Normative Control Research Articles

Friendships on the stage: co-writing feminist theatrical accounts

ABSTRACT We, as friends, feminists, and Early Career Academics, explore the complex interplay between friendships and the Neoliberal University through an experimental genre blending text: a collaborative performance combining duoethnographic theater, poetry and artistic-academic writings. We offer intimate, embodied insights on friendships – between academics, between academics and non-academics, and between writers and readers. Our work exposes the ambiguity of friendships in the Neoliberal University. Friendship as affective relations without a predefined time frame and purpose is depicted as a danger to be contained, reflecting the denial of relationality in knowledge production. An instrumental framing of friendship is promoted and sustains the normative control of workers and the exploitation of care. Despite these challenges, critical, careful friendships are indispensable for academics to navigate the Neoliberal University's physical and mental consequences. To resist collectively and prefigure alternatives, i.e. for the Caring University to emerge, we need to push the boundaries of friendships.

Attachment and body representations in adolescents with personality disorder.

Attachment theory has served as an influential framework for understanding psychopathology, partly due to reliable assessment methodology. The influence of insecure attachment on attitudes towardthe body and the impact this might have for the development of psychopathology is however less well elucidated. A total of 123 adolescents (35 with borderline personality disorder or BPD, 25 with other personality disorders [OPD]and 63 comprising a normative control group) were interviewed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Mirror Interview (MI). The MI questions respondents about how they feel about their bodies, as they look in the mirror. The AAIs from the Borderline group were predominantly insecure-preoccupied and unresolved. These adolescents had significantly lower levels of a positive and integrated sense of self and body than the other groups. Regression results revealed a high loving relationship with fathers, low involving anger with father, high coherence of mind, slight derogation of mother &low levels of unresolved loss uniquely and additively predicted 55% of variance in the summary score assigned to MIresponses, that is,the summary score for a Positive and Integrated Body Representation (PIBR). Unfavorable attachment experiences and current states of mind regarding attachment may give rise to problems with establishing PIBRs, and thus play a role in the development of psychopathology, especially BPD.

Предварительный нормоконтроль конституционных поправок в конституционных (уставных) советах субъектов РФ

The 2020 amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation significantly expanded the competence of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation received the right to carry out preliminary normative control of constitutional amendments. This caused active scientific discussions. However, the issue of preliminary constitutional normative control of amendments to the constitutions and charters of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation has not been studied by legal science. At the same time, the constituent entities of the Russian Federation endowed their constitutional (statutory) councils with the right to preliminary normative control of constitutional amendments. The article analyzes the experience of three constituent entities of the Russian Federation (the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Republic of Yakutia), which have established constitutional councils. Based on the results of the analysis, it is concluded that the constitutional councils of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are endowed with the right to preliminary normative control of constitutional amendments, but the procedure for such verification and its limits are not regulated, and the results are advisory in nature.

2023년 행정법 중요 판례 평석: 건설행정법 판례를 중심으로

The Supreme Court sentenced a number of meaningful administrative law rulings in 2023. Many of them are based on individual public law regulations and specific problems arising from them. In this article, several rulings related to the ‘Public Construction Law’ were selected and examined. ① The Supreme Court’s sentence of 2022DU31143 on September 21, 2023 confirms once again that it is necessary to obtain ’the legal status of being allowed to development’for construction in addition to securing a source of use of land. It is meaningful in that it declared that the above requirements are also necessary for notification of building construction. Considering the judgment, it has been more clearly confirmed that the notification of building construction is bound to be regarded as a notification requiring acceptance, and the need for a legislative review of the overall building construction notification system emerges. ② The Supreme Court’s sentence of February 2, 2023, 2020DU43722 is a question of whether the guidelines for the operation of development permission, which are orders of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport prepared based on Article 56 (4) of the Enforcement Decree of the National Land Planning Act, are externally binding legal orders. Aside from the evaluation of the conclusions of the judgment, the judgment provides various issues regarding the handling of administrative rules and normative control. ③ The Supreme Court’s ruling on February 23, 2023, 2020Du36724 is meaningful in that it revealed the relationship between members and landowners in housing redevelopment projects in accordance with the Urban Improvement Act, and that the right to receive a house in housing redevelopment projects should be based on the status of members. ④ The Supreme Court’s ruling on October 18, 2023, 2023DU42584 dealt directly with whether indemnity for possession of state property can be imposed on a person who is in a legal position to justify the possession and use of state property but does not get a use permit or sign loan contract. Although we can accept the conclusion of the judgment, it raises the question of the court’s interpretation of the law and its limitations. The above two judgments are examples of how the purpose of a public law can be considered in the interpretation and application of individual public law regulations, and provide implications regarding the legal interpretation method of administrative law.

