Methodological Issue Research Articles

False memories formation after a retention period spent asleep or awake in individuals with insomnia and good sleepers: a polysomnographic study.

False memories are a possible by-product of sleep-related memory consolidation processes when delayed testing is performed after a retention interval spent asleep. To date, the effect of a retention period spent asleep or awake on false memories formation has been addressed only in healthy subjects, while neglecting sleep-disordered populations. In the present study, we investigated this effect in 17 insomniacs and 15 good sleepers through the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm. In both groups, the encoding phase was followed by an 8-h retention period spent in polysomnography monitored sleep (S-condition) or wake (WK-condition). We observed that, at free recall, insomniacs produced more false recalls in the WK-condition compared to the S-condition, whereas the good sleepers showed more false recalls in S-condition than in the WK-condition. Moreover, false recalls were higher in good sleepers than in insomniacs in the S-condition. Both groups produced more veridical recalls in the S-condition than in the WK-condition. For recognition, hits (correctly recognised words) were more numerous in the S-condition than in the WK-condition. Our results confirm previous data on sleep-related false memories production in good sleepers. Additionally, they show that, in insomniacs, false memories production is reduced after a sleep relative to remaining awake. These data suggest that false memories formation, reflecting adaptive memory reshaping processes going on during sleep, could occur at awakening as long as the sleep episode is efficient enough. A notable methodological issue was also identified, in that the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm can be useful to investigate sleep-dependent memory processes for false memories only when a more cognitively demanding task is employed (i.e., free-recall instead of recognition tasks).

Ownership structure and profit maximization in general equilibrium models of monopolistic competition

Using Hart (1979, 1985) and Mas-Colell (1984), I defend the idea that the standard ownership structure is somewhat problematic in general equilibrium models of monopolistic competition because profit maximization is not a justified objective of the firm. I then advocate that a solution to overcome this methodological issue is when ownership is disproportionally concentrated among households.

Impact of triple therapy on mortality in COPD.

Only a few therapies have been shown to prolong survival in specific patients with COPD. In recent years, the IMPACT and the ETHOS trials suggested that triple therapy (a combination of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) given in a single inhaler) may reduce mortality compared with dual bronchodilation. These results need however to be interpreted with caution. These trials were not powered by design to evaluate the impact of triple therapy on mortality as mortality was a secondary outcome. In addition, mortality reduction has to be put in perspective with the low mortality rate in both studies (<2%). Furthermore, a key methodological issue is that up to 70-80% of patients had ICS withdrawal at the enrolment in the LABA/LAMA arms, but none in the ICS-containing treatment arms. It is possible that ICS withdrawal may have contributed to some early death events. Finally, the inclusion and exclusion criteria of both trials were designed to select patients likely to respond to ICS. There are no conclusive data yet that triple therapy reduces mortality in COPD. Future, well-designed and -powered trials are needed to validate the findings on mortality.

Measuring bilingual language dominance: An examination of the reliability of the Bilingual Language Profile

Measuring language dominance, broadly defined as the relative strength of each of a bilingual’s two languages, remains a crucial methodological issue in bilingualism research. While various methods have been proposed, the Bilingual Language Profile (BLP) has been one of the most widely used tools for measuring language dominance. While previous studies have begun to establish its validity, the BLP has yet to be systematically evaluated with respect to reliability. Addressing this methodological gap, the current study examines the reliability of the BLP, employing a test–retest methodology with a large ( N = 248), varied sample of Spanish–English bilinguals. Analysis focuses on the test–retest reliability of the overall dominance score, the dominant and non-dominant global language scores, and the subcomponent scores. The results demonstrate that the language dominance score produced by the BLP shows “excellent” levels of test–retest reliability. In addition, while some differences were found between the reliability of global language scores for the dominant and non-dominant languages, and for the different subcomponent scores, all components of the BLP display strong reliability. Taken as a whole, this study provides evidence for the reliability of BLP as a measure of bilingual language dominance.

