This article examines the early institutionalization of Buddhist studies in Meiji Japan, focusing on the University of Tokyo’s establishment of Buddhism as an academic discipline between the late 1870s and the 1880s. By centering on key figures such as the Sōtō Zen priest Hara Tanzan and the Shin Buddhist cleric Yoshitani Kakuju, it explores how the emerging discipline was shaped by both domestic imperatives, such as reasserting Mahayana Buddhism’s legitimacy against Edo-period critiques, and new pressures from Western scholarship, which often dismissed Mahayana as a later development in Buddhist history. Beyond a purely academic pursuit, this public study of Buddhism served broader sociopolitical aims, including efforts to construct a unifying moral foundation for a modernizing nation. The article demonstrates how early Meiji Buddhist intellectuals navigated these multiple agendas, seeking to articulate an “essence” of Buddhism adaptable to evolving notions of religion and philosophy while simultaneously upholding the Mahayana tradition as both historically valid and ethically relevant.

The aim of this article is to provide an introductory analysis of the theoretical contributions of two key figures in the radical Black tradition of the Americas: Caribbean historian Cyril James and Brazilian sociologist Clóvis Moura. We argue that these thinkers' theoretical work is distinguished by its Marxist approach to understanding the interconnections between colonialism, racism, and capitalism. In their respective works, James and Moura developed a decolonizing critical theory aimed not only at challenging Eurocentric narratives of modernity but also at advancing a radical liberatory praxis for peoples oppressed by colonial and imperialist domination. This analysis particularly focuses on how both theorists conceptualized enslaved subjects as fundamental agents in processes of social transformation.

ABSTRACT The article reads texts by Herman Melville and László Krasznahorkai through the Schmittian problem of genuine sovereign decisions. Examining the capacity and authority of contested, depersonalized and feigned sovereignties, two key figures are highlighted: a veiled corpse that supplements a ship’s figurehead in Melville’s story, and the carcass of a dead whale in Krasznahorkai’s novel. The two figures maintain a political sphere in which the protagonists contest and claim sovereignties of uncertain origin to subvert and restore order. It is argued that the emptied sovereignties are crucial to understanding how the pure capacity to act can become legitimate politics.

Microstructured silicon internal reflection elements (μSi-IREs) have the potential to revolutionize attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. This study compares the analytical performance of leading μSi-IREs from three prominent providers, examining the influence of ridge angle and sensor footprint on key figures of merit. All μSi-IREs delivered high-quality spectra and calibration curves, enabling quantitative concentration measurements and spectral line shape analysis. μSi-IREs with a 35 degree ridge angle and large sensor area exhibited sensitivities approaching 10-4 mM-1 and detection limits as low as 0.3 mM, outperforming smaller μSi-IREs with a 55 degree ridge angle. Theoretical analysis investigated the effects of beam alignment and revealed fundamental structure-performance relationships, providing design guidelines for next-generation spectroscopic systems. The analysis was benchmarked against a commercial diamond ATR accessory. The inherent advantages of μSi-IREs─including low cost, ease of use, and system integrability─combined with this rigorous performance evaluation, position these microstructured ATR components for novel and impactful applications in analytical spectroscopy.

Although commercial comedy magazines have existed for over a century, magazines about the subject of comedy are a recent phenomenon and have been comparatively rare. This article presents a critical account of the development of UK magazines about comedy which flourished in the 1990s and then disappeared shortly after. It evaluates the genesis and production of the UK’s first national magazine about comedy, Deadpan, its successors and its more local precursors in an attempt to understand why such magazines appeared and subsequently disappeared. The review includes commentary and reflections from two key magazine industry figures (the editor of Deadpan and the staff writer for Comedy Review) and examines their role in the development of these publications. The rise of comedy magazines is discussed in the context of attitudinal trends in the UK in the 1990s, the appearance of ‘lads’ mags’, the UK comedy output of the decade, and the introduction of the internet. The magazines’ value as a historical record of tastes and trends in comedy is also noted.

