Positive Notion Research Articles

Time to Rename Non-Communicable Disease as a Socio-Communicable Disease?

In the context of rising non-communicable disease and its risk factors, the socio-behavioural role has become important. The nomenclature of the group of these diseases might not be sufficient to influence the socio-behavioural, cultural, economic section to have a long-term change in the burden. The management policy and strategy largely remained at individual level focussing on the disease course and its complication. The purpose of this commentary was an attempt to propose the renaming of ‘non-communicable’ disease group with a vision to increase the emphasis at individual, society and policy levels. There are already several proposals arised such as ‘socially transmitted disease’ and ‘lifelong disease’. We hereby propose to rename the non-communicable diseases as ‘socially communicable’ diseases which emphasise the share of the social drivers at a population level. It has the potential to create a positive notion amongst the population that it is transmissible and also it shows an inclusive approach of what it consists of. On the other hand, the present communicable or infectious disease can be renamed as ‘bio-communicable’ diseases. Revising the surrounding environment of a community, adopting a sustainable policy towards positive influence in every sector of development will help people to adopt and practice healthy behavioural patterns at the individual as well as at the community level.

Hodge modules and singular hermitian metrics

The purpose of this paper is to study certain notions of metric positivity called “minimal extension property” for the lowest nonzero piece in the Hodge filtration of a Hodge module. Let X be a complex manifold and let \(\mathcal {M}\) be a polarized pure Hodge module on X with strict support X. Let \(F_p\mathcal {M}\) be the smallest nonzero piece in the Hodge filtration. Assume that \(\mathcal {M}\) is smooth outside a closed analytic subset Z and let \(j:X\setminus Z \hookrightarrow X\) be the open embedding. Let h be the smooth hermitian metric on \(F_p\mathcal {M}|_{X\setminus Z}\) induced by the polarization. We show that the canonical morphism of \(\mathcal {O}_X\)-modules $$\begin{aligned} F_p\mathcal {M}\rightarrow j_{*}(F_p\mathcal {M}|_{X\setminus Z}) \end{aligned}$$induces an isomorphism between \(F_p\mathcal {M}\) and the subsheaf of \(j_{*}(F_p\mathcal {M}|_{X\setminus Z})\) consisting of sections which are locally \(L^2\) near Z with respect to h and the standard Lebesgue measure on X. In particular, h extends to a singular hermitian metric on \(F_p\mathcal {M}\) with minimal extension property.

On the boundaries of the $m=2$ amplituhedron

Amplituhedra $\mathcal{A}{n,k}^{(m)}$ are geometric objects of great interest in modern mathematics and physics: for mathematicians, they are combinatorially rich generalizations of polygons and polytopes, based on the notion of positivity; for physicists, the amplituhedron $\mathcal{A}^{(4)}{n,k}$ encodes the scattering amplitudes of the planar $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang–Mills theory. In this paper, we study the structure of boundaries for the amplituhedron $\mathcal{A}\_{n,k}^{(2)}$. We classify all boundaries of all dimensions and provide their graphical enumeration. We find that the boundary poset for the amplituhedron is Eulerian and show that the Euler characteristic of the amplituhedron equals one. This provides an initial step towards proving that the amplituhedron for $m=2$ is homeomorphic to a closed ball.

Citizenship Matters: Explorations into the Citizen-State Relationship in Africa

Citizenship is a universal legal concept and norm. But its meaning and impact differ. Its codification and implementation are shaped by historical trajectories, political systems and state/government relations with members of society. State policy affects perceptions of citizenship and civic behaviour by those governed. This paper engages with current challenges relating to citizenship in Africa South of the Sahara. It centres on academic and policy discussions on citizenship but also draws on media reports and secondary literature to explore whether promoting and embracing a positive notion of citizenship can be an opportunity for states and governments as well as citizens. Could civic education be considered a worthwhile investment in social stability and a shared identification with the common good? We conclude by making a case for a social contract, which reconciles particularistic identities (such as ethnicity) with citizenship and governance under the rule of law as an investment into enhanced trust in a citizen-state relationship.

Locally associated graphical models and mixed convex exponential families

The notion of multivariate total positivity has proved to be useful in finance and psychology but may be too restrictive in other applications. In this paper, we propose a concept of local association, where highly connected components in a graphical model are positively associated and study its properties. Our main motivation comes from gene expression data, where graphical models have become a popular exploratory tool. The models are instances of what we term mixed convex exponential families and we show that a mixed dual likelihood estimator has simple exact properties for such families as well as asymptotic properties similar to the maximum likelihood estimator. We further relax the positivity assumption by penalizing negative partial correlations in what we term the positive graphical lasso. Finally, we develop a GOLAZO algorithm based on block-coordinate descent that applies to a number of optimization procedures that arise in the context of graphical models, including the estimation problems described above. We derive results on existence of the optimum for such problems.

