Initial Hypothesis Research Articles

«Spanish» Writers Borges, Márquez, and Coelho (based on the results of a survey)

For the last four years I have been conducting a survey of Russians who do not speak Spanish. 155 people were interviewed. The main question was: «What Spanish writers do you know?» The answers confirmed my initial hypothesis: the readers confuse Spanish literature with the literature written in Spanish. Along with the answer «no one» (54 respondents), people named Cervantes (65), García Lorca (33), Lope de Vega (25), Pérez Reverte (11) and other Spanish authors, as well as García Márquez (47), Borges (13), Cortázar (9), Coelho (6) and other foreigners. That is the specificity of the perception of Spanish literature in Russia, its difference from the image of other literatures. In the case of Russia and Spain, the border of cultural communication almost exactly coincides with the language border.

The Impact of Service Quality Using the Carter Model on Customer Satisfaction in Indonesian Islamic Banks

This study explores the impact of service quality, as evaluated using the CARTER model, on customer satisfaction at Bank Syariah Indonesia. Among the six initial hypotheses, only two were confirmed, yielding significant insights. Notably, the research revealed that neither sharia compliance nor tangible aspects significantly influenced customer satisfaction. Assurance and empathy also displayed no substantial impact. Conversely, two pivotal factors emerged as major drivers of customer satisfaction: reliability and responsiveness. This intriguing finding may be linked to a recent hacker attack on Bank Syariah Indonesia, which occurred a month before the study, although further research is required to confirm this hypothesis. Despite the rigor of the research procedures, some limitations emerged, including the use of online questionnaires via Google Forms, which hindered detailed explanations to respondents and potentially affected their understanding. Additionally, the study focused exclusively on the service quality components outlined by the CARTER model, neglecting other important variables like trust, awareness, and loyalty. In light of these findings, the study offers vital recommendations. Bank Syariah Indonesia is encouraged to focus more on the various components of the CARTER service quality model to potentially foster higher customer trust and loyalty. Furthermore, the bank should consider introducing flagship programs and comprehensive approaches to enhance customer satisfaction. Future researchers are encouraged to explore additional factors influencing customer satisfaction, such as product quality and brand image, and to expand the sample to include a more diverse range of respondents. In summary, this study summarizes its findings, limitations, and recommendations, providing valuable insights for Bank Syariah Indonesia and future researchers seeking to enhance their understanding of service quality and customer satisfaction in this context.

Violência intrafamiliar contra crianças e adolescentes e o papel do CREAS

The subject of the research is the role played by the Social Assistance Specialized Reference Center (CREAS) in assisting children and teenagers who are victims of intra-family violence. The general aim of the research is to analyze CREAS’ responsibilities in providing care to children and teenagers who are victims of intra-family violence. To this end, the specific objectives are to analyze the modalities, causes and consequences of intra-family violence against children and teenagers, to verify the legal protection safeguarding the rights of children and teenagers based on the theory of comprehensive protection, and to study the role of the Social Assistance Specialized Reference Center as a public policy for providing assistance in situations of intra-family violence against children and teenagers. The question guiding the research is to ask what role the Social Assistance Specialized Reference Center plays as an entity active in public service policies in situations of intra-family violence against children and teenagers. The initial hypothesis suggests that CREAS provides special social protection in caring for victims of intra-family violence, providing the services of shelter, monitoring, guidance, and protection, in a coordinated fashion. The method of approach is deductive, and the procedural method is monographic, utilizing bibliographic research techniques. With intra-family violence a means of de-humanization and manifesting in many ways, public service policies play an essential role in its prevention and in the restoration of the rights violated.

Drone Magnetic and Time Domain Electromagnetic Exploration in Metamorphic Formations: Tool for the Identification of Strategic Sites for Aquifer Exploitation

