Comparative View Research Articles

A Comparative View of the Comprehensive Sickness Insurance Condition for Residence in Article 7 of Directive 2004/38

The Citizenship Directive 2004/38 provides for a right of residence for more than three months and up to five years for EEA nationals and their family members in other EEA states, subject (amongst other things) to a requirement of “comprehensive” sickness insurance during one’s stay. Yet what does “comprehensive” mean under EU and EEA law? How has this been interpreted by the CJEU and/or EFTA Court? And how is the requirement understood and applied at national level? These are the main issues discussed in the following article, which reveals a surprisingly high level of disparity in terms of interpretation and application of the requirement at national level in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Sweden.

Reimagining corporate planning practices for operational flexibility and sustainability in emerging economy: A reflection on the Nigerian private sector

ABSTRACT This study examined corporate planning and operational flexibility in an emerging economy, the Nigerian private sector. The research aimed to develop learning on the practice of corporate planning, with a view from the perspectives of the affected stakeholders who are engaged in the planning process. The study adopted a conceptual approach relying on extant literature and applying systems theory. The study developed and discussed a suggested model for improvement on existing practices. The points discussed included realignment of stakeholder engagement with set objectives, end-to-end effects of decisions in corporate planning, innovation, creativity and critical evaluation in corporate planning procedures, and attention to time management. The research concluded by emphasizing affected stakeholders’ participation, focusing on their interest in the corporate planning process. Part of the suggestion for further studies included the need for further research to consider a mixed theory and a comparative view of the topic, covering the public and private sectors.

Are cities navigating towards low carbon? A comparative view of China and globe

Are cities navigating towards low carbon? A comparative view of China and globe

Optimizing Big Data Analytics A Systematic Assessment of Clustering Techniques Through EDAS Methodology

This research provides an in-depth evaluation of big data analysis methods using the EDAS (Estimation Based on Distance from Average Solutions) framework. As data volumes continue to rapidly expand, choosing the most appropriate analytics approach has become increasingly important for organizations looking to extract valuable and actionable insights. This research analyzes five widely used clustering algorithms on four key evaluation metrics - Expectation Maximization (EM), Farthest-First (FF), Filtered Clustering (FC), Hierarchical Clustering (HC), and Make Density-Based Clustering (MD). By using the EDAS method, normalized decision ranks and preference scores were generated to evaluate the performance. Among the methods, despite the varying individual metric performance, EM ranked the highest overall (preference score: 0.56843). FC followed with balanced and consistent performance (0.54032), and FF came in third place (0.51761), outperforming RI and Jacquard scores. Interestingly, HC recorded the highest scores in ARI (98.23) and almost perfect Jacquard values (96.34), but ranked the lowest in overall preference (0.46742), emphasizing the need for a complete set of evaluation criteria. The findings suggest that method selection should be aligned with the specific priorities of a use case: EM and FC are best for balanced performance, while HC and MD are best suited for situations requiring high clustering accuracy. This research provides a comparative view of clustering methods in the EDAS context, which assists practitioners and researchers in making data-driven decisions and encourages further exploration into domain-specific or hybrid clustering strategies. Keywords: Big Data Analytics, EDAS Methodology, Clustering Algorithms, Performance Evaluation Metrics, Multi-criteria Decision Analysis

Why all the fuss about bare nouns in English-related creoles?

Abstract The heightened scholarly attention given to the absence of articles in creoles since the 1990s leaves an impression of a linguistic particularism. But are articleless nouns in English-related creoles so peculiar? If bare nouns are characteristic of creoles, their syntactic, semantic and pragmatic behaviour are not wholly unexpected, given the relatively small number of mismatches observed in the comparative data I provide in this column. A comparative view of textual corpora extracted from translations of Le Petit Prince in Jamaican, Vincentian and English shows compelling grammatical affinities between the three languages. Apart from a minimal number of innovations, bare nouns in the creoles function very much like English bare nominals. I illustrate these affinities using the semantico-pragmatic notions of presupposed identifiability and contextual salience, which facilitate the interpretation of bare nouns.

