Practical Consequences Research Articles

Engagement as a Lever: The Impact of Talent Management on Turnover Intentions at Ghana's Lands Commission

This study examined the moderation effect of employee engagement in the relationship between talent management and turnover intentions of workers at the Ghana Lands Commission. The study used the human capital and equity theories to explain the relationships among the constructs. The study used the quantitative approach and structural equation modelling (SEM) and employed structural equation modeling (SEM). Data was obtained from 300 employees using a three-wave survey approach that assured accuracy and reduced common method bias, resulting in a final sample of 250 respondents. The study found a positive significant effect of talent management on turnover intention. Again, employee engagement was found to significantly reduce employees’ intentions to quit, showing engagement's protective role against the potentially negative consequences of certain talent management practices. Finally, the study found engagement as a significant negative moderator on the link between talent management and turnover intentions. This emphasizes the need to cultivate a work environment that promotes participation, equality, and transparency in people management practices to reduce employee turnover and increase organizational stability.

The philosophy of criminal law to be

The actualization of the stated issue is due to the widespread dissemination and recognition of judgments about the uselessness of philosophy for branch juris-prudence. The rooting of such reflections in criminal law has led to the need to verify their validity and the reasons for their appearance. The subject of clarification also be-came the consequences for science and practice as a result of the rejection of philosophy. According to the results of the study, it was revealed that the denial of philosophy is not associated with abstraction and abstraction as its inherent properties. Distancing oneself from it is a sure sign of the pathology of criminal law thought itself, based on the principles of positivism. Philosophy is often used by science to cover its own abstraction from reality and to conceal the presence of this anomaly in its ranks. The detachment from philosophy actually hides one of the forms of the departure of jurisprudence from reality and from man as its creator.

Tropane Alkaloid Variation in the Genus Datura and its Consequences for Cultural Practices

Tropane Alkaloid Variation in the Genus Datura and its Consequences for Cultural Practices

Which Individual Characteristics Mediate the Relationship Between Social Entrepreneurial Passion and Social Entrepreneurial Intention?

Social entrepreneurship, operationalized through social entrepreneurial behavior, focuses on social missions, primarily looking for new solutions to social problems. Social entrepreneurial intention, however, is the main foundation before the emergence of social entrepreneurial behavior. This research examines a model of social entrepreneurial intention empirically tested on undergraduate students involved in innovative business projects. Specifically, this study aims to test the positive relationship between social entrepreneurial passion and social entrepreneurial intention and verify which individual characteristics (i.e., social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, pro-social behavior, and social support) mediate the positive relationship between social entrepreneurial passion and social entrepreneurial intention. The data was collected from 416 undergraduate students and analyzed using the confirmatory factor analysis and Hayes’s PROCESS macro approach. The results showed that social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, pro-social behavior, and social support completely mediated the positive relationship between social entrepreneurial passion and social entrepreneurial intention. This study provides theoretical implications for extending the literature regarding the theory of planned behavior in the context of social entrepreneurship. This study also has practical consequences for entrepreneurship educators and policymakers in educational management.

Defining social reward: A systematic review of human and animal studies.

Social rewards are strong drivers of behavior and fundamental to well-being, yet there is a lack of consensus regarding what actually defines a reward as "social." Because a systematic overview of existing social reward operationalizations is currently absent, a review of the literature seems necessary to advance toward a unified framework and to better guide research and theory. To bridge this gap, we preregistered and conducted the first comprehensive systematic review of human and animal experimental studies that used the term "social reward" and charted existing operationalizations, revealing the implicit and explicit definitions used in the field. Stimulus characteristics and measures of social reward were extracted from a total of 384 studies encompassing 42,118 participants and subjects. We provide detailed summaries of these elements, stratified by species (human/animal) and study type (behavioral, brain imaging, pharmacological, and physiological). Two main aspects were found to account for most of the difference in operationalizations: the sensory richness of a stimulus (intimacy) and engagement in social interaction (i.e., the synchronous observation and action between at least two individuals, viz., immediacy). Drawing insights from second-person neuroscience approaches and theoretical models in the field of human-computer interaction, we propose that human and animal research can greatly benefit from considering these properties, as they have important theoretical and practical consequences for human and translational research, with far-reaching implications for neighboring research fields such as those pertaining to social media and the development of artificial intelligence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Stigma, Impacting Factors, and Measures to Reduce Stigma