2023년 헌법 중요 판례 평석 (2)

This paper analyzed the meaning and content of major decisions made by the Constitutional Court in 2023 except for normative control. The Constitutional Court determined that the inspection of some items conducted by Gyeonggi-do Province violated Namyangju's local autonomy because the inspection was not specified or its relevance to the original inspection was not recognized. The Constitutional Court rejected the request for a competent dispute trial sought by the Minister of Justice and the prosecutor for the revision of the Public Prosecution Service Act and the Criminal Procedure Act by the National Assembly. The court opinions of the five judges denied the eligibility of the Minister of Justice as a claimant and the possibility of infringement of the prosecutor's authority. The Constitutional Court decided on the Ministry of Justice's announcement that prohibited the test of confirmed patients and restricted the test of self-quarantined and high-risk people in the 10th bar exam, which was scheduled to take effect in early January 2021, when COVID-19 was prevalent. The Constitutional Court judged that the uniformly prohibition of the respondent from taking the test due to vague concerns violated the claimants' freedom to choose their jobs. The Constitutional Court determined that the 'right to be registered' as soon as birth was a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. In relation to the Incheon Metropolitan City lawn, the Constitutional Court judged that the Incheon Metropolitan City Ordinance, which restricts the use of the lawn for the purpose of assembly and demonstration, violates the Constitution by violating the claimants' freedom of assembly and association. With a 7:2 opinion, the Constitutional Court ruled that the 'Act on the Development of South and North Korean Relations' clause, which prohibits the spraying of leaflets to North Korea and punishes violations, violates the claimants' freedom of political expression.

The normativity of logic and the natural normativity of argumentation

In this paper, I defend that logic has a normative status for reasoning. To support my argument, I question whether logic can be limited to a formal calculus that establishes relations among truth-bearers (Goldstein, 1988). Instead, I argue that logic encompasses the study of inference in ordinary language. Similarly, I challenge traditional views of reasoning that depict it as a private process of drawing inferences. Instead, I embrace perspectives that view reasoning as a social activity (Dutilh-Novaes, 2021; Godden, 2015; Kalis, 2022; Mackenzie, 1989). From these bases, I explore the concept of the natural normativity of argumentation (Gilbert, 2007; Jackson, 2019). Since argumentative practices inherently possess a normative dimension, logic aims to capture and represent the rules that govern these linguistic exchanges. Logical rules are the tools from which agents can exert normative control over argumentative practices.

Peripheral blood immune cell parameters in patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and cervical cancer and their clinical value: a retrospective study

