Strong Sense Research Articles

Examining how consumers can love brands through internal storytelling

PurposeThis research aims to empirically test the boundary conditions under which the archetype-based narrative structure of storytelling brand advertisement through internal endorsement can generate brand love by making the consumers anthropomorphize the brand archetype.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies based on survey and experimentally designed stimuli were conducted to validate the conceptual framework. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and process macro on SPSS.FindingsThe results support that when the brand is endorsed in the storytelling ad by an internal endorser or storyteller, the narrative structure of the storytelling ad impacts brand love via the anthropomorphization of the brand archetype. The congruence between the internal storyteller’s personality and the archetype’s personality moderates the effect of the narrative structure on the anthropomorphization of the brand archetype, leading to brand love. The psychological sense of brand community further conditions the moderating impact of congruence.Originality/valueThe research provides insights to the brand marketers that internally endorsed archetype-based storytelling brand ads can be effective when the personality of the internal endorser is congruent with the personality of the archetype and the target consumers have a strong psychological sense of brand community.

Principal eigenvectors in hypergraph Turán problems

For a general class of hypergraph Turán problems with uniformity $r$, we investigate the principal eigenvector for the $p$-spectral radius (in the sense of Keevash-Lenz-Mubayi and Nikiforov) for the extremal graphs, showing in a strong sense that these eigenvectors have close to equal weight on each vertex (equivalently, showing that the principal ratio is close to $1$). We investigate the sharpness of our result; it is likely sharp for the Turán tetrahedron problem. In the course of this latter discussion, we establish a lower bound on the $p$-spectral radius of an arbitrary $r$-graph in terms of the degrees of the graph. This builds on earlier work of Cardoso-Trevisan, Li-Zhou-Bu, Cioabă-Gregory, and Zhang. The case $1 < p < r$ of our results leads to some subtleties connected to Nikiforov's notion of $k$-tightness, arising from the Perron-Frobenius theory for the $p$-spectral radius. We raise a conjecture about these issues and provide some preliminary evidence for our conjecture.

Scheduling a single machine with multiple due dates per job

AbstractIn this paper, we consider single-machine scheduling with multiple due dates per job. This is motivated by several industrial applications, where it is not important by how much we miss a due date. Instead the relevant objective is to minimize the number of missed due dates. Typically, this situation emerges whenever fixed delivery appointments are chosen in advance, such as in the production of individualized pharmaceuticals or when customers can only receive goods at certain days in the week, due to constraints in their warehouse operation. We compare this previously unexplored problem with classical due date scheduling, for which it is a generalization. We show that single-machine scheduling with multiple due dates is NP-hard in the strong sense if processing times are job dependent. If processing times are equal for all jobs, then single-machine scheduling with multiple due dates is at least as hard as the long-standing open problem of weighted tardiness with equal processing times and release dates $$1 \mid r_j, p_j = p \mid \sum w_j T_j$$ 1 ∣ r j , p j = p ∣ ∑ w j T j . Finally, we focus on the case of equal processing times and provide several polynomially solvable special cases as well as an exact branch-and-bound algorithm and heuristics for the general case. Experiments show that our branch-and-bound algorithm compares well to modern exact methods to solve problem $$1 \mid r_j, p_j = p \mid \sum w_{j} T_{j}$$ 1 ∣ r j , p j = p ∣ ∑ w j T j .

Challenges Face Exegetists in Rendering Quranic Euphemistic Expressions into English

The Arab Nomads were infamous for their brutal acts against humanity in the Pre-Islamic Era, also known as the age of ignorance. The introduction of Islam and its teachings by the Prophet Muhammad, who received the Holy Qur'an in Arabic, played a significant role in the transformation of the nomads into a more civilized society during the period of Islamic dominance in the Arabian Peninsula. Arabic is considered one of the most magnificent languages due to the elegance of its words, the sophistication of its grammar, the precision of its structures, and the versatility in expressing various concepts. Despite the fact that the ancestors of the Arabs were ancient people, the Arabs themselves were driven by a strong sense of compassion that extended to all their tribes. The ideas presented were indeed remarkable. In Arabic, euphemisms are used to soften sensitive topics, a linguistic feature shared with other languages. Euphemisms allow individuals to refer to a situation indirectly through the use of figurative language. Arabic encompasses the overarching term بلاغـــة (metonymy), with تـلطيـف (softness) being the most relevant co-hyponym. This study critically analyzes the differences and similarities in the use of euphemistic expressions between Arabic and English, shedding light on the linguistic and cultural aspects of both languages.

