Free Choice Research Articles

Wh-Words: Existential or Universal Quantifiers in Child Mandarin?

Wh-words have been analysed as existential quantifiers (Chierchia in Logic in grammar: polarity, free choice, and intervention. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013; Fox, in Sauerland U, Stateva P (eds) Presupposition and implicature in compositional semantics (Palgrave studies in pragmatics, language and cognition). Palgrave MacMillan, Houndmills, pp 71-120, 2007; Liao in Alternative and exhaustification: non-interrogative uses of Chinese wh-words. Harvard University, 2010) or universal quantifiers (Nishigauchi, in: Theoretical and applied linguistics at Kobe Shoin 2, Kobe Shoin Institute for Linguistic Sciences, 1999). These two accounts have distinct predictions on how children initially interpret wh-words. The universal account predicts that children should initially interpret wh-words as universal quantifiers, whereas the existential account anticipates that children should start out with the existential interpretation. To adjudicate between the two accounts, the present study was designed to explore pre-schoolers' semantic knowledge of wh-quantification. Specifically, it investigated the interpretation of the wh-word shenme 'what' with 4-and 5-year-old Mandarin-speaking children and a control group of adults. Using a Truth Value Judgment Task (Crain and Thornton in Investigations in universal grammar: a guide to experiments on the acquisition of syntax and semantics. MIT Press, Cambridge, 1998), Experiment 1 evaluated whether children interpret the wh-word shenme 'what' as closer in meaning to the polarity sensitive item renhe 'any' or the universal quantifier suoyou 'all' in the antecedent of ruguo 'if' conditionals. Using a Question-Answer Task, Experiments 2 & 3 respectively investigated whether children interpret shenme 'what' as closer in meaning to renhe 'any' or suoyou 'all' in two types of questions: yes-no questions with the particle ma and A-not-A questions. It was found that both children and adults interpret shenme 'what' as closer in meaning to renhe 'any' than suoyou 'all'. The findings suggest that Mandarin-speaking pre-schoolers already have adult-like semantic knowledge of wh-quantification: wh-words are existential quantifiers rather than universal quantifiers. Due to the paucity of primary linguistic input, children's early mastery of the non-interrogative wh-words appear to support the biolinguistic approach to language acquisition (Chomsky in Aspects of the theory of syntax. MIT Press, Cambridge, 1965; Pinker in Language learnability and language development. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1984; Crain et al. in Language acquisition from a biolinguistic perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.004 ).

Complexity of the legal nature of the right to reproduction

This article examines reproductive health as an important component of physical and mental well-being in modern society. It focuses on a wide range of services and information covering sexual and reproductive health, contraception, family planning, STD treatment, pregnancy and childbirth. It is indicated that the effectiveness of reproductive health protection is supported by international norms, including the Sustainable Development Goals No. 3, and is based on the principles of dignity, equality and the right to free choice. It is emphasized that reproductive health is a fundamental human right, which is directly related to the right to life and health. Research in this area helps to clarify the effectiveness of legal norms and protection measures, the article also highlights the problem of discrimination, particularly on the basis of gender, in the context of reproductive health, and emphasizes the importance of combating this inequality. In addition, the article points to the importance of access to information about reproductive health as a key aspect of human rights that contributes to public education and awareness. The article also considers the complex nature of the right to reproduction, which includes biological, legal, ethical and social aspects that interact with each other and require a careful balance between human rights, ethical principles and social needs. It is motivated that the right to reproduction implies the right of each individual to make free choices regarding sexual behavior, family planning and access to quality reproductive health services, but the realization of these rights may face ethical and moral dilemmas, as well as different approaches to legal regulation in different countries. Also important is the social aspect, which includes the availability and quality of reproductive health services, as well as taking into account socio-cultural norms and values. It was found that all these aspects require a careful balance between human rights, ethical principles and social needs, in order to ensure adequate protection and support of the reproductive health of each person.