The Import of Critical Phenomenology for Theorizing Disability

In this paper, I explore the claim that phenomenological accounts grounded in the lived experiences of those most tangibly impacted by social norms related to ability can provide crucial correctives and supplements to the existing philosophical literature on disability. After situating discussions of the body within disability theory and debates over the impairment/disability distinction in philosophy of disability more specifically, I argue that extant models are inadequate for theorizing subjective experiences of living as a disabled person. I then develop an account of the relationship between impairment/disability by drawing upon critical phenomenological approaches to embodiment. In conclusion, I turn to the methodological and metaphilosophical issue of how to conduct ethical inquiry concerning disability. I examine some of the ways that ableist assumptions can inform curiosity, provide examples of disabled people’s accounts of experiencing derivatizing curiosity, and offer suggestions for practices of curiosity that not only avoid epistemic harms, but are actively anti-ableist.

On Temples, Palaces and the Case of Hazor’s Building 7050: Classifying Ancient Architecture Based on Archaeological Methods

This paper addresses a major methodological issue faced by archaeologists when seeking to apply clear definitions to architectural units. Temples and palaces dominate the Bronze Age landscape of the southern Levant. But what are the parameters for distinguishing between these two types of spaces? Architectural analysis on its own can lead to misguided conclusions. A structure must be further contextualized on the local and regional levels, and the use of its interior space must be understood. This paper focuses specifically on the classification of Hazor’s Building 7050, a monumental Late Bronze Age building that sits atop the site’s acropolis. A detailed study of Building 7050’s architecture, space syntax, activity types, metrology, and the site’s urban planning demonstrates that the complex was modeled on cultic, not palatial, space.

СУЧАСНІ ІМПЕРАТИВИ ГЛОБАЛІЗАЦІЇ РИНКУ ПРАЦІ: ФОРМИ І СТРУКТУРА

The development of the world labor market at the current stage of world economic progress is characterized by the systemic influence on its structural dynamics of a number of global imperatives, which manifests itself at the levels of demographic, transnational, scientific and technical, regional integration, and institutional and regulatory factors. Their synergistic effect leads to the transformation of the world labor market into an open competitive system of a global type, the quantitative and qualitative parameters of which are determined, on the one hand, by the complex action of the mechanisms of the objective economic laws of value, the capitalist population, demand and supply of labor, concentration of production, competition; and from the second – the specifics of the expanded reproduction of labor resources within the framework of national economies and at the international level. The purpose of the article is to characterize the structure-forming imperatives of globalization of the labor market. The modern economic nature of the structure-forming imperatives of the globalization of the labor market actualizes an important methodological issue regarding the comprehensive renewal of the theoretical foundations of its research at the level of the operation of economic laws and the influence of emergent factors. global economic transformations and the deep organic connection of the labor market with structural changes in the international economic system and all forms of international economic relations. The development of the global format of the functioning of the labor market is the result of the convergence of cultural traditions, moral values of different peoples and nations, their psychological and socio-cultural characteristics, attitudes to work and learning, the degree of self-education, discipline and responsibility, which, "integrating" into global institutions, acquire qualitatively new features. So, we can conclude that together they ensure the effective functioning of operational and functional business models of international companies and firms and are a powerful driver of modernization of the institutional, organizational, economic and technological basis of the world economy on the platform of global business networks.

"I just check 'other'": Evidence to support expanding the measurement inclusivity and equity of ethnicity/race and cultural identifications of U.S. adolescents.