As a key figure in the New Art History movement of the 20th century, Norman Bryson demonstrates a unique interdisciplinary perspective in the construction of semiotic art history. His theoretical system is rooted in semiotics while incorporating the concept of the body from phenomenology. Bryson first breaks down the binary opposition between perception and symbol, unifying them within the body, then emphasizes the implicit bodily dynamics of scanning in the visual field, and treats embodiment as a characteristic of painting that forms a difference with the intertextuality of symbols. Sorting out and studying Bryson's theoretical body view helps deepen the understanding of his art history system.

The decentralized clinical trials make clinical research accessible by using digital tools such as e-consent, telehealth, and remote monitoring. Decentralized clinical trials in India have the potential to reduce participant burden and increase trial participation. However, the nation's disparate healthcare system, digital divide, and changing regulatory environment make broad adoption difficult. The current status of decentralized clinical trials in India is examined in this review, including significant operational, regulatory gaps, and potential implementation strategies. The aim is to offer information which will help in scaling decentralized clinical trials in India. This review compiles findings from journals, regulatory guidelines, white papers, blogs and case studies from Indian decentralized clinical trial platforms. It focuses on trends, logistical challenges, regulatory readiness in decentralized clinical trials implementation in the Indian context. To support key details tables and figures are used. India's pilot decentralized clinical trials demonstrate increased cost-effectiveness and reach, particularly when it comes to extending access outside of cities. However, region-specific infrastructure deficiencies, untrained staff for decentralization operations, and absence of e-consent provisions in New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules 2019, restricts scalability. The 2024 draft guidance of United States’s Food and Drug Administration provides framework for decentralized clinical trials which can be implemented in India. In order to ensure ethical, and successful implementation of decentralized clinical trials for India's diverse healthcare system investment in digital health infrastructure, regulatory revisions, and site personnel training for decentralized clinical trial operations is necessary.

The study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of French Decadence, which mani-fested in literature at the turn of the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to numerous sociocultural repercus-sions both in France and beyond its borders. The authors examine how the specific conditions of that time – rapid scientific and technological progress, the loss of previous social guidelines, deep internal contradictions of bourgeois society – led to the emergence of characteristic decadent motives: pessimism, denial of traditional values, the cultivation of boredom and exhaustion, as well as interest in exoticism and mysticism. Particular attention is paid to the works of key figures of French literary Decadence, revealing their inner worlds and phil-osophical quests. It is concluded that after a century and a half, the aesthetics of French decadence is included in the mainstream of existing culture in a “subdued” form, enriching and saturating its content, but no longer reaching the extreme poles of its historical forms.

This study explored how sustainable construction affects Nigeria’s economy and society, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Geospatial Analysis for a detailed review. With a 94.6% response rate from key figures in Nigeria's construction industry, the research found that sustainable construction greatly improves economic growth, creates jobs, and increases market value. It also promotes social well-being and supports environmental protection. The study highlighted the essential role of new technologies and community resilience in enhancing these benefits. It pointed out that advanced technologies and resilient practices need to be integrated into construction for even greater impact. Additionally, the study found that urban areas are adopting sustainable practices more quickly and reaping more benefits than rural regions. These findings offer valuable guidance for policymakers, industry experts, and researchers, stressing the importance of promoting sustainable construction for long-term economic stability and environmental care in Nigeria. The study ended by suggesting targeted efforts to spread sustainable practices, particularly in less developed regions, and recommended future research into the long-term effects of these practices on global sustainability issues.

This research explores the acquisition and strategic function of Soviet military equipment in the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) during the period 1960–1975. This study employs historical methods, including heuristics, source criticism interpretation, and historiography. The study draws upon primary sources such as official military documents, memoirs of key military figures, and archival reports, as well as relevant secondary literature. The findings reveal how Indonesia, in response to Cold War geopolitical dynamics and the deterioration of relations with the West, turned to the Soviet Union for large-scale military modernization. Soviet-supplied weaponry such as MiG fighter jets, Whiskey-class submarines, and SA-2 missiles significantly enhanced Indonesia’s military capacity, especially in the context of Operation Trikora and Operation Dwikora. However, the political shift post-1965 under the New Order regime led to severed ties with the Eastern Bloc, resulting in severe logistical setbacks and eventual decommissioning of Soviet weaponry. Despite this, Indonesia successfully adapted its defense strategy and conducted Operation Seroja in 1975 using restructured forces and new alliances. This study contributes to understanding the long-term impact of foreign military dependence and the evolution of Indonesia’s defense posture during a volatile geopolitical era.

