Special Relationship Research Articles

Investigating Nudges toward Related Sellers on E-commerce Marketplaces: A Case Study on Amazon

E-commerce marketplaces provide business opportunities to millions of sellers worldwide. Some of these sellers have special relationships with the marketplace by virtue of using their subsidiary services (e.g., fulfillment and/or shipping services provided by the marketplace) -- we refer to such sellers collectively as Related Sellers. When multiple sellers offer to sell the same product, the marketplace helps a customer in selecting an offer (by a seller) through (a) a default offer selection algorithm, (b) showing features about each of the offers and the corresponding sellers (price, seller performance metrics, seller's number of ratings etc.), and (c) finally evaluating the sellers along these features. In this paper, we perform an end-to-end investigation into how the above apparatus can nudge customers toward the Related Sellers on Amazon's four different marketplaces in India, USA, Germany and France. We find that given explicit choices, customers' preferred offers and algorithmically selected offers can be significantly different. We highlight that Amazon is adopting different performance metric evaluation policies for different sellers, potentially benefiting Related Sellers. For instance, such policies result in notable discrepancy between the actual performance metric and the presented performance metric of Related Sellers. We further observe that among the seller-centric features visible to customers, sellers' number of ratings influences their decisions the most, yet it may not reflect the true quality of service by the seller, rather reflecting the scale at which the seller operates, thereby implicitly steering customers toward larger Related Sellers. Moreover, when customers are shown the rectified metrics for the different sellers, their preference toward Related Sellers is almost halved. We believe our findings will inform and encourage further deliberation toward more effective governance of such design choices and policies adopted by e-commerce marketplaces.

Stationarity of the Special Relationship Between the Geographical Distribution of Body Size and Day Length in Japanese Adolescents: Spatial and Temporal Analysis Using a GTWR Model.

Northern Japanese children tend to have larger physiques; however, the underlying cause remains unknown. Previous geographical correlation analyses revealed an unusual trend; effective day length was negatively correlated with height and positively correlated with weight (adjusted for height). This paradoxical relationship suggests a thyroid hormone-like effect and possible photoperiodic response. This study aimed to determine whether this phenomenon remains consistent over time and across different regions of Japan. We used geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) to examine whether the relationship between height and effective day length, which differs from the relationship between weight and effective day length, varies by location and time. GTWR models each observation point separately, allowing for spatial and temporal variations. The analysis included the average height and weight data of children and adolescents by prefecture from 1989 to 2019, along with effective day length considering illuminance above 5000 lx derived from the agrometeorological grid square data. Height was used as the dependent variable, whereas weight and effective day length were used as independent variables. For height estimation, the coefficients of weight and effective day length were consistently positive and negative, respectively, although the regression coefficients showed minor geographical and temporal variations. The opposite correlation between height and effective day length and that between weight and effective day length were consistent. This suggests that the phenomenon is more likely driven by environmental factors than by economic or genetic influences.

Ending a special relationship: Toward an ethics of divorce

Abstract Romantic partnerships are typically among the most important goods in our lives. But love sometime ends, and so too do relationships. Divorcing partners are particularly vulnerable to being wronged and harmed. The aim of this paper is to develop an ethics of divorce, by establishing that divorce is a condition for the possibility of the distinct value of romantic partnerships. Different sets of rights are specified here: the divorcee's right to explanation, the right to participation and the right to transitional goods; and the divorcer's right to relational freedom. Violations of these rights indicate the distinct wrongs and harms of divorce. The paper then explains the corresponding duties in divorce that might avoid these wrongs and mitigate these harms, and highlights the distinct status of these duties: while they continue to be special, they are residual duties grounded in the fact that the partners once committed to their partnership.