The dark side of innovation in financial centres: legal designs and territorialities of law

ABSTRACT Innovation studies rarely incorporate finance in their analysis, although productive innovation and economic development require efficient allocation of financial resources. Complex financial vehicles other than banks increasingly fund global economic activity. These innovative, yet ‘dark’ financial entities service the shielding of private – not public – wealth, and challenge the positive notion of financial innovation as they help cement socio-spatial inequalities. We illustrate how legal structuring benefits (from) the commercialization of state sovereignty and the finetuned work of finance-cum-law that have long shaped the business model of leading financial centres; a legacy difficult to disengage from in times of financial sustainability imperatives.

Die Kunst der Intrige: Studien zur höfischen Epik des 12. Jahrhunderts

Die Kunst der Intrige: Studien zur höfischen Epik des 12. Jahrhunderts

The idea of freedom in protestantism

Starting from the methodological assumption that ideas have a driving power and from the distinction between negative and positive notions of freedom (Berlin), this paper deals with the role that the idea of individual freedom, as a central part of the Protestant pattern of Christian life, played in the origin and spread of the reformation movement in XVI century. In his criticism of the corruptive practices of the Roman Catholic Church and his reliance on the Bible as the only authority (sola scriptura) regarding Christian teaching, Luther gave the concept of freedom a religious content: a necessary and sufficient condition for the spiritual (positive) freedom of the person is contained in the slogan sola fide, while in external life each individual has the obligation to accept his social position and conscientiously fulfill the calling (Beruf) that God has set for him. After he published them in the form of 95 theses in 1517, Luther?s views spread and initiated decades of conflicts that resulted in major cultural, political and economic changes. They directly or indirectly influenced the profiling of the modern Western European order, but they did not escape the trap into which many similar doctrines fell - the privileged social classes (rulers and nobility), whose interests they corresponded to, used them to achieve their own goals. Thanks to the Enlightenment and liberal tradition, today we inherit a more universal conception of basic human liberties and rights, devoid of religious content, but the temptations remain the same.

Stress in Athletes’ Lives

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article On Mental Health, People, and PlacesFull AccessStress in Athletes’ LivesEzra E. H. Griffith, M.D.Ezra E. H. GriffithSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:28 Sep 2021https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2021.10.34In recent months, there has been intense discussion about the connection between competitive sport and mental health. The commentary, focused in large part on the stress endured by elite athletes, has coincided with major international sports events. We have had, almost in back-to-back fashion, the French Open tennis tournament, the Tour de France cycling event, the European 2020 soccer championship, and the Olympics in Japan. Naomi Osaka, a world-famous tennis champion, made the news because of her unwillingness to face the pressure of yet another news conference at the French Open. Some bystanders thought she should respect her obligation to face the public because she had committed to doing so. Others agreed the journalists were offensive. At the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles, the American star gymnast, evoked similar conflicting responses when she withdrew from events, citing health matters.At the European soccer championship, France was eliminated by Switzerland. The match went into overtime and then to a penalty shootout. Kylian Mbappe, a superstar for France, missed his penalty. That outcome sent France’s players to the showers and home in disgrace. Mbappe apparently apologized to his fans for what sports writers called a failure. More sympathetic supporters urged him to keep his head up, as the day after the match would mark the debut of a new season. The three athletes I have mentioned illustrate well the stress of competitive athletics.We follow elite athletes and how they fare on the different terrains of performance. Their annual income and lifestyle, especially in major sports, always attract our attention. Their bodies and minds serve as models of biomedical wonderment for physicians like us. Their capacity for concentration, the sacrifices they make, and their commitment teach us much about what they endure daily.There are other features of sports that put excitement in our lives. Some years ago, my hospital organized a tournament of bed racing. We closed a street. Different divisions in the facility took a bed, decorated it, named it, and oiled its wheels. An employee, not weighing too much, volunteered to ride in the bed. A team of amateur athletic runners pushed each bed. We all spread the word about the event. The bed-race tournament was on. Every bed had its supporters. I was amazed at how much organized effort was put into this event. We had so much fun that I forgot to ask where the idea had originated. Athletics, competition, and team spirit came together and reawakened the slumbering youth in all of us, even in the bystanders.With these wonderfully positive notions about competitive sports so present in our culture, how did the idea take root that elite athletes are the very incarnation of perfection and are obliged to meet public expectations? We must know that they make mistakes from time to time in what they do, and anxiety haunts the best of them. While performances may be breathtaking, consistently flawless performance is hard to sustain. So, why this mourning and weeping over the mistakes of our athletes and their inability to cope well with stress at every event? Why not just console and encourage them when they are facing loss, injury, and disappointing performances?I still recall the early years in elementary school running after a soccer ball on the playground without quite knowing what to do with it. Eventually, the running was accompanied by thoughtful preparation and strategy. I remember the contentment of belonging to a group, the sense of accomplishment, learning about leadership when I captained the team, feeling the admiration of bystanders when I scored a goal. I also learned about losing in the context of competition and about the pain of a torn muscle during excessive effort.We should urge sports enthusiasts to stop pretending that the elite athlete owes them continual brilliant performances. We should remonstrate with coaches who never prepare a substitute for the day that the star center forward on the soccer team will be unable to play. We know that sports can be pleasurable enough to evoke a kind of loyalty from fans that borders on spiritual commitment. We recognize sports’ service as antidote to the drudgery of daily life. Still, creating an idealistic vision of athletics misleads us all. There is risk in the act of living, and that includes sports. ■Ezra E. H. Griffith, M.D., is professor emeritus of psychiatry and African American Studies at Yale University. ISSUES NewArchived

