-up (β = -0.41). Prospective increases in strengths use were associated with significant decreases in depression at Week 8 (β = -0.63) and at posttreatment (β = -0.67), while prospective decreases in depression were associated with significant increases in strengths use at most time points (β = -0.34 to -0.47). Clinical implications of findings are discussed, including the potential role of strengths use as a treatment target. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Validation of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in Military Personnel of the Spanish Army (RSES-JGA).

Self-esteem is a psychological term that, since its emergence in 1890 with William James, has been widely studied. Furthermore, this construct has been examined in different areas of psychology, including the clinical field, where its relationship with mental health and low levels of depression has been demonstrated. In the realm of positive psychology, its connection to resilience and life satisfaction has also been established. Evaluating self-esteem in military personnel is essential, as healthy self-esteem can enhance resilience, improve performance, and promote emotional well-being. To evaluate validity based on internal structure from the perspective of Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT), to obtain evidence of validity based on the relationship with other variables, and to estimate the reliability of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). To this end, 584 military personnel from the three ranks of the Spanish Army (officers, non-commissioned officers, and professional soldiers and sailors) were evaluated, of which 511 were men (87.70%) and 72 were women (12.30%), with an age range of 18 to 66 years (M = 33.17, SD = 7.38). The results indicate that the unidimensional structure of the RSES shows adequate fit indices (CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.91, SRMR = 0.05), while the difficulty and discrimination parameters exhibited favorable values. Additionally, an acceptable reliability value was found (ɷ = 0.81; α = 0.80). Therefore, it is concluded that the RSES-JGA presents adequate psychometric properties of validity and reliability, making it a useful and relevant instrument for measuring self-esteem in military personnel of the Spanish Army. This will make it possible to measure the level of self-esteem in military personnel, i.e., the set of perceptions, thoughts, evaluations, feelings, and behavioral tendencies directed towards oneself, one's own way of being, and towards one's own body and character traits.

The overall regulatory network and contributions of ABC(D)E model genes in yellowhorn flower development

BackgroundSingle flowers and double flowers, exhibiting distinct flower morphologies, developmental process and regulatory networks, have garnered significant attention recently. In yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium), the cause of double flower variation has been elucidated, yet the differences in regulatory networks between single and double flowers remain unexplored.ResultHere, we investigated transcriptional changes underlying flower development among yellowhorn single- and double-flowered-trees. Transcriptome analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were applied to identify key genes and reveal the characteristics of single and double flower traits. The involvement of development-specific and flower-type-specific DEGs related to hormone signaling, metabolism, growth and development was identified, and ABC(D)E model genes were found to be closely associated with floral organ development. Overexpression of yellowhorn ABC(D)E model genes in Arabidopsis demonstrated their roles in floral organ development, and the interactions between different pairs of genes were also validated by yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) experiments.ConclusionTherefore we elucidated differences between yellowhorn single and double flower development, highlighting the roles of yellowhorn ABC(D)E model genes in controlling flower structures, which not only enriches the understanding of yellowhorn flower researches, but also provides insights for studying flower development in other woody species.

Implementation of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) in Enhancing Student Character

This study aims to analyze the implementation of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) with the theme "Voice of Democracy" at MAN 2 Trenggalek. A qualitative approach was employed through interviews and group discussions with students, a teacher of Akidah Akhlaq, and guidance counselor (BK). The research stages include planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project. The findings indicate an improvement in students' understanding of democratic values and the development of tolerant and responsible character traits. Students reported feeling more motivated to actively participate in discussions and activities, creating an inclusive learning environment. The discussion highlights the importance of integrating Pancasila values into character education and the challenges faced in teaching ethics of expression. This research provides recommendations to strengthen collaboration among schools, parents, and the community in supporting character education based on democratic values.

Impact of Image Content on Medical Crowdfunding Success: A Machine Learning Approach.