Objective The objective of this study was to delineate the profile of peripheral blood lymphocytic indices in patients afflicted with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and cervical neoplasms, and to elucidate the correlation of these hematologic markers with the clinicopathological spectra in individuals diagnosed with cervical carcinoma. Methods We adopted a retrospective case-control modality for this investigation. An aggregate of 39 HSIL patients and 42 cervical carcinoma patients, who were treated in our facility from July 2020 to September 2023, were meticulously selected. Each case of cervical malignancy was confirmed through rigorous histopathological scrutiny. Concomitantly, 31 healthy female individuals, who underwent prophylactic health evaluations during the corresponding timeframe, were enlisted as the baseline control group. We systematically gathered and analyzed clinical demographics, as well as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), from peripheral blood samples. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was deployed to dissect the interrelation between peripheral NLR and PLR concentrations and the clinicopathological features in the cervical cancer group. Results Inter-group comparative analysis unveiled statistically substantial variances in the PLR and NLR values among the tripartite clusters (F = 36.941, 14.998, P < 0.001, respectively). Although discrepancy in NLR (P = 0.061) and PLR (P = 0.759) measures between the groups of cervical carcinoma and HSIL was not statistically appreciable, these indices were markedly elevated in the cervical carcinoma faction as juxtaposed with the normative control group (t = 5.094, 5.927; P < 0.001 for both parameters). A discernible gradation in peripheral blood PLR and NLR concentrations was noted when stratified by clinical stage and the profundity of myometrial invasion in cervical cancer subjects (P < 0.001). The correlation matrix demonstrated a positive liaison between peripheral blood PLR and the clinical gradation, as well as the invasiveness of the neoplastic cells into the muscularis propria (P < 0.05); a similar trend was observed with the NLR values (P < 0.05). Conclusion Augmented NLR and PLR levels in peripheral blood specimens are indicative of HSIL and cervical malignancy. These hematological parameters exhibit a pronounced interconnection with clinical staging and muscular wall penetration depth, serving as potential discriminative biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of cervical cancer.

Characterizing preserved autonomic regulation following spinal cord injury: Methods of a novel concerted testing battery and illustrative examples of a new translationally focused data representation.

Autonomic dysfunction is common after spinal cord injury, though differing from motor and sensory function, there are currently no established batteries of tests to comprehensively characterize these deficits. Further, while individual established autonomic tests have a long history and sound scientific background, translating these autonomic testing results to inform clinical understanding is a major barrier. Herein, we outline a battery of six laboratory autonomic tests which were carefully curated to collectively describe the ability of individuals with spinal cord injury to inhibit and recruit sympathetic activity through the injured spinal cord. Presenting normative control data in 23 uninjured individuals completing this testing battery, we further demonstrate the utility of extracting three key testing metrics for each test, comparing these control results to 11 individuals with spinal cord injury. Results demonstrate strong normality of data with testing psychometrics suggesting reliable reproducibility on repeat testing. Further, even in this preliminary sample of individuals with spinal cord injuries, clear differences begin to emerge. This illustrates the ability of this collective testing battery to characterize autonomic regulation after spinal cord injury. To aid in clinical translation, we further present a graphical representation, an autonomic phenotype, which serves as a snapshot of how normal or abnormal sympathetic inhibition and recruitment of activation may be after spinal cord injury. Utilizing these autonomic phenotypes, three example cases of individuals with spinal cord injury highlight evidence of varied degrees of autonomically complete spinal cord injury. Together, this represents a key advancement in our understanding of autonomic function after spinal cord injury.

Consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing: a multimethod investigation anchored on belief elicitation and theory of planned behavior

PurposeAmidst escalating sustainability challenges, product and brand managers face a pressing need to foster responsible consumption and marketing strategies. Guided by the theory of planned behavior, this paper aims to explore consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing, a type of product that contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production by democratizing the brand, extending the life-cycle of the product, promoting a circular economy, while reducing economic costs for consumers and environmental costs for companies.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage study was conducted: 20 consumers were initially interviewed to identify the salient beliefs about second-hand clothing, and following that, a survey was conducted with 449 consumers to statistically analyze consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing. The data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA).FindingsFrom a “should-have” perspective (PLS-SEM), the study reveals that behavioral beliefs, injunctive normative beliefs, descriptive normative beliefs and control beliefs positively shape attitudes, injunctive norms, descriptive norms and perceived behavioral control toward second-hand clothing, whereas attitudes, injunctive norms, moral norms and perceived behavioral control positively influence consumers’ purchases of second-hand clothing. From a “must-have” perspective (NCA), the study shows that behavioral beliefs, injunctive normative beliefs and descriptive normative beliefs are necessary conditions to positively shape attitudes, injunctive norms and descriptive norms toward second-hand clothing, whereas attitudes, injunctive norms and perceived behavioral control are necessary conditions to stimulate second-hand clothing purchases.Originality/valueThe study offers a deep dive into consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing using a multimethod approach that enables not only the elicitation of salient beliefs (through interviews) but also the empirical examination of these beliefs alongside varying subjective norms in motivating consumers to purchase second-hand clothing (via survey). Given that beliefs are deeply rooted, the rigorous unfolding and validation of consumers’ beliefs about second-hand clothing, including the “should-haves” versus the “must-haves,” provide finer-grained insights that product and brand managers can strategically use to encourage consumers to purchase second-hand clothing.

