Human Interest Research Articles

Characterising high school students’ interest trajectory profiles

ABSTRACT Students’ declining interest in science has become a significant concern. We approached this problem from multiple interests perspective. This study aimed to classify high school senior students’ interest trajectory profiles and extract the characteristics of each profile. 653 students in Japan answered online questionnaires with two-month interval about their interest in STEM, Humanities and Social Science (HSS), and non-academic subjects. We also collected data on self-efficacy and growth mindset. Latent Growth Curve Modelling revealed an overall decline in students’ interest across these three areas of interest. Latent Growth Class Analysis revealed seven interest trajectory profiles. ANOVA tests showed no self-efficacy variations across profiles but found lower growth mindsets in the favourable profile characterised by its high and sustained interest across all categories. Our findings suggest that the observed decrease in STEM interest was not associated with an increase in interest in other areas. In other words, during the survey period, there seems no indication of a competitive relationship between the interest in STEM and the other areas, as increases in interest were absent across these three areas of interests. Additionally, the finding suggests two implications for developing the multiple interests perspective: narrowing or expanding its scope.

Opportunity to view the starry night sky is linked to human emotion and behavioral interest in astronomy

Prior to the modern era, the stars in the night sky were readily visible across the globe, but light pollution has created disparities in the opportunity to see these astronomical objects with the naked eye. This alteration may measurably impact human behavior. We hypothesize that light pollution is related to the development of people’s interest in astronomy, which often serves as a “gateway” to science more broadly. In a state-by-state analysis, we used location information to examine astronomy interest data for millions of US residents. Results show that, among populations with low light pollution, a feeling of “wonder about the universe” is prevalent (r = 0.50). We found that this human emotion mediates the association between low light pollution and behavioral interest in astronomy. Although the effects of light pollution on astronomy, biology, ecology, and health are well-known, the present work demonstrates that light pollution is also relevant to human scientific behavior, with broad implications for science education and society.

Characteristics and social significance of the civil service

The article is devoted to the problems of the categorical apparatus of the civil service in Ukraine. The civil service in our country is recognized as one of the most important institutions in the formation and development of Ukrainian statehood. It is from this institute that the quality of functioning of the social and political system as a whole and the solution of multifaceted tasks and functions of the modern state depend. Civil service has the greatest influence on the development of constitutional and legal formations and is the basis of state construction. It is argued that the civil service is a complex and multifunctional, legal and political institution, the essence of which is the performance by officials who are endowed with high professionalism, act in a complex relationship and in close interaction both among themselves and with other systemic entities, political forces, by public organizations and citizens, tasks and functions of the state within the legal field and in accordance with the authority granted to them to create social benefits, further development of social well-being and stability in the state. The most important features of the civil service are highlighted: the content of the civil service is an activity aimed at the practical implementation of tasks and functions of the state (analysis, development and implementation of state policy, ensuring the provision of affordable and high-quality administrative services, etc.); the public nature of this activity; professionalism; politically impartial character. It has been established that the priority of human rights and interests over the interests of the state should be the main feature of modern civil service. The goal of the civil service is disclosed, which consists in streamlining and increasing the efficiency of the processes of formation and implementation of state power and state administration, provided that responsibility for the performance of the powers of the position and social and economic guarantees of the civil service are combined. The main goals and tasks of the civil service have been defined in terms of ensuring the fair, effective and stable activity of state authorities in accordance with their powers and competence, aimed at protecting the rights and freedoms of people and citizens, as well as creating conditions for the development of civil society.

