Geographical Background Research Articles

Discussion on the Differences between Chinese and Western Cultures and Intercultural Translation

Due to different geographical backgrounds and development histories, there are certain cultural differences between China and Western countries, which often lead to cultural conflicts and seriously affect the efficiency and effectiveness of cultural exchanges. In the context of accelerating economic globalization and integration, as well as increasing cooperation among countries, in order to ensure the accuracy of translation, it is necessary to have a proficient and accurate understanding of the cultural differences between China and the West. By relying on these cultural differences, we can improve communication patterns and continuously enhance intercultural translation skills.

A Study of the English Translation of Characteristic Cuisines of the Hexi Corridor from the Perspective of Multimodal Discourse Analysis

Given the diversity of geographical and cultural backgrounds, it is difficult to find precise counterparts of many food-related vocabularies in the unique dietary culture of the Hexi Corridor in the target language, making it challenging to fully convey the essence of its local dietary culture in translation. To achieve the purpose of translation, the theory of multimodal discourse analysis provides an ideal translation approach through the language mode, image mode, sound mode, and the synergistic effect of multimodalities, which can accurately address the deficiencies in the translation of dietary culture. Through this research, it is not only possible to highlight the unique charm of the dietary culture of the Hexi Corridor but also to build a bridge for its international dissemination, promoting cross-border cultural exchanges and mutual understanding.

Regional Accents: Spontaneous Biases Toward Speakers Who Sound Like Us

Accents provide information about a speaker's geographical, socio-economic, and ethnic background. An additional important variable in the social evaluation of accented speech is the listener's own accent. Just as with any in-group marker, there is a preference for accented speakers that sound like us. Here we employed an auditory version of the implicit association test to quantify own-accent bias. At a Welsh university, we recruited two groups of participants born and raised in distinct regions within the UK, Wales and England. These regions have a long-standing history of national rivalry. In Experiments 1 and 2 we show that the magnitude of the implicitly measured own-accent bias in both groups was comparable to biases based on visible group membership (e.g., race). In addition, Experiment 2 shows that this implicitly measured bias was large compared to the explicitly reported preference. The effect sizes of the in-group preference reported here may have societal impact.

A Review of the Effectiveness of Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners

We see diversity in our classrooms. The learners are diverse in their age, race, socio-economic and geographical background, gender, academic and social skills, and physical state. To deal with all this diversity, a teacher has to be equipped with different pedagogical skills and approaches. The main objective of this review was to point out effective teaching strategies for diverse learners. The researcher used Google Scholar as a key search engine and searched articles and books related to the topic of the study by using different keywords. The researcher set the range for the search of relevant material from 2020 to date. The effective teaching strategies included the usage of technology, integration of projects and extracurricular activities in curricula, adaptation of inclusive education and assessment, development of collaboration enhancement of counseling center in the school, focus on individualized and differentiated learning, and ensuring peer learning.

