Personal Connections Research Articles

Deaf/hard of hearing students' experiences with higher education's real-time captioning services.

Real-time captions appear to be an effective tool in assisting deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) college students' access information and communication in certain classroom settings. However, there is limited knowledge of DHH students' direct experiences with real-time captioning services. In this study, we gathered narratives from 15 DHH college students across the United States about their experiences with real-time captioning services in college. We analyzed the stories using thematic narrative analysis and uncovered 4 types that students told about their experiences. The story types were (a) stories of overcoming obstacles, (b) stories of resignation, (c) pragmatic stories, and (d) stories of personal connection. These story types reveal that although many students eventually experience effective communication access through real-time captioning services, they can initially struggle to overcome barriers to using the services successfully. Making time and space to listen to DHH students' narratives can teach educators and professionals how to support these students and resolve barriers before they arise.

Analyzing transformative marketing strategies for empowering enterprise sales achievement

Marketing management is the systematic organization and supervision of businesses' production and sales activities, focusing on market research to satisfy consumer demand and generate profits. Advertising is a crucial managerial operation, alongside finance, production, research and logistics. According to the management theory, marketing demands consumers vote with their money for the products that are essential to them. This decides the profitability of the business and meets the needs of the client. The majority mistakenly associated this idea with sales and promotion as marketing is the means of persuading the people to make an investment. The main component of sales is face-to-face interaction, where vendors interact with prospective consumers. Marketing uses media outlets and other means to generate demand and persuade individuals, even those without personal connections, to purchase goods or services. The goal is to understand consumers, so that the product or service matches their needs and sells itself, focusing on unnecessary sales.

A German DJ, Postmodern Dreams, and the Ambivalent Politics of East–West Exchange at the First Exhibition of Approximate Art in Riga, April 1987

Organized as part of the annual Art Days festival in the capital of the Latvian SSR, the First Exhibition of Approximate Art comprised a cacophonous and provocative mashup of music, dance, performance art, and design. At the center of the event was a demonstration of mixing and scratching records by Maximilian Lenz, also known as Westbam, one of the leading DJs in West Berlin. Mining archival sources in Berlin and Riga, this article reconstructs the complicated path by which the DJ came to perform at the event. It reveals a surprising network of relations and alliances operating in tandem behind the scenes, featuring a Riga artist dedicated to enacting a vision of postmodern performance in his city, an ambitiously networking émigré Latvian living in exile in West Germany, and a pair of Soviet offices under direct control of the KGB, charged with managing cultural exchanges with the West in hopes of currying sympathies for Soviet culture and policy. Complementing and extending research on the “gaps” and “holes” in the Soviet system that sometimes allowed for the staging of otherwise unacceptable works of art, the story of the First Exhibition of Approximate Art reveals how personal connections and interpersonal networks within even the most highly monitored parts of the system itself—the state security apparatus—could open doors for artistic projects unanticipated and even undesired by the bureaucratic state.

Role of Symbolism in Reader Understanding and Interpretation in Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the role of symbolism in reader understanding and interpretation in Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The role of symbolism in reader understanding and interpretation is profound, as symbols serve as powerful tools for conveying deeper meanings and themes within literary works. Through symbolism, authors imbue objects, characters, and events with additional layers of significance, allowing readers to engage with the text on multiple levels. Symbolism facilitates the exploration of complex ideas, emotions, and societal issues, often transcending language barriers and resonating with diverse audiences. Moreover, it encourages readers to actively participate in the interpretation process, fostering personal connections and insights that enrich their reading experiences. Consequently, the study of symbolism underscores its crucial role in shaping reader comprehension and interpretation, highlighting its capacity to evoke profound reflections on the human condition and the world around us. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Reader-response theory, semiotic theory and cognitive theory of metaphor may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the role of symbolism in reader understanding and interpretation in Nigeria. Educators should implement evidence-based instructional strategies for teaching symbolism in educational settings, including guided discussion, close reading, and scaffolded instruction. Educational policymakers should consider integrating symbolism into curriculum standards and assessments to ensure that students develop symbolic literacy skills alongside other critical reading competencies.