Sweatshops and Labour Law: The Ethical and Legal Implications of Ignoring Labour Law in Developing Countries

Abstract Academic defenders of sweatshops argue that disregarding labour rights will result in increased welfare in the developing nations where transnational corporations (TNCs) operate. They argue that TNCs should ignore local labour laws in the best interests of the poor. In this article we criticise this ‘ignore the law’ position regarding sweatshops on three separate grounds. First, it fails to acknowledge the demands for businesses to respect the rule of law as part of the development process. Second, it utilises an inadequate account of voluntary contractual bargaining which overlooks how employment practises operate in sectors prone to utilising sweatshop labour, leading to coercive employment conditions incompatible with human dignity and free choice. Third, it fails to adequately account for labour law and international labour standards, which embody a strong moral conception of dignity at work and observance of fundamental human rights in protecting workers against abuse through the resulting legal duties placed on states and corporate actors. We conclude that poverty reduction requires the support of both private and public actors. Advocating the side-stepping of labour laws distracts from the important work of institution building necessary to protect workers and facilitate economic growth consistent with decent work, sustainable development, fairness and human dignity as embodied in international labour standards.

Unpacking children’s perspectives of multilingualism through language portraits: insights from a Polish pre-school in Australia

ABSTRACT This paper delves into the dynamics of language-based agency of six-year-old children raised in transnational families in Australia. The members of the focal group are four pre-schoolers, who while creating language portraits, offer insights into the truncated diversity of their linguistic repertoires. Through extent, position, choice of colour, use of symbols, and the accompanying written comments, the children communicate information about home language maintenance. Concomitant interviews unfold the overall picture of family language policies of the studied participants. Unsurprisingly, although the children’s opinions are shaped or even persuaded by their parents’ discourses, and considering the fact that parents do not normally discuss their family language policies with them, the young participants provide valuable and reliable perspectives on language management in their homes. Further, they exhibit agency in their family language policies, which are yet to be deliberated in terms of a multi-actor construct, whereby all family members have their own voices. That said, children exercise a freedom of language choice despite the conscious or unconscious linguistic efforts of their parents, which can be regarded as a manner of negotiating and impacting language use within the family.

Choosing a maternity hospital: a matter of travel distance or quality of care?

BackgroundThe choice of a hospital should be based on individual need and accessibility. For maternity hospitals, this includes known or expected risk factors, the geographic accessibility and level of care provided by the hospital. This study aims to identify factors influencing hospital choice with the aim to analyze if and how many deliveries are conducted in a risk-appropriate and accessible setting in Bavaria, Germany.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional secondary data analysis based on all first births in Bavaria (2015-18) provided by the Bavarian Quality Assurance Institute for Medical Care. Information on the mother and on the hospital were included. The Bavarian Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010 was used to account for area-level socioeconomic differences. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the strength of association of the predicting factors and to adjust for confounding.ResultsWe included 195,087 births. Distances to perinatal centers were longer than to other hospitals (16 km vs. 12 km). 10% of women with documented risk pregnancies did not deliver in a perinatal center. Regressions showed that higher age (OR 1.03; 1.02–1.03 95%-CI) and risk pregnancy (OR 1.44; 1.41–1.47 95%-CI) were associated with choosing a perinatal center. The distances travelled show high regional variation with a strong urban-rural divide.ConclusionIn a health system with free choice of hospitals, many women chose a hospital close to home and/or according to their risks. However, this is not the case for 10% of mothers, a group that would benefit from more coordinated care.