Rethinking the right to freedom of thought: on drug policy, neurotechnology, and the case for cognitive liberty

ABSTRACT The right to freedom of thought represents as fundamental a human interest as do rights like privacy and dignity. However, unlike these rights, freedom of thought has received comparatively little attention. This paper seeks to redress this by arguing for an expansion of what freedom of thought entails. Specifically, it argues that freedom of thought should be understood as entailing ‘cognitive liberty’, which has both a positive and a negative dimension. The positive dimension entitles one to self-determine the contents and processes of one’s thoughts (that is, to control one’s own brain chemistry); while the negative dimension protects one from direct and non-consensual interventions into one’s mental states (whether done by a state or a third party). This expansion of freedom of thought is increasingly necessary as both our understanding of the human mind and our capacity to interface with it expand. This is established by reference to two case studies: the injustice of international drug policy, and the potential of neurotechnology. In each case, the focus is on how cognitive liberty, if taken seriously, creates radical new possibilities for regulation. Specifically, it can facilitate drug policy that is just and bring coherence to the regulation of neurotechnology.

Nineteenth-Century French Liberal Economists and Women's Work: The Dark Side of Industrialization

This article reconstructs the debates on the woman question in which nineteenth-century French liberal economists participated: it aims at showing that their analysis contradicted their conviction that, in Bastiat's words, “men's interests, when left to themselves, tend to . . . work together for progress and the general good.” Indeed, French liberals are usually labeled optimistic: they denounced the pessimistic and fatalist character of the “English school of economics” based on Ricardo's rent theory and Malthus's law of population. On the contrary, they attempted to prove that economic development improved the situation of all, especially that of workers. However, their optimism did not extend to their analysis of the situation of women: most of them recognized that women were not benefiting from the general improvement in terms of wages, labor conditions, and social mobility. The article then shows that the reasons they gave to explain the bad situation of women present many challenges, linked respectively to the issue of state intervention and wage theory. Moreover, it is unlikely that the only solution they proposed for improving it, that is, the promotion of female education, could have worked.

The effect of health promotion based on audiovisual media on man’s contraception used in rural areas : A quasi-experimental study

Background: The user of male contraceptives in Indonesia very low (6.34%), included Special Region of Yogyakarta is only (9.34%). The multifactorial causes, there are knowledge, awareness and interested of contraceptives. Its very important to increase the use of male contraceptives by professional contribution by health promostion. Objective: Determined the influence of education-based education audiovisuals on men's knowledge, awarness, and interested of contraception in Nglanggeran Patuk Yogyakarta. Method: This research used Quasi-Experiment with pre and post-test design without control (control self). Study was conducted between June and July 2023 using Quistionare. The intervention was given 2 session health promotion based on Informational by audiovisual media, then motivation and behaviour skill (IMB) model on contraceptive use among male.The sample size is 40 respondents collected by total sampling technique, data analysis was done using SPSS softwere version 22 with Wilcoson's test with significant level of P<0,005 was used. Results: Knowledge before education was sufficient for 23 (57.5%) and 36 (90.0%) after good knowledge education with a p-value of 0.00. awarness before positive awarness education 39 (97.5%) and after positive awarness education 40 (100%), with a p-value of 0.00. Interest before education moderated at 22 (55.0%), and after high-interest education, at 35 (87.5%), with a p-value of 0.00. Condoms dominate the selection of contraceptives before and after education. Conclusion: It was found that health promotion based on audiovisual media was effective in increase men's knowledge, creating awarness and interest in contraception use

Editor in a Television Documentary Program Titled Compromising with the Pandemic with Tarra Budiman

This qualitative research with a descriptive approach aims to produce a television documentary program entitled "Compromising with the Pandemic with Tarra Budiman". Data collection techniques: literacy, observation, and interviews with research objects. The results of the discussion stated: (1) The author as the editor presents facts about Tarra Budiman's struggle to survive economically during the pandemic; (2) Audience segmentation in this program is 13-50 years old with socio-economic status A,B,C; (3) A documentary program that lasts 13 minutes and 8 seconds with the characteristics of live record production (tapping); (4) Editor at the pre-production stage: in charge of following the process of making story ideas; (5) The editor in the production stage coordinates the cameraperson to take pictures according to the scenario that has been created, and assists the cameraperson in shooting (6) The editor in the post-production stage is responsible for constructing the course of the story according to the scenario that has been created by the producer. The conclusion of an editor is that he must be able to convey the message of a human interest documentary video with a deep message, hoping that the audience will be immersed in the story of the source.

