Greater Openness Research Articles

David Flusser und seine Bedeutung für den jüdisch-christlichen Dialog

The life story of David Flusser (1917 Vienna – 2000 Jerusalem) extends from interwar Czechoslovakia, where he grew up and studied, to the broad research and teaching activities of an erudite professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He was a leading authority on Second Temple Judaism as well as early Christian writings. His contribution to the Jewish-Christian dialogue lies above all in his deep understanding of early Christianity, which he approached with great interest, openness and friendliness. For him, both Jesus and the apostle Paul are inspirational personalities who can only be properly understood in the context of the Jewish tradition of the time. The presented article focuses on how Flusser perceives their relationship to Jewish law (Torah) and how he sees Jewish attitudes to Jesus’ crucifixion.

Death awareness and psychological resilience in adults aged 50 plus

This study examines the relationship between death awareness and psychological resilience in adults aged 50 and above, focusing on the roles of religious activity, recent death experiences, and educational background. A total of 52 participants completed surveys measuring death awareness (TBS-5) and resilience (RS-10). Results indicated that religiously active individuals reported significantly lower death anxiety and higher resilience compared to non-religious participants. Additionally, individuals who had experienced the death of a loved one in the past 12 months showed a tendency toward greater openness in discussing death. No significant effects were found for educational background. While the small sample size limits the generalizability of the findings, the study highlights the importance of religious and experiential factors in shaping attitudes toward mortality and offers practical implications for end-of-life care and counseling. The results also suggest that fostering open dialogue about death and enhancing spiritual support may increase psychological resilience among older adults.

Optimization of Data Management through a Web System based on Business Intelligence and Agile Kanban Methodology

The collection of information through a questionnaire for planning purposes played an important role in defining the requirements of the web system, functioning as a fundamental basis for the next step in the software development phase. The application of the Kanban way of thinking has proven to be effective in managing work, supported by greater openness during the system creation phase. The surveys and interviews carried out show that the initiative is important and necessary to improve decision-making and processes. The incorporation of Kanban principles is based on an exhaustive analysis using tools such as PHP, Bootstrap and MySQL to facilitate the process and achieve maximum efficiency. Through the web-based system, it is possible to centralize information, allowing its access and management in real time. Business intelligence is also used to perform in-depth analysis, helping to identify patterns and potential opportunities for improvement. It was considered appropriate to choose the Kanban methodology due to its collaborative and incremental approach, ideal for adapting to change and providing constant value. The results confirm the solidity of our methodology and the relevance of the choices made in the development of this web application based on Business Intelligence and Agile Kanban Methodology.

Vertical Integration versus Open Innovation? From Winner Takes it All to Winners Make it All

This study explores the dynamics between the extremes of open innovation (OI)—from inclusive co-creation to exclusive vertical integration (VI). This analysis addresses the management issues of how Tesla and Porsche manage value capture and value distribution in the e-mobility industry through their contrasting approaches and strategic shifts between OI and VI. It develops a novel theoretical model juxtaposing the OI mode from open to closed with the value chain position from horizontal to vertical. Analyzing Tesla and Porsche’s strategic moves offers a paradigm shift for OI practitioners. Our model can enable enhanced value capture through greater openness and more inclusive value distribution through proactive inside-out strategies in core technology areas. Instead of positioning VI and OI as static polar extremes, a novel combination of VI and OI can realize untapped potential.

Correlations between meaning in life and nature connectedness: German-language validation of two topic-related measures and practical implications

Abstract Meaning in life and nature connectedness are indicators of a healthy life and correlate with health and well-being. We conducted a validation study of German versions of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al. 2006) and Nature Connection Index (Richardson et al. 2019) and assessed mindfulness as a trait and personality (big five personality traits) among participating students (n = 353). Results indicated a significant positive correlation between nature connectedness and presence of meaning in life. Presence of meaning correlated significantly with less neuroticism, more openness to new experiences, greater conscientiousness, and moderately with the two mindfulness subscales, ‘acceptance’ and ‘presence’. Search for meaning was associated with more neuroticism and less acceptance. A higher nature-connectedness score correlated with more presence and acceptance (mindfulness), greater openness, and less neuroticism (personality traits). Furthermore, we introduce a nature-assisted model of meaning fulfilment that can be applied in healthcare practices, counselling, and (psycho-) therapeutic treatment. Our results contribute to growing evidence on the preventive and curative effects of nature connectedness and meaning in life and their role as health-related resources. Nature connectedness and meaning in life are effective resources considering various aspects related to (global) crises such as climate change and the corona pandemic.