74 Feeding style and its influence on growth, circulating insulin, and spatial preference of young pigs

Abstract In this study, we investigated the influence of feeding style on growth performance, circulating insulin concentrations, and spatial preference within the home-cages (HC) of young pigs. Pigs (n = 43 boars) were weaned on postnatal day (PND) 2, allotted to treatment based on litter of origin and body weight (BW), and reared artificially over a 15-d period. Pigs were provided a nutritionally adequate milk replacer 20 h per day using one of two feeding styles: 1) ad libitum (i.e., continual access to milk replacer), and 2) prescribed [330 mL/kg of BW from PND 3-7 (wk 1), and 357.5 mL/kg of BW from PND 8-18 (wk 2)]. In addition to water in the reconstituted milk replacer, free choice access to fresh water was provided throughout the study. Milk intake (i.e., disappearance) and BW were recorded daily, with pigs undergoing continuous top-down video surveillance throughout the study. On PND 17, blood was collected from a subset of pigs (n = 24) for quantification of insulin concentrations. Video analysis of pigs (n = 43) was performed to establish time spent in each HC quadrant. All data were analyzed via a 1-way ANOVA using the MIXED procedure of SAS. During wk 1, ad libitum pigs exhibited increased (P < 0.05) average daily BW gain (152 g/d) and average daily milk intake (728 g/d) compared with the prescribed treatment (127 g/d and 570 g/d, respectively). This same effect continued in wk 2 for average daily BW gain and average daily milk intake, with ad libitum-fed pigs consuming more (P < 0.05) milk replacer (256 g/d and 1,356 g/d, respectively) compared with prescribed-fed pigs (192 g/d and 974 g/d, respectively). Over the entire 15-d feeding study, average daily BW gain (234 g/d), average daily feed intake (1,140 g/d) and milk intake-to-BW ratio (4.60) were greater (P < 0.05) in the ad libitum treatment compared with prescribed feeding (180 g/d, 830 g/d, and 3.81 respectively). Insulin concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) in the ad libitum treatment (348 µIU/mL) 30 min after feed provision compared with the prescribed treatment (190 µIU/mL). Video analysis of spatial preference within HC suggested pigs in the prescribed treatment spent more (P < 0.05) time in quadrant 4 during wk 1 (5.43% of time recorded) compared with the ad libitum treatment (3.82% of time recorded), likely due to quadrant 4 housing the feed bowl. However, all other time points had no effect on spatial preference. Overall, the type of feeding style altered growth performance and insulin concentrations within young pigs and may impact the spatial preference of pigs within their home-cage environment.

Sodium Bicarbonate Decreases Alcohol Consumption in Mice.

We previously reported that mice with low neuronal pH drink more alcohol, demonstrating the importance of pH for alcohol reward and motivation. In this study, we tested whether systemic pH affects alcohol consumption and if so, whether it occurs by changing the alcohol reward. C57BL/6J mice were given NaHCO3 to raise their blood pH, and the animals' alcohol consumption was measured in the drinking-in-the-dark and two-bottle free choice paradigms. Alcohol consumption was also assessed after suppressing the bitterness of NaHCO3 with sucrose. Alcohol reward was evaluated using a conditioned place preference. In addition, taste sensitivity was assessed by determining quinine and sucrose preference. The results revealed that a pH increase by NaHCO3 caused mice to decrease their alcohol consumption. The decrease in high alcohol contents (20%) was significant and observed at different ages, as well as in both males and females. Alcohol consumption was also decreased after suppressing NaHCO3 bitterness. Oral gavage of NaHCO3 did not alter quinine and sucrose preference. In the conditioned place preference, NaHCO3-treated mice spent less time in the alcohol-injected chamber. Conclusively, the results show that raising systemic pH with NaHCO3 decreases alcohol consumption, as it decreases the alcohol reward value.

The TDHF code Sky3D version 1.2

The Sky3D code has been widely used to describe nuclear ground states, collective vibrational excitations, and heavy-ion collisions. The approach is based on Skyrme forces or related energy density functionals. The static and dynamic equations are solved on a three-dimensional grid, and pairing is been implemented in the BCS approximation. This updated version of the code aims to facilitate the calculation of nuclear strength functions in the regime of linear response theory, while retaining all existing functionality and use cases. The strength functions are benchmarked against available RPA codes, and the user has the freedom of choice when selecting the nature of external excitation (from monopole to hexadecapole and more). Some utility programs are also provided that calculate the strength function from the time-dependent output of the dynamic calculations of the Sky3D code. New version program summaryProgram Title: Sky3DCPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/vzbrzvyrn4.2Developer's repository link:https://github.com/manybody/sky3dLicensing provisions: GPLv3Programming language: Fortran, with one post-processing utility in Python.Journal reference of previous version:: Schuetrumpf, B., Reinhard, P.G., Stevenson, P.D., Umar, A.S., and Maruhn, J.A. (2018). The TDHF code Sky3D version 1.1. Comput. Phys. Commun. 229 (2018) 211–213.Does the new version supersede the previous version?: Yes.Reasons for the new version: The capability of reproducing the nuclear strength function for a variety of newly-coded external boosts has been added.Nature of problem: Calculating nuclear multipole strength functions is a crucial probe that can help model the nuclear system and its structure properties. A variety of models exist for this task, such as QRPA (Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation) and its variants, but such approaches are often limited due to symmetry constraints. Time-dependent Hartree Fock (TDHF) has been used to simulate nuclear vibrations and collisions between nuclei for low energies without assuming any symmetry in the system. This code extends the TDHF to calculate the multi-pole strength functions of atomic nuclei. We showcase its reliability by comparing it with the established RPA codes for the calculation of such strength functions.Solution method: We extended previous versions of the Sky3D code [1,2] to include an external boost of multipole type where the user can provide custom input that decides the nature of the multipole (monopole, quadrupole, octupole, and so on) boost. The principal aim is to calculate the multipole strength function, which is the Fourier transform of the time-dependent expectation value of the multipole operator, which has the same form as the external boost. The proper unit conversion is done so that one can extract the exact unit of the thus calculated strength function, which is comparable to the available literature in the field. The boundary conditions are chosen such that a Woods-Saxon-like function cuts off the external field, driving it to zero at the boundary.Summary of revisions: The ability to give a more general external field for excitation has been implemented, which can be of a chosen multipolarity and isospin nature. Then, as a function of time, moments for both isospins and for multipolarities up to L=5 are followed. A new analysis program is included to calculate strength functions and energy weighted sum rules. The ability to specify a mixing parameter in the pairing force is included. This allows a mixed surface-volume pairing to be selected in a way more compatable with QRPA codes for comparison. An updated Makefile is included which makes compilation on Apple silicon computers easier.