In the contemporary era, the exploitation of aquifers in the agricultural sector has become increasingly important. In response, researchers have directed their efforts towards the formulation of effective methodologies, with geophysical prospecting emerging as a fundamental tool in locating the best underground deposits. The magnetic prospecting technique can discriminate between different categories of rocks, which facilitates the localisation of geological contacts—an essential factor in determining the strategic location of boreholes, while electromagnetic time-domain prospecting helps in the definition of sedimentary strata. In particular, this process reveals the important influence of tertiary and metamorphic formations on the regional hydrogeological framework of the studied area. The variable yields recorded in the wells in the area that have yielded good results are a clear indication of the presence of aquifers. However, it is important to note that numerous wells have been drilled in this region that have yielded negligible or even zero flow rates. Prudent selection of the location and depth of boreholes is essential to ensure proper management of this resource. The use of drones equipped with magnetometers is essential to speed up the spatial mapping process. Empirical results corroborate the accurate classification of lithological units, thus facilitating the selection of sites for groundwater abstraction. These studies serve to validate initial hypotheses and profoundly enrich our understanding of the hydrogeological dynamics of the site, thus providing avenues for optimal and sustainable exploitation and future academic research.

Lateral river erosion impacts the preservation of Neolithic enclosures in alluvial plains

Situating prehistoric sites in their past environment helps us to understand their functionality and the organization of early sedentary human societies. However, this is a challenge as the natural environment constantly evolves through time and erases these constructions, especially along riverbanks, thus biasing the archaeological record. This study introduces a reassessment of the paleo-landscape evolution around the Neolithic enclosures at the Noyen-sur-Seine site based on new field observations as well as the synthesis of (un)published and new radiocarbon dating. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, our results show that the Noyen enclosures were not built along a Neolithic Seine River: the nearby channels were active in the Middle Age and Early Modern periods. Therefore, the results show that the enclosures were originally much larger: only a fraction that survived river erosion (lateral migration rates up to 2–3 m yr−1 estimated during the nineteenth century) has been preserved. Instead, an abandoned Mesolithic Seine River served as a natural delimitation of the SE part of the Neolithic enclosures. These results indicate that Neolithic enclosures in alluvial settings are often only partly preserved and that societies from that period lived farther away from active rivers than originally thought, where they were protected from floods.

Deciphering the origin of dubiofossils from the Pennsylvanian of the Paraná Basin, Brazil

Abstract. Minerals are the fundamental record of abiotic processes over time, while biominerals are one of the most common records of life due to their easy preservation and abundance. However, distinguishing between biominerals and abiotic minerals is challenging due to the superimposition and repetition of geologic processes and the interference of ubiquitous and diverse life on Earth's surface and crust. Mineral dubiofossils, being potential outcomes of both abiotic and biotic environments, emerge as valuable entities that can contribute significantly to the understanding of this issue, facilitating the testing and refinement of biogenicity criteria. The aim of this contribution is to decipher the origin and history of branched mineralized structures that were previously considered mineral dubiofossils from the Pennsylvanian of the Paraná Basin, Brazil. While this material has different forms and refers to biological aspects, it is challenging to associate it with any known fossil group due to the overlapping geological processes occurring in a transitional deposit of Rio do Sul Formation (Itararé Group of the Paraná Basin), particularly in close proximity to a sill from the Serra Geral Group (Lower Cretaceous), which has undergone thermal effects. Given the absence of attributes essential for supporting the initial hypotheses proposing the material as a potential set of sponge spicules or a result of contact metamorphism in Pennsylvanian turbidites, the objects are now investigated as mineral dubiofossils. To address this challenge, we have developed a descriptive protocol for dubiofossils, building upon prior research in the field. This protocol evaluates the following aspects: (1) morphology, texture, and structure; (2) relationship with the matrix; (3) composition; and (4) context. This is done by assessing indigeneity and syngenicity and comparing the specimens with abiotic and biotic products. Applying this protocol to our samples revealed a wide range of morphologies with internal organization, predominantly composed of calcite with impurities such as iron, magnesium, aluminum, and oxygen. The inferred indigeneity suggests the presence of these minerals concurrently with or prior to the intrusion of the sill. Extensive comparisons were made between the studied samples and a broad spectrum of abiotic minerals, as well as controlled, induced, and influenced biominerals from similar contexts. These comparative analyses encompassed sponge spicules; sea urchin and algae skeletons; minerals induced or influenced by fungi, bacteria, and microbial mats; and inorganic pre- and synsedimentary–eodiagenetic minerals like evaporites, springs, and other precipitates, and mesodiagenetic–metamorphic crystals. Despite this comprehensive analysis, no hypothesis emerged as significantly more likely than others. The comparative analysis did allow us to exclude the possibility of the samples being controlled biominerals due to their patternless diversity of morphologies, as well as purely thermometamorphic in origin due to their branched elongated forms. The occurrence of these structures suggests a complex history: a syn-depositional or eodiagenetic origin of some carbonate or sulfate (gypsum, ikaite, dolomite, calcite, aragonite, siderite), potentially associated with the presence of microbial mats, which may have served as templates for mineralization and mediated mineral growth. Mesodiagenesis could have further modified the occurrence through processes such as mineral stabilization, agglutination, aging, and growth. However, the primary agent responsible for the formation of the dubiofossil was the Cretaceous intrusion, which dissolved and replaced the initial minerals, resulting in the precipitation of calcite. Throughout these steps, a combination of physical–chemical and biological reactions, influenced by intrinsic matrix characteristics, organic matter content, and distance from the intrusive body, may have contributed to the heightened morphological complexity observed, thus corroborating the origin of the material becomes even more challenging. Consequently, both the hypotheses pertaining to the formation of biotic and abiotic sulfates and carbonates remain plausible explanations, hence sustaining the classification of the material as a dubiofossil. This material illustrates how dubiofossils can be a result of a complex history and overlapping geological processes. It also highlights the difficulty in differentiating biominerals from abiotic minerals due to the scarcity of biogenicity arguments.

