Positive Function Research Articles

Beyond the negativity of the emotion of fear: religious fear as a case in point

Fear is regularly cited as a typical example of a ‘negative emotion’. The present article considers alternative perspectives, seeking to develop a theoretical framework that takes into account the possibility of perceiving fear as an emotion that can carry ‘positivity’. As a test case of a possible positive function of fear, I analyse the religious discourse surrounding fear in Israeli ultra-Orthodox society, where fear is often regarded as a positive emotion. I argue that the ‘positive’ traits that the ultra-Orthodox ascribe to fear can be employed as a model for elucidating the ‘positive’ functions of fear in other contexts as well. The article’s first two parts are devoted to clarifying the relativist stance regarding the essence of fear and presenting the test case of religious fear. In the following parts I isolate three perspectives offered by the religious approach that may also shed light on a general understanding of how fear operates as a ‘positive’ emotion: (1) broadening the range of reactions to fear beyond the ‘fight or flight’ response; (2) the epistemological function of fear in constructing truth and knowledge; (3) the possibility that the very experience of fear can be framed and felt as positive. In conclusion, I will argue that the case of fear shows that the broad categorisation into ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ within the emotional realm may impair the theoretical and scholarly understanding of emotions, and I will propose an alternative approach to this categorisation.

Minority stress and psychological well-being in queer populations

Queer individuals experience unique stressors related to their minority status, negatively impacting their mental health. One factor contributing to these disparities is exposure to minority stress, which involves social stressors related to minority status. Previous research has focused on the negative impacts of minority stress, with less attention to its impact on positive psychological functioning. This study explored the relationship between minority stress and psychological well-being among 270 queer individuals in German-speaking countries. Participants completed an online survey assessing minority stress and psychological well-being. Analyses of Covariance indicated that proximal factors of minority stress—such as self-stigma, concealment, and expectations of rejection—had a particularly negative impact on psychological well-being, but no effects could be found for gender and sexual orientation. Additionally, gender identity but not sexual orientation had a significant effect on minority stress, with non-binary and other gender identities reporting higher minority stress compared to females. Thematic analysis revealed concerns about survey inclusivity, gender identity challenges, and intersectionality of minority identities. Our findings emphasize the significant impact of minority stress on the psychological well-being of queer individuals, particularly non-binary people and those with diverse gender identities, while demonstrating the need for inclusive research methodologies, tailored interventions, and policies addressing the diverse experiences within the queer community.

Field of view-independent detection of secondary mirror position errors in coaxial reflecting space telescopes using deep learning

The operation of coaxial reflecting space telescopes in orbit is affected by adjustments and space disturbance, causing position errors in the secondary mirror (SM), which reduce resolution and seriously affect imaging quality. Most existing methods for detecting SM position errors rely on wavefronts or images obtained from one or more fixed field of views (FOVs), yet the inherent uncertainty of the FOV can lead to significant errors in detecting SM position errors. To address this problem, this paper, believed to be the first, proposes an FOV-independent SM position error detection method for coaxial reflecting space telescopes based on a pair of symmetric positive and negative defocus point spread functions (PSFs) and the dual-branch convolutional neural network (DB-CNN). First, a nonlinear relationship between the SM position errors and the PSFs at arbitrary FOV is established, using the DB-CNN. Then, the method using a pair of symmetric positive and negative defocus PSFs at arbitrary FOV to obtain the position errors of the SM is proposed, and the simulation results show that, despite the uncertainty of the FOV, the SM position errors can be detected with high precision. This approach enables SM position error correction independent of the FOV, significantly enhancing the imaging quality. Finally, a modified method is proposed to address the problem caused by the primary mirror (PM) figure errors. Simulations prove that the SM position errors can be accurately obtained even in the presence of PM figure errors.

MsERF17 Promotes Ethylene-Induced Anthocyanin Biosynthesis Under Drought Conditions in Malus spectabilis Leaves.