A Delphi Panel of People With Parkinson's Disease Regarding Responsibility: Toward a Preliminary Taxonomy.

A sense of agency is associated with complex occupation-related responsibilities. A taxonomy can guide clinicians in enhancing responsibility in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). To (1) discover levels of responsibility in occupations for PwPD and (2) propose a taxonomy for occupations. A two-round Delphi study with PwPD and a one-round Delphi study with international experts. Electronic survey. PwPD (N = 75) and international experts (N = 8). PwPD expressed their levels of an inherent sense of responsibility for each occupation (1 = very low responsibility, 5 = very high responsibility). International experts rated their level of agreement (5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree) with each dimension of the taxonomy. A consensus was determined to have been reached if the interquartile range was ≤1 and 70% agreement in two adjacent categories was achieved. Thirty-three occupation categories were deemed as having very high to moderate responsibility for PwPD. Consequences of actions and the presence of others made up the two-dimensional responsibility taxonomy. Occupations have more challenging responsibility characteristics when they are performed with free choice, a level of high physical effort, alone, and with moral consequences. This study yielded the first consensus among PwPD regarding responsibility in occupations as well as a classification system for charting the complexity of responsibility in occupations. The occupation list we have created can be beneficial to health care professionals when providing interventions or conducting outcome assessments. Plain-Language Summary: When planning interventions for patients with Parkinson's disease, it can be helpful for clinicians to be aware of patients' perspectives regarding their sense of responsibility to perform occupations. The use of a systematic sequence of challenging occupations with responsibility attributes ranging from less complex to more complex can help enhance patient occupational participation.

Reading motivations, strategies, and interventions of teachers in bridging learning gaps

The changes in the education landscape due to the pandemic allowed an agency for an understanding of a situation in elementary schools located in an urban poor area in the Philippines to strengthen literacy particularly in reading. While most studies on reading especially in the Philippines investigated on reading performance and ways to increase reading fluency of learners, it is important to investigate as well teachers’ motivations, strategies, and interventions. This qualitative study described teachers’ motivation, strategies and interventions to bridge learning gaps in reading. These teachers are from selected elementary schools located in the Division of San Juan City, Philippines Based on the results, teachers are motivated because they want to teach the content better and that their concern for students motivates them. Moreover, the use of various reading strategies like free reading choice, phonological activities and empathy to level with students are strengthened by interventions that are teacher, student, and community oriented.