The objective and subjective indicators comparative analysis for assessing social inequalities in regions

The article raises the problem of assessing the degree of sensitivity of the population in relation to the socio-economic situation in the regions, which lies in the fact that the population has its own idea of the state of affairs in the region, and these ideas are not always consistent with the official position of the regional decision-making authorities, as usually based on statistics. Such an assessment can be carried out through a comparative (comparative) analysis of objective (based on statistical data) and subjective (based on sociological data) indicators that characterize the state of social inequalities in the regions. The main results of a comparative analysis are presented on the example of assessing specific areas of life, such as the labor market, housing and the state of housing and communal services, the road transport system, healthcare, etc. fundamental research of the Center for the Sociology of Management and Social Technologies of the Federal Scientific Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which highlighted the close relationship between the sociocultural and socioeconomic levels of development of regions. A comparative analysis of subjective and objective indicators for assessing the state of social inequalities showed their linear-nonlinear relationship, i.e. in some cases, the subjective (sociological) assessment can be comparable with the objective one, formed on the basis of statistical data, in other cases, such an assessment is very different from the statistical data. As a result, the initial hypothesis was corrected, noting that a certain interdependence of the depth and severity of social inequalities was found in the regions, but it is unstable and depends on the region and the specific field of activity.

Contribution of Communication for a Good Management of Water Bodies in Buurkina: Case of Lac Dem in the Commune of Kaya, Province of Sanematinga, North Center Region

Lake DEM, like other wetlands in Burkina Faso, is facing pronounced degradation due to numerous pressures, mainly anthropogenic, associated with management problems, a lack of communication and awareness of the basics of management of water bodies and thereby resulting in a weak local governance framework. It is with a view to reversing this trend towards the continuous degradation of our plant cover that our research work proposes the contribution of communication for better management of the Lac Dem water body by relying on the previous work of the Local Environmental Governance Consolidation Project (COGEL Project) in collaboration with the Ramsar Convention. This study is intended to be a scientific contribution. Also, the shared resource of the lake management plan offers us this opportunity to analyze the different uses of the water resource in a communication strategy at the level of the lake and within its sub-watershed. The estimate of water withdrawals from the lake by the various actors showed significant annual water quantities of m3 of water by the various actors involved in the sector. Our initial hypothesis, which is confirmed, testifies that the mode of withdrawal of the water resource from Lake Dem does not allow its sustainable use. However, given the status of the lake with multiple uses and the poor coordination of the actors, it seems imperative to operationalize the management framework of Lake Dem. Thus, the effective implementation of the lake management plan, and a good organization of all actors through communication strategies, will allow better coordination and sustainable use of the waters of Lake Dem.

