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There has been a recent burgeoning of interest in the power of elite private schools in the UK. However, little attention has been paid to the propulsive power of the mechanisms in place within such schools that enable and support the mobilisation of valued forms of cultural capital such as 'ease'. Here, we draw upon unprecedented access to two elite private boys' secondary schools in England to show how what we conceptualise as a designed 'lack of design' within the elite school curriculum contributes to the formation of an elite habitus which is valued in the context of recruitment to elite higher educational and professional institutions. Ultimately, we argue that the practices described are misrecognised by stakeholders as taking place within an autonomous system, when this so-called autonomy or independence is very much informed by the signifiers of distinction upon which these schools sell themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aesthetics of grace, characterized by elegance and delicacy, is intrinsically connected to the concepts of life and vitality. However, the manifestation of life and liveliness in artistic works has not yet been adequately recognized from this perspective. This article explores the relationship between the aesthetic category of grace and the perception of life in art, aiming to develop a novel approach to vital art and its influencing factors. Utilizing a descriptive -analytical methodology with an ontological perspective, the study examines key viewpoints on the concepts of grace and life. Drawing on Bergson’s philosophy, particularly his theory of élan vital, the paper analyzes the connection between these two concepts. The findings indicate that the perception of grace depends on the qualities of ease and movement, which are intimately connected to life itself. The coexistence of these elements within an artwork fosters an understanding of wholeness and continuity (durée), thereby evoking a ‘sense of life’. Thus, the aesthetic framework of grace, through its two core semantic components, offers a valuable lens for understanding and evaluating the quality of life and vitality in works of art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid evolution of digital business necessitates adaptation. This study examines how service quality influences customer satisfaction and loyalty among BNI Mobile Banking users. A quantitative approach was employed to analyze 125 active BNI Mobile Banking customers with at least 5 million rupiah in savings and under 60 years old from the BNI KCP Ampel branch. Path analysis using Smart PLS 4.0 software was conducted to determine the relationships between service quality dimensions (assurance, convenience, reliability, efficiency) and customer satisfaction and loyalty. Results indicate that assurance, convenience, and reliability positively impact satisfaction, which in turn positively affects loyalty. While satisfaction mediates the influence of assurance and reliability on loyalty, it does not mediate the effects of comfort, efficiency, and convenience on loyalty. Essentially, the study found that improving assurance, convenience, and reliability of BNI Mobile Banking can enhance customer satisfaction, leading to increased loyalty. However, comfort, efficiency, and convenience directly impact loyalty without being mediated by satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This global religion, which addresses all people of every race across the entire earth, must possess characteristics and features that are in line with the conditions and circumstances of people in different regions of the world. Therefore, it comes with rulings and legislation characterized by ease and flexibility. There is no religious duty or ritual that lacks the divine facilitation, making it possible for individuals to practice them, as God Almighty never burdens a soul beyond its capacity, This article highlights the manifestations of ease in Islamic law regarding acts of worship, focusing on how this principle is applied in various aspects of worship. It begins by defining ease and explains how it facilitates the performance of worship through Quranic texts and prophetic traditions. It discusses major acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage, illustrating how they are made easier according to individual needs and circumstances, The principle of ease and tolerance in Islam is clearly evident in acts of worship, as all these acts are based on the principle of facilitation and easing the burden on people. Allah has distinguished the Muslim Ummah from other nations through this ease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the factors encouraging private vehicle users to switch to the KRL Line. With population growth and transportation needs in the Cisauk Sub-district, it is necessary to understand that many commuter users still choose private vehicles, even though KRL offers advantages such as low-cost efficiency in time. This research uses a qualitative approach with group and discussion methods to identify factors influencing decisions. The data was analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach with the Nvivo 12 application. The results