Towards an eco-practical theology: An eschatological horizon of true hope

The ecological crisis in the world necessitates the reconfiguration of the hegemony of modern science, theology, politics, economics and technology – the root cause of a pending ecological catastrophe. The aim is to redress a growing culture of apathy in the context of devastating weather conditions, social and political discord, and unrelenting violent wars. Public theology serves as a conceptual framework with transversal rationality as an interlocutor between the different theological (systematic, ethics, pastoral care and eco-theology), religious and philosophical perspectives. The theological ontology of care is presented followed by the role of communities of critical prophetic discourse. The notion of earth as a community leads to the prospect of a new eco-theology. Finally, the pending ecological catastrophe is reconceptualised in and through Christian eschatology. This is an inter- and intra-disciplinary discussion on the disastrous consequences of modernity and anthropocentric behaviour in terms of the current environmental crisis. Various scholars offer valuable insights into what the problem is, who responsible is for the environmental crisis, and how Christian communities should forge an accountability of care for the earth and vulnerable human beings. The eschatological reality of God’s preferred future remains a constant of hopeful and sustainable life in the Anthropocene age. It is recommended that we change the way we exist by transforming modernity as developed and sustained through theology, socio-political, economic and technological ‘advances’.Contribution: This article focussed on the ecological crisis because of anthropocentrism and distorted theological, political and socio-economic paradigms to serve human interests despite the consequences for the earth. We need to reconfigure interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary scientific approaches to embrace earth as a key scientific interlocutor. The ecological crisis should be conceptualised within the reality of Christian eschatology – Jesus Christ is ultimately, the eschaton.

Different Realities Surrounding the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian Conflict: The Cases of Russia Today and CNN

The aim of this small-scale research is to provide a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of the framing of news articles about the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian conflict, focusing on online news portals Russia Today (RT) and CNN. The 5 generic frames: Attribution of responsibility, Human interest, Conflict, Morality, and Economic consequences, developed by Semetko and Valkenburg (2000), were used to perform the analysis. The purpose of this study was to compare the dominant frames and the extent of their usage in the two outlets. Following the compilation of two separate corpora with an equal distribution of 100 articles from each outlet, the articles were classified according to the frames they exhibited by utilizing a set of yes/no questions. To ensure reliability, the classifications were performed independently by both authors. The results of the analysis showed on one hand significant differences in the framing of the war between the two outlets, and on the other similarities in the extent to which framing was utilized. RT mostly relied on the Attribution of responsibility frame to present the West as responsible for the outbreak of war, as well as the Economic consequences frame to portray the Russian economy as resilient despite the Western sanctions. On the other hand, the most frequent frames in CNN’s articles were Conflict and Human interest, which focused on battlefield reports and the portrayal of the Ukrainian side as worthy of assistance, respectively.

Comparison of kink-band structures and specificities of cell wall polysaccharides in modern and ancient flax fibres

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a plant of industrial importance, its fibres being presently used for high-value textile applications, composite reinforcements as well as natural actuators. Human interest in this fibre-rich plant dates back several millennia, including to Ancient Egypt where flax was used extensively in various quotidian items. While the recent technical developments of flax fibres continue to diversify through scientific research, the historical use of flax also has rich lessons for today. Through careful examination of ancient Egyptian and modern flax fibres, this study aims to conduct a multi-scale characterization from the yarn to the fibre cell wall scale, linking differences in structure and polysaccharide content to the mechanical performance and durability of flax. Here, a multi-scale biochemical study is enriched by scanning electron microscopy and nanomechanical investigations. A key finding is the similarity of cellulose features, crystallinity index and local mechanical performances between ancient and modern fibres. Biochemically speaking, monosaccharides analysis, deep-UV and NMR investigations demonstrate that ancient fibres exhibit less pectins but a similar hemicellulosic content, especially through uronic acids and galactose, suggesting the sensitivity of these non-crystalline components.