FinTech regulation and the development of the FinTech sector in the European Union

The aim of the article is to identify the relationship between the level of regulation of various segments of the FinTech industry and the level of development of this sector. To address this research problem, the paper analyses the scope of regulation in 14 segments of the FinTech sector, and based on that, develops the FinTech Regulation Index for the individual European Union countries. Then, the paper uses this index to examine if there is a relationship between the level of regulation and the level of FinTech development in the various European Union countries. The econometric analysis confirmed the initial hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between the level of FinTech sector regulation and the level of its development.

Identifying Biopsychosocial Characteristics of Emergency Youth Shelter Residents With Psychiatric Diagnoses.

Background In the United States, homelessness is an issue that may affect a significant portion of the adolescent population. There is no consensus on the extent to which this population has been impacted by poor mental health and lack of resources. This study aimed to characterize trends among those who struggle with housing insecurity and mental illness to provide a clearer picture of mental health needs among this population. Methods Data from 641 adolescents who presented to a local adolescent homeless shelter between 2015 and 2021 were utilized to determine if there were significant associations between specific mental illness diagnoses and biopsychosocial characteristics. A chi-square test of independence was performed on demographic and psychosocial variables for categories with a frequency greater than five. For continuous variables, an unpaired t-test was utilized to assess significance (p<0.05). Results Among the study population, 61.3% (369) had at least one psychiatric diagnosis, which is higher than even the most conservative estimates of mental illness among the general public. Having one or more psychiatric diagnoses was significantly associated with suicide attempts, documented aggressive behavior, and tobacco use. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, there were no significant correlations between psychiatric diagnoses and demographic characteristics or drug use other than tobacco. Conclusions Our findings indicate that though the particular reasons for homelessness among adolescents may vary, the prevalence of mental illness among these young individuals was roughly uniformly distributed and vastly above normal levels. Future research must focus on developing interventions to mitigate the effects of mental illness among homeless adolescents, as they are at a vulnerable point in their formative years.

Analysis of the Effect of Age on the Absorption Dose of X-ray Radiation in Thorax Examination

This research aimed at finding out the effect of the patient's age on the absorbed dose obtained during the thorax examination. The observation data used is the exposure factor in the form of the tube voltage (kV), tube current (mA), irradiation time (s), and focus film distance (cm). The age range used is grouped based on the elderly age category established by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia which ranges from 46 years until 85 years of age. From the data on the exposure factor and age of elderly patients, the oneway ANOVA statistical test was conducted. From the results of these statistical tests, the results obtained FCalculate value is 0,201 and sig 0,821 for Thorax AP examination and the results obtained FCalculate value is 0,790 and sig 0,476 for Thorax PA examination with the FTable value is 3,81 and the sig is 0,05. Therefore, based on the testing criteria in statistics of the initial hypothesis (H0) is accepted or it can be concluded that age does not affect the amount of X-ray radiation absorbed dose received by elderly patients in thorax examinations from the age range of 46 years until 85 years.

First Millennium Urbanism in Central Asia: Typology and Evolution of Dzhety-asar Settlements

Abstract Despite its apparent size and length of its existence, the Dzhety-asar culture of Kazakhstan remains one of the great unknowns of Central Asian archaeology, comprising, as it did, several dozen now-ruined settlements with an almost thousand-year long occupational history. First settled around the 1st century BC and gradually abandoned in the second half of the 1st millennium AD, the Dzhety-asar towns and manors were located to the east of the Aral Sea within the Syr Darya delta, and may have functioned as a core element in Central Asia’s medieval trade networks. Despite past research efforts by the Khorezmian Archaeological Ethnographic Expedition (KhAEE), the cultural and political history of the Dzhety-asar people remains largely unclear, with as yet no consensus on the political structure or their ethnic, linguistic and religious make-up. The present paper does not presume to answer these questions at this stage, as it is the result of two fieldwork seasons documenting and surveying Dzhety-asar settlements. It is, instead, intended to lay out the preliminary findings, presenting a revised typology of sites, and suggest initial hypotheses regarding the structure and possible evolution of the culture.

Structural and antigenic characterization of the avian adeno-associated virus capsid.

AAVs are extensively studied as promising therapeutic gene delivery vectors. In order to circumvent pre-existing antibodies targeting primate-based AAV capsids, the AAAV capsid was evaluated as an alternative to primate-based therapeutic vectors. Despite the high sequence diversity, the AAAV capsid was found to bind to a common glycan receptor, terminal galactose, which is also utilized by other AAVs already being utilized in gene therapy trials. However, contrary to the initial hypothesis, AAAV was recognized by approximately 30% of human sera tested. Structural and sequence comparisons point to conserved epitopes in the fivefold region of the capsid as the reason determinant for the observed cross-reactivity.