This article explores the role of jurist-rectors of the Franz Joseph University in Chernivtsi in shaping the legal school in Bukovyna during the period 1875–1918. It analyses their contributions to the development of legal scholarship, the organisation of the educational process, and the establishment of the university as a major intellectual and cultural centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Special attention is given to the scholarly achievements and socio-political engagement of key figures such as Eugen Ehrlich, the founder of the sociology of law; Friedrich Kleinwächter, the pioneer of economic science in Bukovyna; and Franz Hauke, an expert in constitutional law. The study highlights the multifaceted activities of the rectors, not only as administrators but also as scholars, educators, and public figures. Many of them were politically active, holding parliamentary mandates at both local and national levels (e.g., K. Tomaszczuk, F. Schuller von Libloy, J. Ritter Roschmann von Horburg and A. Skedl). Their public involvement resonated with the wider community: for their outstanding contributions to the city of Chernivtsi and the university, rectors such as K. Tomaszczuk, A. Skedl, and F. Kleinwächter were granted honorary citizenship, with the latter also receiving the title of honorary professor, along with the right to teach in German. The relevance of this research lies in its focus on the role of academic leadership in shaping high-quality legal education within Bukovyna’s multicultural and multi-ethnic environment. Drawing on biographical sources, archival materials, and historical-legal documents, the authors present the university as a hub of European legal tradition, advanced by leaders who integrated scientific, educational, administrative, and civic missions. The methodological framework combines biographical, institutional, and historical-legal approaches. The study concludes that the jurist-rectors played a unique role as bridges between Central European academic tradition and the local socio-cultural milieu, laying the foundation for the further development of legal education in the region.

This article examines photomechanically-illustrated books produced by Ogawa Kazumasa (1860–1929), the most widely recognized photographer of Meiji-era Japan (1868–1912) and a key figure in cross-cultural exchanges between Japan and the West during this period. Ogawa’s press published books on a wide range of topics, including English, Japanese, and bilingual volumes. The English-language volumes introduced aspects of traditional Japanese culture to a Western audience still often largely unfamiliar with the country, typically framing the subjects to emphasize an anachronistic, romanticized vision of Japan’s premodern past. Ogawa’s press simultaneously published Japanese-language books on more contemporary topics for the domestic market. These tended to present subjects that spoke to and reinforced Japan’s emerging identity as a newly modernized and politically powerful country. Regardless of the intended market, the books generally were made of high-quality materials and they decisively prioritized visual imagery, showcasing full-page images. The emphasis on visual depictions highlights the importance of photomechanical reproduction and its circulation via the illustrated book format in helping to shape perceptions of cultural identity in the context of late nineteenth-century transnational interactions. This article explores the formative role the press and its publications played in constructing these dual forms of Japanese identity for an international versus domestic audience.

This article examines T. S. Eliot’s poetry, showing how it serves as a significant precursor to post-postmodern sensibilities. Grounded in symbolic language and rich allusions, Eliot’s poetry still manages to convey genuine emotions, providing a thoughtful and honest reflection on human experience and cultural dislocation. His depiction of disillusionment isn’t without hope; instead, it creates a space for readers to discover connection, meaning, and purpose even in times of cultural and spiritual uncertainty. Eliot empowers his audience to help piece together meaning from the fragments, establishing his work as a timeless link between individual experiences and universal human truths. By skillfully blending complexity with accessibility, Eliot’s work continues to resonate through the ages, establishing him as a key figure in the literary landscape. Although T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land” is widely recognized as a pivotal work of modernism, it also anticipates the emergence of post-postmodernism. Theories discussed provide the theoretical framework for the research, and the arguments presented are grounded in textual references. By analyzing the selected poem, the study reveals how Eliot weaves together symbolic complexity, fragmented structures, and cultural references, all while maintaining a striking emotional honesty and a beautifully crafted lyrical voice. The approach here blends literary analysis with a post-postmodern theoretical lens and focuses on the reader to underscore how they actively shape meaning. The article argues that while Eliot’s poetry is firmly grounded in modernist aesthetics, it creates a reading experience that invites personal engagement and rekindles hope in the face of disillusionment, traits that resonate strongly with the spirit of post-postmodern literature.

