Present Piece Research Articles

Internationalisation for higher education: International coordinators’ perspectives on challenges and virtual exchange

International outlook constitutes, together with teaching, research, and knowledge transfer, one of the university core missions. Spain remains as a preferred destination for outbound mobilities, which constitutes an opportunity in terms of international rankings. Vice-Rectorates are designing strategies to retain this flow of international students, as well as to promote outbound mobilities. The present piece of research is a qualitative study based on Deyo’s Qualitative Social Constructionist Inquiry (2018), a semi-structured interview. Such design was supervised by experts and approved by the Ethics Committee of Social Studies. Results address the viewpoints of 17 international coordinators of the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, based on four different campuses. The sample was made in terms of convenience, as it is the authors’ institution. Questions concentrate on coordinators’ understanding of the goals and needs of study abroad programmes, together with the needs of international students, their main challenges, and the role of the three communicative subcompetences of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages on these programmes, and more specifically their connection with the Theory of Identity Development (Chickering and Reisser, 1993), to help determine the strengths and weaknesses of such mobilities. Results reveal important information in relation to both the role of international coordinator and the effects these exchanges have on the students. Considering the former aspect, the answers evinced that this job post requires more attention in terms of training, tasks specification, recognition, and assistance. Regarding the latter, the responses highlight multiple benefits derived from these exchanges; in particular, the development of personal and social abilities to be more independent to solve problems, to collaborate with other people from different backgrounds, to communicate in a foreign language, and to expand their worldview. Nonetheless, the answers also show that this experience could be further enriched by academic, social, and emotional support for the students. In this line, the study suggests a set of recommendations and seeks for alternative instances to reach the goals of international exchange, such as excellence, equity, or education innovation (European Commission, 2021) by means of virtual exchange in COIL programmes such as eTwinning.

Young Marx’s Treatise on Christian Art and the Bonn Notebooks

Abstract There are episodes in Marx’s life that go unnoticed or that are considered insignificant in Marxian scholarship. A case in point is that Marx wrote a treatise on Christian art between 1841 and 1842 and a group of excerpts (the Bonn Notebooks) on the history of religious art that resulted from it. The treatise and the accompanying notebooks are either completely absent from Marx biographies and studies on young Marx or they are mentioned only in passing; if the notebooks are considered at all, one portion is usually singled out while the rest is effectively ignored. The present piece traces Marx’s motives for occupying himself with religious art as well as his interests, shifting from Christian, Greek and Egyptian arts to fetishism and idolatry. This study intends to highlight that young Marx was more involved in questions concerning the political culture of aesthetics than we usually think. The Bonn Notebooks provide access to a more vivid image of Marx in this regard than previous scholarship has suggested.

‘The mirror of the soul?’ Inferring sadness in the eyes

The eyes are widely regarded as the mirror of the soul, providing reliable nonverbal information about drives, feelings, and intentions of others. However, it is unclear how accurate emotion recognition is when only the eyes are visible and whether inferring of emotions is altered across healthy adulthood. To fill this gap, the present piece of research was directed at comparing the ability to infer basic emotions in two groups of typically developing females that differed in age. We set a focus on females seeking group homogeneity. In a face-to-face study, in a two-alternative forced choice paradigm (2AFC), participants had to indicate emotions for faces covered by masks. The outcome reveals that although the recognition pattern is similar in both groups, inferring sadness in the eyes substantially improves with age. Inference of sadness is not only more accurate and less variable in older participants, but also positively correlates with age from early through mid-adulthood. Moreover, reading sadness (and anger) is more challenging in the eyes of male posers. A possible impact of poser gender and cultural background, both in expressing and inferring sadness in the eyes, is highlighted.

Too Big to Remedy?: What Climate Cases Tell Us About the Remedial Role of Human Rights

Abstract As the European Court of Human Rights (Court) considered the human rights impacts of climate change for the first time, its initial climate cases issued an invitation to think beyond climate change, and to interrogate key aspects of how the Court deals with systemic or societal problems. While its ruling in KlimaSeniorinnen v Switzerland presented much-discussed innovations in terms of the Court’s treatment of the admissibility and merits of climate cases, and especially in terms of the victim status test, the ‘tail’ end of the Court’s violation judgment has not received sufficient attention. Here the Court had a particular opportunity to respond to the structural nature of climate change. Its deferential remedial findings relate to the Court’s understanding of reparation and its own role, which in turn shape its willingness to open its remedial toolbox. The present piece interrogates the remedial options available in climate cases, focusing particularly on the KlimaSeniorinnen case to re-examine the idea that some issues are simply too extensive or too complex to receive scrutiny – or a remedy – from a human rights institution such as the Court.