What Drives Senegalese SMEs to Adopt Renewable Energy Technologies? Applying an Extended UTAUT2 Model to a Developing Economy

Renewable energy technology (RET) can help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies to both meet the need for a stable energy supply and contribute to the fight against climate change. In Senegal, SMEs have the opportunity through RET to become electricity prosumers. Whether it works as such in Senegalese SMEs is one of the questions we were able to address through qualitative interviews with 23 SMEs and 13 experts. Using qualitative content analysis, we examined what factors promote the adoption of RET by these SMEs. We also examined how well the established Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model (UTAUT2) can serve as a guiding framework for this type of investigation. We find that effort expectancy is generally underestimated. Performance expectancy, when high, may influence the adoption process positively, while social influence does not seem to play a role. Both SMEs and experts point to customer service and government support for SMEs adopting RET as important facilitating conditions. The cost of RET is another factor influencing the adoption of these technologies. However, we regard the UTAUT2 as only partially helpful for the Senegalese context, due to the informal sector economy in Senegal. This leads us to add the factors knowledge, communication channels and entrepreneurial orientation. Moreover, we question the unequivocally positive notion of prosumerism for African contexts, as the idea draws its motivating power from a Western mindset.

Diagonal unitary and orthogonal symmetries in quantum theory

We analyze bipartite matrices and linear maps between matrix algebras, which are respectively, invariant and covariant, under the diagonal unitary and orthogonal groups' actions. By presenting an expansive list of examples from the literature, which includes notable entries like the Diagonal Symmetric states and the Choi-type maps, we show that this class of matrices (and maps) encompasses a wide variety of scenarios, thereby unifying their study. We examine their linear algebraic structure and investigate different notions of positivity through their convex conic manifestations. In particular, we generalize the well-known cone of completely positive matrices to that of triplewise completely positive matrices and connect it to the separability of the relevant invariant states (or the entanglement breaking property of the corresponding quantum channels). For linear maps, we provide explicit characterizations of the stated covariance in terms of their Kraus, Stinespring, and Choi representations, and systematically analyze the usual properties of positivity, decomposability, complete positivity, and the like. We also describe the invariant subspaces of these maps and use their structure to provide necessary and sufficient conditions for separability of the associated invariant bipartite states.

Locality and General Vacua in Quantum Field Theory

We extend the framework of general boundary quantum field theory (GBQFT) to achieve a fully local description of realistic quantum field theories. This requires the quantization of non-Kähler polarizations which occur generically on timelike hypersurfaces in Lorentzian spacetimes as has been shown recently. We achieve this in two ways: On the one hand we replace Hilbert space states by observables localized on hypersurfaces, in the spirit of algebraic quantum field theory. On the other hand we apply the GNS construction to twisted star-structures to obtain Hilbert spaces, motivated by the notion of reflection positivity of the Euclidean approach to quantum field theory. As one consequence, the well-known representation of a vacuum state in terms of a sea of particle pairs in the Hilbert space of another vacuum admits a vast generalization to non-Kähler vacua, particularly relevant on timelike hypersurfaces.