Low human interest for the most at-risk reef fishes worldwide.

Human interest in biodiversity is essential for effective conservation action but remains poorly quantified at large scales. Here, we investigated human interest for 2408 marine reef fishes using data obtained from online public databases and social media, summarized in two synthetic dimensions, research effort and public attention. Both dimensions are mainly related to geographic range size. Research effort is also linked to fishery importance, while public attention is more related to fish aesthetic value and aquarium trade importance. We also found a strong phylogenetic bias, with certain fish families receiving disproportional research effort and public attention. Most concerningly, species at the highest risk of extinction and those most vulnerable to future climate change tend to receive less research effort and public attention. Our results provide a lens through which examining the societal attention that species garner, with the ultimate goals to improve conservation strategies, research programs, and communication plans.

Vulnerable fishes, inattentive humans.

A comprehensive analysis of 2048 species of reef fishes reveals the shortcomings of human interest: The most at-risk species generally receive the least attention.

Brain Stimulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortices Influences Impulsivity in Delay Discounting Choices.

Intertemporal decision-making is pivotal for human interests and health. Recently, studies instructed participants to make intertemporal choices for both themselves and others, but the specific mechanisms are still debated. To address the issue, in the current study, the cost-unneeded conditions (i.e., "Self Immediately - Self Delay" and "Other Immediately - Other Delay" conditions) and the cost-needed conditions (i.e., "Self Immediately - Other Delay" and "Self Delay - Other Immediately" conditions) were set with the identity of OTHER being a stranger. We manipulated the magnitude of reward (Experiment 1) and disrupted the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS; Experiment 2). We found that both the behavioral and rTMS manipulations increased smaller but sooner choice probability via reducing self-control function. The reduced self-control function elicited by rTMS affected both self- and other-related intertemporal choices via increasing the choice preference for smaller but sooner reward options, which may help people deeply understand the relationship between self- and other-related intertemporal choices in processing mechanism, especially when the OTHER condition is set as a stranger.

Realismo, Relatividad General y el Gato de Schrödinger

The present work examines the nature of reality, including the possibility of freedom, in the framework of modern physics. Additionally, it proposes a reform for the metaphysics of realism.For realism, the world is the way it is independent of the mind. However, general relativity supposesthat the speed of objects and the temporal order of events depend on the frame of referenceadopted. Which frame of reference is adopted depends on human interests. However, there are still physical facts independent of the frame of reference: the speed of light, spacetime distance,and the equivalence of matter and energy, amongst others. On the other hand, the CopenhagenInterpretation supposes that quantum states are in a superposition that is only realized at themoment of observation, leading to the implication that Schrödinger’s cat is both alive and deaduntil observed. However, less incredible realist possibilities are analysed. Modern physics, whetherdeterminist or indeterminist, also threatens the possibility of freedom. The compatibility of freedom as self-government and modern physics is analysed and developed. Although central aspectsof realist metaphysics are conserved, a philosophical-scientific conception of the universe that integrates mental beings within it emerges, which supposes a reform for standard scientific realism. The existence of facts independent of what we happen to think is saved alongside ineliminable mental phenomena.

