Diverse Viewpoints Research Articles

Recent Technical Advances in Sample Preparation for Single-Particle Cryo-EM.

Cryo-sample preparation is a vital step in the process of obtaining high-resolution structures of macromolecules by using the single-particle cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM) method; however, cryo-sample preparation is commonly hampered by high uncertainty and low reproducibility. Specifically, the existence of air-water interfaces during the sample vitrification process could cause protein denaturation and aggregation, complex disassembly, adoption of preferred orientations, and other serious problems affecting the protein particles, thereby making it challenging to pursue high-resolution 3D reconstruction. Therefore, sample preparation has emerged as a critical research topic, and several new methods for application at various preparation stages have been proposed to overcome the aforementioned hurdles. Here, we summarize the methods developed for enhancing the quality of cryo-samples at distinct stages of sample preparation, and we offer insights for developing future strategies based on diverse viewpoints. We anticipate that cryo-sample preparation will no longer be a limiting step in the single-particle cryo-EM field as increasing numbers of methods are developed in the near future, which will ultimately benefit the entire research community.

Roses and thorns: Political talk in reality TV subreddits

Most online media consumption is not driven by a desire to seek out news and politics. However, the public may still encounter politics because it arises organically in communities devoted to non-political subjects. This study examines the potential of popular reality television online discussion forums to serve as online third spaces and stimulate political discussion due to the natural connections that audiences make between the cast members and “real life” in reality-based programming. Based on a quantitative analysis of political comments made to reality television subreddits and a survey of visitors to a popular subreddit focused on The Bachelor television show, the findings not only demonstrate the ability of entertainment-focused online communities to expose a broad segment of the public to political talk, but also point to the obstacles in promoting political discussion that is simultaneously enjoyable, informative, and tolerant of diverse viewpoints.

Can we blame social media for polarization? Counter-evidence against filter bubble claims during the COVID-19 pandemic

Although collective efforts are essential to fight COVID-19, public opinion in the United States is sharply divided by partisan attitudes and health beliefs. Addressing the concern that media use facilitates polarization, this study investigated whether social and traditional media use for COVID-19 information attenuates or reinforces existing disparities. This article focuses on two important areas where the public is highly polarized: partisan affect and vaccine attitudes. Contradicting the filter bubble claim, our survey ( n = 1106) revealed that social media use made people less polarized in both partisan affect and vaccine hesitancy. In contrast, traditional media use made people more polarized in partisan affect. These findings corroborate the growing evidence that social media provide diverse viewpoints and incidental learning.

Remote Collaborative Writing: A Guide to Writing Within a Virtual Community of Practice.

Remote Collaborative Writing: A Guide to Writing Within a Virtual Community of Practice.

Theodore Roosevelt, Naturalist in the Arena ed. by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson

Reviewed by: Theodore Roosevelt, Naturalist in the Arena ed. by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson Julie Courtwright Theodore Roosevelt, Naturalist in the Arena. Edited by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2020. vii + 264 pp. Illustrations, index. $24.95 paper. Theodore Roosevelt: Naturalist in the Arena, edited by Char Miller and Clay S. Jenkinson, is an anthology about Theodore Roosevelt (TR)'s enduring legacy as a conservationist and lover of nature. It is a familiar topic, but the writers attempt to add fresh perspectives by studying Roosevelt's "manifold encounters with the great outdoors" through an interdisciplinary lens (xiv). The result is an appealing and readable book that highlights both TR's familiar and less familiar connections with nature, as well as his quirky behavior and notable intellect. Some of the writers also explore Roosevelt's less laudable opinions, most notably his evolving attitudes toward race, and their connection to the president's "intellectual and affective response to the natural world" (xiv). The editors have divided the book into three sections. The first, "Field Notes," examines Roosevelt's lesser-known work as a "scientist and curator, observer and recorder" (xiv). Here, writers feature TR as a writer, bird-lover, and urban explorer. Melanie Choukas-Bradley's chapter about Roosevelt's love affair with Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC, is a fascinating window into his everyday relationship with nature, independent of his famous trips to the American West. For Great Plains enthusiasts, Thomas Cullen Bailey and Katherine Joslin include an analysis of Roosevelt's writing, including Hunting Trips of a Ranchman (1885) and its relationship to the president's personal grief and the Great Plains landscape. The second section, "Outside Influences," explores TR's relationship with notable individuals such as George Bird Grinnell, Gifford Pinchot, John Muir, and William T. Hornaday. Jenkinson's chapter, "The Cowboy, the Crusader, and the Salvation of the American Buffalo," is the most Great Plains-centric chapter. It describes Roosevelt and Hornaday's separate hunting trips to the Northern Plains, taken at a time when the number of bison in the region was negligible and declining fast. Hornaday, chief taxidermist at the National Museum of Natural History, collected bison specimens for preservation at his museum. Both men had "conversion experiences" (xix) regarding the bison, although Roosevelt initially viewed their extermination as an unfortunate consequence of white conquest of the West. Hornaday, after personally killing some of the last wild bison in the Plains, worked to save the animals from extinction. Eventually the two men met and joined forces as prominent members of the American Bison Society, a group charged with preservation. After multiple chapters focused on details surrounding Roosevelt's relationship with nature, section 3 widens the scope to place Roosevelt as a naturalist within the context of history and the world. Elliott West connects Roosevelt's thoughts and actions about big business, immigration, and conservation to the American West and its place within the American story, while Ian Tyrrell looks at Roosevelt's influence on the world stage and his impact on conservation beyond the United States. There are occasional errors in the book. The University of Iowa is not at Ames (138), for example, and at least one author presents an ahistorical interpretation of the near-extinction of the bison (127). At other times, the book would have benefited from closer [End Page 267] editing. Jenkinson is unclear about whether Roosevelt and Hornaday were true friends or just professional acquaintances, for example. There are also virtually no historical women in the entire book. Inconsistencies and omissions aside, Theodore Roosevelt: Naturalist in the Arena is a welcome addition to the Roosevelt historiography. Its interdisciplinary approach allows for diverse topics and points of view, grounded by their shared connection to the natural world and Roosevelt's place within it. Julie Courtwright Department of History Iowa State University Copyright © 2023 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Corporate Governance Practices and Financial Performance of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda: A Case Study of Microfinance Inkingi Ltd

The study was undertaken to investigate how corporate governance practices can influence the financial performance of microfinance institutions with a case study of microfinance inking ltd. This study specifically analyzed the effect of board size, gender diversity and CEO duality in the governance structures on performance of microfinance institutions. The descriptive method was used to collect data and the target population was forty-six, where 35 were the staff of INKINGI microfinance ltd 11 were members of the board. In data collection at the field, questionnaire and face-to-face discussion were used. To confirm the reliability, the research conducted a pre-test exercise before the actual data collection process. The validity was tested through experts in the domain of financial statements analysis and managerial decision making by asking the supervisor and other lecturers from Mount Kenya University. The researcher used the SPSS as tool of analysis, which helped to summarize the primary data into quantitative data and the researcher given the proper interpretation of the results basing on research objectives and questions. The analysis showed that board size, board independent and CEO duality were positively correlated with financial performance of Rwandan microfinance institutions (r= 0.810, p< 0.00 r= 00.706, p< 0.04 r= 0.623, p< 0.003 and r= 0.431, p< 0.00) respectively. Furthermore, the research showed that the board independence, gender diversity as well as board size have a considerable effect on financial contribution. According to the perception of the respondents, the results showed that corporate governance increases the profitability of the company, customer loyalty as well as extension of product line and services in the company. The study concluded that board size, board independent and CEO duality are important aspects to consider for better governance of microfinance. The study recommended that INKINGI microfinance ltd should improve their gender diversity for better corporate governance that provides diverse viewpoints, values and new ideas to the boards and provokes lively boardroom discussions. The management should appoint more women directors as they possess managerial skills like public relations, human resource and communication skills than operating and marketing skills. Keywords: Corporate governance practices, financial performance, microfinance institutions, Inkingi Ltd, Rwanda

Expanding Mental Models in Intelligence Through Diverse Perspectives

Intelligence organizations need a workforce that draws on a variety of perspectives, as do other types of organizations. The U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) was created to address the conflict situations of the last century. The early workforce reflected the requirements of that time; it had strong ties to the military, was of primarily European heritage, Judeo-Christian morality, was righteous about democracy, and mostly male. Today’s security problems extend well beyond situations of state conflict, to include transnational crime, crises of the natural environment, and other fluid issues that defy the previous expectations. National security intelligence workforces must be both knowledgeable and agile. This combination of knowledge and mental agility is, paradoxically, difficult to achieve. The heritage of the IC created modes of thinking that are at odds with the current need to imaginatively consider interconnected factors and various perspectives. The IC is stymied by its own culture, structures, processes, policies, and thinking patterns. Increased inclusion of diverse points of view will better enable assessment of complex, dynamic global issues. This article discusses mental frameworks as they affect intelligence work, drawing conclusions about the value of diversity in an intelligence and national security workforce.