As crowdfunding sites proliferate, visual content often serves as the initial bridge connecting a project to its potential backers, underscoring the importance of image selection in effectively engaging an audience. This paper aims to explore the relationship between images and crowdfunding success in cancer-related crowdfunding projects. We used the Alibaba Cloud platform to detect individual features in images. In addition, we used the Recognize Anything Model to label images and obtain content tags. Furthermore, the discourse atomic topic model was used to generate image topics. After obtaining the image features and image content topics, we built regression models to investigate the factors that influence the results of crowdfunding success. Images with a higher proportion of young people (β=0.0753; P<.001), a larger number of people (β=0.00822; P<.001), and a larger proportion of smiling faces (β=0.0446; P<.001) had a higher success rate. Image content related to good things and patient health also contributed to crowdfunding success (β=0.082, P<.001; and β=0.036, P<.001, respectively). In addition, the interaction between image topics and image characteristics had a significant effect on the final fundraising outcome. For example, when smiling faces are considered in conjunction with the image topics, using more smiling faces in the rest and play theme increased the amount of money raised (β=0.0152; P<.001). We also examined causality through a counterfactual analysis, which confirmed the influence of the variables on crowdfunding success, consistent with the results of our regression models. In the realm of web-based medical crowdfunding, the importance of uploaded images cannot be overstated. Image characteristics, including the number of people depicted and the presence of youth, significantly improve fundraising results. In addition, the thematic choice of images in cancer crowdfunding efforts has a profound impact. Images that evoke beauty and resonate with health issues are more likely to result in increased donations. However, it is critical to recognize that reinforcing character traits in images of different themes has different effects on the success of crowdfunding campaigns.

The Lithuanian Nomenklatura of the Period of Stagnation in the Eyes of the Soviet “Governor General”: the Clash during the Appointment of Petras Griškevičius

The article, based on the author’s conversation with Valery Charazov (born 1918), second secretary of the Lithuanian Communist party Central Committee (further LCP CC) 1967–1978, archive sources, and memoirs of other activists of that period, describes Charazov’s attitude to the situation in Soviet Lithuania after the death of the LCP CC first secretary Antanas Sniečkus, his evaluation of the Republic’s highest nomenklatura as well as his active role in appointing second secretary Petras Griškevičius as first secretary of LCP CC. Valery Charazov’s activity as LCP CC second secretary is similar to the activities of second secretaries of other republics, and it allows us to see the wider pattern of their activity throughout the Soviet Union. On the other hand, certain aspects allow us to see the Soviet Union–wide political processes from the local perspective of a republic. This is revealed though analysis of the actions of Charazov’s Lithuanian nomenklatura opponents – how they used their political connections with Ukrainian CP CC first secretary Shcherbitsky and with the Dnepropetrovsk political group which became entrenched during Leonid Brezhnev’s rule, as well as through the review of the political heritage of Antanas Sniečkus, who was also a client of the “shadow” USSR cardinal Mikhail Suslov. The article looks at the survey of the Lithuanian nomenklatura carried out by Valery Charazov. With this survey he sought to elect and present to Moscow the most suitable candidate to succeed Antanas Sniečkus. This survey and the character descriptions of candidates made in its wake was the informational basis that enabled the election of a candidate satisfactory to both Moscow and the local nomenklatura. The article presents the results of the survey carried out by Charazov. The following candidates were nominated for the position of LCP CC first secretary: chairman of the Council of Ministers of LSSR Juozas Maniušis, three LCP CC secretaries – Secretary for Industry and Construction Algirdas Ferensas, Secretary for Ideology Antanas Barkauskas, Secretary for Agriculture Rimgaudas Songaila – as well as the chairman of the party’s Vilnius city committee Petras Griškevičius, chairman of the LSSR labour unions’ committee Kazimieras Mackevičius, and head of LCP CC Organisational-party work division Vytautas Astrauskas. In the 47 interviews with contemporary party and Soviet leaders, the candidacy of Petras Griškevičius gained the most support. This activist was the first choice of 12 persons, and was considered a potential candidate (among others) – by 29 persons. Antanas Barkauskas was the first choice of one of those interviewed and was considered a possible candidate by 11 persons; Rimgaudas Songaila was no one’s first choice, but was seen as a possible candidate by 9 persons; Kazimieras Mackevičius, like Songaila, was not anyone’s preferred candidate, but 6 representatives considered him a possible candidate. Charazov’s survey revealed how unpopular Maniušis, who was viewed as one of the favourites, was. No one considered him as a first choice and 17 people considered him a possible candidate. Arguably, the main result of Charazov’s survey was the genuine characterisation of the nominees. It was distinguished from other formal responses of the time by the open identification of negative character traits of the candidates and a rather accurate description of their personalities.

Character traits change upon language switch in Croatian speakers of English

Character traits change upon language switch in Croatian speakers of English