ACONSILIENCE OF EQUAL REGARD: STEPHEN JAY GOULD ON THE RELATION OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION

AbstractThis article offers a fresh assessment of the views of the American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould on the relation of science and religion. Gould is best known for his celebrated notion of “nonoverlapping magisteria,” which is often seen in somewhat negative terms as inhibiting dialogue. However, as a result of his critique of the unificationist approach to knowledge developed in Edward O. Wilson'sConsilience, Gould later made increased use of the more positive notion of a “consilience of equal regard,” which recognized the porous nature of disciplinary divides and the propriety of interdisciplinary dialogue. Gould's final views on the relation of science and religion, set out inThe Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister's Pox, published after his death, affirms the distinctiveness and autonomy of science and religion on the one hand, while encouraging their constructive dialogue and productive interaction on the other. This should now be seen as Gould's definitive statement on this question.

Conceptions of Happiness Mediate the Relationship Between the Dark Triad and Well-Being.

This study explored the associations between the Dark Triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) and mental well-being in a Korean adult sample (N = 1,177). The role of the conceptions of happiness as mediators of these associations was also investigated. Eight conceptions of happiness (e.g., fragility of happiness and eudaimonism), 3 dimensions of hedonic well-being (e.g., life satisfaction), and 2 dimensions of eudaimonic well-being (e.g., psychological well-being) were included in the study. The results showed that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were negatively and narcissism was positively associated with well-being. The pattern of associations between the dark triad and conceptions of happiness showed that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were associated with valuing personal happiness but also considering it to be out of one’s control, and to have negative consequences when achieved. People high on narcissism endorsed generally positive notions of happiness. Results showed that conceptions of happiness functioned as partial mediators in the relationships between the dark triad and well-being. Hence, it seems that the dark triad traits provide a context for the formation of certain beliefs surrounding the nature and value of well-being, which per se influence experienced levels of well-being.

Interplanetary Intimacy: Alien-Human Love in J.-H. Rosny aîné’s Martian Novels

This article reassesses J.-H. Rosny aine’s two sequential novels, Les Navigateurs de l’infini (1925) and Les Astronautes (1933; published posthumously in 1960), dealing with the exploratory voyage of three astronauts to Mars and humanity’s first encounter with a rational extraterrestrial race. The love story between the human first-person narrator, Jacques, and Grâce, an orificeless, six-eyed female tripedal creature, gradually eclipses the wider context of exploration and scientific advancement. The romance occupies much of the sequel, with the added complication of a love triangle with Violaine, the sister of one of the other voyagers. Through the perspective of this unusual relationship, Rosny calls into question European colonialism and pessimistic science fiction exemplified by H. G. Wells pitting human civilization against an alien enemy. The works may be contextualized as part of an interwar wave of science fiction involving Martians that critiqued imperialism. Above all, alterity is posited as an ultimately positive notion.

The positive Dressian equals the positive tropical Grassmannian

The Dressian and the tropical Grassmannian parameterize abstract and realizable tropical linear spaces; but in general, the Dressian is much larger than the tropical Grassmannian. There are natural positive notions of both of these spaces – the positive Dressian, and the positive tropical Grassmannian (which we introduced roughly fifteen years ago in [J. Algebraic Combin. 22 (2005), pp. 189–210]) – so it is natural to ask how these two positive spaces compare. In this paper we show that the positive Dressian equals the positive tropical Grassmannian. Using the connection between the positive Dressian and regular positroidal subdivisions of the hypersimplex, we use our result to give a new “tropical” proof of da Silva’s 1987 conjecture (first proved in 2017 by Ardila-Rincón-Williams) that all positively oriented matroids are realizable. We also show that the finest regular positroidal subdivisions of the hypersimplex consist of series-parallel matroid polytopes, and achieve equality in Speyer’s f f -vector theorem. Finally we give an example of a positroidal subdivision of the hypersimplex which is not regular, and make a connection to the theory of tropical hyperplane arrangements.