School Space and Sustainability in the Tropics: The Case of Thermal Comfort in Brazil

This work aims to discuss thermal comfort and school architecture in Brazil, within the Anthropocene framework. The objective traverses the fields of school management, curriculum, and educational policy. The importance of the environmental emergency in the context of the Anthropocene is recognized, understanding it as a space-time in which climate change biopolitically impacts both local and global daily life. In this way, we consider that the curricular dimension together with school architecture, in the Anthropocene scenario, tends to respond to the demands of biosecurity. The methodology of this article is the analysis of documentary sources, particularly current Brazilian legislation on school architecture, thermal comfort, and public funding. The initial hypothesis of this work operates with the argument that in Brazilian legislation there is a predominance of HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) systems over sustainable forms such as natural ventilation, design of classrooms, placement of windows, use of trees and vegetation and management of the student’s schedule. The assumption of the research lies in the need for reconfigurations of the principles of school architecture, considering both biosecurity and bioclimatic architecture essential for the future in the scenario of climate extremes along the Anthropocene.

Influence of Anthropogenic Activities on the Water Quality of an Urban River in an Unplanned Zone of the Amazonian Coast

The database on water quality in Amazonian rivers located in unplanned urbanized regions along the Brazilian Amazon Coast is still quite limited. This study addresses these concerns, and the tested hypothesis was that the water quality of the Cereja River has deteriorated in recent years, despite the efforts of government authorities to mitigate anthropogenic impacts. To assess changes in water quality, seven campaigns were conducted, collecting data at six fixed points during two different periods. High-resolution satellite images were used to document unplanned occupation. Unfortunately, the number of houses along the Cereja River has increased, in violation of the law. This has contributed to the river’s intense trophic condition, lower dissolved oxygen concentrations, higher concentrations of pathogenic bacteria, and loss of vegetation cover. According to national water quality standards, the Cereja is unsuitable for any human use. This is in stark contrast to the scenario a few decades ago when the river was used for leisure, fishing, and other activities. The results obtained confirm the initial hypothesis and can support potential management strategies and decision-making by authorities. The observed scenario can be extrapolated to other rivers located in urban areas in the Amazon region that have similarly regrettably experienced relatively uncontrolled growth.

Design and Preclinical Characterization Program toward Asundexian (BAY 2433334), an Oral Factor XIa Inhibitor for the Prevention and Treatment of Thromboembolic Disorders.

Activated coagulation factor XI (FXIa) is a highly attractive antithrombotic target as it contributes to the development and progression of thrombosis but is thought to play only a minor role in hemostasis so that its inhibition may allow for decoupling of antithrombotic efficacy and bleeding time prolongation. Herein, we report our major efforts to identify an orally bioavailable, reversible FXIa inhibitor. Using a protein structure-based de novo design approach, we identified a novel micromolar hit with attractive physicochemical properties. During lead modification, a critical problem was balancing potency and absorption by focusing on the most important interactions of the lead series with FXIa while simultaneously seeking to improve metabolic stability and the cytochrome P450 interaction profile. In clinical trials, the resulting compound from our extensive research program, asundexian (BAY 2433334), proved to possess the desired DMPK properties for once-daily oral dosing, and even more importantly, the initial pharmacological hypothesis was confirmed.

Frustration, Confusion, Surprise, Confidence, And Self-Doubt: Cyber Operators’ Affects During A Realistic Experiment

In this paper we examine data from a complex two-day experiment with professional cyber red teamers to determine what creates, or contributes, to affective states that may further disrupt attackers. Participants rated their frustration, surprise, confidence, self-doubt, and confusion at the end of each day, and these responses were scored on a Likert scale and using Thematic analysis. We found several elements strongly contributed to the frequency and severity of these affective states, supporting our initial hypothesis, and further that (1) experiencing a Lack of Progress impacted four of the five states with moderate severity, and (2) interacting with elements in the environment that Deviated from what was expected was associated strongly with surprise. Implications for cyber defense and limitations of the method are discussed.