How Capital Market Liberalization Influences Stock Price Crash Risk: The Intermediate Effect of Corporate Accounting Clarity

The introduction of the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs represents a pivotal juncture in the evolution of Chinas capital markets, signaling a significant move towards increased openness and integration. These initiatives have sparked considerable academic interest, underscoring their potential to transform the financial landscape. This research employs these programs as a quasi-natural experiment to investigate their profound impact on financial stability. Our analysis focuses on a comprehensive dataset encompassing A-share firms listed on both the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges over a thirteen-year period, from 2008 to 2021. Employing a robust difference-in-differences analytical approach, this study seeks to discern the effects of capital market liberalization on the incidence of stock price crashes. The empirical findings reveal a compelling association: greater openness in capital markets correlates significantly with a reduced risk of stock price crashes. This correlation is largely attributed to enhancements in corporate accounting transparency facilitated by these initiatives. Thus, these findings underscore the dual role of enhanced capital market openness in not only fostering stability in stock prices but also in mitigating market risks, safeguarding investor wealth, reducing systemic financial vulnerabilities, and fostering sustainable development across capital markets. This study contributes meaningfully to the existing literature on stock price crash risk by providing nuanced insights and actionable recommendations for policymakers and market participants alike, aiming to further bolster capital market openness and resilience.

Identifying high school risk factors that forecast heavy drinking onset in understudied young adults

Heavy alcohol drinking is a major, preventable problem that adversely impacts the physical and mental health of US young adults. Studies seeking drinking risk factors typically focus on young adults who enrolled in 4-year residential college programs (4YCP) even though most high school graduates join the workforce, military, or community colleges. We examined 106 of these understudied young adults (USYA) and 453 4YCPs from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) by longitudinally following their drinking patterns for 8 years from adolescence to young adulthood. All participants were no-to-low drinkers during high school. Whereas 4YCP individuals were more likely to initiate heavy drinking during college years, USYA participants did so later. Using mental health metrics recorded during high school, machine learning forecasted individual-level risk for initiating heavy drinking after leaving high school. The risk factors differed between demographically matched USYA and 4YCP individuals and between sexes. Predictors for USYA drinkers were sexual abuse, physical abuse for girls, and extraversion for boys, whereas 4YCP drinkers were predicted by the ability to recognize facial emotion and, for boys, greater openness. Thus, alcohol prevention programs need to give special consideration to those joining the workforce, military, or community colleges, who make up the majority of this age group.

Deciphering the digital divide: the heterogeneous and nonlinear influence of digital economy on urban-rural income inequality in China

ABSTRACT This study investigates the heterogeneous and nonlinear impact of digital economy on the urban-rural income disparities in 30 Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2020. The results from moderated multiple regressions and panel threshold regressions consistently indicate that digital economy generally widens China’s urban-rural inequality, but this widening effect diminishes as the digital economy progresses. Furthermore, the influence of digital economy varies depending on local socio-economic factors, including economic development, industrial structure, education level, government expenditure, and openness. Digital economy exerts a stronger influence on exacerbating the inequality in economically developed regions with higher education levels and greater openness, but it helps prevent the inequality from expanding through its interactions with secondary industry development and fiscal expenditure. These findings provide a reference for formulating target strategies in line with local development conditions to bridge the inequality engendered by the digital divide.

Cognitive facet and paradigm of the caregivers of children with developmental problems in Eastern India.