Integrating AI into Learning English: University Students’ Perceptions and the Roles of Traditional Methods

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to become a more vital component in education, understanding how university students are utilizing AI tools for learning English and how they compare to conventional approaches are essential. This study addresses the lack of a comprehensive overview by exploring university students’ experiences and perceptions of using AI tools for learning English, alongside their comparative view with traditional learning methods. A mixed-methods design was employed to collect data from two universities in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. A total of 100 non-English major students participated in answering a questionnaire grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and ten semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain in-depth insights into students’ attitudes toward learning English with AI tools and in conventional classrooms. The findings revealed that the most frequently used AI tools were Google Translate, ChatGPT, Duolingo and Grammarly. The primary purposes for AI uses were to support writing assignments, improve vocabulary and assist with translation. Students generally perceived AI tools as beneficial, with vocabulary, reading and writing self-reported as the most improved skills. Students’ perceived enjoyment was positively rated though moderate concerns were raised regarding the trust of AI-created content and the need for guided support in optimizing AI-based learning experiences. The majority of students expressed a strong desire for teachers to integrate AI into conventional forms of pedagogy to enhance motivation and engagement in learning English. This requires further research on various methods to effectively apply AI in teaching and language skills.

Thematic Analysis of Doctoral Theses Awarded in Library and Information Science

The study examines 3011 doctoral theses awarded at national level in the discipline of “Library and Information Science” and 62 doctoral theses awarded between 1950-2017 at the “Department of Library & Information Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh”. The analysis is based on the thematic classification of the doctoral theses. At the All-India level, theses have been classified into 68 themes while the 62 doctoral theses awarded by Panjab University are classified into 25 themes, with varying numbers per theme. The decade wise growth of doctoral thesis submitted at “Panjab University, Chandigarh” has been discussed to see the growth over the years. The literature review has made it evident that more focus is on the themes like Library use and user studies and Information and Communication Technology. In the present study, themes that have been arranged in rank and order are also discussed to draw a comparative view of national level themes with the “Panjab University, Chandigarh”. The study also aims to present the similarities and dissimilarities of the doctoral research theses objectively based on their themes.

A metaverse based digital preservation of temple architecture and heritage

This study employs a case study design to examine virtual reality (VR) representations of three culturally significant temples in Asia: Kodaiji Temple in Japan, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar. Each temple was selected for its historical, religious, and architectural importance, offering a comparative view of diverse digital preservation approaches within metaverse. Kodaiji Temple, a Zen Buddhist site in Japan, highlights the VR potential to convey spiritual ambiance along with architectural aesthetics. Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, a vast Khmer-style temple complex, presents unique technical challenges in digitally capturing its intricate carvings and expansive layout. Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar provides a study in digitizing sacred elements, including ritual practices and symbolism embedded in its structure. Drawing on secondary sources such as historical documents, academic articles, and cultural reports, this study investigates the effectiveness, challenges, and cultural implications of VR in preserving sacred temple architecture. Limitations regarding access to high-resolution VR models and the cultural sensitivities of digitalizing sacred spaces are acknowledged.

A comparative cloud-based view of adherence data over 1 year of CPAP versus APAP uses in OSA patients: Adherence depends on PAP device.

Compliance or adherence with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is a major issue in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The telemonitoring gives an opportunity to track a group of patients on cloud-based devices. In this study, we followed up patients with this cloud-based method for more than a year and followed up two different cohorts who are on continuous PAP (CPAP) and auto adjusting PAP (APAP) devices. The main objective was to judge whether one device scores over the other. This was a retrospective study. We included 60 patients in the CPAP group and 80 patients in the APAP group in the study who are using the device for 1 year or more; they all were on cloud-based devices, and for them, we had data of completed 1 year at least. The data were reviewed periodically for compliance, AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index), and leak and compared. Both the groups were matched in terms of age, BMI, and AHI. Adherence at 365 days was significantly more (P < 0.001) for CPAP than APAP. Overall adherence was not lesser than 60% for CPAP in any patient. The mean AHI was 1.48 in CPAP group and 2.30 in APAP group. When we measured the leak in CPAP versus APAP group, it was 0.53 liter/minute more in CPAP group than in APAP group, but it was statistically non-significant (P = 0.8553). The mean pressure level between APAP and CPAP was 11.11 cmH2O in CPAP group and 11.62 cm H2O in APAP group, and it was again statistically non-significant (P = 0.1960). CPAP group used the machine 5.77 hours average, while APAP group used it for 4.51 hours average. CPAP adherence at 1 year was better over APAP in this study, which has a large cost implication.