8006 Feedback For Fellows: Opening The Pandora's Box Of "Confidence" In Feedback

Abstract Disclosure: S. Ananthakrishnan: None. C. Noronha: None. Background: Feedback is a key component of training at any level. Sub-specialty fellowship training has unique goals and barriers to feedback exchange, such as faculty tension with giving negative feedback to potential future colleagues, that are uncommon in other training environments. A common characteristic that may be discussed in feedback exchanges is a supervisor’s perception of a trainee’s confidence. Concerns have been raised both at the local and national level regarding the potential negative effects of the word “confidence” in medical education, due to cultural, gendered, and racial biases, which can be harmful to the learning environment in endocrinology where many trainees hail from diverse geographic and cultural backgrounds. Methods: Within our institution, ACGME annual survey data between 2015-2019 indicated that a large portion of internal medicine specialty fellows were not satisfied with the feedback they received. Pilot data from a survey administered to trainees in the Department of Medicine at our institution indicated that 66.67% (n=31) of trainees had received feedback about their confidence level as observed in the clinical setting. Over 70% of those trainees felt the feedback was actionable less than half the time. The themes of frustration and ambiguity in interpreting the feedback around “confidence” emerged from the trainee data. To address perceived deficiencies in supervisor knowledge, skills and attitudes around fellowship-specific feedback exchange, we implemented departmental workshops focused on highlighting tools related to giving feedback to fellow trainees and case-based discussions to understand how and why the word “confidence” is used in feedback and how it may be interpreted by trainees. Results: This feedback workshop has been instituted within our Department of Medicine and was piloted with a focus on fellowship education in the Endocrinology section by the time of this abstract (further data forthcoming). Following the workshop, attendees (n=13) were surveyed. 76.9% of respondents had experience delivering feedback with the word or theme of “confidence”, despite 69.2% of respondents being aware of the varied meanings of the word. Following the workshops, data from faculty attendees indicated 92% of respondents were aware of the varied meaning and 99% felt more comfortable using behavioral-based, as opposed to personality-based, language to support actionable changes in fellow skills. Conclusions: This workshop curriculum suggests further need to explore the impact of the word “confidence” in feedback exchanges. Our pilot data is a call to action for further research on the development of effective strategies on how to move past use of the word “confidence” in feedback, with the goal of providing more specific, bias-free and behavioral-based feedback that can support a more inclusive learning environment for fellowship trainees. Presentation: 6/3/2024

The relationship between college students' belief in a just world and online prosocial behavior.

Previous studies have highlighted the critical role that the belief in a just world (BJW) plays in maintaining and promoting prosocial behaviors within individuals. Considered a stable personality trait, the crux of BJW lies in the conviction that individuals receive what they deserve, and deserve what they receive. Simultaneously, the relationship between BJW and prosocial behavior is impacted by an individual's sense of fairness or unfairness. However, past research has primarily focused on real-life prosocial behavior, with limited exploration into the relationship between BJW and online prosocial behavior. This study, comprising a survey and an experiment, aimed to delve deeper into this relationship. The survey section randomly selected 4212 college students to examine how BJW correlates with online prosocial behavior. Findings predominantly revealed a significant positive correlation between online prosocial behavior and BJW. Additionally, the study explored how gender and place of origin influence these behaviors. Results showed that male students and those from urban areas exhibited significantly higher online prosocial behavior. The experimental research investigated the performance differences in online prosocial behaviors among college students under different fairness scenarios, revealing that the online prosocial behavior in an unfair situation was significantly higher than in fair or neutral situations. Furthermore, in unfair situations, a significant correlation was observed between BJW and online prosocial behavior. The findings from this study significantly advance our understanding of the dynamics between BJW and online prosocial behavior among college students, emphasizing that perceived injustices can markedly enhance prosocial behaviors in virtual settings. This study underscores the profound impact of fairness perceptions and highlights the modulating effects of gender and geographical background on online interactions.

Geographical disparities in fibromyalgia severity: An Italian study.

Geographic origin may represent a variable capable of influencing health status. This study aims to investigate the presence of differences of disease severity in Italian patients with fibromyalgia from different macro-regions. This retrospective, cross-sectional study involved patients included in the Italian Fibromyalgia Registry. Three geographical macro-regions were identified, comprising patients from Northern Italy, Central Italy and Southern Italy. Clinical differences (evaluated through PolySymptomatic Distress Scale [PSD], revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire [FIQR] and modified Fibromyalgia Assessment Status [FASmod]) among the geographical macro-regions were studied using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Scheffé's test. A total of 6095 patients (5719 females and 376 males) were included, with 1957 from Northern Italy, 2979 from Central Italy and 1159 from Southern Italy. All studied clinical indices showed a trend indicative of greater disease severity in Southern Italy, followed by Northern Italy and then Central Italy (mean values for PSD: 19.97 ± 6.20 in Northern Italy, 18.61 ± 7.12 in Central Italy, 23.01 ± 5.66 in Souther Italy). These differences were statistically significant for the overall scores of all studied indices, evaluated with ANOVA (all p < 0.001) and in the head to head comparisons, evaluted with Scheffé's test. Geographic background is significantly associated with variations in the severity of fibromyalgia in Italian patients. This is the first study to demonstrate geographical origin-dependent intra-national differences in the severity of fibromyalgia. The results confirm the necessity of considering fibromyalgia within the context of the biopsychosocial model and of implementing healthcare policies targeted towards the most underserved regions.