"Delving İnto The Dichotomy Of Mother Earth and Fatherland in 'The Wanderground' and 'The Cleft”

This study examines the relationship between women and nature in Doris Lessing's The Cleft and Sally Miller Gearhart's The Wanderground through using gender and ecofeminist lenses. Women's oppression is analogous to nature's oppression. Therefore, this article shows how a patriarchal (or male-dominated) society treats both nature and women and how society's standards unfairly dominate both. Both writers Sally Miller Gearhart and Doris Lessing argue that women and the environment, including (animals) are crucial to ecofeminism studies and practice; women may solve gender issues only by utilizing natural materials. The present piece portrays the female characters in both works acquiring an understanding of the underlying reasons behind every instance of misery they encounter in their lives. As a result, women attempt to escape the machismo society and create a nature-filled utopia (devoid of males). Although some women continue to live with men, they always opt for separation. Finally, this work shows how Gearhart's utopia is the outcome and redemption of The Cleft’s dystopia.

Perceived Occupational Stress among Male and Female Teachers Working in +2 Private Schools in Darbhanga District, India

The present study was aimed at studying the perceived occupational stress among male and female teachers working in +2 private schools with special reference to Darbhanga district, India. It is undoubtedly fact that in recent years our private educator’s organizations and other groups have sought to improve the public image of the teaching occupation so as to attract more people in to the occupation. Hence, the present piece of research work is of immense value on the problem mentioned above. For the present investigation, total sample consisted of one hundred sixty (N=160) comprising male (n=80) and female (n=80) teachers working in +2 Private Schools were randomly selected from different private schools of Darbhanga district. Data were collected through questionnaire schedules on the sample. Having obtained the data on the items of the schedules, individual scores were summed up and tabulated according to procedure of the scales for giving statistical treatment. Results indicated the fact that there is a significant difference between male and female teachers working in +2 private Schools of Darbhanga district in their degree of perceived reactions on occupational stress as t-value has been found statistically significant at .05 but all the teachers reported more or less moderate level of occupational stress. On the other hand, no significant difference has been found between the groups of males and females in terms of their degree of the dimensions of occupational stress, viz. unreasonable groups and political pressures, under participation, intrinsic impoverishment, low status, and unprofitability. although few dimensions of occupational stress out of twelve dimensions viz., role overload, role ambiguity, responsibility for persons, poor peer relations and strenuous working conditions have been found as the predictors between male and female teachers as these dimensions has been found statistically significant at .01 and ,05 level of confidence although both .

Big bang, low bar-risk assessment in the public arena.

One of the basic principles of risk management is that we should always keep an eye on ways that things could go badly wrong, even if they seem unlikely. The more disastrous a potential failure, the more improbable it needs to be, before we can safely ignore it. This principle may seem obvious, but it is easily overlooked in public discourse about risk, even by well-qualified commentators who should certainly know better. The present piece is prompted by neglect of the principle in recent discussions about the potential existential risks of artificial intelligence. The failing is not peculiar to this case, but recent debates in this area provide some particularly stark examples of how easily the principle can be overlooked.

Subtitling Hong Kong Code-Mixing and Code-Switching

Translation has largely been considered a process involving only two languages, source and target. However, plurilingual audiovisual content has proliferated over the last few decades, reflecting, as a result, the world’s linguistic intermingling. Such a plurality complicates both theoretical categorizations and translation practices. Even though multilingualism in the media has received scholarly attention, more explorations are needed to ascertain the translation processes and methods adopted to handle linguistically diverse source texts in the streaming era. The present piece of research tentatively explores the treatment given to Cantonese and English code-mixing and code-switching present in Hongkonese films and TV shows currently streamed on Netflix, the video-on-demand platform. This article probes a selection of such content and compares the original dialogues with official Chinese, English and Spanish subtitles. Preliminary results point towards a loss of linguistic diversity and nuance caused by subtitling processes. The differentiated roles that both languages originally play in creating comedic, stylistic, or emphatic effects are rarely retained, possibly affecting viewers’ reception and appreciation. This article argues that further attention should be paid to the translation and adaptation of code-mixing and code-switching present in Hongkonese creations, both by the industry and academia, if such a multilingual reality is to be portrayed successfully via subtitles.