Online and Social Media Political Participation: Political Discussion Network Ties and Differential Social Media Platform Effects Over Time

Prior research has largely documented the overall mobilizing effects of social media news consumption and political discussion linked to citizens’ political participatory behaviors. However, limited empirical research has considered the informational and communicative effects to be contingent upon different social media platforms. Therefore, this study advances distinct theoretical affordances and effects of social media news use on online (by using online versions of legacy media outlets, blogs, and news apps) and social media political participation. Taking advantage of US comparative panel data, ordinary least squares (OLS) causal autoregressive regressions and panel autoregressive structural equation model tests cast a much-needed light on the diverse effects of Facebook, X, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit use for news over both political discussions with weak and strong ties, and political participation online and in social media. Moreover, results from two-step algorithmic cluster analysis clarify how these social media platforms generate different information and political behavior clusters of citizens, which also provide a comparative view of how social media platforms differently contribute to people’s public and political life in US democracy.

Star Formation from Low to High Mass: A Comparative View

Star formation has often been studied by separating the low- and high-mass regimes with an approximate boundary at 8 M⊙. Although some of the outcomes of the star-formation process are different between the two regimes, it is less clear whether the physical processes leading to these outcomes are that different at all. Here, we systematically compare low- and high-mass star formation by reviewing the most important processes and quantities from an observational and theoretical point of view. We identify three regimes in which processes are either similar, quantitatively, or qualitatively different between low- and high-mass star formation. ▪ Similar characteristics can be identified for the turbulent gas properties and density structures of the star-forming regions. Many of the observational characteristics also do not depend that strongly on the environment. ▪ Quantitative differences can be found for outflow, infall, and accretion rates as well as mean column and volume densities. Also, the multiplicity significantly rises from low- to high-mass stars. The importance of the magnetic field for the formation processes appears still less well constrained. ▪ Qualitative differences between low- and high-mass star formation relate mainly to the radiative and ionizing feedback that occurs almost exclusively in regions forming high-mass stars. Nevertheless, accretion apparently can continue via disk structures in ionized accretion flows. Finally, we discuss to what extent a unified picture of star formation over all masses is possible and which issues need to be addressed in the future.

From Marshall’s external economies to external economies of transformation in contemporary industrial spaces

Abstract This article draws on Marshall’s conceptualisation of external economies as expression of collective efficiency within the realms of industrial organisation and development. Marshall found them clearly expressed in the industrial districts (IDs) of his age, being an alternative to the growing importance of corporate efficiency driven by large firms. An extended literature, pivoting around the re-emergence of IDs and other forms of local productive systems since the 1980s, has acknowledged again the role of an evolved generation of external economies of development (EED), to which we refer as Marshallian EED. The article aims, first, to provide an integrated and comparative view of the sources and types of such EED; and, secondly, to propose an extension to tendencies in contemporary industrial spaces, including but not limited to thriving IDs. We see last ones’ sources as featured by cross-sectoral, cross-societal, cross-governance, and cross-territorial processes that help manage continuous transformation in the face of contemporary disruptive challenges. We introduce here the concept of Marshallian external economies of transformation. Incessant change does not prevent the relevance of variations rooted in Marshall’s heritage.

Intervention-linked Community Research

Community Organising is usually not conceptualized as research and vice versa community research is not conducted with the aim of community organising. However, in our contribution, we draw attention to the many parallels between community organising and intervention-linked community research practiced in the Bochum City Lab. We first introduce the working methods of the City Lab and then present its historical development. On the example of the research project “EMPOWER” - we will show how collaborative knowledge production can foster processes of politization and empowerment. We will close with a comparative view on theory and practice of community organising and the City Lab concept.

Analysis of prospective teachers’ opinions on linguistic communication competence: A comparative view

In recent decades we have witnessed the progressive implementation of a culture of inclusion making it is essential to provide teachers with training in generic and specific competencies, being the reinforcement of attitudes and views regarding attention to diversity that will be fundamental to ensure the effective implementation of this educational model. Although the study of teachers’ views regarding inclusive education has been the subject of much research, we did not find an extensive wide repertoire concerning the opinions of university students on educative attention to specific educational support needs centred in the field of competence in linguistic communication. Thus, with this study we aimed to analyse the opinions of trainee teachers on the development of this key competence in primary education and their training at university. For this, 2 university realities in different international contexts were compared through a mixed descriptive categorical analysis. The main conclusions are that, although there is a consensus about the importance of developing linguistic communication competence, there are considerable differences between the 2 contexts in terms of attention to diversity, teacher education and training, and the provision of resources for its promotion in the classroom.