Spt5 orchestrates cryptic transcript suppression and transcriptional directionality

Spt5 is a well-conserved factor that manipulates multiple stages of transcription from promoter-proximal pausing (PPP) to termination. Recent studies have revealed an unexpected increase of antisense transcripts near promoters in cells expressing mutant Spt5. Here, we identify Spt5p-restricted intragenic antisense transcripts and their close relationship with sense transcription in yeast. We confirm that Spt5 CTR phosphorylation is also important to retain Spt5’s facility to regulate antisense transcription. The genes whose antisense transcription is strongly suppressed by Spt5p share strong endogenous sense transcription and weak antisense transcription, and this pattern is conserved in humans. Mechanistically, we found that Spt5p depletion increased histone acetylation to initiate intragenic antisense transcription by altering chromatin structure. We additionally identified termination factors that appear to be involved in the ability of Spt5p to restrict antisense transcription. By unveiling a new role of Spt5 in finely balancing the bidirectionality of transcription, we demonstrate that Spt5-mediated suppression of DSIF complex regulated-unstable transcripts (DUTs) is essential to sustain the accurate transcription by RNA polymerase II.

Sense of Purpose in Life Predicts University Performance and Attrition

Individual differences are important predictors of academic success. A sense of purpose in life is gaining increasing attention as a key individual difference factor to foster in university students. The current study examined whether a sense of purpose in life, a dispositional tendency to pursue goals and activities in line with one’s overarching life direction, predicted better academic success across several years of university. Students (n = 769) at a large, U.S. public university were asked to complete a baseline survey in the summer prior to entering university, which included measures for a sense of purpose and background characteristics. Students were then followed throughout their first three years of university. Results demonstrated that higher levels of purpose were associated with a higher grade point average (GPA), more credits earned, less credits dropped, and an increased odds of persisting through the first three years of university. A sense of purpose also appeared to buffer the negative effect of low entrance scores on university GPA. These findings support cultivating a strong sense of purpose prior to entering university as an effective means of improving a variety of academic outcomes.

What Motivates Students to Study Intermediate and Advanced Level Japanese at Australian Universities?

ABSTRACT This article discusses the results of a survey (N = 148) distributed in August 2021 to Australia-based Universities offering Intermediate and Advanced level Japanese. The survey was designed to understand what motivates students to continue their Japanese language studies to the upper levels and the impact of the COVID-19 associated switch to online learning on their motivation. The content of 23 online interviews is also addressed. The discussion includes details of the metadata which shows that most survey participants are domestic students and more than half speak a language in addition to English. Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) framework was used to analyse the motivational data and the results show that most students are self-motivated and committed to their Japanese language studies. They derive motivation from various sources, such as their positive learning experience, ‘Ideal Japanese self-image’, and interest in Japanese culture including J-Pop products. Less than half of participants perceived the COVID-19 associated switch to online to have affected their motivation and this includes two who experienced increased motivation. The findings show that Intermediate and Advanced level students have a strong sense of a future self who will use the language in their careers, for leisure, and with others.

Defining, Measuring, and Increasing “Rootedness” in the High Migration Context of Honduras

Executive Summary The notion of “rootedness” in the sociology and migration literature is not well defined despite its increasing use by academics and, especially, practitioners. Defining and measuring rootedness has been problematic given that it is often operationalized as, but is not fully captured by, a concept related to social capital, community attachment, and participation. Rootedness is also often thought of as solely the absence of the desire to migrate. However, we argue that an individual’s desire to stay can be just as important as the well-documented “root causes” of migration; that is, economic poverty, insecurity, and strong migration networks. We propose a working definition of the concept of rootedness based on an empirical analysis of data from a nationally representative survey in the high migration context of Honduras. We find that rootedness can both be defined as and measured by an individual’s agreement with the idea that where they live is their “true home” and that they “see a good future” in that location. We further find that rootedness can be increased via a strong sense of security (not only the absence of victimization) and active community support for youth. Programs and policies should therefore promote security that goes beyond just preventing crime and fosters a general sense of wellbeing. In particular, programs should promote efforts to ensure that youth are supported by incorporating them in community decision-making, listening to what youth propose, promoting youth participation, and supporting youth leadership. Importantly, income is not strongly associated with this definition of rootedness. This finding highlights the important role of non-economic factors in migration decisions. Even when income increases, it does not necessarily increase the aspiration to stay. To be rooted, as we conceive of it, means more than having sufficient income. In summary, the paper examines and offers a new understanding of the concept of “rootedness,” which speaks to why some members of a community want to migrate and others desire to remain in their home communities. Fleshing out our understanding of rootedness as a way to talk about and measure the desire to remain is therefore crucial to realizing the “right” or “freedom” to stay at home.