STUDY ON THE RIGHT TO ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND TO ECOLOGICALLY BALANCED ENVIRONMENT

This study analyzes the right to economic freedom and the right to an ecologically balanced environment. These rights are constitutionally sheltered and occupy the heart of discussions in the political, social, and economic environments. It is known that economic development, largely guaranteed by the right to economic freedom, is essential for humanity. At the same time, the right to an ecologically balanced environment is inherent to human life and is a crucial factor in the perpetuation of future generations. Given this context, the problem of the study arises: is it possible to simultaneously guarantee and benefit from the right to economic freedom and the right to an ecologically balanced environment? The study aims to analyze the compatibility of the mentioned rights, supporting the initial hypothesis that the adoption of the sustainable development model allows the simultaneous and harmonious enjoyment of these rights. To answer this question, the methodology applied in this work is theoretical in nature. For the development of the narrative, secondary sources of bibliographic and documentary research were used. In the end, we conclude that sustainable development presents itself as the bridge of balance between these two rights.

ChatGPT- versus human-generated answers to frequently asked questions about diabetes: A Turing test-inspired survey among employees of a Danish diabetes center.

Large language models have received enormous attention recently with some studies demonstrating their potential clinical value, despite not being trained specifically for this domain. We aimed to investigate whether ChatGPT, a language model optimized for dialogue, can answer frequently asked questions about diabetes. We conducted a closed e-survey among employees of a large Danish diabetes center. The study design was inspired by the Turing test and non-inferiority trials. Our survey included ten questions with two answers each. One of these was written by a human expert, while the other was generated by ChatGPT. Participants had the task to identify the ChatGPT-generated answer. Data was analyzed at the question-level using logistic regression with robust variance estimation with clustering at participant level. In secondary analyses, we investigated the effect of participant characteristics on the outcome. A 55% non-inferiority margin was pre-defined based on precision simulations and had been published as part of the study protocol before data collection began. Among 311 invited individuals, 183 participated in the survey (59% response rate). 64% had heard of ChatGPT before, and 19% had tried it. Overall, participants could identify ChatGPT-generated answers 59.5% (95% CI: 57.0, 62.0) of the time, which was outside of the non-inferiority zone. Among participant characteristics, previous ChatGPT use had the strongest association with the outcome (odds ratio: 1.52 (1.16, 2.00), p = 0.003). Previous users answered 67.4% (61.7, 72.7) of the questions correctly, versus non-users' 57.6% (54.9, 60.3). Participants could distinguish between ChatGPT-generated and human-written answers somewhat better than flipping a fair coin, which was against our initial hypothesis. Rigorously planned studies are needed to elucidate the risks and benefits of integrating such technologies in routine clinical practice.

Age-dependent relationships among diet, body condition, and Echinococcus multilocularis infection in urban coyotes.

Urban coyotes (Canis latrans) in North America increasingly exhibit a high prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis, a cestode of recent and rising public health concern that uses rodents as intermediate hosts and canids as definitive hosts. However, little is known about the factors that drive the high urban prevalence of this parasite. We hypothesized that the diet of urban coyotes may contribute to their higher E. multilocularis infection prevalence via either (a) greater exposure to the parasite from increased rodent consumption or (b) increased susceptibility to infection due to the negative health effects of consuming anthropogenic food. We tested these hypotheses by comparing the presence and intensity of E. multilocularis infection to physiological data (age, sex, body condition, and spleen mass), short-term diet (stomach contents), and long-term diet (δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes) in 112 coyote carcasses collected for reasons other than this study from Edmonton, Alberta and the surrounding area. Overall, the best predictor of infection status in this population was young age, where the likelihood of infection decreased with age in rural coyotes but not urban ones. Neither short- nor long-term measures of diet could predict infection across our entire sample, but we found support for our initial hypotheses in young, urban coyotes: both rodent and anthropogenic food consumption effectively predicted E. multilocularis infection in this population. The effects of these predictors were more variable in rural coyotes and older coyotes. We suggest that limiting coyote access to areas in which anthropogenic food and rodent habitat overlap (e.g., compost piles or garbage sites) may effectively reduce the risk of infection, deposition, and transmission of this emerging zoonotic parasite in urban areas.