The role of caregivers in grooming the neuro-developmental outcome of high-risk newborns and developmental challenges in children needs to be explored. To find the knowledge and perception among parents regarding the neuro-developmental outcome of high-risk newborns, methods adopted to address these problems, and to identify areas on which awareness generation needs to focus. A questionnaire-based awareness survey was conducted to understand the knowledge, attitude, and practices of families of children with developmental challenges. The study revealed that more than 70 percent of families lack information about child development, developmental challenges, and means to deal with them. They are unaware of the available health care services and other resources. One in three families has misconceptions on developmental disabilities; consider them as curse or jinx and consequently neglected. Female children with developmental problems are further ostracized due to gender inequity in families. About 10 percent of families have shown great openness toward acquiring new skills and knowledge for handling their children with developmental delays. This study is based on the précis research findings of our grass-root level fieldwork conducted in remote rural Bengal areas. The observation will be of interest and learning materials for general primary care practitioners, family physicians, and stakeholders to initiate appropriate intervention strategies for properly rehabilitating children with developmental delay at grass-root levels of primary health care.

Role of Organisational Culture in Enabling Effective Communication and Total Quality Management Practices in Champion Breweries Plc, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Organisational culture shapes communication patterns and effectively implements Total Quality Management (TQM) practices. However, there is limited empirical research on how organisational culture influences these aspects, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. This study aimed to examine the role of organisational culture at Champion Breweries PLC in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, in enabling or hindering communication and TQM practices. A quantitative survey was conducted with a sample of 278 employees. The results revealed that while Champion Breweries' culture encourages openness and continuous improvement to some degree, enhancements are needed in organisational transparency, cross-departmental collaboration, employee involvement, and learning orientation to support communication and TQM fully. Key cultural aspects that facilitate effective practices include teamwork, shared goals and customer focus. However, empowerment and continuous improvement mindsets need reinforcement. Leadership is pivotal in championing culture evolution focused on greater openness, collaboration and empowerment. The study concludes that shaping a quality-focused culture is crucial for optimal TQM implementation and communication effectiveness. It provides insights into realigning organisational culture with quality objectives through initiatives targeted at assumptions, values, structures and leadership role modelling. It is recommended that, the leadership at champion breweries, needs to spearhead culture change through their communication and behaviours, consciously. Also should transparency, collaboration, learning and empowerment that are vital for commination and TQM effectiveness.

Research on the Application of the New Blended Teaching Model Based on Virtual Simulation Technology in Foreign Language Teaching

The reform of “Internet+” in higher education has been driven by the rapid development of information technology in recent years. While the blended teaching model has brought about greater openness in educational concepts and more humane teaching methods, its effectiveness in addressing students’ weak self-directed learning, lack of initiative, and insufficient practical abilities remains limited. In light of these challenges, this study thoroughly investigates the current status and primary problems of foreign language professional courses. The objective is to integrate virtual simulation technology with the traditional blended teaching model, creating a new blended teaching model for implementation in teaching practice. Two parallel classes from the 2020 English major at the researcher’s institution were selected as research subjects, with an experimental group and a control group established. The experimental group utilized the new blended teaching model based on virtual simulation technology, while the control group followed the conventional blended teaching model. After implementing the teaching methods, the effects were evaluated through two aspects: the scores of the final theoretical exams and the results of a survey. The experimental results reveal that the experimental group achieved higher scores in the theoretical exams compared to the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Additionally, the students in the experimental group demonstrated notable improvements in their self-directed learning abilities, learning attitude, and practical application skills after being exposed to the new blended teaching model. These findings indicate that the online-offline blended teaching model, which incorporates virtual simulation experiments, effectively combines the advantages of blended teaching and virtual simulation technology. Furthermore, it successfully enhances students’ academic performance. Thus, it is evident that this new teaching model caters to the individual learning needs of students and exemplifies the integration of theory and practice.

Effectivity of Management of Desa Funding Against Development Progress in Selayar District South Sulawesi Indonesia

Qualitative research through a phenomenological approach, as for the results of the study showed that Village fund management plays a crucial role in improving the economy and welfare at the village level. However, an evaluation of these management practices reveals several aspects that need serious attention. Community involvement in planning and decision-making is still limited, while transparency in financial management and supervision of the use of village funds is not optimal. The management process, from planning to supervision, should be more structured and involve active community participation. Greater openness from the village government regarding the use of village funds is needed so that the community can better understand and participate in village development. Through the implementation of transparent, accountable, and participatory financial management principles, as well as involving the community in every stage, it is expected that the management of village funds can be more effective, sustainable, and have a significant positive impact on the development of the village and the welfare of its people.