From “special relationship” to “strategic partnership”: prospects for renewal of Canada-CARICOM relations in a polarizing global political economy

ABSTRACT This paper assesses the prospect for a renewed era of bilateral cooperation amongst Canada and the Caribbean Community. It argues that ongoing efforts to operationalize the Canada-CARICOM Strategic Partnership entail promising preliminary signs, but that substantive renewal requires a new mutual fidelity encompassing credible commitments toward a more equitable political profit-sharing arrangement. For Canada’s part, these include enhancing domestic market access for key CARICOM exporters, explicit recognition of vulnerable CARICOM business sectors, effective legal protections for temporary foreign workers, and a new juridical approach toward naturalized legal offenders. For CARICOM, credibility entails renewed efforts at integrating member-state firms into Canadian value chains alongside a new collective vision for regional development. En lieu of such commitments the new strategic partnership seems destined to perpetuate an increasingly listless bilateral continuum.

Water Architectures in the Alto Guadiana River

Along the hydrographic axis of the Alto Guadiana River, there is a collection of architectures built at different times and with diverse uses whose raison d'être is their special relationship with water. The vast majority of these architectural pieces are today abandoned or underused. This research aims to underline their value, highlight the relationship between buildings and water, and reflect on the opportunities they represent, understanding that they are key pieces of the landscape and play an essential role in it.This article presents a narrative that intertwines the architectures of water with the territory and time in an intimate way, giving them a new meaning and therefore opening the door to new opportunities. As we walk through the landscape, the narrative that unites these architectural pieces becomes visible, giving them a new significance and thus completing the landscape.

(Cautiously) Embracing pro-Palestinian activism in Singapore: civil society in illiberal regimes

ABSTRACT This paper explores the rise of pro-Palestine activism in Singapore. In illiberal regimes like the city–state, the political opportunities for activists to assert themselves are limited, though not non-existent. It is thus instructive to witness how the new surge of pro-Palestine activism in the country, and indeed, worldwide, has been dealt with by the government. I make the following claims. First, while the overall thrusts of Singapore’s foreign and domestic policies remain the same with regard to the Israel–Palestine conflict, especially on Singapore’s special relationship with Israel, the People’s Action Party (PAP) government has given clear concessions to the pro-Palestinian camp. Second, this balancing act is done with domestic electoral and political goals in mind. The issue has special resonance among younger Singaporeans and the Muslim community, and the government is well-aware of that. Politically, if not dealt with properly, the matter could also be a potential racial-religious fault-line, which is why political sophistication was needed to appease the various sides in society. The implication is that even in less democratic polities like Singapore, activists can make significant gains in the realm of both public opinion and policy. This study is situated within the literature on civil society-state relations.

Ethnic Environmentalism in the Russian Regions: National Identity and Nature Protection

Increased public awareness of environmental problems and the strengthening of diverse identities may lead to the emergence of ‘ethnic environmentalism’. These movements make environmental claims associated with the interests of an ethnic community. We develop this concept by examining protests in the Russian regions. Our findings suggest that ethnic identity facilitates environmental activism under the following conditions: the ethnic group claims a special cultural relationship to the natural environment; environmental concern and ethnic identity are linked to the unfair distribution of resources; and blame is directed towards regional actors rather than the federal government.

UK Labour Party Leaders' Attitudes to Conventional Threats to National Security, 2023-2024

Introduction. The article focuses on the securitisation of power threats in the public speeches of the UK Labour Party leaders (Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Defence Minister John Healey and Foreign Secretary David Lammy) during the 2023-2024 election campaign. An attempt has been made to highlight the commonalities and peculiarities in the approach of the current and previous British governments to countering the main threats to national security. Materials and methods. The paper combines qualitative and quantitative approaches: a critical content analysis of sources and discourse analysis in an electoral context (using data from sociological surveys) are conducted, while the frequency of word usage in the public speeches of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is analysed using the tools of quantitative analysis of big data (R programming language). The methodological basis of the work is the theory of securitisation proposed by the Copenhagen School of the theory of international relations.Research results. It is concluded that the main change in London's foreign policy after Labour's victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections will be the prioritisation of security cooperation with European states. Labour Party leaders do not question the need for ‘dual containment’ of Russia and China, but they give the ‘China threat’ secondary importance: there are noticeable differences within the party on this issue. On the other hand, Labour's position on the ‘special relationship’ with the United States is characterised by a steady continuity with the Conservative government's approach. The need to deepen cooperation in Euro-Atlantic security structures (primarily NATO) and continental formats (EI2, JEF) is stated.Discussion and conclusion. On the basis of qualitative examination of policy documents and statements of the Labour Party leaders, as well as quantitative analysis of big data, conclusions are drawn about the key elements of potential continuity and variability in the foreign policy of London before and after the parliamentary elections on July 4, 2024. The results of the work can be useful in forecasting changes in the foreign policy of Great Britain after the victory of Labour in the parliamentary elections of 2024. The theoretical importance of the work lies in the fact that the article proposes a new methodology for quantitative analysis of the foreign policy of the UK.