showed that convenience, stations, and parking facilities influence mode switching. This research is expected to provide recommendations to KRL operators and policymakers to improve service quality and support facilities so that more private vehicle users switch to public transportation. In addition, this study provides practical advice for developing public transportation in other areas with similar characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the maturation of computer-aided technology, many famous acoustic simulation software have appeared around the world. Researchers can use the software to evaluate the sound quality of the performance spaces. However, most popular software require high levels of professionalism for operators, and 3D model visualization is not intuitive enough. Aiming at these problems, this paper designs and implements an acoustic simulation system for performance space based on Unity 3D and C++. According to the system's functional design, it can be divided into two modules: the model configuration module and the acoustical parameter prediction module. We develop various modeling tools in the model configuration module and use modified image source method to simulate room impulse response in the acoustical parameter prediction module. Then, acoustical parameters such as reverberation time, clarity, definition, and speech transmission index are computed. We take Hengdian theater as an example of experimental test, and compare the results with EASE simulation results and measurements. The system test shows that the acoustic simulation system has better visualization and is easier to operate. And in this case, the absolute errors of the simulation values of each acoustical parameter are almost closer to the measurements than those of EASE, which proves that the simulation values of the system in this paper are more accurate to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adab Al-Basrah is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Data-driven 3D digital clothing is a frontier research field of digital clothing with important theoretical significance and engineering value. In this paper, graph neural network was introduced into the representation of 3D clothing point cloud prototype. On the basis of human body feature recognition, the test sample of the graph neural network was obtained by adding ease to the human body feature point cloud. Then, the selected T-shirt clothing samples were divided into several surface models according to different parts, and the training samples of the graph neural network were sub-point cloud data obtained by using down-sampling operations on these surface models. The prototype representation model of clothing point cloud was generated by the feature training of all training samples through the graph neutral network. Finally, the distance value between the upsampling result and the reference point cloud was used to analyze the representation effect of the graph neural network model and the clothing prototype of the same structure. Compared with the point cloud of garment prototype constructed by other models, this method has better representation effect of three-dimension point cloud prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Positive prospective mental imagery plays an important role in mental well-being, and depressive symptoms have been associated with difficulties in generating positive prospective mental images (PPMIs). We used a mobile app to gather PPMIs generated by young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzed content, characteristics, and associations with depressive symptoms. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial with 95 healthy young adults allocated into two groups (intervention and control). Participants used the mobile app decreasing mental health symptoms for seven consecutive days. Fifty participants in the intervention group reported PPMIs at least three times per day using a mobile app inducing PPMI generation. We categorized entries into themes and applied moderation models to investigate associations between PPMI characteristics and depressive symptoms. Results: We distinguished 25 PPMI themes. The most frequent were related to consuming food and drinks, watching TV/streaming platforms, and doing sports. Vividness and ease of generation of PPMIs, but not their anticipation, pleasure intensity or number of engagements with the app were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Conclusions: We identified PPMI themes in young adults and found significant negative associations between depressive symptoms and vividness and generation ease of PPMIs. These results may inform prevention and intervention science, including the design of personalized interventions. We discuss implications for future studies and treatment development for individuals experiencing diminished PPMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses how Islamic shariah recommends opting for the easier path i.e. to prefer ease instead of hardship The Messenger of Allah and his blessed companions have always taken the easier path. They have always tried to create ease for the people. This legal maxim and its application in Islamic law is being considered in this article.