Age and Sex Structure of the Population of the Potapovo and Sintashta Cultures in the Late Bronze Age Based on the Materials of Funerary Monuments from the Volga-Ural Region

The paper analyzes the gender and age structure of the population of the Potapovo and Sintashta cultures in the late Bronze Age based on anthropological materials from a cemetery in the Volga-Ural region. According to archaeological data, both of them belong to a single cultural block; nevertheless, issues of their correlation and primacy in the time of origin are still debatable. 336 markers of gender and age definition in the individuals were applied. Calculations of the main demographic indicators were carried out; histograms of the ratio of age and gender groups were constructed for each culture under consideration. Using the principal components method, an intergroup comparison was carried out on demographic indicators of 31 series in the south of Eastern Europe and Transcaucasia. The indicators of the Potapovo and Sintashta groups have high infant mortality. At the same time, more even ratios of sex and age classes were noted for the Sintashta group of the Trans-Urals. In contrast to Potapovo, a more favorable external and internal social situation for the Sintashta population is assumed. A comparison of demographic indicators against a broader geographical and chronological background demonstrates, firstly, the convergence of the Potapovo and Sintashta groups, the manifestation of similar trends among subsequent series of log culture in the same region, and, on the contrary, sharp differences with the data of the previous pastoral Yamno-Poltavka population. Thus, the demographic indicators of the Potapovo and Sintashta cultures can symbolize the transition to new ethno-cultural living conditions, to the beginning of the formation of stationary geographical points, to the gradual settling of collectives.

Research on the Dilemma and Optimization Strategies of Industrial Development of Characteristic Towns under the Rural Revitalization Strategy

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly pointed out that the most difficult and arduous task of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way is still in the countryside. As an important practical form of new urbanization, characteristic towns play a key role in the rural revitalization strategy. The construction of characteristic towns is a "complex ecosystem" integrating multiple fields such as industry, ecology, humanities, and space, which is highly consistent with the general requirements of the rural revitalization strategy. This paper takes Yuantan Brush Industry Town in Qianshan City, Anhui Province as an example to explore the difficulties and optimization strategies faced by its industrial development. Through literature review, field research and case analysis, the geographical and historical background, industrial development status and socio-economic conditions of Yuantan Brush Industry Town are first analyzed. The study found that Yuantan Brush Industry Town has obvious problems in terms of imperfect financial policies, unreasonable ecological zone division, insufficient incentives for professional talents and supporting policies. In response to these problems, this paper proposes a series of optimization strategies. First, enhance the degree of industrial agglomeration, promote cooperation between enterprises and the improvement of upstream and downstream industrial chains. Secondly, improve infrastructure, improve transportation conditions and living supporting facilities. Finally, increase policy support, ensure policy implementation and expand the scope of support. Through these measures, it is aimed to promote the sustainable development of Yuantan Brush Industry Town and achieve industrial upgrading and economic benefits. It is hoped that through the research in this article, experience can be provided for the development of characteristic towns in Anhui, the realization of the strategic goals of rural revitalization can be promoted, and the effective resolution and development of the "three rural" issues can be promoted.

Gender(ed) equity: The growth of female shareholding in Australia, 1857–1937

AbstractLittle is known about the history of female investing in Australia. We develop a new dataset of company shareholders between 1857 and 1937, covering all major sectors of the economy. We calculate the female fraction of shareowners, their occupational and geographic backgrounds, and we analyse their investment patterns and behaviours including their risk profiles and portfolio construction decisions. Our findings suggest that ‘gender equity’—and more—had been reached, for some companies, by the interwar period. Women investors came from many walks of life, had various motives, and appear to have largely acted independently of other women and of men.

The Experiences of Patients Enrolled in Community Mental Health Centers Regarding the Illness Process: A Phenomenological Study.