Improving interest in public, active, and shared travel modes through nudging interventions

Nudging is a popular approach to changing behavior by designing interventions to encourage, for instance, sustainable or healthy actions without necessarily limiting freedom of choice. Nudging could show particular potential in changing travel behavior by providing governments with softer policy options to reduce the negative impacts of private vehicles in urban areas. This study examines the efficacy of nudging in changing interest in using public transport, active modes, and carsharing in Flanders, Belgium (n = 292), focusing on moral nudges, highlighting individual and social benefits, and norm nudges, using social pressure to promote appropriate behavior, through independent and paired sample t-tests, ANOVA mean-comparison tests, and multiple linear regression models. Results indicate that moral nudging is effective overall, but particularly for improving interest in carsharing, potentially providing an option for individuals wanting to make environmentally and socially conscious choices without drastically changing their lifestyles. Norm nudging was effective for public transport and especially active travel, indicating that mobility cultures and social acceptance are important to these modes. Attitudes toward public transport and carsharing were important to nudge susceptibility. Women might have greater concerns about making environmentally moral choices, resulting in higher moral nudge susceptibility, particularly for active travel, and trips taken with companions might be more easily swayed toward active modes. Those with greater time flexibility who are younger might be a target group for carsharing, especially when influenced by moral arguments, while older retired and full-time employed individuals may not be willing to give up their private cars and carsharing may not be practical for families with children. Nudging might be effective in changing travel behavior in conjunction with other policy measures to promote sustainable and healthy transport, ideally through a nudge unit to test, advise, and implement these subtle nudges. Further, the location, quality of transport services, and geographical density of cities are crucial aspects regarding the effectiveness of nudges in real-life scenarios.

The pragmatics of free choice <em>any</em>

In this paper, I examine previous claims by Menéndez-Benito (2005; 2010) and Dayal (2013) that You may read any book entails Every book may be read on its own. In light of several key counterexamples, including those raised by Chierchia (2013) and Szabolcsi (2019), I argue that this is not an entailment at all, but a particularly robust implicature that arises in the pragmatics. In order to derive this implicature, I combine Szabolcsi’s semantics for universal free choice items (FCIs) with a formal pragmatic model in the Rational Speech Act (RSA) framework. I update Champollion et al.’s (2019) RSA model of free choice with technical innovations from Franke & Bergen (2020) to model how a listener interprets an utterance containing the universal FCI any given a range of possible exhaustified parses. This pragmatic model predicts the robustness of the implicature observed by Menéndez-Benito and Dayal, and further predicts that it is more stable across varied contexts than other implicatures arising from the same utterance.

PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION AS A COMPANY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

The purpose of this article is to explore how personnel certification serves as a strategic tool for organisational development. It examines the importance of certifying employees as a means of enhancing organisational capability and competitiveness. By examining the role of certification in improving employee skills and knowledge, the article sheds light on its impact on organisational performance and growth. It also discusses how certified personnel contribute to building a skilled workforce, fostering innovation and meeting industry standards. Overall, the article highlights the importance of personnel certification as a proactive approach to advancing organisational development goals. The object of the study is the process of personnel certification and its impact on the company's development. Methodology. The use of an integrated method helps to eliminate formalism and subjectivity in personnel certification, increase openness and objectivity in the assessment, and stabilise the social and psychological climate in the team. When applying this method, a prerequisite is the unconditional support of the first manager, who should lead the personnel certification and implement its results through the HR services. Without it, certification will be formal and will not yield positive results. The comprehensive method of personnel evaluation integrates various assessment techniques to provide a holistic understanding of an individual's skills, competencies and performance within an organisation. It takes into account multiple factors such as job performance, behavioural characteristics and growth potential, allowing for a thorough analysis of an employee's contribution to the organisation. The comprehensive method of personnel evaluation is based on the use of groups of methods: descriptive method (biographical method; method of oral and written assessments, method of group discussions, method of standards, matrix method and method of free and compulsory choice of assessment situations); combined methods are methods based on the descriptive principle, but formalised with the help of conventional quantitative indicators (sum of scores method, method of specified groupings, testing). Research results. Evaluating personnel performance helps to attract and retain highly skilled and motivated employees, while analysing the effectiveness of recruitment strategies and methods will help to attract talented employees. Practical implications. The use of personnel evaluation methods will allow to understand how personnel certification contributes to creating a positive working environment and increasing the level of employee satisfaction; to study the impact of personnel certification strategies on the company's reputation among employees; to formulate specific recommendations for practical managers and personnel specialists for the successful implementation of personnel certification strategy; to develop strategic solutions aimed at increasing the competitiveness and stability of the company. Value/Originality. Personnel certification helps to improve internal and external communication, which contributes to a more effective exchange of information and helps to maintain unity among employees; it allows companies to adapt to changes in the labour market, creating attractive conditions for employees in new conditions. In general, effective personnel certification is determined by the ability not only to attract but also to retain talented employees, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the company in a competitive business environment.