This article contains a basic research that aims to explain the truth of the mass concern a (general affliction), the legitimacy, causes and relationship of the mass concern (general affliction) with the purposes of the sharia, its connection with the sharia evidences along with the relevant jurisprudential examples. There is no sharia ruling unless it fulfills an expedient based on the preservation of religion, life, intellect, generation, or property, and this matter appears in the Islamic sharia as a whole, and there cannot be a sharia ruling unless it is aimed at one of them. Sometimes for people, customs and traditions arise and there is a need, and there are conditions other than normal conditions and situations, such as the general bill, where the continuation of the ruling with it in a particular incident causes evils and corruption, and the corruption prevails over the interests, as the first expediency is lost and it causes severe hardship for the responsible on the obligors, and the compatibility of the ruling with the situation that was favorable is broken by legislation, so this ruling is no longer suitable for it and expediency is the intention, so the principles of sharia require that the ruling another one should replace it in order to ward off those evils and solve this affliction from the obligated persons. In this article, we examined the ruling of mass concern (general affliction), its reasons and discipline, so that all its primary rulings are included in the Islamic sharia and people should implement them in their individual and social lives, and without a doubt, the religion of Islam is the religion of ease and comfort, and it wants ease and removal of afflictions from our lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze and obtain empirical evidence about the influence of the use of Mobile Banking by students of the accounting study program as generation z through interest. This research was conducted at the Majapahit Islamic University, Mayjen Sungkono University, and STIE Al-Anwar. The data used in this study used a questionnaire. The sampling method used convenience sampling. The number of samples collected was 90 students. The data analysis techniques used by the researchers were descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. To analyze the data, we use Partial Least Square (PLS). PLS-SEM analysis uses the outer model and the inner model. The results of the study prove that the benefit variable does not affect the attitude variable. The convenience variable and the attitude variable have a significant positive effect on interest. Attitude variables do not affect the decision process variables of Accounting study program students in using Mobile Banking. Attitude variables have a significant positive effect on the decision process variables of students in the Accounting study program in using Mobile Banking through the interest variable.

Introduction: Research with multiarticulating prosthetic hands on patient-reported ease of activities of daily living (ADLs) and usefulness is still limited. This study aimed at comparing ease of ADL performance and usefulness of two common multiarticulating prosthetic hands. Methods: Twenty subjects with transradial amputation wearing the bebionic (n = 10) or i-Limb (n = 10) hands were assessed with a hybrid Orthotics and Prosthetics User Survey–Upper Extremity Functional Status (OPUS-UEFS)/Prosthetic Upper Extremity Functional Index (PUFI) outcome measure previously used in a study with another multigrip prosthetic hand. Results: There were no significant differences between the bebionic and i-Limb hands. However, the analysis of individual activities revealed that each multiarticulating hand had specific strengths and weaknesses compared with a historic control group with conventional myoelectric hands. Discussion: Both multiarticulating hands may improve ease of performing ADLs compared with conventional myoelectric hands. However, more grip types available do not necessarily result in greater ease or usefulness compared with advanced hands with fewer grip types. Conclusions: Clinicians must match the patients' functional needs with the differential functional profiles of the available multiarticulating hands. Clinical Relevance: The present study is the first to provide comparative patient-reported outcomes on 3 multigrip prosthetic hands as well as standard myoelectric hands in 23 common ADLs. The distinct patient-reported ease and usefulness profiles of the different hands may inform and support clinicians' decision-making on hand selection for individual patients with transradial amputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Indonesian Journal of Business & Entrepreunership is the property of IPB University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The goal of this study is to discover how the Shopee Mojokerto market's consumers make purchasing decisions in relation to product ratings, convenience, trust, and pricing. Design/methodology/approach: A good illustration of quantitative research is this. A purposive sampling technique was used to interview 100 respondents for this study's sample. The data analysis approach employs multiple linear regression analysis, t-tests, and F-tests. SPSS 21 is used to do the computations. Findings: The test results reveal that in the Shopee market in Mojokerto, convenience, trust, and price have a favorable and considerable influence on purchasing decisions, but product dimensions have minimal effect. The primary factor influencing Mojokerto Shopee purchases is easy. Paper type: Research paper

Human impacts on the Earth have become so pervasive as to drive global scale changes leading some scientists to propose a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. A name which reflects the huge and sweeping changes human activities have caused to the Earth. Furthermore, these rapidly expanding and accelerating activities threaten to push aspects of the Earth system beyond the relatively stable and safe space in which the entirety of human history occurred, the Holocene. This safe operating space is characterised by a set of nine planetary boundaries1 within which humanity should be able to continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. These include: climate change, biosphere integrity, biogeochemical flows and freshwater use. Crossing these boundaries risks generating large-scale, rapid or irreversible environmental changes.Reducing the environmental impact of our activities in order to keep within a safe operating space for humanity and the linked goal of providing a basic social foundation for everyone requires global actions. Every individual, company, institution and organisation, whether large or small, public or private, needs to contribute – ‘think global, act local’. Scientific publishing as a key player in discussing and disseminating research on climate heating and the biodiversity crisis has transformed from print to digital journals and e-books over recent decades but we must do more.The European Association of Science Editors (EASE) is an international community of individuals and associations engaged in science communication and editing. As such, EASE can help and support its members to engage in different ways to achieve and communicate efforts to reduce our environmental footprints for example by becoming carbon neutral (or even carbon negative) irrespective of the type of organisation they work in.Below are some suggestions for how editors can take steps to reduce their environmental footprint in their own particular circumstances and thereby contribute to the overall effort to reduce environmental damages. Not all suggestions will be relevant to everyone and structural or organisational change will have a greater impact than individual actions, but together we can make a difference.