The aim of this study is to explore in-depth the experiences of patients enrolled in Community Mental Health Centers regarding the illness process. This study employed interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), one of the phenomenological design approaches within qualitative research methods. The study was conducted between 24 May 2023 and 23 December 2023, at two different Community Mental Health Centers located in the eastern and western regions of Turkey. Maximum variation sampling was employed in the selection of the sample, which consisted of 12 patients registered at the Community Mental Health Centers. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. The interviews were conducted face-to-face and audio-recorded. Content analysis was performed using the MAXQDA 2022 software package. The study was written following the COREQ checklist. Based on the expressions of the patients, themes, subthemes and codes were identified. Accordingly, three themes were determined: 'emotions felt after diagnosis', 'changes in life with the illness process' and 'coping methods with the process'. This study highlights that patients from diverse geographical backgrounds, served by Community Mental Health Centers, share similar cultural and emotional experiences during their illness. These findings underscore the need for tailored interventions that address universal challenges faced by patients across different regions. This research emphasises the necessity of comprehensive efforts to improve societal understanding, support mechanisms and employment prospects for individuals dealing with mental health issues in Community Mental Health Centers.

Exploring the relationship of rurality and region: An analysis of adolescent marijuana use in the United States

Marijuana use among adolescents and young adults has increased, however, there is a paucity of research concerning marijuana use among adolescents in rural areas. Current literature holds the assumption that adolescents in rural areas tend to use less marijuana and marijuana associated products compared with youth from urban and suburban areas. However, geographical features may contribute to unique stressors experienced by rural youth, resulting in distinct differences in usage that have been previously unexplored. The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between rurality and geographic region by examining patterns of lifetime marijuana use in 12th graders across various geographical backgrounds. Using data from the Monitoring the Future Study database, participants were classified based on rurality (rural, medium suburban/urban, large suburban/urban) and geographic region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) and data was analyzed to investigate the differences in lifetime marijuana and hash usage. Results demonstrated that rural adolescents in the Northeast and West reported lifetime marijuana and hash product use at the same level as their urban/suburban counterparts; however, there were differences across rurality among Midwest and Southern regions. These results suggest that lifetime marijuana use among rural adolescents is not uniform across geographic regions, indicating that geography should be heavily considered when formulating preventative and educational marijuana programs.

Students' Needs and Preferences for Digital EFL Learning Materials

While research on digital language learning materials has received lots of attention, there was a scarcity of studies focusing on specific locations, like Sambas in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located near the border of Indonesia and Malaysia, Sambas has a unique EFL learning environment influenced by its geographical location and diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Understanding students' needs and preferences in local contexts is crucial in designing culturally relevant teaching materials. This study aimed to assess the needs and preferences of students in Sambas and provided valuable insights into optimizing the utilization of digital teaching materials for English language learning. This study employed a survey research design to elicit information about current materials, the student's needs, perceptions, and preferences concerning digital materials in English students' needs and preferences, and technological resources. The participants of this study were first-year students of junior secondary school (20 students) in Sambas. The findings revealed that students need videos, movies, and songs with English subtitles as learning materials. Furthermore, the study might shape future research in developing and implementing digital EFL materials customized to the Sambas' cultural context, including local language, customs, and traditions, and their effectiveness in engaging students and improving English language acquisition.

Practice-based research in dentistry: Exploring methodologies, benefits, and challenges.

Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) studies typically assess the effectiveness of clinical interventions in settings that match real-world conditions. Dental PBRNs have the capacity to amass, identify, and analyze vast amounts of data from patient populations that include diverse racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic backgrounds. These dental studies encompass a broad spectrum of healthcare aspects, including prevention, diagnosis, symptom and disease treatment, quality enhancement, and care coordination. An extensive range of research methodologies can be employed within dental PBRNs to investigate these topics, including randomized controlled trials. Dental PBRNs have evolved from primarily focusing on case observations to leveraging advanced network infrastructure and collaborating across multiple regional and national sites. In addition to producing numerous high-impact peer-reviewed publications, study results have led to improved clinical care. However, PBRNs encounter challenges, such as the sustainability of research capacity (relying heavily on ongoing support from funding agencies), diverse research cultures, and an imperative to design studies that are both feasible and relevant to everyday clinical practice. Recognizing the pivotal role of real-world evidence, it is important to have sustained investment in dental PBRN infrastructure and feasible opportunities for practitioners to participate in network activities nationwide. Practice-Based Research Network studies capitalize on an important research context within which to investigate a range of clinical topics that can employ multiple research methodologies. However, sustaining productive networks requires strategic effort, ongoing financial support, and customized organizational skills.