On the Construction of the Properties of t - Norms in the Q-Fuzzy T-Sub algebra and Ideals in the BP-Algebra

In the present piece, we propound t- norms of the QFTSA ὦȴȵŦὦȴὦȵ in BP-Algebra and also t- norms of the QFTI ὦὦȴὦȴɉŦŦὦȴȵɉὦȵὦȵ , ȴȵɉĜ of the BP-Algebra and we assay some of their features. Likewise, we define Cartesian products of QFTSAs and QFTI of BP algebras. These, as well as other algebraic features, are bandied in depth. Objective: This article generally aimed at investigating t- norms concepts. It can also be applied to the algebraic properties of Q-Fuzzy T-Ideals, Q-Fuzzy T-Sub algebra and also defined for Cartesian products of QFTSAs and QFTI of BP algebras.Methods: t -norms concepts can apply for the algebraic properties of Q-Fuzzy T-Ideals, and T-Sub algebra related to the theorems, lemma, and examples we find the proof.Findings: In the present study, we propound ȶ- norms of the QFTSA ὦȴȵŦὦȴὦȵ in BP-Algebra and also ȶ- norms of the QFTI ὦὦȴὦȴɉŦŦὦȴȵɉὦȵὦȵ , ȴȵɉĜ of the BP-Algebra and we assay some of their features. Likewise, we define Cartesian products of QFTSAs and QFTI of BP algebras. These, as well as other algebraic features, are bandied in depth. Novelty: This study has defined new concepts of t-norms that apply to Q-fuzzy T-Ideals and Q fuzzy T-sub-algebra in BP algebras. Keywords: Fuzzy Set (FS), Q-Fuzzy Sets (QFS), Q-Fuzzy Subset (QFSb), Q-Fuzzy T-Ideal (QFTI), Q-Fuzzy T-Subalgebra (QFTSA)

Pippin's The Culmination, ‘logic as metaphysics’, and the unintelligibility of Dasein

April 15, 2024: This article published in Early View in error. The article will republish shortly.

Impact of process parameters in drilling of glass epoxy composite with clam shell and cenosphere filler: A comparative analysis

Drilling is one of the secondary machining techniques most frequently utilised when Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) materials are assembled into a structure. The present work examines the drilling GFRPs and analyses hole quality based on the different traditional parameters: feed rate, spindle speed, and drill tool diameter. However, the hybridization of glass fiber- reinforced polymers (GRPs) by incorporating fillers as secondary reinforcement in the present piece of research has introduced new challenges for hole drilling and achieving the desired surface finishes. The delamination at the hole entrance and exit, considering the drill diameter of the HSS twist drill (6, 8, 10 mm), feed rate (0.04, 0.08, 0.12 mm/rev), cutting speed (1000, 1200, 1400 rpm), and filler content (0, 10, 20 wt.%) in GFRP, are the major factors are considered. The fillers used are clamshell powder and cenosphere, which are marine waste and thermal power plant waste, respectively. The present paper aims to study the effect of these fillers on the drilling-induced damages to the holes in terms of delamination factor, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy of the hole (taper error, circularity error) of GFRPs. The most widely preferred Taguchi experimental design has been used for optimising the process parameters to obtain minimum delamination, surface roughness, and hole error. The study also aims to develop a correlation between feed rate, cutting velocity, drill diameter, and filler content with the delamination factor, surface roughness, taper error, and circularity error in a GFRP material. The observed results show that clamshells filled GFRP shows lower delamination, surface roughness, circularity error, and taper error compared to cenosphere filled GFRP composites under the same process parameters. It indicates the positive impact of the fillers in the drilling of GFRP, where the main objective is to reduce drilling-induced defects.

Evolving Advances in the Applications of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) for Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition causing joint pain and inflammation that has now spurred the interest in nanotechnology-based drug delivery for more effective treatment, and in this regard, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being explored for their potential to deliver the drugs steadily to manage the RA. Many investigators have been investigating both single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) as well as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for managing arthritis via targeted drug delivery. Moreover, functionalized CNTs show promise in delivering the drugs precisely and in a controlled manner, thereby minimizing toxicity. However, research on applications of CNTs as drug carriers for RA remains limited, thus necessitating further exploration to address the various challenges. In this present piece of writing, challenges in RA treatment and the advances in applications of CNTs for RA management are reported, consequently reflecting the CNTs as advanced drug delivery vehicles for arthritis treatment.