Personal Jurisdiction Has (Kind of) Been Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Since its inception, social media has evolved from a platform for fostering personal connections to a lucrative commercial space, catalyzed in part by the famous Kardashian family. This Note explores the legal implications social media influencers have on personal jurisdiction. With social media influencers being able to virtually reach any forum state through social media, courts have been faced with the challenge to apply the traditional personal jurisdiction analysis to these modern digital contacts. Through a careful analysis of precedent involving personal jurisdiction and social media, as well as the seminal Zippo test, this Note evaluates ways in which courts have and have not kept up with the Kardashians.

Understanding epilepsy: residents’ knowledge, experience and attitudes towards epilepsy and its first aid measures in Lagos, Nigeria

Epilepsy presents a longstanding global challenge, particularly in developingcountries like Nigeria, where significant treatment gaps persist [1,2], despite the increasing prevalence of the disease [3]. Community supportplays a vital role in managing People Living with Epilepsy (PLWE),provided community members have a good knowledge of epilepsy [4].This study evaluated residents’ knowledge of epilepsy, its first aid measures,and their attitudes toward PLWE in Surulere LGA, Lagos State,Nigeria.The study was conducted between April and December 2023 andemployed an analytical cross-sectional design in Surulere LGA, LagosState. The sampling methodology utilised a multistage sampling technique,with 291 respondents surveyed using an interviewer-administeredsemi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performedusing IBM SPSS version 26.0, with univariate and bivariate analysesconducted.All 291 questionnaires were completed, revealing a mean respondentage of 32.3 ± 11.8 years, predominantly spanning 26–45 years (45.4%).Overall, respondents demonstrated good knowledge of epilepsy (51.2%),with over half recognising it as a neurological disease and 56% acknowledgingits non-contagious nature. Notably, 82.1% perceived epilepsy astreatable, however, with about half endorsing spiritual or traditionalmethods. Factors such as prior seizure witness, personal connection toPLWE, and religious affiliation significantly influenced epilepsy knowledgeand attitudes.While residents exhibited a commendable understanding of epilepsy,misconceptions and negative attitudes toward PLWE persist. Effortsshould prioritise targeted educational campaigns addressing specificmyths and misconceptions, and innovative delivery methods of educationalmaterials should be explored.

"What concerns me or what is most interesting to me": A qualitative study about what influences adolescent engagement with public health issues.

Promoting public health messages in adolescence may influence future health outcomes. A better understanding of what influences adolescent engagement with public health issues is needed. Adolescents aged 13-19 years from New South Wales, Australia, were recruited via study advertisements to participate in an online focus group. All provided informed consent and completed a short survey including demographics and selection of leading public health issues of concern. Participants attended a 75-90 min focus group conducted through Zoom teleconference that explored top public health issues of concern to participants, and barriers/enablers to engage with these issues. Qualitative data was thematically analysed using NVivo. A working group reached consensus on final themes. Out of 18 participants (mean 15.4 [SD: 2.2] years; 50% female), most attended high school (83%), spoke predominantly English at home (89%), and resided in metropolitan areas (94%). The top public health issues of concern selected were mental health (56%) and the environment/climate change (56%). From the thematic analysis, underlying drivers of adolescent engagement with public health issues included: personal connection to these issues, broader societal impact, and exposure to public health issues on digital media. Barriers included feeling unempowered, and a lack of support and opportunities. This study provides insights on the barriers and enablers of adolescents engaging with public health issues of concern to them. SO WHAT?: Understanding this may help health professionals and researchers to design more influential public health campaigns and interventions, including through co-design processes, which may improve future health outcomes.

Possibilities of population thinking: Histories and futures of Population Geography through reflections on 50 years of the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) Population Geography Research Group

AbstractReflecting critically on 50 years of the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) (RGS‐IBG) Population Geography Research Group (PopGRG), and drawing on interviews with leading population geographers of the British Isles, this paper identifies defining features of Population Geography that attest to its longevity: personal connections and material production; fluidity and adaptability over time and through interdisciplinary contexts; and utility, vitality and relevance of the subdiscipline. We argue that continuation of care, material production and nimbleness can sustain the subdiscipline in the context of ongoing neoliberalisation across Higher Education. To remain vital, Population Geography must also decolonise and promote ‘population thinking’ to more boldly and critically attend to contemporary global challenges.