In nationally funded research in the U.S., ethnicity and race are measured with checkbox questions, the limited categories of which may yield significant missing data and low salience to available categories, particularly among adults of color. How adolescent-generated data compare to these limited categories, and how adolescents, not just those of color, describe their culture are understudied. In our sample, we asked the following: (a) how do adolescents' ethnicity/race and culture identifications compare?, (b) how do adolescents' open-ended ethnicity/race and checkbox ethnicity/race labels compare?, and (c) how do adolescents' ethnicity/race labels compare to available categories for identification on the National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) demographic form? Data from 76 adolescents (64.5% female, Mage = 15.78 years) were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. White adolescents were as likely as adolescents of color to identify with cultural labels, and most adolescents described culture differently than race/ethnicity. White adolescents' open-ended and checkbox labels overlapped more (38.8%) than adolescents of colors' (22.5%). Only 17% of adolescents' open-ended race/ethnicity identification labels and 54% of their checkbox identifications were available on the NIH's demographic form. As measurement of demographic data is reduced to few options that favor privileged identities, innovative methods to measure individuals' identities are warranted. Using tools that do not reflect individuals' identity labels may increase error and reflects structural problems of research inequity. Our findings provide initial evidence of this methodological issue in a sample of adolescents. Building inclusive demographic tools from individuals' self-descriptors that remain feasible and practical for use can diminish inequity associated with describing "diverse" populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Institutional metaphysics for the Trinity

This paper explores and defends an institutional metaphysics for the Trinity as providing us with an inherently interpersonal reality, and provides general and specific methodological arguments in that direction in the first section. The actual argumentation is then first of all directed against Augustine’s rejection of the family as a suitable analogy for the Trinity. It is instead argued that the family does in fact offer an interesting and suitable analogy. Next, several more general and historic precursors to such an institutional analogy are explored and fleshed out, relying on the legal and economic meaning of the term ‘substance’ as an estate, such as the shared inheritance between a father and a son. The main section further develops the outlines and main features of such an institutional metaphysics, relying on both analogies to result in three persons in one numerically identical substance. The final section returns to the methodological issue but now in an explicitly Marian key, culminating in the Holy Family as a key exemplar for the family analogy.

ENCODE4OpenU and the Preparation and Delivery of an International Collaborative MOOC: A Preliminary Analysis of its Pedagogical and Technical Implementation

Among the potential intellectual outputs of the ENCODE project is the production of a MOOC that introduces teaching staff and scientific experts to the digital transition in the field of ancient writing cultures. The basis for this MOOC is the need to foster awareness of the importance of digital competences and to use a structured framework to introduce people to the available innovative teaching and learning materials and opportunities for organizing (self-)training in this field of research. For specialists in the humanities, there is often an unexpected reluctance to go beyond simply using digital tools and to deepen their understanding of the implications of the digital transitions of research fields, as well as considering the readiness of young graduates to acquire digital competences. This MOOC, which is easily accessible, affordable, sustainable, and flexible, may achieve the initial aim of the project, namely, bridging the gap between the highly specialized competences in the humanities and the innovative digital skills needed in open science practices. The main methodological issue concerns the design and adaptation of cooperative tools in order to implement a common pedagogical approach and to produce MOOC content that integrates the different competences and insights of the project participants. This report on the experiment provides useful insights into the differing expectations of academic staff as content producers, issues surrounding MOOC-cooperative design between universities in different countries, the usability of the tested platform and of the different features provided, and sustainability, as guaranteed through the connection with digital infrastructures. In the concluding section, the originality of the MOOC at a more general scale is emphasized. The ways in which the MOOC can facilitate and support the digital transition are assessed according to the FAIR principles in Higher Education Institutions. Moreover, the MOOC offers models for hands-on experiences of digital training and the evaluation of learning outcomes according to shared European frameworks; it demonstrates the importance of being connected with larger projects and digital infrastructures.

Da coesão invisível à referenciação explícita nas interlínguas de aprendizes surdos