This review illustrates definitions of stigma, types, effects of different aspects, factors contributing to different effects and ways to reduce stigma. There are three types of stigmas amongst mental illness stigma, physical deformation stigma, and stigma associated with broader social identities. Moreover, it shows two different effects of stigma, it then explains the consequences of different factors, including psychoglogical consequences and social practical consequences. At the end of the article,it shows the factors that influence stigma and measures to reduce it,and also have summary for the article and future development direction. To sum up, this review tells us a stigma is a negative attitude or idea about a mental, physical, or social feature of a person or group of people that involves social disapproval. We can know that stigma is the dynamic process by which one group imposes human inferiority on another group and maintains it. It is the stereotyping of the group's negative characteristics and thus the masking of other characteristics. Despite the negative effects of stigma, there are strategies to help cope with and overcome these challenges.

Tools for Fulfilling Legal Requirements of Biodiversity Specimens: Permit/Contract & Term Typologies

The multitude of legal requirements for working with biodiversity specimens is challenging and time consuming for researchers and biodiversity research institutions, including universities, museums, governmental and private institutions managing natural science collections (e.g., biobanks, preserved and living collections). This challenge significantly increased with the adoption of national laws and processes on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing developed by provider countries in response to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol, and other concerns. Legal requirements often include a complex sequence of requests to different national authorities, response times and fees. However, obtaining the necessary documents is only the first step. Legal documentation must be managed for the full life-cycle of biodiversity specimens. In 2016, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) released a data standard and controlled vocabularies for permits and loans. From 2019 to 2023, GGBN led a SYNTHESYS+ project task group to review and expand them. The main outcomes are two typologies contributing to some of the core elements from the GGBN vocabularies for permits and loans. Other elements of the GGBN metadata are not addressed. The Biodiversity Permit/Contract Typology and the Typology of Legal/Contractual Terms for Biodiversity Specimens (see Schiller et al. 2024b) can serve as internationally standardised classification systems for managing permit and contract documents, and promote an internationally understandable exchange of information on terms within such documents. Their application should enable people from various backgrounds to quickly recognise what documents and legal conditions (i.e., permissions, prohibitions, restrictions, obligations) apply to a given biodiversity specimen. Details were presented at the 2024 SPNHC-TDWG joint conference (Suppl. material 1). The Biodiversity Permit and Contract Typology classifies legal and contractual documents based on their purpose. It consists of seven document categories and 38 document types (Fig. 1). We realised that documents with similar purposes, issued by different countries, may contain different terms (Fig. 2), hence document types alone fail to give sufficient information on what is allowed. Therefore, a second typology (Terms Typology), with a set of 87 catchphrases was created (Schiller et al. 2024a). These short phrases describe the essence of a specific term in a document, indicating what is allowed, required or forbidden. Both typologies are very flexible: users can choose whether they use only document categories, only document types, only catchphrases, or a mixture of them. Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) was the first institution to implement the typologies in its collection management digital infrastructure, MCZbase (Fig. 3). It is linking legal and contractual documents to collection objects via transactions and categorizing them using the Permit and Contract Typology. This allows rapid assessments of their applicability to accessions and loan shipments. Permissions and Rights records also include text fields to allow the addition of information on use restrictions, negotiated benefits, and any benefits provided. The Terms Typology will pave the way for the automation of collection transactions (i.e., machine-actionability) for swift decisions on a large scale. Rights management modules integrated into collections management systems or GGBN could automatically compute and arrive at decision proposals (Fig. 4). The need for repeatedly going through documents to understand stated policies and their practical consequences in the case at hand will become a situation of the past. Such automatically computed proposals can support collection staff in efficiently evaluating associated rights and drawing conclusions. The proposals will always require the review by collection staff, who carry the responsibility for the final decision and action. Our proof-of-concept exemplar developed for the future DiSSCo Loans module, employing the Open Digital Rights Language ontology, illustrates that the typology allows machine-actionability. Moving forward, one of our aims is to develop an internationally recognised standard within Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), based on the typologies and prepare it for ratification.