Foucault’s ‘Power Relations’ in Alan Ayckbourn’s This Is Where We Came In

Power is most commonly defined as the ability to do something, or to act in a particular way. Yet, when the word “power” is uttered, what immediately comes to mind is domination, authority, constraint, repression, or control over someone’s behaviors or actions. For this reason, power has often been identified as a negative notion, i.e. a thing that only an individual, or a group, possess as an advantage over the rest of the community, using it as a means of accomplishing one’s goals and repressing the desires of the rest. This paper introduces power as a positive notion as illustrated by the French philosopher and critic Michel Foucault (1926-1984). It presents the key features of power in the analysis of the British modern dramatist Alan Ayckbourn’s play This Is Where We Came In (1990). It also examines closely the power relations among the characters of the play to prove their Foucauldian nature. Power is not a thing to be possessed, it is presented as positive relations that are spread everywhere in the society where all the individuals are free subjects acting on their own volition, whether conforming or resisting, yet without existing outside its network. In this study, the researcher addresses Foucault's perspective of power as presented in some of his works, specifically The History of Sexuality, Volume I: An Introduction (1978), Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews & Other Writings 1972-1977 (1980).

ПОЗИТИВНА ОЦІНКА «ЧУЖОГО» В АНГЛІЙСЬКОМУ БІБЛІЙНОМУ ТЕКСТІ: ЛЕКСИКО-СЕМАНТИЧНИЙ АСПЕКТ

The research sets out to investigate positive evaluation in the English ВіЬІе text. We focus on lexicо-semantic peculiarities of evaluative sentences with the deictic markers of the third person being used to manifest "alien" space. For this we consider the category of "one’s own" / "alien", which is closely related to deixis and evaluation, single out the main features of the phenomenon and determine the rate of third person’s positive evaluation in the text. As a result of the lexicо-semantic analysis we can assert that positive qualities of the "alien" world and manifestation of the speaker’s positive attitude to it are in the focus in the English Bible text. Other varieties of onomasiological features (negative state, status) are characterized by a low frequency of manifestation, which suggests the idea that the most important parameters that determine positive evaluation are positive actions and qualities corresponding to the universally accepted ethical norms. In a number of cases the personal pronoun he is used to indicate a certain referent (God), as a result, acquires positive evaluation. In this case he develops the expression of amplification and positive evaluation and means "the one". On the other hand, the personal pronoun they in most cases refers to strangers, people of other religions having negative evaluation. The positive evaluation of the third-person world can be verbalized metaphorically. Thus, the Lord God in the text is referred to such positive notions with the meaning of protection and salvation as "Salvation", "The Rock", "our help and our shield", "my defense", "the horn of my salvation", "my high tower", "a restorer of thy life", "a buckler". We see prospects for further study in the research of syntactic and communicative-pragmatic characteristics of "one's own"/ "alien" space as well as in the study of local and temporal markers of evaluation. Special consideration can also be given to analyzing this problem in texts of other functional styles, as well as shifting the focus of research to the field of cognitive linguistics.

Uncovering New Paths to Adaptation: A Case Study of Malaysian English as a Second Language Pre-service Teachers

This study aims to explore how English as a Second Language ESL Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) employ adaptation strategies in response to the surrounding constraining context to develop their professional identities. The research question is “How do pre-service teachers (PSTs) employ adaptation strategies to develop their professional identity (PI) during their simulated teaching class and practicum?”. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and classroom observation from PSTs in a Malaysian university and public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur. Findings showed that the positive notions of belonging to a Community of Practice (CoP) proved to be applicable in the simulated teaching class context, so PSTs used their adaptation process of observation-experimentation and evaluation to attempt different teaching practices. Nonetheless, the positive notions of the CoP were inapplicable in the teaching practicum context. Hence, PSTs struggled to construct their Professional Identity (PI) and had to alter their adaptation strategies to negotiate PI construction. The study concludes with some recommendations for further use. Program designers need to consider social interaction and integration within the professional context. That could enable adaptation processes to enhance PSTs’ PI development.

Well-Being from the Understanding of Children and Adolescents: a Qualitative Metasynthesis

Within the framework of the increasing academic valuation of the use of qualitative methodologies for the study of the well-being of children and adolescents, a systematic review of the available empirical production was developed through the “Qualitative Metasynthesis” methodology. The purpose of the study was to analyze and describe, jointly and integratively, the main common and shared aspects of the available knowledge on the dimensions that, according to the children and adolescent’s understandings, are significant for their well-being. During the second semester of the year 2018, the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were reviewed, identifying a total of 76 articles of which 13 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed following the methodology of constant comparison, interpretation of results and conceptual reinterpretation proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). The results brought about the delimitation and description of five categories: “Positive notion of oneself”; “Good treatment and support relations”; “Recognition”; “Significant activities”; and “Contextual aspects”. The obtained results contribute to the systematization of the knowledge about well-being provided from qualitative methodologies, thus contributing to the development of indicators for the study of well-being with information on domains and significant areas for children and adolescents.