The texts of Brazilian deaf people writing in Portuguese are considered, according to the literature, difficult to understand, mainly due to the lack of cohesive elements. The understanding that this results from intermediate and transitory interlanguages between their first language (L1), Libras, and the target language (L2), Portuguese, motivated our investigation into the characteristics of the linguistic knowledge that governs them. In this work, we investigate the lack of cohesive elements in the analyzed written productions and how these elements emerge through a teaching and learning methodology based on second language (L2) teaching practices. Considering the developments of studies in L2 acquisition and the evolution of the teaching of those languages in the area of Applied Linguistics, we carried out an action focused on direct speech. We created teaching materials in which we used comic strips as textual basis, since they favor the transposition of dialogs into a written text with linear language, which requires explicit references to the interlocutors as well as the use of one dicendi verb — cohesive and speech sequencing elements absent from the initial texts of the learners. The results of the action research led us to two insights: the first one, based on Textual Linguistics, focuses on the nature of the lack of functional words in the learning of an L2, especially those that have direct correspondence in the two languages involved, such as coreferential personal pronouns; and the second one deals with the methodological issue related to providing abundant comprehensive input vs. focus-on-form in the teaching of an L2.

The Multi-horizon Exchange Rate Exposure of Consumer Products and Services Sector in Malaysia

After the abolishment of fixed exchange regime under the Bretton Woods System in 1970s, the issue of foreign exchange risk expecially among multinational corporations operating under small and open economies of Malaysia remains relevant till today. According to Abdul Wahab et al. (2017) and Adler and Dumas (1984), exchange rate exposure refers to the extent of firm's sensitivity to exchange rate fluctuations. While there has been growing interest in examining foreign exchange risk incidence under Malaysia market, however limited studies have been focusing on single sector of consumer products and services in Malaysia. Under Bursa Malaysia, the sector consists of several sub-fields including agricultural products, automotive, food and beverages, household goods, personal goods, retailers and travel and leisure services. Given the wide range of products and services, the corporations under the sector have been involved in vigorous cross-border trading activities. The consumer products and services equities become the second largest sector in Bursa Malaysia which constitues 15.89% of total stocks in main market of Bursa Malaysia in July 2021 with a 265.02 billion of total market capitalization. In terms of methodological issue, the study addresses on the bias in exchange risk pricing in previous studies. Specifically, majority of past studies assume homogeneity of exchange risk across time domains which seems to be unrealistic. Capital market contains wide range of participants with heterogenous investment holdings and expectations. To address time domain bias, the study adopts Maximal Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transformation (MODWT) in foreign exchange risk pricing to decompose a single time domain series into multiple time domains. Given this, the primary objective of the study is to examine the extent of multi-horizon foreign exchange exposure of consumer products and services sector in Malaysia from January 2000 till December 2020. Keywords: Currency Exposure, Wavalet Technique, MODWT, Malaysian Consumer Sector

Topical and Methodological Trends in ELT Research of English Education Students at Universitas Negeri Semarang

This study explores some students’ output in doing the research articles according to their trends in topics and methodology. Therefore, this research aimed at finding out the tendency and less frequency research topics interest of English Education students at UNNES Graduate. Theoretically, both topical and methodological issue in accomplishing the academic research were significantly considered as they offerred the study credibility and yields reliable scientific results. Additionally, they also offerred a thorough plan that aids in keeping researchers on course, facilitating a simple, efficient, and manageable approach (Fraenkel and Wallen, 2009; Richard and Rodgers, 2014). The research design of this study was longitudinal . survey design proposed by Creswell (2012) The sample of the survey was English Education students’ papers at UNNES Graduate School in the period of 2016-2021 and they were 77 students. Data collection technique was both survet and questionnaire. The study found that topic about English Language Teaching, literature, and translation as the existing individual interest were become the tendency in present period. Topics related to teaching strategies, teaching media, L2 remote learning challenges and opportunities, L2 emergency curriculum, L2 skills development, technology as well as assessment become the generate situational interest due to the covid-19 Post-Pandemic era. The study concluded that forty-four of seventy-seven students have awareness on including remote learning environment-related topics in future research and they need some professional development on integrating remote learning environment issues into their research. For the further study, the writers hopefully can explore about the implementation of students situational interest by enhancing students’ performance in national conference such as students conference using Research-Based Learning via online training. The goal of this study was supportive to be reflected in the issue of English educational development such providing the further writers to be aware with the set of writing organization technique to complete the academic papers.