Transcending Borders in Orhan Pamuk’s My Name Is Red

Orhan Pamuk's novel My Name Is Red (1998) blurs the territory-bound art, cultural fences, and national boundaries to promote fraternity and connectivity through the two-fold strategy of obliterating conflict and encouraging philanthropic sensibility. This paper has examined the crossing of the divide in the massive migration, international trade, and refugee problems of the border postulated by Alejandro Lugo, Atzili Boas, Victory Konrad, and Anne-Laure Amilhat Szary’s border theory that emerged post-1990. Based on the insights of this theory, this paper argues that the ultimate resolution for the ongoing struggle among the people from diverse political, geographical, ethnic, and anthropological backgrounds in the third space is through the elimination of the territorial differences and the advancement of cross-cultural assimilation and humanitarian approach. This study uses qualitative research design to validate the argument that the territorial boundaries between the nations trouble social synchronization. The study’s finding reveals that the arts such as paintings transcend political division and promote the cultural adjustment in the liminal space. Istanbul is the setting that represents the transitional landmark between Southeast Asia and Europe as a cross-cultural and cross-border notion. The painting of the natural objects and the human procession merges the Eastern and the Western essences. The novel surpasses the conformist boundaries and endorses a multicultural artistic society without any religious, cultural, and geographical discrimination. Therefore, art functions as a tool to promote the aura of art, and such a sensation becomes the tool for the extension of psychological, physical, and social well-being.

The Mystery of Black Rice: Food, Medicinal, and Spiritual Uses of Oryza glaberrima by Maroon Communities in Suriname and French Guiana

AbstractDuring plantation slavery, African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) was widely cultivated in the Americas but was soon replaced by Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.). Maroons, descendants of Africans who escaped slavery in Suriname and French Guiana, continue to cultivate African rice. Genomic research linked this rice to an O. glaberrima variety in the Ivory Coast. Based on interviews with 99 Maroon farmers, of whom 23 cultivate black rice, we describe its diverse uses as (ceremonial) food, offerings, spiritual medicine, and its role during funerals. Maroon oral history accounts on the origin of black rice differ among and within communities: enslaved women brought it from Africa or took it from the plantations where they worked; escaped slaves found it in the savanna; or ancestors encountered it in interior swamps. These multiple and sometimes contradictory accounts of the origins of black rice are related to the diverse ethnic and geographical backgrounds of the Africans brought as slaves to Suriname and their different histories with the crop after marronage. Various characteristics of black rice, including its ability to compete with weeds and grow on poor soils, its shattering seeds, and its visibility to birds explain how this African domesticate survived in the wild in the Amazonian forest. The migration of Maroons to cities, their engagement in gold mining, and their evangelization may lead to the loss of black rice knowledge and practices.

A frugal CRISPR kit for equitable and accessible education in gene editing and synthetic biology

Equitable and accessible education in life sciences, bioengineering, and synthetic biology is crucial for training the next generation of scientists, fostering transparency in public decision-making, and ensuring biotechnology can benefit a wide-ranging population. As a groundbreaking technology for genome engineering, CRISPR has transformed research and therapeutics. However, hands-on exposure to this technology in educational settings remains limited due to the extensive resources required for CRISPR experiments. Here, we develop CRISPRkit, an affordable kit designed for gene editing and regulation in high school education. CRISPRkit eliminates the need for specialized equipment, prioritizes biosafety, and utilizes cost-effective reagents. By integrating CRISPRi gene regulation, colorful chromoproteins, cell-free transcription-translation systems, smartphone-based quantification, and an in-house automated algorithm (CRISPectra), our kit offers an inexpensive (~$2) and user-friendly approach to performing and analyzing CRISPR experiments, without the need for a traditional laboratory setup. Experiments conducted by high school students in classroom settings highlight the kit’s utility for reliable CRISPRkit experiments. Furthermore, CRISPRkit provides a modular and expandable platform for genome engineering, and we demonstrate its applications for controlling fluorescent proteins and metabolic pathways such as melanin production. We envision CRISPRkit will facilitate biotechnology education for communities of diverse socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds.