The influence of personal political connectivity on fertility intentions across changing family planning policies in China

ABSTRACT In the past years, China’s fertility rate has experienced negative growth. In order to cope with the decline in fertility rate and the ageing of the population, the multi-child policy was implemented in 2015, that is, from the original husband and wife having only one child to having two or more children. Since the promulgation and implementation of China’s policy will have a greater impact on people’s livelihood, so before and after the implementation of the fertility policy, the impact of residents ’ political connectivity on fertility desire needs further study. This study categorizes residents’ political connectivity into political participation behaviour, political background, and political attitudes to explore the impact on residents’ fertility intentions. It conducts an empirical analysis of residents’ fertility intentions using data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS). The study found that before and after the implementation of the multi-child policy, there was a positive correlation between political participation behaviour and fertility intention, and there was no significant change. The influence of residents with party members ‘political background and residents’ political attitude on fertility intention has changed greatly, from negative correlation to positive correlation.

Paternalistic state care and the dynamic of COVID-19 pandemic governance in Jakarta's rented social housing

The COVID-19 pandemic has reignited debates on care, exposing the vital role of social reproduction despite its ongoing devaluation. Recent studies underscore the urban marginal's multidimensional vulnerabilities during the pandemic, coupled with inadequate state support and excessive policing amid their disproportionate engagements in low-paying care work essential to the city.This study extends the literature by exploring the discourse of care amid the pandemic in Jakarta's rented social housing (rusunawa), Indonesia. As a state-owned settlement hosting displaced residents from informal settlements, rusunawa represents a new form of urban marginality. Based on an ethnography of three rusunawa between 2019 and 2021, I argue that paternalism defines the state's vision and operation of rusunawa. By portraying the residents as vulnerable yet ignorant, the state justifies the combination of disciplines and supports in ‘caring’ for them.The continued paternalistic care during the pandemic, with an intensification of disciplines and assistance, ameliorated the residents' antagonism against the state. Yet, access to state relief programs still hinged upon the residents' invocation of vulnerabilities and personal connection with rusunawa management. Lastly, I demonstrate the residents' intractable desire for a state that embodies a powerful yet nurturing parent, shaping their assessment of the quality of state care.

Social App for Connecting Similar Interests People

In today's era, characterized by a profound desire for personal human connection, individuals seek to engage with like-minded people who share their interests, hobbies, passions, and ideological perspectives. Addressing this need, our social media app provides a platform for users to connect with others who resonate with their unique identities and aspirations. Built upon Flutter for frontend design and powered by Python algorithms for profile matching and recommendation systems, the app facilitates meaningful connections in both digital and physical realms. Alongside profile matching and recommendation features, the app offers a recommended system for real-world meetups, suggesting ideal venues such as restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Moreover, the app fosters the formation of communities around specific interests, ranging from classical singing to machine learning enthusiasts. Looking ahead, our vision extends into Web 3.0, where users can forge immersive virtual connections, enhancing the depth and authenticity of their interactions. Through these innovative features and future-oriented perspectives, our app endeavors to redefine social networking by enabling individuals to forge deeper, more meaningful connections aligned with their passions and aspirations.

Creative Visual Arts and Biology Processes: Examining Emergent Bi/Multilingual High Schoolers Meanings

This case study research examines how emergent bilingual and multilingual high school students construct meanings while engaging with objects during a biology lesson that integrates visual arts. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Symbolic Interactionism (SI), the study focuses on "Artistic Reformatting to Represent Interdependence among the Structures and Functions of an Animal Cell." By investigating the connections between the students' interests, beliefs, memories, and objects, as well as their social interactions with peers, friends, family, and others, the research uncovers the ways in which meanings are constructed. While visual arts integration is common in academic content, little attention has been given to its potential to support meaning-making among emergent bilingual and multilingual students. The findings of this study highlight the importance of adopting a holistic approach to visual arts education that emphasizes contemporary strategies, enduring ideas, and social interaction in engaging with content. These insights suggest that educators can enhance their teaching methods and create meaningful learning experiences for bi/multilingual students by incorporating these approaches. The study underscores the significance of visual arts in fostering personal connections and deeper comprehension of academic content among diverse student populations, ultimately promoting a more inclusive and effective educational environment.