Drought is an important factor that affects plant anthocyanin biosynthesis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are pivotal regulators in plant growth and environmental responses, particularly in anthocyanin biosynthesis. This study investigated the leaf colour transition from green to red in Malus spectabilis under drought conditions. This transition was primarily attributed to the accumulation of anthocyanins, specifically cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside and cyanidin-3-O-galactoside. Our findings elucidate the pivotal role of MsERF17 in drought-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. Biochemical and molecular analyses showed that MsERF17 positively regulates anthocyanin synthesis by binding to promoters of MsbHLH3 and MsF3' H, thereby activating their expression. Moreover, transient overexpression and virus-induced gene silencing of MsERF17 in fruit peel and leaves, respectively, regulated anthocyanin synthesis. The stable transformation of calli further corroborated the positive regulatory function of MsERF17 in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Our results provide novel insights into the mechanism by which MsERF17, induced by ethylene, promotes anthocyanin accumulation through the positive regulation of MsbHLH3 and MsF3'H expression under drought conditions in M. spectabilis leaves.

The Mechanisms Underlying Religious Coping and Hopelessness: Role of Meaning in Life and Affectivity

AbstractReligion can fulfill both positive and negative functions in coping with stress. There is a lack of research regarding the mechanism underlying the link between religious coping and mental health. The purpose of this study was to verify how religious coping is related to mental health. Two indirect mechanisms were tested for finding meaning in life and emotional regulation. The study was conducted with 115 students from Poland. According to the results, both positive and negative religious coping were indirectly related to hopelessness through finding meaning in life and affectivity. More frequent use of negative religious coping was positively related to the intensity of negative affect and problems with finding meaning in life, which, in turn, led to a higher level of hopelessness. Meanwhile, more frequent use of positive religious coping was correlated with a greater intensity of positive effect and supported individuals in finding meaning in life. Finding meaning in life was related to a lower level of hopelessness, but positive affect was not correlated with hopelessness. The research confirmed the role played by finding meaning in life and affectivity within the mechanism underlying the link between religious coping and hopelessness. In conclusion, theoretical and practical implications are presented.

Noninvertible Symmetries Act Locally by Quantum Operations

of quantum field theories and many-body systems generalize the concept of symmetries by allowing noninvertible operations in addition to more ordinary invertible ones described by groups. The aim of this Letter is to point out that these noninvertible symmetries act on local operators by , i.e., completely positive maps between density matrices, which form a natural class of operations containing both unitary evolutions and measurements and play an important role in quantum information theory. This observation will be illustrated by the Kramers-Wannier duality of the one-dimensional quantum Ising chain, which is a prototypical example of noninvertible symmetry operations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Positive definite functions on a regular domain

Abstract We define positive and strictly positive definite functions on a domain and study these functions on a list of regular domains. The list includes the unit ball, conic surface, hyperbolic surface, solid hyperboloid and the simplex. Each of these domains is embedded in a quadrant or a union of quadrants of the unit sphere by a distance-preserving map, from which characterizations of positive definite and strictly positive definite functions are derived for these regular domains.

Examining the Empathy Profiles and Work Outcomes of Trauma Workers

Trauma work involves intervening with others enduring acute pain and suffering, often with heavy psychological and physical health impacts. An important question is whether dispositional empathy helps or hurts trauma workers in their occupational functioning. The current study addresses this gap in the research literature by using a person-centered approach to examine the empathy profiles and professional outcomes of a broad sample of trauma workers ( n = 315). We measured their trait empathy and organizational outcomes (occupational burnout, person-job fit, turnover intentions, job performance), and found three distinct empathy profiles which differed significantly in their occupational functioning. A ‘self-focused’ empathy profile (dominated by high personal distress responding) reported the worst functioning; an ‘other-oriented’ profile (high on perspective taking and empathic concern) had more positive functioning, and an unexpected ‘low reactivity’ profile (a full SD below the general population on empathy facets) showed the lowest exhaustion. Exploratory analyses revealed that first responders (e.g., police, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics) were overrepresented in the ‘low reactivity’ profile, while psychology-related professions (e.g., psychologists, counsellors, social workers) were underrepresented in that profile. The significance of these results, as well as their implications for empathy research and vocational counselling in the field of trauma work, are discussed.