Wondering Animals: Reflections on Human Exceptionality

Both historically and in common human practices, attitudes, and beliefs, a sense of human exceptionality in comparison with other animals undergirds normative anthropocentrism, i.e. prioritization of human interests. The question I wish to address in this article is whether we can use a particular element of the cognitive apparatus or toolkit that supposedly makes us special, namely our s e n s e of wonder, to decenter us. Several authors have argued that when we view other beings or the natural world with wonder, we are inclined to care for and wish to protect them. But here I am interested in what happens when we turn our sense of wonder onto ourselves as the peculiar animal, the strange evolutionary experiment that we are. Not, as has historically been done, in an admiring way, but in an evaluatively more neutral way, characterized by puzzlement, an attunement to mystery, and a sense of unlikeliness and contingency. In particular, how might our thinking about ourselves change when we think from a wonder that revolves around our embodiment, around that which roots us most firmly in the world, in “nature,” and reminds us most clearly of our membership of a community of earthly life? Wondering at and about ourselves as an animal species may remind us of our material embeddedness in the world, but what could its ethical import be? More specifically, the paper explores whether there is an escape from the ethical quandaries of human exceptionality, which relate to the impossibility of doing with or without that exceptionality. I argue that there is not, but that in wonder we can hold together incompatible possibilities.

Technology-neutral Illusion: The Ethical and Social Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The doctrine of technological neutrality posits that technology itself lacks moral value and it is only the use by humans that bestows value upon it. However, this perspective overlooks the social context of technology itself, as well as the political, economic, and cultural factors involved in its research, development, and application. In fact, technology not only reflects the value orientations of designers and users but also embodies the social structure and human behavior of a certain stage. Especially in the era of artificial intelligence, technology possesses the capability to operate autonomously, and the autonomous operation of technological products can present the value defects at the design stage in a scaled manner, leading to systemic biases and injustices. This paper analyzes the purpose of technological design and the power manipulation reflected in technological code, demonstrating that technology is not neutral and does not imply justice. Technology needs to be supervised and regulated by ethics, law, society, and other aspects to safeguard human interests and dignity.

Drivers of human–tiger conflict risk and potential mitigation approaches

AbstractHuman–wildlife conflict has become a significant challenge for conservationists, particularly in areas where endangered species, such as large carnivores, are recovering. If we fail to keep a balance between the interests of humans and wildlife, the human–wildlife conflict can have adverse outcomes. However, the drivers of human–wildlife conflict, and how to mitigate conflict, are often poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the possible causes for and potential mitigating approaches to human–tiger conflict risks through spatiotemporal niche partitioning. Based on data from the reports of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) preying on cattle and camera trap detection data from 2014 to 2019 in Hunchun, Northeast China, we predicted Amur tiger occurrence and created risk maps of human–tiger potential encounters. We found that Amur tiger occurrence was positively driven by prey distribution and negatively by the distribution of pastures used for domestic cattle grazing. Livestock was increasingly predated in areas with limited preferred prey, that is, wild pig (Sus scrofa) and sika (Cervus nippon), and in closer proximity to cattle‐grazing land. On the basis of our models, we divided areas utilized by human and Amur tigers into low‐, medium‐, and high‐risk areas across multiple spatiotemporal scales. We suppose that multiple spatiotemporal scale niche partitioning management might effectively reduce the risk of human–tiger encounters, prompt harmonized coexistence between humans and tigers, and provide new solutions to other areas experiencing human–wildlife conflicts.

Investigating Arctic Cyclone–Tropopause Polar Vortex Interactions with Idealized Observing System Simulation Experiments

Abstract Arctic cyclones (ACs) are a primary driver of surface weather in the Arctic, contributing to heat and moisture transport and forcing short-term sea ice variability. Still, our understanding of the processes that drive ACs, particularly their large scales and long lifetimes, is limited. ACs are commonly associated with one or more cyclonic tropopause polar vortices (TPVs), potential vorticity (PV) anomalies in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere that may spur baroclinic development in the surface system, though the exact processes that link the two have yet to be fully explored. In this study, we investigate physical links between TPVs, especially their mesoscale structure and moisture profiles, and ACs with idealized observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs). Starting with a nature run, we simulate different types of dropsonde observations over a TPV during the nascent phase of a nearby AC. The Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) and the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) ensemble adjustment Kalman filter are then used to run experiments to test the impact of these detailed TPV observations. In addition to a control, five main experiments are conducted, assimilating new observations of temperature and humidity. All experiments reduce forecast errors at the surface and throughout the troposphere. Additional humidity observations alter vertical PV distributions, which in turn impact the development of the AC. Experiments with additional temperature observations exhibit improvements in TPV structure and surrounding PV features and produce stronger surface cyclones with skillful TPV forecasts for up to 36 h longer than the control. Significance Statement Arctic cyclones (ACs) are a weather feature that can produce high winds, precipitation, and changes to sea ice cover in the Arctic. As a result, forecasting these storms accurately is important for human and economic interests in the region; however, there are currently gaps in our understanding of how ACs strengthen and persist. In this study, we explore potential links between ACs and weather features higher up in the atmosphere called tropopause polar vortices (TPVs) using computer modeling experiments. This study shows that there are important connections between the characteristics of TPVs and the development of ACs. These findings will be useful for making more accurate forecasts of future events and advancing our knowledge of how sea ice changes relate to the atmosphere.