Factors associated with dentists' fear of infecting family members as a consequence of dental practice

Dentists are exposed to the risk of infection by respiratory diseases to aerosols potentially contaminated. The factors associated with dentists' fear of infecting relatives because of dental practice were investigated. Questionnaires structured in Google Forms were sent to dentists in Belo Horizonte city, Brazil, who worked before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The dependent variable was “fear of infecting family members”. The independent variables were sociodemographic characteristics, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) before and during the pandemic, important actions to prevent infection, knowledge and feelings about the pandemic, and the future of the profession. Analyses were performed using Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact test (p≤0.05). The prevalence of fear was 84.3%. Having changed the use of surgical masks (p=0.038) and N95/PFF2/PFF3 masks (p = 0.043), having not changed the use of lab coats (p=0.013), greater anxiety during the pandemic period (p=0.004), and fear of being infected by a patient or colleague (p<0.001) were associated with the fear of infecting family members. The fear of infecting relatives made the dentists more anxious, with the fear of infection by patients or co-workers as well as more careful about the use of PPE.

Political polarization, legitimacy and democratic education

ABSTRACT Political polarization is often argued to be a major threat to democracy. This article examines whether the two different forms of polarization, ideological and affective, may risk some of the core assumptions of democratic legitimacy. The paper argues that ideological polarization is linked with increasingly radical ideological positions being accepted as legitimate contributions to democratic processes, which may lead to the erosion of the democratic culture of society. Affective polarization, in turn, presents a risk to the type of political collaboration that characterizes legitimate democratic processes. The article presents some remarks on how these forms of polarization could be pre-emptively addressed in education: first, by demonstrating to students the practical consequences of neglecting the core democratic principles of toleration (Forst) and reciprocity (Rawls) in society; and second, through forms of political action that engage students’ political emotions in support of democratic principles and way of life in a nonpartisan way.

‘Supporting the Support Staff’: A Narrative Review of Nutritional Opportunities to Enhance Recovery and Wellbeing in Multi-Disciplinary Soccer Performance Staff

Background: With ever-increasing training, match-play and travel demands in professional soccer, recovery is vital for athletic performance, a statement amplified in tournament and in-season scenarios. However, alongside supporting the tasks associated with these increased demands, the recovery and wellbeing strategies recommended for playing staff are often unavailable to their support staff counterparts, who routinely experience extended working hours over and above scheduled player attendance. Methods: Focusing on the contributions of nutrition to this undoubtedly multifactorial issue, this narrative review aimed to (1) identify potential strategies to enhance recovery and wellbeing in multi-disciplinary soccer support staff and (2) highlight future research opportunities exploring the benefits of nutrition for those staff in soccer performance-related support roles. Results: The potential health and wellbeing consequences of chronic sub-optimal practices suggest that chrononutrition strategies may be an area of future interest. Notably, nutritional strategies that enhance sleep hygiene and immune function warrant consideration. Individualizing such strategies to maximize recovery and wellbeing in multi-disciplinary soccer support staff should offer an adjunct and complementary strategy to the holistic performance-focused support provided to professional soccer players. Conclusions: Policymakers responsible for organizational and club structures aligned with soccer performance could consider ‘Supporting the Support Staff’ when seeking to improve overall performance.

Mild to moderate cognitive impairment does not bias the Geriatric Depression Scale in a large US sample of older adults.