Observer-based resilient cooperative output regulation for nonlinear multiagent systems with time-varying parameters and DoS attacks

This paper aims to address the cooperative output regulation (COR) problem of nonlinear multiagent systems (MASs) with time-varying parameters under denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. First, to address the challenges of unavailable leader signals and non-differentiability issue caused by the DoS attacks, a class of first-order low-pass filters is employed to develop a novel distributed resilient observer, which accurately estimate the exosystem state with the existence of high-order derivatives. Then, by viewing the output of observer as the reference signal, a distributed resilient controller is designed for each follower to address the reference-tracking problem. By introducing a smooth function with positive integrable time-varying function, novel adaptive laws are developed and incorporated with the controller design to effectively compensate for the unknown time-varying parameters. By utilising Lyapunov stability theory, the asymptotic convergence of output regulation error can be ensured. Finally, simulation results are conducted to verify the validity of the designed method.

Every exponential group supports a positive harmonic function

We prove that all groups of exponential growth support non-constant positive harmonic functions. In fact, our results hold in the more general case of strongly connected, finitely supported Markov chains invariant under some transitive group of automorphisms for which the directed balls grow exponentially.

Correlations between two vortices in dry active matter

It was recently shown that wet active matter can form synchronized rotating vortices in a square lattice, similar to an antiferromagnetic Ising model (by considering rotation direction as spin projection). In this study, we investigate whether such a correlated state occurs for a model of dry active matter. We achieve that by numerically simulating the dynamics of a system of active particles in the presence of two identical circular obstacles. Then, we measure the angular velocity correlation function of both vortices as a function of the obstacle diameter, their shortest separation (gap), and the particle density. When the correlation function is negative, both vortices rotate in contrary directions. They maintain this state by exchanging particles through the region between them, analogously to synchronized cogs. On the other hand, with a positive correlation function, a single rotating cluster emerges, and the particles move around the whole structure, similar to a belt strapped around the obstacles. Additionally, we observe the emergence of uncorrelated states at the transition between correlated states, in which only a single vortex is present, or in the large gap regime, in which the vortices are nearly independent on each other.

Self-perceptions of aging predict adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals faced extraordinary challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, psychosocial strengths may promote individuals' adjustment during times of challenge. Positive self-perceptions of aging (SPA) have been found to predict a variety of health and well-being indicators outside the context of the pandemic. In the present study, we examined SPA (measured prior to the pandemic) as a prospective predictor of COVID-19-related behavior, adaptation, and functioning in a sample of 3,620 adults (Mage = 65.88; 61.1% women; 65.4% White) from the 2016 to 2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Linear regressions revealed that more positive SPA in 2016 were associated with a higher likelihood of socially distanced behavior (β = .07, p < .001), less worry (β = -.27, p < .001), less stress (β = -.24, p < .001), less loneliness (β = -.27, p < .001), and greater positive functioning (β = .20, p < .001) during the first year of the pandemic (2020). Confounding variables explained SPA's associations with preventive behavior and (to an extent) socially distanced behavior. Findings support SPA theories, suggesting linkages between SPA and flexible, adaptive behaviors and outcomes in the face of external challenges. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of the 2022 Mw 7.0 Chihshang Earthquake on the Shallow Creeping of the Central Longitudinal Valley Fault in Eastern Taiwan: Insights from Precise Leveling Measurements