Tourism impact of the Korea-Japan trade conflict : A subjectivity study using Q-methodology

The recent trade dispute between South Korea and Japan has triggered an on-going tension between the two countries. The prolonged economic and diplomatic conflicts have touched Korean tourists’ subtle and complex feelings that are collectively associated with the Japanese colonial history. As a result, the number of outbound Korean tourists to Japan drastically dropped right after the initial phase of the trade dispute in July 2019. Using Q-methodology, this study aims to investigate the underlying mechanism of how the economic sanctions towards Japan prompted different types of travel constraints among Korean tourists, which influenced their travel behavior. More specifically, this study attempted to elicit the subjectivity of Korean tourists who cancelled their Japan trip due to the trade dispute and to classify the types of Korean tourists on the basis of their subjectivity. Hence, Korean tourists’ diverse viewpoints were classified by five types: “patriotism,” “social participation,” “image deterioration,” “economic revenger,” and “social restrictions.” By applying travel constraint theory into the complex case of intercountry conflicts caused by the Korea-Japan trade dispute, the study findings provide meaningful theoretical contributions. Moreover, this study provides potential suggestions to resolve the prevailing tension between Korea and Japan in the post-COVID-19 era.

Vision based crown loss estimation for individual trees with remote aerial robots

With the capability of capturing high-resolution imagery data and the ease of accessing remote areas, aerial robots are becoming increasingly popular for forest health monitoring applications. For example, forestry tasks such as field surveys and foliar sampling which are generally manual and labour intensive can be automated with remotely controlled aerial robots. In this study, we propose two new online frameworks to quantify and rank the severity of individual tree crown loss. The real-time crown loss estimation (RTCLE) model localises and classifies individual trees into their respective crown loss percentage bins. Experiments are conducted to investigate if synthetically generated tree images can be used to train the RTCLE model as real images with diverse viewpoints are generally expensive to collect. Results have shown that synthetic data training helps to achieve a satisfactory baseline mean average precision (mAP) which can be further improved with just some additional real imagery data. We showed that the mAP can be increased approximately from 60% to 78% by mixing the real dataset with the generated synthetic data. For individual tree crown loss ranking, a two-step crown loss ranking (TSCLR) framework is developed to handle the inconsistently labelled crown loss data. The TSCLR framework detects individual trees before ranking them based on some relative crown loss severity measures. The tree detection model is trained with the combined dataset used in the RTCLE model training where we achieved an mAP of approximately 95% suggesting that the model generalises well to unseen datasets. The relative crown loss severity of each tree is estimated, with deep representation learning, by a probabilistic encoder from a fully trained variational autoencoder (VAE) model. The VAE is trained end-to-end to reconstruct tree images in a background agnostic way. Based on a conservative evaluation, the estimated crown loss severity from the probabilistic encoder generally showed moderate agreement with the expert’s estimation across all species of trees present in the dataset. All the software pipelines, the dataset, and the synthetic dataset generation can be found in the GitHub link.

Visualizing a Common World of Entanglement through Multiple Viewpoints

Abstract The authors explore how multiple viewpoints can challenge our habitualised way of viewing and expand the area of thinking about children’s outdoor learning. They draw on micro-fieldwork in a Sámi kindergarten in Arctic Norway. There, learning through participation and practical experiences is a traditional strategy in child rearing. This method of learning is currently being transformed in Sámi kindergartens, wherein the goal is to strengthen the Sámi language, identity and culture. The authors’ aim is to explore how learning through participation in pedagogical practices could be made visible by employing different viewpoints. They used GoPro® cameras worn on children’s bodies, combined with their own gaze, as well as a handheld video camera used by one of the authors. Such a combination of viewpoints allowed gaining an insight into the complex outdoor kindergarten practices. Drawing on Jayne White’s polyphonic dialogical approach to video, the authors placed these diverse viewpoints in a dialogue during the process of analysis. These dialogues revealed our pre-defined human-centric view and effected a change in our theoretical approach, from socio-cultural learning theories to new materialist theories, to include the premise that children learn in all interactions and entanglements that they are part of in a socio-material world.