Building Image Through Food Choice: The Effects of Unfamiliar Companion, Impression Management, and Emotional Eating on Food Portion

The global rise in the obesity epidemic is largely driven by the consumption of foods that contribute to significant health risks. This research study focuses on the social and personal factors that influence food portions, in addition to environmental factors. The study is designed to investigate the effect of unfamiliar companion, impression management, and emotional eating on food portions in Indonesia. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design in a laboratory setting, using a fake food buffet by recruiting 245 undergraduate students. The results indicated that unfamiliar companion, impression management, and emotional eating had a significant main effect and interaction effect on individuals' food portions (p < 0.05). This was demonstrated by the difference in food portion between people eating alone and in the presence of an unfamiliar companion. It might explain that individuals are aware of maintaining a positive image during meals by choosing food portions that are perceived to reflect positive perceptions when dining with a person who lacks familiarity or personal connection. The research findings can be utilised as a reference for fundamental understanding of mitigation strategies for reducing food portions among adults.

Storytelling for personal connection: A pedagogical strategy to localise fashion education

The 2015 student protests, #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall, gave rise to the call to decolonise curricula and end the dominance of Western ideologies in South African higher education (HE). The argument put forward in this paper is the need to shift from a traditional approach to a humanised pedagogical approach, wherein students frame knowledge around individual experiences to construct personal and shared understanding. Although limited scholarship around decolonising South African fashion HE exists, such scholarship does not focus on storytelling and circle learning as pedagogical strategies. To address this research gap, narrative humanism, referred to in this research as storytelling, and circle learning are put forward as pedagogical strategies to integrate student identities for personal connection in South African fashion HE. This paper aims to explore the affordances of storytelling and circle learning to decolonise South African fashion HE. Through qualitative action research, two teaching and learning interventions, termed the pilot and main studies, were designed and applied with fashion students at a South African HE institution. Data collection entailed semi-structured student questionnaires, artefacts, and a reflective research journal. To analyse the data, content analysis was employed. The findings reveal that, irrespective of cultural lived experiences or diverse backgrounds, storytelling afforded a decolonised approach in terms of inclusivity, collaboration, and a safe environment for socially engaged dialogue and peer feedback. Similarly, circle learning seemed to reduce teacher-student power relations and contrasted traditional modes of delivery. Circle learning appeared to encourage meaningful, engaged participation, affording a progressive pedagogical strategy to accommodate student and teacher voices in open dialogue. This paper contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning in that storytelling and circle learning are suitable pedagogies to decolonise fashion education in the Global South.

Social Capital and Cross-Border Venture Capital Investments in China

In the context of the Chinese market, foreign cross-border venture capitalists have devised specific strategies to mitigate the challenges associated with the liabilities of foreignness, such as risks and information asymmetry. They have strategically leveraged social capital to not only decrease investment risk but also to influence their investment preferences and behaviors. To investigate the influence of different types of social capital on the investment decisions of cross-border venture capitalists, hypotheses are proposed and tested using regression analysis. Our research reveals several key findings in this regard. Firstly, cross-border venture capitalists with a robust structural social capital network exhibit a greater propensity to invest in early-stage companies. This suggests that well-established connections and partnerships within the Chinese entrepreneurial ecosystem provide a level of comfort and confidence when investing in ventures at their infancy. Interestingly, relational and cognitive social capital, though undoubtedly valuable, do not significantly impact the decision to make early-stage investments. Furthermore, we have observed that venture capitalists with higher levels of structural and cognitive social capital are more inclined to form syndications. Collaborative partnerships and shared knowledge networks seem to be crucial factors that drive syndication decisions. Lastly, venture capitalists endowed with substantial structural and relational social capital tend to allocate larger investment amounts, signifying the influence of business or personal relationships and network connections on the scale of their investments.

‘Botha Cake’ and ‘Belgian Onion Soup:’ Gendered Patriotism Through Three South African, First World War, Community Cookbooks

ABSTRACT This article considers three South African community cookbooks – including The Overseas Contingent Fund Recipe Book (Turffontein, 1915) and the Paarl Cookery Book in Aid of War Funds (Paarl, 1918) alongside Wartime Cookery (Cape Town, 1915) – as expressions of gendered patriotism. These community-created cookbooks enabled contributors to participate meaningfully in the First World War by drawing together two established gendered practices: philanthropic fundraising and food and household management. This ‘domesticity in action’ enabled participants to contribute to, and feel connected to, both local and trans-empire causes. These values of philanthropy, economy and patriotism are revealed in the constitutive components of the texts – the titles, aims, prefaces and even the recipes themselves. Apart from supporting specific funds, the call for economy in the cookbooks reflected both experiences and perceptions of wartime material hardship in South Africa. A further consideration of the contributors involved with the books’ compilations highlights the intersection of local and trans-empire networks, and wartime (white) identity politics within urban South Africa. The networks suggest locally-grounded loyalisms, many marked by personal connections to men serving, as well as friend and family networks with overseas reach. Lastly, the article is a reminder of the importance of cookbooks as neglected sources in the writing of history.