Abstract This study investigated the effects of the 2022 Mw 7.0 Chihshang earthquake in eastern Taiwan on the shallow creeping of the central Longitudinal Valley fault (LVF). Precise leveling surveys were conducted along the Ruisui-Dewu, Yuli, and Dongzhu routes over the LVF. Before the earthquake, previous leveling surveys had detected deformations caused by stable fault creeping of the LVF. Interseismic linear trends and coseismic deformations were removed from the leveling data. Two shallow faults at 1 km were estimated from the corrected-coseismic deformation for the Yuli route. A shallow fault at 1 km and a deep fault at 5 km were estimated from the interseismic deformation. A positive delta Coulomb failure function change was calculated for shallow faults due to the creeping movement on the deep fault before the earthquake, and the creeping movement on the deep fault before the earthquake may have promoted the rupture of the shallow fault. The strong Chihshang earthquake most likely triggered the rupture of the shallow fault, on which strain had been concentrated by the interseismic creeping of the deeper fault. In contrast, the accumulated total strain at the deeper part might be quite low due to a strain release process for a steady creeping movement on deep fault in the interseismic period. The significant slip was not induced in the coseismic period. Although significant slip occurred in the shallower part, the slip might not be induced in the deeper part adjacent to the asperity of the LVF. In the Dewu route, the observed large west-side-uplift is attributed to the coseismic rupture of the Chihshang earthquake. In the Dongzhu route, an interseismic east-side-uplift by a creeping fault and a coseismic west-side-uplift were observed at the same location, indicating a local tensile stress field by the Chihshang earthquake.

Ius Constituendum on the Doctrine of Unlawful Nature in the Law on the Eradication of Corruption After the Constitutional Court Decision Number 003/PUU-IV/2006

The unlawful teachings in the explanation of Article 2 paragraph (1) of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption have been considered by the Constitutional Court as a norm that is contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945, and does not have binding legal force. This condition has legal implications for the meaning of unlawful elements in Article 2 paragraph (1) of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption, becoming vague (vague norm). The purpose of this study is to analyze the unlawful teachings in the Law on the Eradication of Corruption in Ius Constituendum. This research uses normative legal research, which formulates the aspired law (ius constituendum) on the meaning of the element against the law (wederrechtelijkeheid) in the Corruption Eradication Law after the Constitutional Court Decision Number 003/PUU-IV/2006. The results of the discussion show that by assessing the basis of the Constitutional Court's legal considerations (ratio decidendi) Number 003/PUU-IV/2006. The cancellation of the explanation of Article 2 paragraph (1) of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption which adheres to the teachings of the nature of the act of violating formal and material laws, because it is considered that the concept of materiele wederechtelijk, which refers to unwritten law, is an uncertain measure. The unlawful element in Article 2 paragraph (1) of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes is still interpreted as against formiele wedderechtelijkeheid and against materiele wedderecjhtelijkeheid in its negative function. As for its positive function, it must be considered contrary to the principle of protection and fair legal certainty regulated in Article 28D of the 1945 Constitution.

Health Tourism and Grey Tourism: A Virgin Opportunity for Economical growth of Nepal

Health tourism has emerged as a growing fashion worldwide in last few decades. It is driven by the longing to travel to other countries to improve/maintain their health while experiencing the indigenous, cultural and tourist attractions of destinations. Health tourism can be defined as traveling to foreign countries for no less than a day and no more than a year to get the treatment they need to get better. According to Magablih (2001), health tourism is the movement of a patient, with the purpose of getting services that help in recovering his ailment, or at least in stabilizing his medical case, outside his own country for a period of time not less than 24 hours and up to 1 year, each time, and the patient has no intent to work or reside permanently. Available Literatures shows two major branches of Health tourism viz. medical tourism and wellness tourism. Medical tourism involves traveling to foreign countries to seek modern medical treatments and procedures, including elective surgeries, dental treatments, cosmetic surgeries, transplant and specialized surgeries like cardiac surgery and orthopedic therapy. Wellness tourism, on the other hand, focuses on holistic health practices such as yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and the use of local herbs. This branch emphasizes positive human functioning and preventive care rather than treating illness. Nepal is doing well in wellness tourism but has lot of possibilities in health and grey tourism.