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ЗАСОБІВ ШТУЧНОГО ІНТЕЛЕКТУ ДЛЯ ПІДТРИМКИ ГРУПОВОЇ ДИНАМІКИ ПРОЄКТНИХ КОМАНД: ВПЛИВ НА САМОЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ТА ЗАЛУЧЕНІСТЬ СТУДЕНТІВ

The issue of maintaining group dynamics in flexible remote teams is currently in the focal point of attention not only of commercial companies and government agencies as a response to the changing conditions of work organisation, including those associated with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also of higher education institutions that train future professionals. Since intragroup dynamics is a key factor affecting team performance, this paper is the result of the study conducted as part of the Group Dynamics and Communications course at National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NULES) to determine the potential of using AI tools as tools to support the group dynamics of self-organised teams during the implementation of educational projects. Based on the results of the free choice of project and team management tools, we categorised three groups among the 56 participants of the experiment according to the use or non-use of AI tools to enhance group dynamics, followed by self-assessment of the effectiveness of the selected tools in increasing their levels of self-efficacy and social engagement. The survey was based on a Likert scale measurement, and non-parametric methods of analysis and statistical hypothesis testing were used to process the results. The self-assessment confirmed that the incorporation of AI tools in the implementation of a team-based learning project did not influence the improvement of students' social engagement and the dynamics of self-efficacy for both effective and ineffective students. The authors identified the positive impact of using AI tools on its development for students with the average level of self-efficacy. We also presented an example of the use of Notion AI for enhancing group dynamics at each stage of team development according to B. Tuckman. The authors suggest that the impact of using AI tools in the process of implementing a group learning project depends more on personal characteristics of team members than on the choice of a specific AI model. Determination of application specifics of individual AI tools in the process of training future specialists in the implementation of various types of educational activities, particularly ethical considerations is recognised as an area for further research.

The criterion of human dignity in the Quran

In the Holy Quran, a strong emphasis has been placed on the dignity of human beings. There are two verses in the Quran that discuss the differences between humans and other creatures. In this article, we have tried to interpret these two verses using free selection of virtues and goodness as the criterion for human dignity that was obtained in our previous research. In the verse of trust, unlike other creatures, man accepts a trust that informs us about his cruelty and ignorance.  However, if we consider this trust as freedom of choice, it can also imply injustice and ignorance alongside justice and wisdom for humans. In the verse of succession, angels tell God that human as vicegerent on earth leads to corruption and bloodshed. God does not deny this, but reminds the angels of the existence of pure ones. If we consider freely choosing goodness the differentiating factor between humans and other creatures the angels accurately refer to the possibility of creating corruption and bloodshed. However, they did not see the value of voluntary goodness compared to their own compulsory goodness. Therefore, by considering freely choosing goodness as the criterion for human dignity, these two verses can be easily interpreted.

An Analysis of the the Mutual Construction of Individual Memory and Collective Memory in Atonement

Atonement is one of the masterpieces of British author Ian McEwan, which has attracted a lot of attention since its publication, and this novel won him the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. The novel’s protagonist, Briony, makes a big mistake as an adolescent by indulging her imagination, breaking up her sister Cecilia and Robbie, and sending Robbie to prison. Robbie goes from being an Oxford student to a prisoner, and then he goes to the front line in the midst of World War II to get out of prison early. Cecilia, on the other hand, after known this terrible news, breaks with her family to become a nurse. Cecilia and Robbie are finally reunited at last. Briony finds them and repents deeply, telling the truth and apologizes to her sister and Robbie. It seems like an old fashioned happy-ending novel, except none of this reunion is reality. Just as the readers are immersed in the sense of redemption and happiness, the author ends the book with a meta-fictional message telling the readers that the previous happy ending is just a made-up one by Briony in her head, and she writes it down as if it is truly happened , in order to atone for her own sins. She changes the fate of two people and spends fifty-nine years in penance. Previous research angles of scholars at home and abroad mainly focus on narrative art, metafictional ending, war and trauma, the theme of atonement, etc., and what exactly makes Briony made a big mistake, and how she carries out self-salvation, this will take Briony, the main character of the novel, as the object of study, and use Halbwachs’ theory of individual and collective memory to explore her existential dilemma and her self-salvation through the freedom of choice to her self-rescue from her predicament, aiming to reveal McEwan’s use of memory theory and his thoughts on human nature.