Chinese Title Generation for Short Videos: Dataset, Metric and Algorithm.

Previous work for video captioning aims to objectively describe the video content but the captions lack human interest and attractiveness, limiting its practical application scenarios. The intention of video title generation (video titling) is to produce attractive titles, but there is a lack of benchmarks. This work offers CREATE, the first large-scale Chinese shoRt vidEo retrievAl and Title gEneration dataset, to assist research and applications in video titling, video captioning, and video retrieval in Chinese. CREATE comprises a high-quality labeled 210 K dataset and two web-scale 3 M and 10 M pre-training datasets, covering 51 categories, 50K+ tags, 537K+ manually annotated titles and captions, and 10M+ short videos with original video information. This work presents ACTEr, a unique Attractiveness-Consensus-based Title Evaluation, to objectively evaluate the quality of video title generation. This metric measures the semantic correlation between the candidate (model-generated title) and references (manual-labeled titles) and introduces attractive consensus weights to assess the attractiveness and relevance of the video title. Accordingly, this work proposes a novel multi-modal ALignment WIth Generation model, ALWIG, as one strong baseline to aid future model development. With the help of a tag-driven video-text alignment module and a GPT-based generation module, this model achieves video titling, captioning, and retrieval simultaneously. We believe that the release of the CREATE dataset, ACTEr metric, and ALWIG model will encourage in-depth research on the analysis and creation of Chinese short videos.

Identifying Corporate Culture Using the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument

Research background: Corporate culture undoubtedly plays a crucial role in successfully overcoming the challenges associated with modern trends in today's business environment. Corporate culture is an incredibly fascinating field within organizational management. It requires investigation, as it is not static but evolves and adapts over time. Purpose of the article: The aim of the article was to define the type of corporate culture by identifying both the current and desired corporate culture. Additionally, the study examined the differences in values related to corporate culture. Methods: The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument was utilized to identify the current and desired corporate culture. This methodology evaluated the company's underlying values and related assumptions, providing a realistic representation of its culture. Findings & Value added: The key conclusions is that in the wood industry, companies were perceived as highly personalized environments, resembling close-knit families where employees frequently interacted and shared commonalities. Alongside mentoring, facilitation, and support, effective management also emphasized cooperation and functional teamwork. Formal rules, loyalty, and mutual trust played a significant role in maintaining cohesion within the company. Employee development, trust, openness, and solidarity were emphasized. Success was based on human resource development, teamwork, employee engagement, and interest. The dominant corporate culture in the wood industry was clan corporate culture. Therefore, leadership based on mentoring, facilitation, and support should be prioritized. The valued added is the finding that the clan corporate culture should continue to prevail in wood industry companies for the next 5 to 10 years. Therefore, it is recommended teamwork, consensus, and a sense of belonging should continue to be prominent in the wood industry's future. Loyalty and mutual trust should be key elements in maintaining company unity. Employee development, trust, openness, and solidarity should also be consistently implemented, along with human resource development, teamwork, employee engagement, and interest. These findings can assist managers in their management practices.