Hereditary nature of death-feigning frequency in a parasitoid wasp Heterospilus prosopidis using sib analysis.

Death feigning, a state of immobility observed in many animals in response to external stimuli, is an anti-predator behaviour. Although previous studies showed that death-feigning behaviours are quantitative genetic traits, the knowledge of the heritable basis of death-feigning behaviour is lacking. To investigate the heritable basis of death-feigning behaviour, we used 3 laboratory strains of a braconid parasitoid wasp, Heterospilus prosopidis. The heritable basis using half-sib analysis, and the effects of different geographical backgrounds, rearing conditions in the laboratory, and host age were evaluated. The results of the half-sib analysis showed that the frequency of death feigning varied among sires, suggesting a certain extent of additive genetic variance. Also, the frequency of death feigning varied between geographical backgrounds and among strains. Death-feigning frequency was not affected by the age of the host. Our findings highlight the importance of genetic factors underlying the basis of the death-feigning behaviour and provide support for the genetic alterations of traits from the perspective of evolution in various animal species.

A guide for the generation of repositories of clinical samples for research on Chagas disease.

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects over 6 million people, mainly in Latin America. Two different clinical phases, acute and chronic, are recognised. Currently, 2 anti-parasitic drugs are available to treat the disease (nifurtimox and benznidazole), but diagnostic methods require of a relatively complex infrastructure and trained personnel, limiting its widespread use in endemic areas, and the access of patients to treatment. New diagnostic methods, such as rapid tests (RDTs) to diagnose chronic Chagas disease, or loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), to detect acute infections, represent valuable alternatives, but the parasite's remarkable genetic diversity might make its implementation difficult. Furthermore, determining the efficacy of Chagas disease treatment is complicated, given the slow reversion of serological anti-T. cruzi antibody reactivity, which may even take decades to occur. New biomarkers to evaluate early therapeutic efficacy, as well as diagnostic tests able to detect the wide variety of circulating genotypes, are therefore, urgently required. To carry out studies that address these needs, high-quality and traceable samples from T. cruzi-infected individuals with different geographical backgrounds, along with associated clinical and epidemiological data, are necessary. This work describes the framework for the creation of such repositories, following standardised and uniform protocols, and considering the ethical, technical, and logistic aspects of the process. The manual can be adapted according to the resources of each laboratory, to guarantee that samples are obtained in a reproducible way, favouring the exchange of data among different work groups, and their generalizable evaluation and analysis. The main objective of this is to accelerate the development of new diagnostic methods and the identification of biomarkers for Chagas disease.

Population dynamics and genetic isolation in the Central Himalayan region: insights from Sikkim population, India.

India's rich diversity encompasses individuals from varied geographical, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. In the field of population genetics, comprehending the genetic diversity across distinct populations plays a crucial role. This study presents significant findings from genetic data obtained from the Sikkimese population of India. Autosomal markers were crucial for evaluating forensic parameters, with a combined paternity index of 1 × 109. Notably, Penta E emerged as a distinguishing marker for individual identification in the Sikkim population. Fst genetic distance values revealed insights into genetic isolation among different groups, enhancing our understanding of population dynamics in the central Himalayan region. The NJ-based phylogenetic tree highlighted close genetic relationships, of the Sikkim population with the Nepalese population surrounding neighbouring Himalayan populations providing glimpses into common ancestry. In summary, this study contributes valuable data to population genetics and underscores the importance of genetic variation in comprehending population dynamics and forensic applications.