ACCOUNTING, REGULATORY AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF CHARITABLE DONATIONS BY BUSINESS ENTITIES FOR THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE

In the article, a study of the regulatory and legal support of the activities of charitable organizations and support by business entities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is carried out. Problematic aspects of accounting and taxation of charitable assistance provided by business entities for the needs of the army are presented and the relevance of solving this methodological issue is substantiated. In particular, it is determined that different terms are used in legislation and scientific literature to describe charity. Forms and types of charitable activity in Ukraine were studied. Attempts have been made to distinguish between these concepts. The forms of charity (volunteer, humanitarian, philanthropic) are characterized and the types (charitable donation, charitable grants, public collection of charitable donations, charitable servitudes and charitable endowments) and methods of their giving are substantiated. The characteristic features of charitable assistance are determined: voluntary, selfless, purposeful. The need to regulate certain provisions and define terms in the field of charitable activities was confirmed, and amendments to the current legislation were proposed. The rating of charity in Ukraine was studied and the distribution of costs by spheres of its provision was presented. It was found that according to Ukrainian legislation, charitable assistance to the army is provided in the form of charitable donations and can be provided both in cash and in kind, in particular from charitable organizations, legal entities and individuals, and territorial communities. It has been proven that properly organized accounting of charitable donations will ensure the control of the intended use of the donated property and reduce abuses in this area, as well as affect the possibility of applying tax benefits in the terms of payment of value added tax, excise duty and income tax. The procedure for documenting charitable donations for the benefit of the army and the need to form an Act of acceptance and transfer of humanitarian (charitable) aid are substantiated. The changes made to the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding the taxation of charitable aid given to the army were considered. Taking into account the specifics of the research, a method of accounting for charitable assistance for various options for its provision (voluntary transfer or alienation of property) is proposed.

The interpretation of topic models for scholarly analysis: An evaluation and critique of current practice

AbstractTopic modelling is a method of statistical data mining of a corpus of documents, popular in the digital humanities and, increasingly, in social sciences. A critical methodological issue is how ‘topics’ (groups of co-selected word types) can be interpreted in analytically meaningful terms. In the current literature, this is typically done by ‘eyeballing’; that is, cursory and largely unsystematic examination of the ‘top’ words in each algorithmically identified word group. We critically evaluate this approach in a dual analysis, comparing the ‘eyeballing’ approach with an alternative using sample close reading across the corpus. We used MALLET to extract two topic models from a test corpus: one with stopwords included, another with stopwords excluded. We then used the aforementioned methods to assign labels to these topics. The results suggest that a close-reading approach is more effective not only in level of detail but even in terms of accuracy. In particular, we found that: assigning labels via eyeballing yields incomplete or incorrect topic labels; removing stopwords drastically affects the analysis outcome; topic labelling and interpretation depend considerably on the analysts’ specialist knowledge; and differences of perspective or construal are unlikely to be captured through a topic model. We conclude that an interpretive paradigm founded in close reading may make topic modelling more appealing to humanities researchers.

Virtual Reality Assessment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Review

The use of advance computer-based technology is becoming necessary to address the growing complexity of human problems and enhance effective communication. The recent pandemic COVID-19 not only induces many morbidities and mortalities but also intensifies mental health problem worldwide. Due to the increasing benefits of virtual reality (VR) in addressing medical condition, it is believed that VR can be used as a diagnostic tool to assess numerous medical conditions and psychiatric disorders. To date, there is still scarce evidence of VR as a diagnostic tool to assess obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study, we had conducted a systematic review to investigate the use of VR as a diagnostic tool for OCD and assess its benefits and weaknesses in comparison to computer-assisted tools. Comprehensive searches of electronic databases including PubMed and Google Scholar were undertaken to discover peer review evidence of computer-based simulation tasks in detecting OCD symptoms. Twelve out of 9325 papers were screened and reviewed. Five articles reported on computerised tools and seven articles described VR tools. In comparison to computer-based tasks, VR is a promising assessment tool due to specific virtual environments and high resolutions which are able to induce anxiety symptoms. Despite numerous shortcomings, assessment can be utilised in computerised form to detect and generate a variety of psychiatry diagnoses among the general population. Although computerised assessment task and VR show promising results, the finding are uneven due to study design differences, wide variability content task use, small sample size, several methodological issue with the computerised tasks and lack of appropriate control groups. In conclusion, the choice to use computerisation or VR for OCD assessment will depend on aim, content, technical equipment and budget. More in-depth studies of these issues are required.