Październik 1956 roku w Wyższej Szkole Ekonomicznej w Sopocie i Wyższej Szkole Pedagogicznej w Gdańsku

The Higher School of Economics in Sopot and the Higher School of Pedagogy in Gdansk were universities established just after World War II and strongly ideologized in the 1950s. The purpose of this article is to reconstruct the events that took place during the October transition at both universities and also to identify the changes these events led to at party meetings. The introduction discusses the history of the WSE in Sopot and the WSE in Gdansk from the time of their establishment until 1956 and outlines the elements of ideological pressure applied to employees and students. An analysis of the minutes of university bodies (staff meetings, Senates) and party bodies at the universities (POP and KU PZPR) and above the universities (KM PZPR in Sopot, KW PZPR in Gdansk), memoirs of students and employees, and newspaper articles were used to achieve the goal. The changes that took place at the universities were primarily concerned with democratization, greater openness in discussion (while remaining faithful to broad Marxist ideology), changes in the conceptual instrumentarium and criticism of both the USSR and national and university authorities. Virtually all groups comprising the WSE and WSP academic community were involved in the 1956 changes, albeit to varying degrees and in different forms. Employees were more involved at meetings of university and party committees, while students were involved at rallies and in the forums of youth organizations.

Dijalogom kultura i konvergencijom civilizacija - savremena Kina na putu partnerstva za razvoj, mir i budućnost čovečanstva - sociološke marginalije o kineskoj strategiji "Pojas i put"

The paper elaborates on the following Chinese strategy: the dialogue of cultures and convergence of civilizations are a road of achieving partnership for sustainable development and peace in the world. The author first gives an overview of the history of Chinese culture and civilization: its depth, breadth and giant accomplishments. Then he discusses modern China from the period after Mao's death and its leaders/reformers, in particular Deng Xiaoping and XI Jinping, as the founders of the new development strategy in China's internal and foreign politics. In that context, the focus of the author's analysis is on China's modernization and development strategy, relying on the rapid and high development of education, science and advanced technologies of the third and fourth developmental-civilizational waves, as well as liberalization of economy and democratization of social and political relations; the "Belt and Road" strategy - i.e., China's great opening up and cooperating with the world through partnership for the sake of universal wellbeing of humanity, globalization with a human face, multipolar order and peace in the world.

"FEMINIST RHETORIC IN BARACK OBAMA AND HILLARY CLINTON’S DISCOURSE "

November 8, 2016, marked the beginning of a new era in the American political setting. The Obama era was known as a period of great opening, minority friendly approach and liberal vision. Of the two candidates that were running for office in 2016, Hillary Clinton seemed to have the most similar approach to the now former president of the USA, Barack Obama; Clinton was framed as the de facto carrier and enforcer of Obama’s legacy. Feminist approaches are not gender determined; Obama himself has made a mark as a feminist leader. Clinton ran for the highest office as a pioneer of women’s representation in politics. The aim of this paper is to discover the similarities between Obama’s discursive style and Hillary’s approach. Through critical discourse analysis, we launch this research in order to emphasize gender negotiations, in terms of both content and style.

Yoga pose annotation and classification by using time-distributed convolutional neural network

<span>In India, people have been practicing yoga for thousands of years to improve their health and well-being on all levels. As the pace of technological development increases, this presents a great opening for computational probing across all areas of social domains. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods to an interdisciplinary field like yoga. The proposed study aims to develop a yoga pose annotation and classification for yogasana recognition in real time. The study considers TensorFlow for better implementation of data automation, performance monitoring. TensorFlow yields better numerical computation and hat helps ML and efficiently develops the neural network. The proposed composed of time-distributed convolutional neural network (CNN) through the Softmax function. Also, a poseNet algorithm is considered to estimate the user’s real-time yoga pose. The use of a database i.e., poseTrack in the proposed method offers annotation to the evaluation of yoga pose and tracking of it. The performance analysis of the proposed yoga pose annotation and classification model suggests that it offers higher accuracy <span>than traditional, support vector machines (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN).</span></span>