E-Banking has transformed the banking industry in Nigeria with several new products and ways of conducting the banking business. This has led to increase competition in the banking sector and also to need to better satisfy bank customers. Therefore, there is a need to explore options that can improve customer satisfaction. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of perceived ease of use and security of e-banking on customers' satisfaction in Abuja. The data of this study was collected from primary source using questionnaire to obtain responses frombank customers. The collected data was the analyzed using correlation and regression analysiswith the SPSS version 20. Consequently, the findings from the study showed that perceived ease of use and security positively and significantly influence customers satisfaction of first bank customers in Abuja. The correlation analysis showed that there is a significant and positive relationship between E-banking attributes and customer satisfaction. Therefore, the study recommends that banks should improve the user friendliness of their e-banking channels and increase the level of encryption of their security to improve customers experience and increase satisfaction.

The modernization of the tax administration system includes self-registration as a taxpayer through e-registration, filling out electronic tax returns through e-SPT, making tax payment codes through e-billing, filling out tax invoices through e-Faktur, and electronic tax reporting through e-filing. . This study aims to determine the factors that influence the intention of taxpayers in using e-filing at the Semarang City Pratama Tax Service Office. The sampling technique used was convenience sampling. This study's sample number was 150 individual taxpayers registered at the KPP Pratama Semarang City. It is collecting data using a questionnaire. The method of analysis in this study is multiple linear regression analysis, calculated using SPSS 23. The results of this study indicate that perceived usefulness, perceived convenience, attitudes, subjective norms, behavioral control, and volunteerism do not affect taxpayers' intention to use e-filing. The perception of understanding, security, and confidentiality affect taxpayers' intention to use e-filing. The suggestions are: 1. It is expected to conduct counseling or socialization of taxpayers who have not used e-filing so that taxpayer knowledge about e-filing can increase. 2. It is expected to improve the security and confidentiality of the data of taxpayers who have used e-filing. It is expected to conduct counseling or socialization of taxpayers who have not used e-filing so that taxpayer knowledge about e-filing can increase. 2. It is expected to improve the security and confidentiality of the data of taxpayers who have used e-filing. It is expected to conduct counseling or socialization of taxpayers who have not used e-filing so that taxpayer knowledge about e-filing can increase. 2. It is expected to improve the security and confidentiality of the data of taxpayers who have used e-filing.

Covid-19 is seen as a black swan event widely affecting almost all sectors and sending a wave of uncertainty for micro, small, and medium enterprises (henceforth MSMEs) in Indonesia. Despite being the most affected, these sectors could stand under this pressure, remain, and regrow faster following this hit. The government, referring to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation and several delegated regulations, intends to ease, protect, and empower the MSMEs and bring them further as leading sectors to recover the economy in Indonesia. This research aims to evaluate the degree of success of 28 government-driven programs according to Job Creation Law focused on the three aspects: ease, protection, and empowerment. With a backcasting method, it is necessary to work backwards to identify existing regulations and programs run at present time. Through constructive cross-examination, this research reveals that 15 programs worked successfully, 10 programs indicated an average degree of success, and 3 programs were categorized as poor degrees of success. This indicates that in general, the government’s programs aiming to ease, protect, and empower the MSMEs amidst the pandemic can serve as a legal breakthrough for the revival of the MSMEs. However, some programs need improvement to maximise the impact on the MSMEs.