LA JUSTICIABILIDAD DE LOS DESC MEDIANTE UN ANALISIS DE SENTENCIAS DEL TRIBUNAL EUROPEO Y LA CORTE INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS

This article provides a comparative view of the justiciability of ESCR in the European and Inter-Ame-rican Regional Systems for the Protection of Human Rights. It examines the regulations on ESCR in force in the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950 and the European Social Charter of 1961of the European System, and the American Convention on Human Rights of 1969 and the Protocol ofSan Salvador of 1988, of the Inter-American System, respectively; as well as the jurisprudence of thehuman rights courts to determine how the justiciability of ESCR has been approached in both systems,noting that despite the fact that the European Court of Human Rights, through its jurisprudence, was the first to establish the interrelationship between civil rights and ESCR in 1973, it has avoided recog-nizing direct violations of these rights, while the Inter-American Court of Human Rights since 2017, it modified its line of interpretation and declared itself competent to hear direct violations of ESCR,despite the restrictions existing in Article 19.6 of the Protocol of San Salvador.

Total alpha radioactivity in fertilizers used in the Indian state of West Bengal using CR-39 SSNTDs: Presentation of a comparative view for different types of fertilizers

Total alpha radioactivity in fertilizers used in the Indian state of West Bengal using CR-39 SSNTDs: Presentation of a comparative view for different types of fertilizers

Live and mediated user engagements: A comparative dataset from two Bengali audio-story based youtube channels.

Live and mediated user engagements: A comparative dataset from two Bengali audio-story based youtube channels.

Local Content Policies in Petroleum-Rich Nations: A Comparative View of Four Countries

Local Content Policies in Petroleum-Rich Nations: A Comparative View of Four Countries

Comparative metabolomic analysis of Haematococcus pluvialis during hyperaccumulation of astaxanthin under the high salinity and nitrogen deficiency conditions.

Revealing the differences of metabolite profiles of H. pluvialis during hyperaccumulation of astaxanthin under the high salinity and nitrogen deficiency conditions was the key issues of the present study. To investigate the optimum NaCl and NaNO3 concentration and the corresponding metabolic characteristic related to the astaxanthin accumulation in H. pluvialis, a batch culture experiment was conducted. The results indicated that 7.5g·L- 1 and 0g·L- 1 (nitrogen deficiency) were the optimum NaCl and NaNO3 levels for the astaxanthin accumulation respectively, under which the highest astaxanthin contents reached up to 7.51mg·L- 1 and 5.60mg·L- 1. A total of 132 metabolites were identified using LC-MS/MS technique, among which 30 differential metabolites with statistical significance were highlighted. Subsequently, 18 and 10 differential metabolic pathways in the high salinity (HS) and nitrogen-deficient (ND) treatments were extracted and annotated respectively. The values of Fv/Fm, Yield and NPQ were all at the highest level in the ND group during the experiment. The levels of the metabolites in the ND group were almost lower than those both in the control (CK) and HS group, while which in the HS group were substantially at the higher or close levels compared to the CK group. Finally, 7 metabolic markers related to the astaxanthin accumulation were highlighted in the HS and ND group respectively. L-Proline, L-Aspartate, Uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP), Succinate, L-2-Hydroxygluterate, L-Valine and Inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) were identified as the metabolic markers in the HS group, whose fold change were 0.85, 4.14, 0.31, 0.66, 3.10, 1.32 and 0.30. Otherwise, the metabolic markers were Glyceric acid, Thymine, sn-Glycerol 3-phosphate, Glycine, Allantoic acid, L-Valine and IMP in the ND group, with the fold change 0.23, 2.11, 0.38, 0.41, 0.50 and 2.96 respectively. The results provided the comparative metabolomic view of astaxanthin accumulation in H. pluvialis under the different cultivation conditions, moreover showed a novel insights into the astaxanthin production.

Religion and the Radical Right in West European Democracies: Christian and Para-Christian Identities

Much focus has been placed on how radical right parties appropriate religion, especially Christianity, to advance political aims. However, this overlooks cases where religion is not merely appropriated by radical right parties. This paper seeks to address that gap and look at the relationship between radical right movements and religion and argues for a broader comparative view of the merger between religion and radical right politics. Using supply and demand side perspectives, I show how radical right parties in different countries have integrated Christian identity into their agendas in different ways. I further argue that the decline of Christian Democratic parties and broader secularization trends have enabled this shift as radical right parties fill the ideological void with a culturally defined Christianity that resonates with voters disoriented by rapid societal change.