Development of main concept and core lexicon checklists for the original and modern Cookie Theft stimuli

ABSTRACT Purpose To improve the utility of the cookie theft stimuli by reporting normative control data on both original and modern cookie theft pictures for clinically feasible discourse analysis measures. Method Forty-five transcripts of original cookie theft descriptions by healthy controls were retrieved from the AphasiaBank database and 50 transcripts of modern cookie theft descriptions were contributed by Berube and colleagues. Following the procedure used by Richardson & Dalton (2016), checklists of main concepts produced by at least 33% of participants in each task were identified. Similarly, the Dalton & Richardson (2016) procedure was used to create core lexicon lists, defined as any lemma that was produced by 50% or more of the sample. Descriptive statistics are reported to support the appropriateness of the samples for use as normative data. Results Nine and 14 main concepts were identified for the original and modern cookie theft stimuli, respectively. Six main concepts appeared in both checklists, with unique concepts for each stimulus as well. The average main concept composite score for the original cookie theft was 17.4 (SD = 3.8) with scores ranging from 10/27 to 26/27. For modern cookie theft the average main concept composite score was 28 (SD = 7.6) with scores ranging from 12/42 to 40/42. Twenty-six and 42 lemmas exceeded the 50% cut-off and were identified for the original cookie theft and the modern cookie theft stimuli, respectively. Nineteen core lexicon items were shared across both lists and there were also unique items for each. Twelve function words and 14 content words were identified for the original cookie theft stimulus and participants produced on average 9 (SD = 1.7) function and 11 (SD = 1.8) content words. Twenty function words and 22 content words were identified for the modern cookie theft picture and participants produced on average 15 (SD = 3.3) function and 16 (SD = 3.1) content words. Conclusions The modern cookie theft stimulus elicited more main concepts and core lexicon items compared to the original cookie theft stimulus, which can be attributed to the instructions used with the modern stimulus and the new characters and actions. MCA and Corlex analyses are sensitive functional measures that can be clinically utilized to assess communication ability across clinical populations.

2023년 헌법 중요 판례 평석 (Ⅰ)

This paper analyzed the meaning and content of major decisions on normative control among the Constitutional Court decisions made in 2023.
 The Constitutional Court made a constitutional decision on the provisions of the former School Violence Prevention Act, which stipulated a written apology as one of the principal's actions against the perpetrators of school violence.
 In a unanimous decision, the Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional against the provisions of the 'Special Cases Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes', which required life imprisonment or more than 7 years of imprisonment for the crime of forced assault on a residence. The above provisions were contrary to the principle of proportionality between responsibility and punishment.
 In addition, with a 4:5 opinion, the Constitutional Court sentenced a constitutional decision on the provisions of the former Act on Special Cases concerning the Punishment of Domestic Violence Crimes, etc., which did not stipulate the prohibition of access using mail in the victim protection order.
 In the opinion of judges 6:3, the Constitutional Court ruled that the provisions of the Immigration Control Act, which allowed the protection of those who were ordered to deport but did not establish an upper limit on the period of protection, violate the principle of excess prohibition and due process, violating the freedom of the body, and were not in accordance with the Constitution.
 The Constitutional Court recently ruled against the constitutional inconsistency with the consensus of all the judges on the former Act on Assembly and Protests, which bans rallies near the official residence of the National Assembly and punishes those who host rallies in violation of them, and the Public Official Election Act, which prohibits anyone from spraying printed materials or installing wreaths to affect the election from 180 days before the election day.