Creating Interfaith Dialogue in Art Museums: A Community and Museum Collaboration

ABSTRACT Recognizing the renewed national awareness of racial tensions and economic disparities, the need for solace in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and the legacy of the events of September 11, 2001, American art museums have unique opportunities to provide safe spaces in which to encourage mutual respect through interfaith dialogue. This case study highlights the important role that museums can play in exploring diverse points of view and in inspiring empathy and religious understanding. The authors examine the mutual benefits of bringing together museum staff, academics, faith and community leaders, and docents of various faiths, with each contributing their own expertise to the process. This article considers the opportunities and criteria for selecting artworks that effectively present recurring themes of shared fundamental beliefs across history and cultures, and introduces an innovative touring model that promotes open and respectful discourse and our common humanity.

Divergent Perspectives of Filipino PLWH, Their Partners, and Care Providers on Sexuality After an HIV Diagnosis: A Q-Methodological Analysis.

This study explores the perspectives that Filipinos with professional and personal experience with people living with HIV hold about sexuality after an HIV diagnosis. Twenty people living with HIV (PLWH), 11 partners of PLWH, and 10 HIV care professionals in the Philippines were asked to rank-order 54 statements about sexuality post-HIV diagnosis. They shared the reasoning behind their rankings on an online survey platform. By-person factor analysis was done, with factors extracted based on principal component analysis followed by varimax rotation. The analysis yielded six factors with 22 males' and 3 females' Q-sorts exemplifying the views regarding sexuality post-HIV diagnosis: to be human, is to be sexual; information is power; fear of being othered; partnership for enhanced sexuality; disclosure and trust; and communication is foundational. This study revealed diverse viewpoints about sexuality after an HIV diagnosis. HIV care professionals play a decisive role in addressing concerns relating to the sexual health and well-being of newly diagnosed PLWH.

Political and International Affairs Simulations and College Students’ Civic Development

Abstract Political science professors frequently use simulations to try to enhance student learning. Beyond their use in experiential learning, prior research suggests that simulations may also improve student civic outcomes and promote political interest and engagement outside of the classroom. This study estimates the impact of political science simulations by examining students’ attitudes and behaviors before and after taking part in a simulation. We study whether participation in classroom and Model United Nations simulations leads to increases in student civic engagement, political efficacy, and appreciation of diverse viewpoints among college students using a comparison group difference-in-difference design. We find significant positive impacts of simulations on measures of civic engagement, which suggests that students who participate in simulations may take immediate and concrete steps to be more involved in social and political groups.

An Adaptively Attention-Driven Cascade Part-Based Graph Embedding Framework for UAV Object Re-Identification

With the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), object re-identification (Re-ID) based on the UAV platforms has attracted increasing attention, and several excellent achievements have been shown in the traditional scenarios. However, object Re-ID in aerial imagery acquired from the UAVs is still a challenging task, which is mainly due to the reason that variable locations and diverse viewpoints in UAVs platform are always resulting in more appearance ambiguities among the intra-objects and inter-objects. To address the above issues, in this paper, we proposed an adaptively attention-driven cascade part-based graph embedding framework (AAD-CPGE) for UAV object Re-ID. The AAD-CPGE aims to optimally fuse node features and their topological characteristics on the multi-scale structured graphs of parts-based objects, and then adaptively learn the most correlated information for improving the object Re-ID performance. Specifically, we first executed GCNs on the parts-based cascade node feature graphs and topological feature graphs for acquiring multi-scale structured-graph feature representations. After that, we designed a self-attention-based module for adaptive node and topological features fusion on the constructed hierarchical parts-based graphs. Finally, these learning hybrid graph-structured features with the most correlation discriminative capability were applied for object Re-ID. Several experimental verifications on three widely used UAVs-based benchmark datasets were carried out, and comparison with some state-of-the-art object Re-ID approaches validated the effectiveness and benefits of our proposed AAD-CPGE Re-ID framework.