Adaptive enrichment trial designs using joint modelling of longitudinal and time-to-event data.

Adaptive enrichment allows for pre-defined patient subgroups of interest to be investigated throughout the course of a clinical trial. These designs have gained attention in recent years because of their potential to shorten the trial's duration and identify effective therapies tailored to specific patient groups. We describe enrichment trials which consider long-term time-to-event outcomes but also incorporate additional short-term information from routinely collected longitudinal biomarkers. These methods are suitable for use in the setting where the trajectory of the biomarker may differ between subgroups and it is believed that the long-term endpoint is influenced by treatment, subgroup and biomarker. Methods are most promising when the majority of patients have biomarker measurements for at least two time points. We implement joint modelling of longitudinal and time-to-event data to define subgroup selection and stopping criteria and we show that the familywise error rate is protected in the strong sense. To assess the results, we perform a simulation study and find that, compared to the study where longitudinal biomarker observations are ignored, incorporating biomarker information leads to increases in power and the (sub)population which truly benefits from the experimental treatment being enriched with higher probability at the interim analysis. The investigations are motivated by a trial for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and the parameter values for the simulation study are informed using real-world data where repeated circulating tumour DNA measurements and HER2 statuses are available for each patient and are used as our longitudinal data and subgroup identifiers, respectively.

Get ready: disaster preparedness and response for people with chronic illnesses living in hazard-prone Petone, Aotearoa New Zealand

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to understand how people living with chronic illness understand their healthcare needs, particularly as they can be disrupted by natural hazards events (e.g. earthquakes, flooding and landslides), which can result in chronic health conditions becoming acute. Research has shown that, because of such disruption, people with chronic illness face the greatest risk of adverse health outcomes during a disaster, placing significant demand on healthcare systems.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws on a narrative analysis of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight people who have a chronic illness and live in a hazard-prone location, namely Petone, Lower Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand.FindingsTwo major narrative themes were identified: “Social Capital”, which included the three subthemes of community, social connection and support and family and friends. Tellers also experienced a strong sense of “Independence”, as demonstrated through seven subthemes that included declaration, defiance, rules, experience, acceptance, responsibility, self-surveillance and self-management.Practical implicationsPractice output from this research includes the development of fit for purpose emergency management policies and other educational resources to ensure equity, access and choice for people with a chronic illness and their communities.Social implicationsThis research produces in-depth knowledge and insight into the preparedness and response needs of people who live with a chronic illness. This is an under-research area in disaster management in Aotearoa New Zealand.Originality/valueRoutine medical treatment for people living with chronic illness can be disrupted by natural hazard events (e.g. earthquakes, flooding and landslides), which can result in chronic health conditions becoming acute. Research has shown that, because of such disruption, the chronically ill face the greatest risk of adverse health outcomes during a disaster, placing significant demand on healthcare. This research investigates how people living with chronic illness experience disaster preparedness and response while residing in a hazard-prone location, namely Petone, Lower Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand. The study argues that it is imperative to acknowledge the experiences of people with chronic illness as they provide specific insights into their needs during a disaster.

Seed Grant Programs to Promote Community Transformation in Higher Education Institutions

Used in higher education for many decades, seed grants are now beginning to be applied as a strategy to advance diversity, equity and inclusion goals, including rebuilding community post-pandemic. There is little research on the effectiveness of seed grants for such communal goals. This work is innovative in two key ways. First, these seed grants focus on promoting a strong sense of community at the institution rather than promoting individual investigators and research projects. Second, engaging students and staff as principal investigators (PIs) disrupts power structures in the academy. We present a systematic analysis of seed grant project reports (n = 45) and survey data (n = 56) from two seed grant programs implemented at the same institution. A diverse set of projects was proposed and funded. Projects had a positive impact on awardees and their departments and colleges. Seed grant program activities were successful at building community among awardees and recognizing individual efforts. Most noteworthy are the career development opportunities for graduate students, postdocs and staff, which are afforded by changes to PI eligibility. We conclude that seed grant programs have the potential for organizational learning and change around community building in higher education.