Validation of diffusion tensor imaging for diagnosis of traumatic brain injury

Background and PurposeWith an increased need for standardized methodology in accurate diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) has provided promising diagnostic results as an adjunct modality yet remains underutilized. The purpose of this study was to validate the use of DTI with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) supporting its use as a diagnostic tool. Materials and MethodsThis study was retrospective and compared controls to patients clinically diagnosed with TBI. Forty-two controls (mean age = 34.1; range, 19 - 58; 28 Males and 13 Females) were screened (n = 41) for cognitive impairment and neurological abnormality. Two cohorts, each of eighteen patients (first cohort: mean age, 41.8; range, 23 - 70; 9 Males and 9 Females; second cohort: mean age, 45.7; range, 23 - 68; 9 Males and 9 Females) clinically diagnosed with TBI (n = 36) were pooled. DTI image acquisition was obtained using a 3 Tesla MRI scanner. DTI images were analyzed through voxel-based t-tests using SPM comparing each individual to the normative control group to generate z-maps for each individual control and each individual patient with a TBI. Test statistics were ranged for p-values (0.001-0.05) and cluster extent values (0, 30, 60, 65, 70, 75). Area Underneath A Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUCROC) was used to validate diagnostic capability. AUCROC analysis was conducted on all sets of p-value and extent threshold values. Significance of results was determined by examining the AUCROC values. Results and ConclusionsA maximal AUCROC of 1.000 was obtained across the p-value range and cluster extent thresholding values specified across the two cohorts. The high AUCROC supports validation of the methodology presented and the use of diffusion tensor imaging and SPM as an adjunct diagnostic tool for TBI.

Differences in pre-season balance among student athletes based on level of contact, age, and sex

BackgroundAssessing postural control is important for the assessment of motor function after concussion. Data used for postural control assessment typically do not take the sport played, age, or sex of the athlete into consideration. It is plausible these variables may be significant when making return-to-play decisions. Research questionThis study used the BTrackS database to examine differences in postural control in athletes playing different types of sports and across sex and age. MethodsBTrackS data from 9093 high school to college-aged athletes (aged 14–22 years) were examined employing a One-way ANOVA with a post-hoc test to compare CoP path length between sport types. A moderation analysis was used to test interaction effects of sex and age on a CoP/BMI ratio. ResultsSignificant differences were observed between sport types, F(3,9089) = 42.4, p <.001, η2 = 0.014. Post hoc tests indicated that collision (M = 25.0, SD = 7.6) sport athletes exhibited significantly higher CoP measures compared to the contact (M = 23.4, SD = 7.4), limited contact (M = 22.9, SD = 6.9), and non-contact (M = 23.0, SD = 7.4) athletes. There was no difference between other sport types (p >.20). A significant mean sex difference (Mmale = 0.924, Mfemale = 0.898, p <.001) and a quadratic association with age, (β = −0.042, p <.001) was observed. Further, magnitude of those age differences decreased with age (β = 0.011, p <.001). An interaction of age and sex was significant for linear (β = 0.020, p <.001) and quadratic terms (β = −0.006, p <.001). SignificanceAthletes exhibited different postural control when the type of sport, age, and sex was taken into consideration. This data possess clinical significance as this suggests that normative postural control data for collision sport athletes should be derived from data based upon type of sport played, age, and sex of the athlete.

Multiyear Interval Changes in Aortic Wall Shear Stress in Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve Assessed by 4D Flow MRI.

In patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), 4D flow MRI can quantify regions exposed to abnormal aortic hemodynamics, including high wall shear stress (WSS), a known stimulus for arterial wall dysfunction. However, the long-term multiscan reproducibility of 4D flow MRI-derived hemodynamic parameters is unknown. To investigate the long-term stability of 4D flow MRI-derived peak velocity, WSS, and WSS-derived heatmaps in patients with BAV undergoing multiyear surveillance imaging. Retrospective. 20 BAV patients (mean age 48.4 ± 13.9 years; 14 males) with five 4D flow MRI scans, with intervals of at least 6 months between scans, and 125 controls (mean age: 50.7 ± 15.8 years; 67 males). 1.5 and 3.0T, prospectively ECG and respiratory navigator-gated aortic 4D flow MRI. Automated AI-based 4D flow analysis pipelines were used for data preprocessing, aorta 3D segmentation, and quantification of ascending aorta (AAo) peak velocity, peak systolic WSS, and heatmap-derived relative area of elevated WSS compared to WSS ranges in age and sex-matched normative control populations. Growth rate was derived from the maximum AAo diameters measured on the first and fifth MRI scans. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance. P < 0.05 indicated significance. One hundred 4D flow MRI exams (five per patient) were analyzed. The mean total follow-up duration was 5.5 ± 1.1 years, and the average growth rate was 0.3 ± 0.2 mm/year. Peak velocity, peak systolic WSS, and relative area of elevated WSS did not change significantly over the follow-up period (P = 0.64, P = 0.69, and P = 0.35, respectively). The patterns and areas of elevated WSS demonstrated good reproducibility on semiquantitative assessment. 4D flow MRI-derived peak velocity, WSS, and WSS-derived heatmaps showed good multiyear and multiscan stability in BAV patients with low aortic growth rates. These findings underscore the reliability of these metrics in monitoring BAV patients for potential risk of dilation. 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

How Beneficiaries Become Sources of Normative Control

Organizations can motivate and coordinate work by socializing members to internalize organizational values. Existing theories posit that organizations achieve normative control through encapsulation, wherein peers and managers are primary sources of members’ socialization. Drawing on ethnographic data from a not-for-profit school, I show how an external actor—beneficiaries—can become a source of normative control. I develop a multistage process that explains how teachers were socialized by parents, specifically by hearing these parent beneficiaries narrate their needs; engaging in collective storytelling about beneficiaries; experiencing episodic shaming centered on how teachers’ daily performance met (or did not meet) beneficiaries’ needs; and receiving validation from beneficiaries. Because these sequential stages establish beneficiaries as sources of control through social interactions set in specific times and places, and establish shared emotional states among organizational members, I theorize that these stages compose a ritual of integration. Although teachers initially arrived at the school with heterogeneous values, this ritual led many of them to internalize the organizational value of self-sacrifice. Teachers who were unmoved by parents’ stories or came to see parents as exploitative did not internalize this value, and they tended to exit the organization. This study reveals how normative control can arise not only through socialization from in-group members but also from ritual interactions with and about beneficiaries.

EXPRESS: So, Sue Me … If You Can! How Legal Changes Diminishing Managers’ Risk of Being Held Liable by Shareholders Affect Firms’ Likelihood to Recall Products

Research examining the antecedents instead of consequences of recalls is relatively sparse and has not considered whether firms’ likelihood to recall products is influenced by legal changes that could induce managerial opportunism, such as those reducing shareholder litigation risk. To examine this question, the authors exploit the staggered adoption of universal demand (UD) laws across different states in the U.S. as a quasi-natural experiment. UD laws aim to prevent frivolous litigation from disrupting a firm’s normal business operations by making it more difficult for shareholders to sue managers for neglecting their fiduciary duties and hold them personally liable. Although UD laws are well-intended, the reduced threat of shareholder litigation disciplining a firm’s managers could have unintended negative consequences. Indeed, using a difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis, the authors find that following the adoption of UD laws, affected firms become less likely to recall products. This effect is weaker in the presence of organizational mechanisms constraining managers’ self-interest-seeking behavior, such as a corporate culture focused on customer needs and interests or the exercise of normative control through monitoring by institutional investors. The authors do not find support for a potential alternative explanation of operational improvement and therefore higher product quality driving their findings.