LARGE INFERIOR RECTUS RECESSION WITHOUT LOWER LID RETRACTION: TWO INCREDIBLE TECHNIQUES

Relevance. Lower lid retraction is a frequent undesirable result following inferior rectus recession operations. Especially in relatively larger amounts of recession, a special and close relationship between lower lid retractors and muscular fascia makes the complication more severe. Purpose of the study. To introduce two methods that allow wide inferior rectus recession without causing lower eyelid retraction and to evaluate the long-term results. Material and methods. There were 25 cases and 18 control group cases in first operation technique named ‘ninety percent of posterior fibers recession of inferior rectus’ which can be perform for any vertical deviation without muscle fibrosis; and 8 cases were in second operation technique which named ‘muscle elongation with both organic tissue and non-absorbable suture’. Results and conclusion. In both technique patients’ deviation corrected and all ocular movement was free. Both operation techniques, which introduces by us, does not affected lower lid retractor and operations has both effective results and no lid problem.

Foreign Policy Priorities of European Landlocked Microstates

A ‘Microstate’ is defined in its simplest form by a very small surface area and a very small population ratio. On the other hand, a ‘Landlocked’ country, again in its simplest definition, is a state without access to the sea. These two geographical characteristics create natural disadvantages when they are combined and the states having said characteristics are expected to have a lower level of prosperity. However the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Republic of San Marino, all possessing these characteristics in Europe do not experience the expected disadvantages in the same manner. The present study, focusing on the foreign policy tendencies of these 3 states, analyses how they overcome the geographical disadvantages. As they have strong neighbours, memberships to international organisations and special relationships with EU, in our day above mentioned states do not encounter difficulties in trade, development or simply about ‘existing’. Within this framework, the study focuses on how these states overcome, thanks to their geographical situation, the disadvantages of their unfavourable conditions.

대북원조 역사에서 남북협력기금의 개발재원 역할 재조명: OECD CRS 기준 적용을 중심으로

Purpose: This study aims to elucidate the role of South Korea's aid to North Korea as a development resource and to identify its characteristics in comparison to major donor countries. Originality: For North Korea, where exports and foreign investments are limited, foreign aid represents a critical resource for development. Should progress be made on the North Korean nuclear issue, the demand for development in North Korea is expected to surge, and the role of the IKCF is anticipated to expand. This study is significant as a foundational research effort to enhance the utilization of the IKCF as a development resource. Methodology: It categorizes IKCF programs from 1995 to 2022 into development aid projects and projects based on the unique inter-Korean relationship. It reclassifies the programs using the OECD CRS and compares the aid patterns of major donors to highlight the distinctive features of South Korea's aid to North Korea. Result: Initially, the IKCF had a strong character as a development resource, but since the early 2000s, the proportion of projects based on the special inter-Korean relationship has increased, giving the fund a dual character. Since 2008, the significant reduction in aid to North Korea has diminished its development resource role. Comparing sectoral allocation patterns of South Korea and major donors shows these patterns vary depending on key donor countries, reflecting international circumstances and donor characteristics rather than North Korea’s needs. In the mid-2000s, aid through NGOs increased, focusing on ‘productive sectors’ despite criticism for small, fragmented projects. Conclusion and Implication: Given fluctuating international circumstances, diversifying aid to North Korea cooperation with other donors is necessary. To enhance future aid effectiveness, integrating small-scale development projects by private organizations through consortia and addressing sectoral imbalances from a long-term perspective is crucial.