The Decline in Mastery Goal Orientation and Person-Environment Fit and the Preventive Effect of Classroom Community: Examining Transitions Using Latent Growth Curve Modelling

<p style="text-align:justify">Students’ mastery goal orientation tends to decline over the course of compulsory school, especially after the transition to lower secondary school. According to stage-environment fit theory, secondary school is less accommodating to students' needs, interests, and abilities than primary school. In consequence, the perceived person-environment fit declines as well. It is assumed that a strong sense of classroom community in primary school can counteract a potential decline in both of these important individual aspects. Using data from the Swiss longitudinal research project WiSel (“Wirkungen der Selektion”; “Effects of Tracking”), we conducted a latent growth curve model (LGCM) to examine the correlation between the development of students' mastery goal orientation and the development of their person-environment fit during the transition from primary school to lower secondary school. Perceived classroom community was assumed to benefit from these developments. The results show that both mastery goal orientation and person-environment fit decrease during the transition to lower secondary school. A strong sense of classroom community in fifth grade leads to a smaller decline in both constructs. Implications for educational practice are discussed.</p>

The nexus of place attachment, spatial behaviour and subjective well-being. A pilot case of Indian expatriates in Dubai

ABSTRACT With ongoing migration worldwide, communities are becoming increasingly diverse. Therefore, understanding the expatriates’ aspects of subjective well-being requires multifaceted approach, which are mostly overlooked in terms of people’s relationship with their built environment. Focusing on Indian expatriates, who are significant portion of Dubai’s population, this research investigates their lived experiences and interactions with their spatial environment by exploring the concept of place attachment. Within the scope of a pilot study, a qualitative case study method has been employed, utilizing a phenomenological approach. This pilot study’s findings reveal that Indian expatriates, by engaging in spatial behaviours such as adapting to their new place of living, recreating elements from their places of origin, and re-establishing social circles, successfully cultivate a strong sense of place attachment, which contributes to their subjective well-being in the context of migration and the meaning of home.

‘Being a Social Worker … It's in My DNA’ Retaining Experienced Child and Family Social Workers: The Role of Professional Identity

ABSTRACTThe retention of experienced child and family social workers is a significant issue in the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe. Failure to retain experienced practitioners has serious implications for the protection and support of vulnerable children. Existing research and workforce interventions have focused on the support of early‐career social workers to prevent exit. Relatively few studies have examined what can be learned from experienced social workers who have remained in the profession long‐term. This study captures the voices of experienced stayers. Data consist of interviews with social workers (n = 58) across 11 local authorities in England who have remained in practice for ≥8 years. Findings suggest that a strong sense of professional identity (PI) sustains social workers and promotes retention. For experienced social workers, staying in the profession long‐term involves navigating a series of identity challenges over the course of their career, conceptualized here as Critical Career Episodes (CCEs). Based on these findings, we suggest that retaining experienced social workers involves support to navigate CCEs alongside meaningful opportunities for learning and development. We identify three key factors that support and sustain ongoing PI development and support retention: generativity, specialism and mobility. The article concludes with recommendations to support workforce retention.

Instilling social accountability into the health professions education curriculum with international case studies: AMEE Guide No. 175

This AMEE guide focuses on instilling social accountability (SA) concept and values into health professions education (HPE) curricula with the goal of producing competent, compassionate healthcare professionals who can act as change agents within the healthcare system. By incorporating SA, HPE schools will instil in their students a strong sense of accountability for addressing the health needs of the communities they serve. This AMEE guide presents a comprehensive framework for embedding SA into the HPE curriculum, covering various aspects in curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation. It also includes case studies of exemplary socially accountable curricula, highlighting the experiences of schools aspiring for SA. Acknowledging how curriculum is embedded in a larger institutional structure, and that SA requires institutional commitment in its governance structure and policies is also a critical component for consideration.