The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is widely used to screen for depression in clinical practice and to assess symptoms of depression in research about older adults. To determine whether the 15-item GDS can be used in adults with dementia, this study investigated whether item- or test-level bias in the GDS-15 is associated with the respondent's level of cognitive impairment. Using a large U.S. sample of 24,674 adults, we first conducted sample matching procedures between the five groups defined by CDR® Dementia Staging Instrument scores to control for potential confounding effects of common demographic variables. Then, we employed confirmatory factor analysis (for single-group and configural-invariance models only) and item response theory models to test potential differential item/test functioning effects associated with the GDS-15 across the five CDR groups. Practical consequences of the identified biases were quantified using sample-based Cohen's d effect sizes and misclassification rates. In general, people with higher CDR scores were older and had fewer years of education. In comparison to the normal cognition group (CDR-0), negligible biases in GDS-15 scores were found for the groups with questionable, mild, or moderate cognitive impairment (CDR-0.5/1/2). For individuals with severe cognitive impairment (CDR-3), their responses were inconsistent with the normal cognition group and their depression scores were significantly biased with a small-to-medium effect size. The GDS-15 can be used to assess depression in individuals with mild or moderate cognitive impairment, but not in individuals with severe cognitive impairment.

Home use of mifepristone for medical abortion: a systematic review

BackgroundIn many countries, persons seeking medical abortion with mifepristone followed by misoprostol can self-administer the second drug, misoprostol, at home, but self-administration of the first drug, mifepristone, is not allowed...

Genomic Sequencing to Detect Cross-Breeding Quality in Dogs: An Example Studying Disorders in Sexual Development.

Disorders of sexual development (DSDs) in dogs, similar to humans, arise from genetic mutations, gonadal differentiation, or phenotypic sex development. The French Bulldog, a breed that has seen a surge in popularity and demand, has also shown a marked increase in DSD incidence. This study aims to characterize the genetic underpinnings of DSDs in a French Bulldog named Brutus, exhibiting ambiguous genitalia and internal sexual anatomy, and to explore the impact of breeding practices on genetic diversity within the breed. We utilized a comprehensive approach combining conventional cytogenetics, molecular techniques, and deep sequencing to investigate the genetic profile of Brutus. The sequence data were compared to three other male French Bulldogs' genome sequences with typical reproductive anatomy, including Brutus's father and the canine reference genome (CanFam6). We found a Robertsonian fusion involving chromosome 23 previously reported in dogs as a causative mutation responsible for sex reversal syndrome. Our findings revealed a 22% mosaicism (78,XX/77,XX), the absence of the sex-determining region (SRY) gene, and the presence of 43 unique Single Nucleotide Variants (SNVs) not inherited from the father. Notably, the run of homozygosity (ROH) analysis showed Brutus has a higher number of homozygous segments compared to other Bulldogs, with a total length of these fragments 50% greater than the average, strongly suggesting this dog is the product of the mating between siblings. Although no direct causative genes for the DSD phenotype were identified, four candidate loci warrant further investigation. Our study highlighted the need for a better annotated and curated reference dog genome to define genes causative of any specific phenotype, suggests a potential genetic basis for the DSD phenotype in dogs, and underscores the consequences of uncontrolled breeding practices in French Bulldogs. These findings highlight the importance of implementing strategic genetic management to preserve genetic health and diversity in canine populations.

Eksperyment leczniczy a cel badawczy

The following text is a voice in the discussion around normative problems of innovative therapies. It particularly refers to the problem of the relationship between therapeutic experiment and the research purpose of a physician's action, also discussed in this issue in the article by Rafał Kubiak "A few comments on the background of the article »Off label - practical consequences of unclear legislation«.”

Naczelnik urzędu skarbowego – najszerzej uprawniony administracyjny organ egzekucyjny

The article discusses the regulations relating to enforcement authorities contained in the Administrative Enforcement Proceedings Act. The study aims to indicate the special role of the head of the tax office in administrative enforcement proceedings. Analyzing the applicable regulations, the author points to the broad powers and practical consequences associated with this type of enforcement authority. He proves that administrative enforcement authorities are differently and unequally equipped in the application of enforcement measures.

Standardization through education of molecular pathology: a spotlight on the European Masters in Molecular Pathology.