Summaries

Summaries

Trends and Challenges: Chinese Students Studying at South Korean Universities

Abstract: South Korea is a popular destination for Chinese students studying overseas. Prior to the pandemic, Chinese students comprised the largest percentage of foreign students in South Korea. This paper provides insights into major trends germane to Chinese students studying in South Korea. In addition, it explores challenges that Chinese students encounter while studying in South Korean universities, which include socialization problems, Korean and English language barriers, academic difficulties, and discrimination and prejudice. It also examines historical and political issues that have an impact on Chinese people living in South Korea. Strategies for improving successful integration are discussed. These include having effective academic and social support systems, promoting intercultural communicative competence, advanced preparation before leaving China, mutual adjustment activities that enhance understanding and awareness between different cultural groups, reflective practice and quality improvement, and exposure to diverse viewpoints. Finally, practical implications, which could improve the overall adaptation of Chinese students in South Korean universities are discussed. 
 Keywords: Chinese students, South Korean universities, intercultural communication, adaptation, cross-cultural communication

Effect of Daily Multidisciplinary Team Reflection in Ambulatory Care: A Qualitative Analysis.

PurposeResearch suggests that daily previsit team huddling leads to improved teamwork, however there are no reports on the effect and mechanism of daily team reflection in primary care practice. To help healthcare professionals to integrate fragmented information and to enhance continuity, we previously developed and implemented a daily multidisciplinary team reflection (DMDTR) approach. The present study aimed to construct a conceptual diagram illustrating how participation in DMDTR influence medical care in an ambulatory clinic.Participants and MethodsIn this qualitative study, we analyzed data from semi-structured interviews (n = 12) conducted with physicians, nurses, and medical assistants who regularly participated in DMDTR. Modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA) was adopted as the analysis method, and structure-construction qualitative research method (SCQRM) was used as a meta-theory to determine the number of cases correlatively with the research objectives.ResultsOur conceptual diagram demonstrated that, through DMDTR, team members shared fragmented information to gain a more holistic view of the patient and discuss diverse points of view, a process that resulted in real-time problem solving through collaboration. This team approach showed benefit to each discipline and improves the care attributes of contextuality, coordination, accessibility, accountability, continuity, and comprehensiveness of care.ConclusionWe generated a conceptual diagram showing that DMDTR embodies a team approach that leads to improved care attributes, which results in enhanced quality of primary care.

Partner learning: A comprehensive knowledge transfer for vehicle re-identification

The intra-class variability and inter-class similarity challenges caused by diverse viewpoints, illumination, and similar appearances are crucial in Re-Identification (Re-ID). Previous vehicle Re-ID methods propose to mine more discriminate and fine-grained clues for alleviating the problem, which costs extra computation and time during inference since the use of additional modules, e.g., detection modules, segmentation modules, or attention modules. We propose a multi-branch architecture to mining the discriminative and fine-grained information without additional time and computation cost during inference. Specifically, we focus on three problems: 1) how can knowledge transfer among multi-branches; 2) what knowledge should be utilized for more effective and more functional transfer; 3) where can be used as the input of multi-branches? For the first problem, we introduce a novel complementary learning scheme named partner learning which transfers the knowledge between global and local branches, and thus we only need the global branch during inference. For the second problem, we propose a hierarchical structural knowledge transfer (HSKT) approach to mine knowledge from partners in three different levels hierarchically. For the last problem, to effectively mine more fine-grained clues, we propose two local specifications: one supervised with the specification of the window area being discriminatively crucial as an expert knowledge while the other unsupervised with horizontal stripe cuts. Extensive ablation studies and experimental result discussions show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Differences in Ethical Viewpoints among Civilian–Military Populations: A Survey among Practitioners in Two European Countries, Based on a Systematic Literature Review

Civilian–military collaboration in humanitarian crises has been encouraged globally; however, little is known about their diverse ethical viewpoints towards challenging and critical situations, which may cause difficulties in the partnership, and influence the outcomes of their mutual activities. The aim of this study was to identify the diversity of viewpoints and ethical decision-making during exceptional circumstances among civilian and military populations from two different countries, each with diverse background and healthcare organization structures. Possible scenarios, based on a systematic review of the literature, were introduced to Swedish and Polish civilian and military healthcare providers. Variations in the participants’ viewpoints and approaches to ethical decision-making were analyzed according to their characteristics, organizational belonging, and nationality. There were differences between both populations but also within the military and civilian groups, respectively. One significant factor influencing ethical viewpoints was participants’ nationality. Differences in ethical viewpoints between multiagency organizations should be considered in planning and implementation of future transdisciplinary and international collaboration in disaster and emergency management. Further studies and renewed educational initiatives are necessary to validate these differences and to navigate civilian–military as well as other multinational partnerships.

Ethics in Psychiatric Research.

Ethics in Psychiatric Research.