A tale of missed opportunities: The Cold War in Brazil

AbstractBrazil was not at the forefront of initial Cold War events and US‐Brazil relations have been more often defined by alignment than conflict. Still, Brazil was not immune to the Cold War logic and when these turbulent dynamics became more prevalent in Latin America, Brazil was at the center of US concerns and influence. But though much was promised and attempted, recurrent opportunities for constructive interactions were missed at the price of growing violence and social injustice. The present piece reviews the scholarship on the Cold War in Brazil by focusing on some of the main works produced by US and Brazilian scholars working on central themes of Brazilian history during the period. Rather than attempting to provide a comprehensive list of works, which would have required more space than permitted here, the article is structured based on key studies that helped shape the conversation about Brazil's historical development in the second half of the 20th‐century.

Eternity, perpetuity, and time in the cosmologies of Plotinus and Mīr Dāmād

AbstractThe present piece focuses on the influence of Plotinus' understanding of time and eternity as articulated in Plotinus' third and fifth Enneads upon Mīr Dāmād's (d. 1631–2) conception of eternity, perpetuity, and time found in his Book of Blazing Brands (Kitab al‐Qabasāt). Although Mīr Dāmād's conception of eternity, perpetuity, and time resembles that of Plotinus' cosmology and ontology, he departs from Plotinus' hypostases in establishing strict parameters for each domain. Unlike Plotinus, Mīr Dāmād argues that the realm of eternity is reserved for God alone, while the realm of Perpetuity contains the Platonic Forms. For Mīr Dāmād, the realm of time is an effect of the realm of Perpetuity and a tool for human beings to understand how to measure events in the temporal world. Unlike many other Shī'ite philosophers, Mīr Dāmād's articulation of these three cosmological realms incorporates thought found in the works of both prominent Sunni and Shī'ite scholars such as Ibn Sīnā, Abū Ḥāmid al‐Ghāzālī, Suhrawardī, and Naṣīr al‐Dīn Ṭūsī. Although his most successful student, Mullā Ṣadrā Shirazī, had ultimately disagreed with his teacher's cosmological doctrine, he remained influenced by the multitude of sources that his teacher had used.

Improvement of the ability of graphene by simultaneous cobalt (Co) and nitrogen (N) doping as an electrode for supercapacitor application

Thanks to its high electronic conductance and large surface, many research studies have investigated the application of graphene (Gr) in supercapacitors as an electrode material. The properties of Gr can change efficiently through the doping of specific elements and by designing various morphologies. In the current piece of research, DFT calculations are undertaken to investigate the impact of doping cobalt (Co) and nitrogen (N) atoms, and a monovacancy (MV)-added Gr structure upon the quantum capacitance (QC), electronic attributes and stability. Based on the calculations, doping Co and N and the presence of the MV radically changed the QC of the electrode. Nevertheless, achieving structural stability can be a challenge. A high QC of ∼77 μF/cm2 was obtained in the CoN3 system by the association of N-doping and the existence of the MV. The present piece of research provides insights into the viable impact of combined doping upon increasing the QC of Gr-based electrodes.

Studies on major insect pests of cotton and farmer perceptions in the Ghugus area of District Chandrapur, Maharashtra, India

A crucial crop in the world, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), is frequently harmed by pests and illnesses. Chemical pesticides are frequently effective, but repeated use of these chemicals often results in pests developing greater insecticide resistance, fewer natural enemies, less natural control, and a deteriorated ecosystem. It has been widely used to implement the integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, which heavily emphasizes biological control. The present piece of work was carried out from January 2022 to December 2022 at different sites in the vicinity of the Ghugus area in Chandrapur district. In all, 10 species of insect pests of cotton from 9 families and 3 orders were recorded. The knowledge, perceptions and practices of farmers growing cotton under different pest management regimes were analyzed. The methods used were open and semistructured interviews using questionnaire with groups and individuals. In general, farmers had a poor understanding of the key concepts underlying alternative pest control systems. Pest damage was considered important and farmers were eager to share their knowledge, perceptions and practices in pest management. This study provides the foundation for the creation of a learning platform for future.