Exploring the synergy of corporate gender diversity, sustainability committee, and reporting ESG practices: An international evidence

This study delves into how gender diversity on the corporate board shapes the reporting of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices. Besides, it examines the moderating role of a sustainability committee in the nexus between gender diversity and reporting of ESG practices. It analyzes an international sample of the S&P Global 1200 index from 2011 to 2022. The ESG reporting is based on the Refinitiv disclosure index of the firm ESG scores. The study utilizes various statistical models to provide precise empirical evidence, including fixed effects, a two-stage least squares (2SLS), and a generalized method of moments (GMM). The results demonstrate that disclosing ESG practices is a positive function of the percentages of corporate female board members and executive female directors. This suggests that companies with greater gender diversity disseminate more information about their ESG practices. Besides, a corporate sustainability committee strengthens the positive nexus between reporting ESG performance and corporate female board members and executive female directors. This underscores the moderating role of the sustainability committee in simplifying the nexus between gender diversity and reporting ESG practices. The results offer substantial implications for the leverage of gender diversity on ESG reporting. Policy-setters should actively support and promote greater corporate gender diversity, recognizing its pivotal role in fostering transparency. Additionally, a dedicated sustainability committee is crucial in enhancing the reporting of ESG performance and aligning business practices with sustainable development goals.

Rudin’s extension theorems and exponential convexity for matrix- and function-valued positive semidefinite functions

Rudin’s extension theorems and exponential convexity for matrix- and function-valued positive semidefinite functions

How does family support mitigate the impact of childhood adversity on adolescent mental health?

Abstract Background Childhood adversity is associated with increased risk of developing mental health problems over the life course. We investigated how family emotional support in adolescence may mitigate the impact of childhood adversity on adolescent mental health. Methods We used longitudinal data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study on 9,269 children followed to age 17 years. Individuals were assigned to exposure trajectories characterised using group-based trajectory models that included measures of poverty and family adversities (parental mental ill health, parental alcohol misuse and domestic violence) up to age 14 years. Using counterfactual causal mediation analysis and four-way decomposition modelling approach, we evaluated how perceived family emotional support at age 14 (measured using the three-item Short Social Provisions Scale) influences the association of childhood adversity trajectories on mental health at ages 14 and 17, assessing the relative contributions of mediation and interaction simultaneously. Results Compared with children experiencing low adversity and poverty, those exposed to childhood adversity were almost three times more likely to experience poor mental health (RR 2·99, 95% CI 2 ·41 to 3·57) at age 14 and age 17 (RR 2·58, 95% CI 2·09 to 3·06). Perceived emotional support mitigates up to 18% (95% CI: 9% to 26%) of this effect at age 14, and 13% (95% CI: 5% to 22%) at age 17, mainly due to interactive mechanisms. Conclusions Childhood adversity has a strong effect on mental health, which is partially mitigated by perceived family support in adolescence. Policies that support positive family functioning may be particularly beneficial for children who have experienced adversity. Key messages • Socio-economic – associated mental health problems in adolescence differed based on levels of family support. • Approximately 20% of the social inequality in mental health outcomes in adolescence may be mitigated or reduced by improving levels of family support.

Polynomial quantum computing algorithms for solving the dualization problem for positive Boolean functions

Polynomial quantum computing algorithms for solving the dualization problem for positive Boolean functions

Wirtualna etniczność – nowa jakość czy nowe dekoracje?

This article analyses the concept of “virtual ethnicity” and, as this phrase indicates, it concerns the relationship between the Internet and ethnicity. Rooted in sociology term “ethnicity” is juxtaposed here with the modern technology of the global network. The Internet and related applications are changing numerous aspects of our lives, both individually and collectively. The change this technology brings is radical. Digitalization and global connections aff ect every aspect of social life – everyday life, customs, politics, economics, interpersonal relations and ways of organizing social life. Social phenomena as we know them are being transformed; new ones are also being created, such as virtual communities uniting people who, without sharing a common territory, feel a strong bonds and are able to act together effectively. The above comments also apply to the phenomenon mentioned in the title of the article. This work analyses ethnicity expressed through online communication practices. Comparing offl ine and online ethnicity, the article notes the numerous positive functions of the Internet for articulation of ethnicity and raises questions about the defi nition and methods of examining online manifestations of ethnicity.