Despite advancements in precision medicine, many cancer patients globally, particularly those in resource-constrained environments, face significant challenges in accessing high-quality molecular testing and targeted therapies. The considerable heterogeneity in molecular testing highlights the urgent need to harmonize practices across Europe and beyond, establishing a more standardized and consistent approach in MP laboratories. Professionals, especially molecular pathologists, must move beyond traditional education to cope with this heterogeneity. This perspective addresses critical issues in molecular pathology (MP), such as limited access to high-quality molecular testing, leading to disparities in cancer treatment, and the consequences of inconsistent practices. Recognizing the necessity for a standardized framework for education to address these issues, educational programs play a pivotal role in updating professionals' skills to achieve standardization in MP. European experts from the Steering Committee, the Pathology Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists, and the European Society of Pathology have proposed creating a comprehensive Master's degree program called the "European Masters in Molecular Pathology" (EMMP). This program emerges as a strategic response to the demand for a specialized and standardized framework for education in MP, catering to professionals who concurrently work and study. The program's design aligns with evidence-based education methods, ensuring effective learning and engagement while integrating computational pathology to analyze complex molecular data, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and improve treatment outcomes. EMMP's structured curriculum, strategic partnerships, and regular updates underscore its significance in standardizing MP practices. Exploring future developments, this perspective delves into technology integration and interdisciplinary collaboration, anticipating ongoing advances and harmonization. Challenges and future directions in MP education are discussed, emphasizing the necessity for dynamic curriculum updates, seamless technology integration, and interdisciplinary cooperation. This perspective underscores EMMP's pivotal role in preparing pathologists for this dynamic field, advocating continuous advancements in education and training to uphold excellence in MP practices and maintain the highest patient care standards.

Board Independence And Financial Distress: Insights From India

Resource Dependency Theory (RDT) posits that organizations depend on external resources to navigate uncertainty and sustain growth, with independent directors in corporate governance acting as key intermediaries, providing expertise, external networks, and strategic oversight. This study employs Panel [Random Effect (RE)] regression to analyze the impact of independent directors on the financial distress likelihood of 20 manufacturing companies listed on the NSE over the period 2019–2024. The findings reveal that firms with a higher number of independent directors exhibit a significantly higher risk of financial distress, reinforcing the notion that these directors aggravate financial vulnerabilities and enhance organizational instability. Background: Corporate frauds like the Satyam and Nirav Modi-PNB scandals highlight the severe consequences of deceptive practices, undermining financial markets and stakeholder trust. These incidents exposed vulnerabilities in governance and risk management, prompting regulatory reforms in India. Weak corporate governance facilitates fraud by allowing insufficient oversight and accountability. Recent reforms under the Companies Act, 2013, and SEBI's regulations aim to enhance transparency and reduce fraud risks. Strong corporate governance would be critical for financial stability, investor confidence, and achieving the "2047 Viksit Bharat" vision. Research explores how independent directors influence the likelihood of financial distress. Materials and Methods: This study investigates financial distress in manufacturing firms listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) through a panel data methodology. A random sample of 20 firms was selected to ensure representativeness, covering the period from 2019 to 2024, with banks and financial institutions excluded due to their distinct financial characteristics. Financial distress was assessed using the Altman Z-score, a widely recognized metric for evaluating financial distress. The independent variable in the study is Board Independence, i.e., the total number of independent directors on the Board. The control variables include Profitability, Leverage, and Activity. Panel data estimation techniques were used to address issues of endogeneity and heteroscedasticity. The Hausman test was conducted to determine whether to retain fixed or random effects for the analysis. Results: The Hausman test showed a p-value of 0.0.78 (greater than 0.05) which revealed that that random effect model is appropriate for the analysis. The analysis reveals a negative relationship between board independence and financial distress, indicating that an increase in the number of independent directors is associated with a higher likelihood of financial distress at 5% level of significance. Leverage significantly increases the likelihood of financial distress, while increased operational activity decreases it; Net Profit Margin is statistically insignificant. Conclusion: This finding challenges the conventional understanding of board independence, which is generally seen as a mechanism to enhance corporate governance by providing unbiased oversight, strategic guidance, and external resources