Anaesthesia praCtice for Caesarean dElivery Snapshot Study (ACCESS): Protocol and baseline characteristics of registered centres.

Specific guidelines to manage caesarean delivery anaesthesia are lacking. A European multicentre study, ACCESS investigates caesarean delivery anaesthesia management in European centres. In order to identify ACCESS participating centres, a registration survey was created. The aim of the current report is to describe the characteristics of ACCESS study participating centres, the rationale for the ACCESS study and the study methodology. The ACCESS study is a European multicentre cross-sectional study to describe anaesthesia management for caesarean delivery (CD) using a snapshot (2-week) design. The ACCESS registration survey gathered: contact details for National Coordinators (NC); Lead Investigators (LI) per centre; centre annual CD volume; expected no. of CD during 2-week snapshot window; centre practice information; data collection language. The ACCESS registration survey was launched July 2022 (Google Forms, Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA) and distributed through personal connections, national and international societies, social media networks, during Euroanaesthesia 2023, through the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care newsletter. The ACCESS registration survey identified Lead Investigators for 418 centres, in 32 countries, representing an anticipated number of 15,073 CD cases over the planned 12-month study period. A median (range) of 20 (2 to 400) CD cases are anticipated per centre during the 2-week snapshot window. Most 366/418 (87.6%) centres are small, ≤2000 annual CD cases, 42 are medium 2000-5000 cases and 10 are large, ≥5000 annual CD cases. Registered centres reported in 134 (32.0%) centres that anaesthesia for caesarean delivery is performed mostly by a specialist obstetric anaesthesiologist. The ACCESS registration survey revealed variability in volume and CD practice as well as training-levels and staffing among European countries. The ACCESS study (https://www.access-study.org/) aims to generate practice data to guide CD anaesthetic management strategies.

Exploring the Impact of Music Arts Education on Cognitive Development in College Students: A Qualitative Study at HD College in Inner Mongolia, China

This qualitative study explores the impact of music arts education on cognitive development among college students at HD College in Inner Mongolia, China. Drawing upon phenomenological inquiry, the research aims to investigate students' perceptions of the effects of music arts education on cognitive processes and to understand their experiences and perspectives within this context. The study involves 60 participants from the art department, who engage in semi-structured interviews to provide rich insights into their lived experiences with music education. The findings reveal that music arts education enhances cognitive abilities such as memory retention, critical thinking, and emotional regulation. Additionally, students report experiencing personal growth, social connection, and emotional well-being through their engagement with music education. While the study contributes to our understanding of the multifaceted benefits of music arts education, it also highlights the need for further research to explore the long-term effects, comparative analyses across different contexts, and interventions aimed at optimizing music education for cognitive development.

Plant Medicine, Psychedelics and the Inner-Sciences of Mental Wellness: Implications for Healthy Longevity and Rejuvenation

Plant Medicine, Psychedelics and the Inner-Sciences of Mental Wellness: Implications for Healthy Longevity and Rejuvenation

Digital health-based exposure therapies for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Although exposure therapies have established effects in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these therapies might be hindered by issues of cost, distance, time, and human resources, which are potentially alleviated by digital health. Despite the potential of digital health, there is currently no systematic review specifically evaluating digital health-based exposure therapies. We aimed to conduct a systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the impact of digital health-based exposure therapies in treating patients with PTSD. A literature search was conducted from December 31, 2023, to February 22, 2024, using the PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases. A total of 12 RCTs with 1,361 participants were included in the systematic review. These RCTs were conducted mainly in the United States and primarily enrolled military samples. Overall, the utility of digital health-based exposure therapies appeared plausible and comparable to that of in-person therapies. The dropout rate was counterintuitively high, potentially due to technological issues and the absence of personal connections. The findings suggest that digital health-based exposure therapies may potentially resolve the issues of cost, distance, time, and human resources in the treatment of patients with PTSD. Future RCTs should employ larger sample sizes. Addressing technological challenges and the absence of personal connection may be important in resolving the high dropout rate.