Into the Great Wide Open—From Classroom to Virtual Learning

This paper charts the journey from classroom-based training delivery to hybrid and virtual learning opportunities used to overcome the challenges imposed by public health restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health measures introduced in March 2020 had a significant effect on the ability of the Children First Information and Advice Service (CFIAS), in Tusla, Ireland’s Child and Family Agency, to deliver services. One of the key tools used by the CFIAS to support understanding of responsibilities, and best practice, in child safeguarding by professionals, and within organisations, has been the provision of direct training and information sessions. The introduction of public health restrictions necessitated a complete rethink by the CFIAS on how child safeguarding training and information are delivered. The paper presents an outline of the background and context of child safeguarding in Ireland, followed by a description of some of the challenges experienced by the CFIAS in response to the pandemic public health restrictions. It includes discussion on strategies and solutions considered to overcome these challenges. There is further discussion on the tools and methods eventually used, followed by a reflection on lessons learned by the CFIAS in areas including training delivery and methodology, eLearning, and information provision. The paper provides an analysis of limited qualitative and quantitative data, as well as a reflection on the lived experience of the CFIAS team members responding to the challenges posed during this time period, rather than a preplanned research study on pedagogical approaches in adult learning.

Roadmap on Label-Free Super-Resolution Imaging.

Label-free super-resolution (LFSR) imaging relies on light-scattering processes in nanoscale objects without a need for fluorescent (FL) staining required in super-resolved FL microscopy. The objectives of this Roadmap are to present a comprehensive vision of the developments, the state-of-the-art in this field, and to discuss the resolution boundaries and hurdles which need to be overcome to break the classical diffraction limit of the LFSR imaging. The scope of this Roadmap spans from the advanced interference detection techniques, where the diffraction-limited lateral resolution is combined with unsurpassed axial and temporal resolution, to techniques with true lateral super-resolution capability which are based on understanding resolution as an information science problem, on using novel structured illumination, near-field scanning, and nonlinear optics approaches, and on designing superlenses based on nanoplasmonics, metamaterials, transformation optics, and microsphere-assisted approaches. To this end, this Roadmap brings under the same umbrella researchers from the physics and biomedical optics communities in which such studies have often been developing separately. The ultimate intent of this paper is to create a vision for the current and future developments of LFSR imaging based on its physical mechanisms and to create a great opening for the series of articles in this field.

Influence of Communication on the Productivity of Portuguese Military Organization

Communication is the key to the success and stability of any organization. The very beginning of civilization owes its evolution to effective communication. Therefore, the whole process for the creation of any company is related to communication between the working groups. The present study investigated how the productivity of Portuguese military organizations (Portuguese Air Force, Portuguese Army, Navy, and Republican National Guard) is influenced by the type of 2 communication used. In the methodology used for this research, the questionnaire was adopted as a data collection instrument applied to the three branches of the Armed Forces and the National Republican Guard. Chain communication, characteristic of the military environment, is one of the oldest institutional means of communication. This type of communication is characterized by a downward flow in which the institution’s highest rank transmits a message that must be orchestrated by the other posts until the information reaches the lowest level, the executing or operational level. The viability of communication in these institutions has been demonstrated throughout history. However, there are also certain disadvantages of this type of communication when compared to other institutions where there is greater openness in terms of communication between the various hierarchical levels.

Personality Traits and Student Loan Holding for Self and for Children Among Baby Boomers

This study investigates the relationship between baby boomers’ personality traits and their student loan indebtedness in the United States. This article utilizes the 2014 data set from the 1979 cohort of the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, applies survey weights, estimates multiple probit models, and computes marginal effects. The results reveal that those with greater openness are more likely to have student loans for themselves, while those with greater neuroticism are less likely to have student loans for themselves and for their children. Additional analyses based on core/trailing boomer status, gender, and income subsamples show the differing roles of each personality trait on student loan indebtedness. The findings build upon the literature by providing evidence that personality is significantly associated with student loan indebtedness and that this relationship is robust to translate into student debt management behavior.