대통령 거부권의 헌법적 한계

The presidential veto power to demand reconsideration of a law passed by the National Assembly may be subject to constitutional limits. If such limits exist, debates may arise over their existence, the grounds on which they are based, and the specific nature of these limits. Considering the constitutional position of the president and the form of government, the presidential veto power is constrained by constitutional limits.&#x0D; Under the current constitution, the president is a part of the executive branch domestically, adopting a mixed form of government that is primarily presidential but incorporates elements of a parliamentary system. The democratic legitimacy granted to the president as an executive is theoretically equivalent to the democratic legitimacy granted to the legislature, which holds the fundamental legislative power. Even if the president is recognized to have the veto power as a participatory right in the legislative process, such authority cannot infringe upon or exclude the National Assembly’s legislative decision-making power.&#x0D; From the perspective of the principle of separation of powers, if the president were granted an unlimited veto power, it could potentially infringe on the judicial power of the Constitutional Court by conferring an abstract normative control authority. The exercise of the president’s veto power should be limited to bills that are clearly unconstitutional, incur substantial costs endangering the soundness of national finances, or are related to the president or his/her family. Beyond constitutional limits, if the presidential veto power is exercised, constitutional sanctions may be necessary through adjudication of power dispute or impeachment trials.

Exploring the intranet as a change agent: On the sociomaterial entanglement of intranet technology, internal branding and everyday work

&#x0D; Internal and corporate branding have become prevalent strategies in the field of human resource management. They aim to promote employee commitment and identification with the company through its brand. However, scholars in critical management studies have highlighted the exercise of normative control through these measures. Using the example of an intranet implementation in the context of a company merger in the telecommunications industry, the article examines the branding strategies on the intranet and, furthermore, shows how it prompts employees to constantly reflect on and evaluate the different types of content and related work practices on the intranet. As becomes apparent, in the way the branding content competes with other, to employees more relevant information on the intranet, it is constantly being devaluated. In this manner, the intranet becomes an ambivalent carrier of branding practices, effectively resulting in employees undermining management’s call to identify with the new company brand through the intranet. Nevertheless, the article highlights the ability of employees to overlook irrelevant content as a positive quality of the intranet. It argues for a greater understanding of everyday work in addition to a further integration of employees into change management projects. &#x0D;

First up then out: Self-employment as a response to normative control practices in elite consultancies

While normative control practices aim to raise employee motivation and commitment to professional standards in professional service firms, there is much debate on when and for whom such practices remain motivational. Based on interviews with 18 self-employed consultants who left elite consultancies, we find that, for them, normative control practices, such as learning opportunities and social events, lose appeal over time. This paper contributes to the literature on normative control by conceptualising how consequences, like lack of autonomy, reduced learning and growing work-life conflict, increasingly undermine the motivational impact of normative control practices during a consultant career. Self-employment can help consultants avoid these unwelcome effects because independence solves autonomy issues and improves their work-life balance. Mapping this underexplored but very common move from employment to self-employment in the consulting industry introduces the concept of occupational careers to the debate on boundaryless careers.

Neural prosthesis control restores near-normative neuromechanics in standing postural control.

Current lower-limb prostheses do not provide active assistance in postural control tasks to maintain the user's balance, particularly in situations of perturbation. In this study, we aimed to address this missing function by enabling neural control of robotic lower-limb prostheses. Specifically, electromyographic (EMG) signals (amplified neural control signals) recorded from antagonistic residual ankle muscles were used to drive a robotic prosthetic ankle directly and continuously. Participants with transtibial amputation were recruited and trained in using the EMG-driven robotic ankle. We studied how using the EMG-controlled ankle affected the participants' anticipatory and compensatory postural control strategies and stability under expected perturbations compared with using their daily passive devices. We investigated the similarity of neuromuscular coordination (by analyzing motor modules) of the participants, using either device in a postural sway task, to that of able-bodied controls. Results showed that, compared with their passive prosthesis, the EMG-controlled prosthesis enabled participants to use near-normative postural control strategies, as evidenced by improved between-limb symmetry in intact-prosthetic center-of-pressure and joint angle excursions. Participants substantially improved postural stability, as evidenced by a reduction in steps or falls using the EMG-controlled prosthetic ankle. Furthermore, after relearning to use residual ankle muscles to drive the robotic ankle in postural control, nearly all participants' motor module structure shifted toward that observed in individuals without limb amputations. Here, we have demonstrated the potential benefit of direct EMG control of robotic lower limb prostheses to restore normative postural control strategies (both neural and biomechanical) toward enhancing standing postural stability in amputee users.