The completion of building facilities and economic empowerment activities in Bumi Semeru Damai (BSD), a settlement developed to accommodate survivors of the 2021 Mount Semeru eruption, failed to curb the return of former Semeru residents to their original dwelling site in the high-risk zone. By 2024, many of the houses in BSD were left uninhabited, as the owners had abandoned them, and returned to their native land. According to the findings from previous studies, the effectiveness of a relocation exercise is determined by the affected population’s sense of place (SP). As such, this investigation delves into the influence of SP, on the decision-making process of Mount Semeru eruption survivors, in terms of remaining in BSD, or migrating. Hermeneutic phenomenology research methods involve the gathering of data through census and semi-structured interviews, with four key figures. According to the results derived, in the context of the migration pattern (MP), 326 households were involved in either a short-term-domestic migration (after two days, a week, or a month, from BSD to their land of origin), or a long-term- external migration (after about a year, from BSD to another urban location). The factors influencing the MP of these households include their risk perception (RP), their socio-economic capital (SEC), the socio-ecological system (SES) of BSD, their place identity (PI), their place dependence (PD), their societal bonds (SBs), and their place attachment (PA). The findings derived through this undertaking, can be harnessed, for resettlement efforts that support the sustainable livelihood of the affected population.

This study aims to examine the implementation of Islamic Daily Life Activities (IDLA) in shaping the religious character of students at SMP Bakti Mulya 400 Jakarta Selatan. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were gathered through observations, interviews with key school figures, and document analysis to understand IDLA’s implementation and effectiveness of the IDLA. The findings show that IDLA successfully instills religious values through regular activities, such as Dhuha prayer, congregational prayers, modest dress on Fridays, and charity initiatives, which collectively promote a consistent commitment to Islamic values, social responsibility, and spiritual fulfillment among students. This study concludes that the IDLA provides a viable model for religious character education, with implications for similar implementations in other Islamic educational settings and future research on its long-term effects beyond school.

Community organising, as a form of bottom-up development, challenges top-down approaches that traditionally view communities as passive recipient rather than active agents of change. This study examines the internal dynamics of women farmers group (kelompok wanita tani/KWT) Lestari in Pakembinangun, Sleman, under the leadership of Sri Hartanti, a key figure who has been instrumental in the group’s development. Using a qualitative method through in-dept interview, the research identifies the organisational model applied by KWT Lestari through twelve analytical indicators, including goals of community action, assumptions concerning community structure and problem conditions, basic change strategies, characteristic change tactics and techniques, salient practitioner roles, medium of change, orientation toward power structures, boundaries of the community client system, assumptions regarding sub-community interests, conceptions of public interest, client population, and client role, Despite challenges in sustaining member participation, findings show that KWT Lestari effectively employs the locality development model, positioning members as active change agents within their community. This study contributes to understanding how community organising can succeed in diverse social, cultural, and economic contexts, offering insights for future community-based development efforts.

Over one billion people suffer from psychiatric and/or neurological disorders for which transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has shown efficacy. Achieving widespread TMS access will require major improvements to cost and convenience. A key figure of merit for a given TMS protocol concerns not its remission rate or tolerability, but simply its treatment time per remission (TTPR). Outcomes for conventional bilateral TMS protocols imply a TTPR of more than 100 h - incompatible with widespread access. However, briefer accelerated and/or theta-burst protocols may improve TTPR to less than 20 h. Personalization strategies that improve remission rates sometime improve TTPR, depending on associated cost-penalties of time or complexity. A potentially groundbreaking new strategy to improve TTPR involves pharmacological augmentation of neuroplasticity, using agents such as D -cycloserine. Plasticity-augmentation may improve TTPR by improving remission rates, and by reducing the number of required sessions. Recent literature suggests that TTPR values of under 5 h per remission may be achievable via neuroplasticity augmentation. The most recent plasticity-augmented TMS protocols may approach or exceed cost-parity with pharmacotherapy, in terms of reducing the prevalence of depression. With the health economics of TMS improving steadily, a pathway to universal access may be within reach.