Rethinking the “Conspiracy Crisis”: Use and Misuse of “Conspiracy Theory” Labels After Covid‐19

Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, this article undertakes a critical evaluation of a series of shortcomings of the view of conspiracy theories that is predominant among scholars and the general public. Reviewing numerous studies on the topic, we critically assess: (a) how justified the claim is that we are in a conspiracy-thinking emergency, (b) how the label of conspiracy theorist can be weaponized to delegitimize heterodox views, and (c) the practical consequences, for academic research and the well-functioning of democracies, of unpopular ideas being labeled as conspiratorial. The empirical sources reviewed here suggest that beliefs in conspiracy theories have not increased over time and are less consequential than commonly believed, even in times of a global pandemic. Instead, the concept of conspiracy theory has become more prevalent and its derogatory connotation evokes a stigma that tilts the democratic playing field against dissenting viewpoints. The stigmatization and political leveraging of this notion, we argue, lead to biases not only in the public discussion on various sensitive topics but also in the academic literature on conspiracy theories themselves. We analyze these academic blind spots in light of the diminishing political diversity in academia and recent perspectives on scientific censorship. We propose to complement the research on conspiracy theorists with an analysis of individuals at the opposite end of the spectrum, who are inclined to systematically trust institutional authorities and are highly prejudiced against heterodox opinions. Proposed solutions include promoting balanced news coverage, fostering critical thinking through debates, and piercing information bubbles to provide access to diverse perspectives.

Reinforcement learning in autonomous defense systems: Strategic applications and challenges

Reinforcement learning (RL) is one of the most progressive ways to improve the efficiency of drones and robotic systems in the context of the defense and security industries. In Anomaly Detection (AD) systems, this paper discusses the potential of RL as a Model Selection Criteria (MSC) method and its associated issues. RL algorithms enable such systems to adapt to and learn from interactions with their environment, optimizing their response to complex and dynamic threats. This way, new states may be introduced with better decision-making processes, improving the effectiveness of the operations and enabling Reinforcement learning -powered systems to learn new scenarios as well as perform detailed defensive actions in a real-time context. The importance of RL in national defense can therefore be said to lie in its capacities for changing how threats are identified, how threats are responded to, and even what strategies of defense are thought of. Self-governing systems that incorporate Reinforcement learning are capable of functioning in an unpredictable environment, evaluating threats correctly, and carrying out defensive measures with the help of people practically at all. This versatility is critical in modern warfare because a preferred option is the right response to threats that were unknown a few years ago. However, incorporating RL into autonomous defense systems is not without big challenges. Some important problem areas are improved stability and accuracy of RL algorithms in various and critical situations, the legal and practical consequences of autonomous decision-making and possible threats that can arise due to adversarial manipulation of learning algorithms. In addition, such systems have to be developed and put into practice under national and international standards to meet certain requirements and build confidence in such applications. This paper explores these strategic uses and issues and presents a detailed overview of how RL can improve independent defense functionalities, as well as the significant problems relating to this approach. Thus, by providing case studies and theoretical analysis, it aims to demonstrate that RL has the potential to define the technological development of defense and benefit national security systems in the context of a growing threat.

Research on the Psychological Impact of the Policy Practice of Preventing Minors from Indulging in Online Games in China

With the expansion of online games, there is a relatively more severe issue involving minors excessive use of games. To this end, the Chinese government has issued several policy initiatives that are intended to stop minors from getting hooked on online games. This study aims to examine the psychological consequences of these policy practices on children. Through literature review, and case study, the changes in minors mental health status before and after the implementation of the policy were assessed, and the role of family, school and social environment in the implementation of the policy was also examined. This research identified that these policies have successfully limited the overuse of online games among minors to a certain extent but at the same time, it has introduced new psychological issues like anxiety and social isolation among the young people. Also, the issues that parents and educators encounter in the process of policy execution are also worth considering. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations, such as introducing flexible time limits and regular review of the policy, are made in order to enhance policy implementation towards the improvement of the mental health of minors.