Water quality parameters and population of aquatic insect larvae in Pardi Lake, Gadchiroli District (M.S.) of India

The present research deals with the study on some physicochemical parameters and the population of aquatic insect and insect larvae of Pardi lake, Gadchiroli which was carried out from February 2016 to January 2017. Total 10 genera of aquatic insect larvae recorded during the present piece of investigation, among which Order Diptera is represented by 07 genera and Coleoptera by 03 genera. The Dipteran species are found to be dominant in the lake. The high density of pollution indicator species like Chironomus, Eristalis and Trichoptera larvae indicates the polluted nature of the lake. Thus, keeping in view the importance of the study, the necessary steps should be taken for the conservation and maintenance of lake.

Construction and Validation of Research Satisfaction Scale (RSS) for Post-Research Analysis of Graduates

A better understanding of the researcher’s attitude starts with knowing their satisfaction level, which helps the agricultural universities understand research graduates and make necessary improvement plans. Absence of such a specific scale, forced to draft present piece in 2022 focusing on developing the Research Satisfaction Scale using the scale product method. Initially, 63 items were pooled, scrutinized, and reduced to 57 based on the rules of Edward and Kilpatrick and segregated into three groups as: ‘Before, while performing, and after performing research.’ Scale and Quartile values were calculated, and the statements with an S-value less than the Q-value were eliminated, bringing the number of statements to 53. For validation – Content Validity Index (CVI), both item and scale were used and Cronbach’s alpha for measuring reliability. The score of Item- CVI <0.70 were eliminated, making the total number of statements 36. The Scale – CVI was 0.92, with an internal consistency value of 0.792, making the developed scale with 36 items valid and reliable. Research studies can be formulated by ICAR and SAUs to understand the contentment the graduates attained with their undertaken research activity.

Correlation Between Satisfaction with Life, Self-esteem, and Flourishing among Educated Working Women of Leh

Background: The constructive perception of educated working women about themselves helps them perform dual responsibilities at the workplace and home effectively. Objective: The present piece of study is intended to discover the correlation between Satisfaction with Life, Self-Esteem and Flourishing among educated working Method: The present piece of study comprises a sample of educated working women (N = 150) which was collected through the Non-probability (Purposive) sampling method. The following psychological tools administered include Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener et al., 1985), Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) (Rosenberg, 1965) and Flourishing Scale (FS) (Diener et al., 2009). Results: The outcomes of the study showed a statistically significant correlation between Satisfaction with Life and Self-Esteem. However, Satisfaction with Life shows no statistically significant relationship with Flourishing. A statistically significant correlation has been observed between Self-Esteem and Flourishing. g women of Leh.

Recontextualizing disassembled texts

Abstract Video game multimodality has been discussed mainly from the standpoints of Game and Media Studies, but also increasingly by Translation Studies (Mejías-Climent 2017; O’Hagan 2007; Vázquez-Calvo et al. 2019). However, there is still little research focusing on how mobile game localizers construe poly-semiotic texts and their subcomponents during the translation process. Due to certain factors, the textual components of video games are commonly separated from its audiovisual elements before being sent to localization experts, who are then confronted with disassembled “texts” forced back to monomodality. Furthermore, the “text” is intertwined with programming languages and subdivided into disconnected snippets. Thus, video game localizers constantly perform what is often called “blind” translation (Dietz 2006, 2007; O’Hagan and Mangiron 2013; Mejías-Climent 2021). The present piece of research focuses on the notion of the multimodal “text” as a “web of texts” (Gambier 2021) in the field of mobile game localization from Chinese into European languages and other Eastern languages. It analyses how professional localizers perform their meaning-making processes in regard to “text” and “context” in such a medium and explores how they strive to reinstate multimodality through (re)contextualization. The study replicated “blind” localization processes via a video game translation test finished and commented on by respondents under context-scarce conditions. Data was then triangulated with online surveys and interviews to assess localizers’ considerations towards the “text” as a “web of texts.” Through quantitative and qualitative coding, the paper explores the different elements present in the web(s) and offers a view of the mobile game as a vast entity seen by the translator from an incredibly limited and limiting element, that of the monomodal “text.” Results show that mobile game localizers construct, re-construct, and co-construct the “text” according to previous gaming and translation experiences, or even imagined representations of how, why, and where “texts” are embedded.