Guidelines for Choosing Cognitive Load Measures in Perceptually Rich Environments

ABSTRACTCognitive load measurement is a methodological issue of high importance in all learning settings involving a high perceptual richness, such as virtual and augmented reality. As a result of the growing number of cognitive load measurement methods and surveys, it can be difficult to choose the optimal measurement instrument for learning tasks in perceptually rich environments. Current research suggests that survey‐based methods do not necessarily have to be less valid than physiological measures. Furthermore, in several studies, single‐item measures of cognitive load have shown a high negative correspondence with learning outcomes. A trend toward a more fine‐grained analysis of different components of cognitive load can be observed, but the ability to detect cognitive load depends on selecting an appropriate survey for the specific task. Based on this narrative overview on current developments in cognitive load measurement, recommendations for deciding on a cognitive load measurement method are given.

Multinomial logit as an early warning model for predicting banking crises

ABSTRACT Since the Global Financial Crisis in 2007, a domino of banking distress episodes took place around the world, both at individual and systemic level. The bailout cost of these banking crises was extreme, especially in USA and EU countries, which were mostly affected. In recent years, there are many empirical studies, which attempt to develop a new mechanism of Early Warnings. As a result, more integrated and accurate systems are developed. Concerning the selection of the appropriate method, multivariate logit analysis is arguably one of the most popular models for EWSs. An important methodological issue, regarding the application of binary logit models, is how to deal with the observations following the onset of a banking crisis. One can either treat years after crisis as tranquil periods or remove them from the sample. In this paper, a multinomial logit model is applied to include all the crisis observations in the sample, treating them as a different outcome. Subsequently, this paper compares the predictive ability of binomial and multinomial logit models as EWSs for systemic banking crises in Eurozone, and, contrary to previous results, multinomial logit model does not seem to perform well to signal systemic banking crises.

Identifying Nursing Homes With Diverse Racial and Ethnic Resident Compositions: The Importance of Group Heterogeneity and Geographic Context.

Racial/ethnic composition of nursing home (NH) plays a particularly important role in NH quality. A key methodological issue is defining when an NH serves a low versus high proportion of racially/ethnically diverse residents. Using the Minimum Data Set from 2015 merged with Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports, we calculated the racial/ethnic composition of U.S.-based NHs for Black or Hispanic residents specifically, and a general Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) grouping for long-stay residents. We examined different definitions of having a high racial/ethnic composition by varying percentile thresholds of composition, state-specific and national thresholds, and restricting composition to BIPOC residents as well as only Black and Hispanic residents. NHs with a high racial/ethnic composition have different facility characteristics than the average NH. Based on this, we make suggestions for how to identify NHs with diverse racial/ethnic resident compositions.

Methodological implications of a systems approach to organizational climate

In this article the serious theoretical and methodological issues facing climate research are discussed. It is indicated that the most important theoretical and methodological issue facing climate researchers is a lack of conceptual In tegration of the climate construct. It is shown that this has resulted in an In ablilty of climate researchers to satisfactorily resolve a number of methodological Issues. It is further shown that the Inability of climate researchers to resolve these methodological Issues, has led to a decline of research interest in the climate construct, whereby the viabill ty of organizational climate as a research field and management tool Is threatened. In this article the author proffers a social systems approach to the conceptualization of organizational climate. The methodological implications of such an approach are discussed and it Is shown that this reconceptualization of the climate construct can alleviate many of the methodological Issues still facing climate research.