A Study on the Construction of Patriotism in Main Theme Film and Television Works

Mainstream cinematic works, with their distinctive perspectives and narrative styles, have emerged as vital vehicles for the promotion of patriotic sentiments. These productions, through their diverse and emotionally profound subject matter, not only provide audiences with visual and auditory delights but also ignite a strong sense of identity with the nation and its people. In recent years, as times evolve, the standard of creating such works has been continuously elevated, with themes becoming increasingly relatable to real life, striving to awaken dormant patriotism within viewers. Amid the global wave of cultural integration and collision, there is an ever-growing need for cinematic works to disseminate and fortify patriotic ideals. These mainstream films are not merely artistic creations but also cultural missions, employing in-depth explorations of history and modernity, individual and collective narratives, to forge novel expressions of patriotism.

Error analysis of kernel/GP methods for nonlinear and parametric PDEs

We introduce a priori Sobolev-space error estimates for the solution of arbitrary nonlinear, and possibly parametric, PDEs that are defined in the strong sense, using Gaussian process and kernel based methods. The primary assumptions are: (1) a continuous embedding of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space of the kernel into a Sobolev space of sufficient regularity; and (2) the stability of the differential operator and the solution map of the PDE between corresponding Sobolev spaces. The proof is articulated around Sobolev norm error estimates for kernel interpolants and relies on the minimizing norm property of the solution. The error estimates demonstrate dimension-benign convergence rates if the solution space of the PDE is smooth enough. We illustrate these points with applications to high-dimensional nonlinear elliptic PDEs and parametric PDEs. Although some recent machine learning methods have been presented as breaking the curse of dimensionality in solving high-dimensional PDEs, our analysis suggests a more nuanced picture: there is a trade-off between the regularity of the solution and the presence of the curse of dimensionality. Therefore, our results are in line with the understanding that the curse is absent when the solution is regular enough.

Exploring the landscape of automated species identification apps: Development, promise, and user appraisal

Abstract Two decades ago, Gaston and O'Neill (2004) deliberated on why automated species identification had not become widely employed. We no longer have to wonder: This AI-based technology is here, embedded in numerous web and mobile apps used by large audiences interested in nature. Now that automated species identification tools are available, popular, and efficient, it is time to look at how the apps are developed, what they promise, and how users appraise them. Delving into the automated species identification apps landscape, we found that free and paid apps differ fundamentally in presentation, experience, and the use of biodiversity and personal data. However, these two business models are deeply intertwined. Going forward, although big tech companies will eventually take over the landscape, citizen science programs will likely continue to have their own identification tools because of their specific purpose and their ability to create a strong sense of belonging among naturalist communities.

Career resources and securing quality work: graduate perspectives

ABSTRACT Empowering graduates to secure quality post-graduation employment is a key goal for higher education institutions and their students. University support in developing career resources may aid transition to work by enhancing social support and networks, fostering a strong sense of professional self, promoting career self-management, and instilling career confidence. Yet there lacks empirical understanding of these resources and the role they play, including how they interrelate, how they vary by personal characteristics, and how they are developed. This study examines how graduates fare in the labour market, characterises their career resources, and explores the relationship between career resources and graduate-level employment. These insights will contribute to theoretical understanding of building employability and inform effective employability programmes in higher education. The mixed-method approach encompasses an online survey of 324 bachelor graduates of Australian universities, followed by focus groups to further explore participants’ experiences. Employed graduates felt that their work did not align adequately with their degree-based knowledge and skills. Those with greater career confidence, social support, and career self-management experienced better outcomes, with these resources showing strong interconnections. Universities should consider a multi-faceted approach in developing employability, addressing multiple dimensions of career resources from the beginning of students’ degrees.

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Paradigm Shift towards Organizational Care for Employees’ Wellbeing

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gained significant attention in recent years, with organizations increasingly focusing on their impact on society and the environment. However, while many organizations prioritize external stakeholders, the well-being of internal stakeholders, particularly employees, is often overlooked. This article contends that an authentic socially responsible organization should care for the well-being of both external and internal stakeholders equally. Through a literature review, this study examined the concept of CSR in the context of employees’ well-being. It developed a conceptual framework to theorize how deliberate organizational initiatives can improve employees' overall well-being, ultimately contributing to their quality of work life and life satisfaction. The study highlights the importance of responsible organizations demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility towards their employees through organizational care and implementing sound workplace practices and policies. This study emphasizes the need for increased attention to the internal dimensions of CSR and greater transparency in reporting structured practices that support employees’ well-being.