Transfer Pricing Decisions: Tax Income, Exchange Rate, Tunneling Incentive and Multinationality

Transfer pricing can be misapplied by the company by transferring taxable income to subsidiaries and companies with special relationships to significantly push down the tax expense. This research aims to determine factors that can affect transfer pricing decisions. Those factors include tax income, exchange rates, tunnelling incentives, and multinationals. The research object of this research is a company from the consumer non-cyclical sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2017 to 2021. The samples are eight companies selected with purposive sampling technique, resulting in 40 observation data. The analysis technique implemented in this research is panel data regression tested Eviews12. This research reveals that tax income and tunnelling incentives negatively influence transfer pricing decisions. At the same time, the exchange rate and multi-nationality do not affect transfer pricing decisions. Variable tax income, exchange rate, tunnelling incentives, and multinationals have simultaneously affected transfer pricing decisions.

Rita Levi-Montalcini: From Persecution to the Nobel Prize and an Honorary Degree From a Canadian University.

Rita Levi-Montalcini (RLM) is recognized as a prestigious and renowned researcher of her time. She was the fourth woman to earn the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1986 for the discovery of nerve growth factor (NGF). We review her biography and scientific discovery, and provide an example of why her discovery is still important. She had a special relationship with McGill University, Canada, which we describe. We searched for articles and books about her for biographical and scientific material and met with Dr. Claudio Cuello, Former Chair of McGill's Faculty of Medicine. RLM was born in 1909 in Turin, Italy, where she had studied medicine. She started her career in research. Because of the anti-Jewish racial laws in Italy in 1938, she went underground and continued her projects in her bedroom. After the war, she visited St. Louis, USA, and conducted research there. Her experiments confirmed that tumors release a factor that causes nerve growth and cancer proliferation. Initially, scientists responded to this discovery with skepticism, but after its purification in 1959 and determination of its protein structure in 1971, NGF became widely accepted.Currently, crosstalk between cancers and nerves is poorly understood. The example of prostate cancer shows that surgical or chemical denervation of sympathetic nerves prevents the initiation of prostate tumors, whereas inhibition of parasympathetic nerve signaling reduces the spread of prostate cancer. McGill University awarded RLMa doctoral degree in 2011. It was the first time in itshistory that the University awarded an honorary doctorate outside of Canada, and the second one outside of Quebec.Through her discovery of NGF, RLM exemplified the power of passion and determination despite the obstacles she faced. Her relentless dedication has led to remarkable achievements.

MEDIEVAL SCHOLASTIC GUILDS MEMBERS (on the issue of relations with urban and university environment)

Medieval universities were the centre of intellectual thought of their era. They had left a deep mark on the cultural life of national states. Most universities emerged either near a town or within its walls. This forced the town and the university to build their own system of relations; while the ‘scholastic guild’ imposed certain requirements on the students, in particular on their appearance, behaviour and form of study. The paper showed that what acted as a kind of ideal for the university, was the monastic dormitory, the modesty of students, the pursuit of knowledge. Thus, clothing was to reflect the status of a student, belonging to a certain faculty or being a compatriot. Stiletto shoes, cold weapons, ostentatious wealth – all these things were forbidden to wear or to possess. The form of study and the programme of classes were also regulated by the university administration. A special relationship was formed with the surrounding urban environment in the ‘guild’ members. It was important to control new inhabitants in the town, the timeliness of students’ payment of their hired accommodation; many of the above responsibilities were assigned to the masters. In most conflicts between the parties, the royal authority would accept the position of the universities. As a result, in Cambridge in particular, the model of ‘Cambridge – a city within a university’ formed.

Egertől Rióig, Riótól Pozsonyig?

Although Hungary was never part of the Iberosfera, thanks to the Habsburg dynasty, there existed a special historical relationship between them during centuries. It is a matter of honor to research and explore this connection between Hungary and the Lusophony. As we can see, there was a direct connection between the Napoleonic Wars, the pro Habsburg attitude of the Hungarian nation, and the independence of Brazil through the person of Archduchess Leopoldina, Royal Princess of Hungary and Empress consort of Brazil, who played a key role in the process. On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the independence of Brazil, we should commemorate with dignity the Archduchess Leopol dina, the common hero of the Brazilian and Hungarian nations.

Protein Visualizer 2.0: Intuitive and Interactive Visualization of Protein Topology and Co/Post-Translational Modifications.