Exploring LGBTQ+ equality in India: A comprehensive examination from anthropological and legal perspectives

AbstractThis research paper meticulously traces the historical trajectory and contemporary landscape of LGBT rights in India, comprehensively examining legislative advancements, pivotal judicial rulings, and societal paradigms. It underscores the paramount importance of prioritizing human rights over entrenched societal norms, particularly in the context of including transgender individuals as equal and integral members of society. The imposition of stringent moral standards has historically curtailed freedom of choice and expression, disproportionately impacting the marginalized queer community. This study endeavors to explore the multifaceted evolution of LGBT rights within historical contexts and assesses the practical accessibility of these rights as guaranteed by Constitutional Law, case law, and other pertinent legislations. Through a nuanced analysis, this research scrutinizes the extent to which societal perceptions, cultural shifts, and policy changes have influenced the inclusion and acceptance of the LGBT community. Additionally, it aims to illuminate persisting issues that continue to be disregarded or inadequately addressed, including healthcare disparities, socio‐economic inequalities, and cultural stigma.

Development of a yeast‐free bread using legume and nut flours in a gluten‐free flour: Techno‐functional characteristics and sensory evaluation

SummaryThis study aimed to investigate the effect of combined use of legume and nut flours on physical, nutritional and sensory properties of yeast‐free bread by substituting gluten‐free flour with hazelnut and white bean flours. Yeast‐free bread containing a mixture of 30% hazelnut and white bean flours was found to have the lowest hardness (9.04 N) and the largest specific volume (1.51 mL g−1) compared to the reference gluten‐free bread (18 N and 1.43 mL g−1) using a mixture design. Hazelnut and bean flours improved the in vitro starch digestion, reducing rapidly digestible starch by 29% and increasing resistant starch compared to the reference bread. Free choice profiling sensory analysis revealed that the developed breads containing nuts and legumes differed from the standard gluten‐free formulation and a commercial product available on the market. The combined use of bean and hazelnut flours was demonstrated as functional ingredients for enhancement of nutritional, sensory and textural aspects.

Factors affecting public acceptance of healthy lifestyle nudges

In two online vignette studies, we investigated the effects of healthy lifestyle nudging and pricing interventions in two different contexts: a supermarket (Study 1) and a train station (Study 2). In Study 1 (N = 318) participants were randomly assigned to evaluate one of eight interventions described in a vignette and designed to either encourage healthier food choices or discourage unhealthy food choices in a supermarket setting. Two interventions comprised a small financial incentive to either encourage a healthy food choice or discourage an unhealthy food choice, but the other six interventions were nudges conceived to specifically impact agency, self-constitution or freedom of choice (three different aspects of autonomy). Relative to these nudges, the financial incentive interventions were not found to be less acceptable or more patronising. Overall, the encouragement of healthy food choices was rated as more acceptable and less patronising. The same pattern of results was found in Study 2 (N = 314). We conclude that interventions threatening specific aspects of one's autonomy do not necessarily affect its acceptance. However, the behavioural focus does affect intervention acceptance, that is, interventions focused on encouraging healthy choices are considered more acceptable than interventions that discourage the unhealthy option.

Shared risk and shared responsibility: the ethics of male contraceptives.

Efforts to develop reversible male contraceptives analogous to female oral contraceptives are underway and may be introduced in the next decade. The advent of novel male contraceptives provides an opportunity for an ethical reformulation of the contraceptive paradigm given the relational, rather than individual, nature of sexual relationships, and family planning. For individuals in any sexual relationship that could result in pregnancy, issues of reproductive autonomy, freedom, equality in reproductive decision-making and risks-both of side effects and of unintended pregnancies-are significant. Historically, however, women have been attributed the greatest responsibilities simultaneously with the most restrictions on their freedom of choice and access to reproductive care. In this paper, we extend our prior "shared risk" model of male contraception to one of "shared risk and responsibility" to ethically inform this discourse. This updated framework more fully captures the complexity of this novel technology and may be of use to regulatory and legal agencies grappling with an intervention that poses medical risks to the member of the relationship who does not face risks of becoming pregnant.