Esta obra quiere dar a conocer una de las disciplinas más relevantes de la filosofía, la antropología filosófica. La antropología es el estudio del ser humano por sí mismo, que se enfrenta con su propia subjetividad, y es filosófica en tanto que hay una implicación personal del sujeto que reflexiona sobre su ser y sus circunstancias, pero también en la medida que aspira a una comprensión totalizadora de las cuestiones que afectan al ser humano (éticas, psicológicas, biológicas, trascendentes, históricas, etc.) para obtener una idea unitaria de la persona. Esta obra realiza un recorrido por la historia de la filosofía, las diversas corrientes de pensamiento y de las concepciones del hombre, de cómo éste se ha vivido, sentido, subjetivado y representado a sí mismo en las diversas épocas. Los autores se adscriben a la corriente del personalismo comunitario: se estudian sus diversas ramas, principios de su acción y figuras representativas. las perspectivas e implicaciones actuales y concretas de una antropología personalista que se basa en la razón cálida y en la persona como fin último. This work aims to introduce one of the most relevant disciplines of philosophy: philosophical anthropology. Anthropology is the study of the human being by and for itself, confronting its own subjectivity. It is philosophical insofar as it involves the personal engagement of the subject reflecting on their being and circumstances. It is also philosophical to the extent that it aspires to a comprehensive understanding of the issues that affect the human being (ethical, psychological, biological, transcendent, historical, etc.) in order to attain a unified idea of the person. This work traces the history of philosophy, exploring various schools of thought and conceptions of the human being—how individuals have lived, felt, subjectivized, and represented themselves throughout different historical periods. The authors align themselves with the school of communitarian personalism, examining its various branches, the principles guiding its actions, and its key figures. The work also addresses the current and concrete perspectives and implications of a personalist anthropology grounded in "warm reason" and in the person as the ultimate end.

This research is based on the existence of the Living Qur’an phenomenon in Lontar village, Tirtayasa district, Serang Banten district, which is the Purnama Water Tradition. This tradition is one of the religious rituals carried out by the Lontar community, which is subsequently performed by the local community as a ritual aimed at calming the heart. (Padang ati). In this tradition, the signs of the Qur'an are used as a medium of healing and water as its medium. The study aims to analyze the processes and practices of the water traditions and the perception of the community towards the water tradition. The method used in writing this research is entographic research with the theory of al-Qur’an reception developed by Ahmad Rafiq. Data collection involves in-depth interviews with key figures, observations, and document studies. The results of this study show that the water that has been prayed is believed to cure a variety of disorders or diseases, both medical and non-medical, commonly referred to as ruqyah. According to some sources, the full moon is also believed to have its privilege. So from that, this tradition is done on Friday night, on the 15th of the month of hijrah, and exactly when the full moon rises.

This paper explores Kant’s account of certainty, examining whether – and to what extent – it can be interpreted as a feeling of the human soul in his philosophy. I argue that, for Kant, certainty can be understood as a feeling only if it is properly framed within his epistemology of assent. To support this claim, I analyze Kant’s engagement with two key figures of the German Enlightenment – Georg Friedrich Meier and Christian August Crusius – who influenced his early reflections on certainty. After outlining Meier’s and Crusius’ views, I show how Kant develops his own epistemic account of certainty, broadly identifying it with the necessity of holding-to-be-true. According to Kant, certainty must be understood in two distinct but related ways: as the expression of the highest epistemic status of our beliefs and as the feeling of conviction that accompanies the act of truth-acceptance. This dual understanding of certainty not only clarifies the peculiarities of Kant’s position in relation to his predecessors but also sheds light on key interpretative issues within his epistemic theory of assent.