Topology and post-translational modifications (PTMs) are critical features in studying the structures and functions of proteins. Several popular and detailed protein visualization algorithms are available for such studies, such as PyMOL, NCBI's iCn3D, UniProt PTM viewing, and Protter. However, none of the studies depict the special relationships between key structural features such as N-glycosylation, disulfide bonds, potential N-glycosylation sites (free sequons), potential disulfide bonds (free cysteine sites), and protein topology in a way conducive to detailed analyses. We introduce Protein Visualizer 2.0 (https://sfu-sun-lab.github.io/protein-visualizer-2.0/), a web-based tool that visualizes these features and the topology of all human proteins. This tool allows users to readily assess potential conflicts among predicted protein topology and known co/post-translational modifications. This tool also helps to reveal hidden relationships among displayed structural features.

Maximum torque per ampere control of permanent magnet reluctance hybrid rotor dual stator synchronous motor based on sliding mode speed controller

AbstractThis paper proposes a maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) control method for a permanent magnet reluctance hybrid rotor dual stator synchronous motor (PMRHRDSSM) based on a sliding mode speed controller, in response to the complex and special electromagnetic relationship of the motor. The paper focuses on the special electromagnetic relationship of PMRHRDSSM with stator winding series structure. Firstly, the trajectory equation of PMRHRDSSM MTPA stator current vector is derived, and based on the relationship between PMRHRDSSM torque and reluctance dq‐axis current, a PMRHRDSSM current controller that meets MTPA constraints is designed. Afterwards, a PMRHRDSSM sliding mode speed controller was designed with input speed error and output reference torque. Finally, an experimental platform for the proposed control method was established, and the control method was experimentally validated.

Histaminergic System and Vestibular Function in Normal and Pathological Conditions.

Most neurotransmitter systems are represented in the central and peripheral vestibular system and are thereby involved both in normal vestibular signal processing and the pathophysiology of vestibular disorders. However, there is a special relationship between the vestibular system and the histaminergic system. The purpose of this review is to document how the histaminergic system interferes with normal and pathological vestibular function. In particular, we will discuss neurobiological mechanisms such as neuroinflammation that involve histamine to modulate and allow restoration of balance function in the situation of a vestibular insult. These adaptive mechanisms represent targets of histaminergic pharmacological compounds capable of restoring vestibular function in pathological situations. The clinical use of drugs targeting the histaminergic system in various vestibular disorders is critically discussed.

Special Legal Relationships and Liability Issues in Relation to Evidence Handed over to A Forensic Expert by a Civil Court

The paper takes a recent case as a starting point to examine how the disappearance of the object of examination from a forensic expert appointed by the trial court should be assessed in the light of civil law, civil procedure and constitutional law. The analysis will focus on the specific legal relationships and liabilities associated with the appointment of an expert. The theoretical conclusions on these issues are the starting point for the fundamental question, of constitutional importance, of whether a judgment can be based on an expert’s opinion that was drawn up without the expert having returned the object of the examination although he should have done so. The study also attempts to answer this question.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Hypertensive Patients: The Role of Major Depressive Disorder.

There is a special relationship between major depressive disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness. However, given the negative impact of excessive daytime sleepiness on life quality and cardiovascular outcome in hypertensive patients, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential role played by major depressive disorder in the occurrence of this complaint for this particular subpopulation. Data from 1404 hypertensive patients recruited from the Sleep Unit's polysomnographic recordings database were analyzed. A score >10 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used to define excessive daytime sleepiness in this study. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the risk of excessive daytime sleepiness associated with major depressive disorder in hypertensive patients. Excessive daytime sleepiness was frequent (40.0%) in our sample of hypertensive patients. After adjustments for major confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that unlike remitted major depressive disorder, only current major depressive disorder was associated with a higher risk of excessive daytime sleepiness in hypertensive patients. Given this potential implication of current major depressive disorder in the occurrence of excessive daytime sleepiness for hypertensive patients, it is therefore essential to achieve the complete remission of this psychiatric disorder to avoid negative consequences associated with this complaint in this particular subpopulation.