Copyright of Journal of Textiles & Engineers / Tekstil ve Mühendis is the property of Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers & Architects, Chamber of Textile Engineers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In February 2022, the Somatic Experiencing Ukraine Task Force (SEUTF) was established to respond to the crisis in Europe caused by the escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War. A cooperative effort of hundreds of volunteers from 37 countries on four continents, this rapid mobilization and the resources it has garnered to address war trauma represents a historic first for the global SE® community. This article documents the processes and outcomes of the SEUTF in order to inform best practices for other body psychotherapy practitioners who may want to organize and sustain effective cooperative responses to the trauma caused by war and other collective crisis moments in real-time, as situations are unfolding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Orthodontie Française is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Social Research is the property of International Journal Labs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The e-commerce market is growing faster as demand for non-face-to-face shopping increases due to COVID-19. These changes lead to the expansion of various opportunities for consumers, but companies are required to understand consumer characteristics and reflect them in their sales strategies so that they can be competitive in the market. This study examined how the perceived ease and utility of consumers affect the intention to use the platform according to the technology acceptance model (TAM). As a result, it was confirmed that the price competitiveness, awareness, and ease of use of the platform had a significant effect on the utility. In addition, it was confirmed that there was no moderating effect of user characteristics on the effect of ease of use on the platform intention. These results present important implications for a company's sales strategy, and in future studies, it is necessary to expand the study in consideration of more diverse variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of this study use quantitative research. Data were collected using a questionnaire of 90 respondents and the population in this study were management students at the University of Tribhuwana Tunggadewi Malang with the research sample used was purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis with the result that the effect of convenience partially had a significant effect on the electronic money payment system with a value of t arithmetic> t table and a significant value T table and a significant value

Copyright of Orthodontie Française is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to analyze and obtain empirical evidence about the influence of the use of Mobile Banking by students of the accounting study program as generation z through interest. This research was conducted at the Majapahit Islamic University, Mayjen Sungkono University, and STIE Al-Anwar. The data used in this study used a questionnaire. The sampling method used convenience sampling. The number of samples collected was 90 students. The data analysis techniques used by the researchers were descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. To analyze the data, we use Partial Least Square (PLS). PLS-SEM analysis uses the outer model and the inner model. The results of the study prove that the benefit variable does not affect the attitude variable. The convenience variable and the attitude variable have a significant positive effect on interest. Attitude variables do not affect the decision process variables of Accounting study program students in using Mobile Banking. Attitude variables have a significant positive effect on the decision process variables of students in the Accounting study program in using Mobile Banking through the interest variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAnomalies of imagination encompass disturbances of the basic experiential structure of fantasies and imagery that can be explored in a semi-structured way with the Examination of Anomalous Fantasy and Imagination (EAFI). We aimed (1) to examine the distribution of anomalies of imagination among different diagnostic groups and a group of healthy controls, and (2) to examine their relation with disorders of basic self, perceptual disturbances and canonical state psychopathology of the schizophrenia-spectrum (positive, negative and general symptoms).MethodsThe 81 participants included patients with schizophrenia or other non-affective psychosis (N = 32), schizotypal personality disorder (N = 15) or other mental illness (N = 16) and healthy controls (N = 18). The assessment encompassed EAFI, Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE), parts of Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms (BSABS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). For network analysis, the associations of EAFI with the other psychopathological variables were tested by Pearson's correlation coefficient and graphically represented using multidimensional clustering. Comparisons between correlations in the network were tested with Steiger's test.ResultsAnomalies of imagination aggregated significantly in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders compared to other mental illness and healthy controls with no difference between schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder. In the network analysis, anomalies of imagination were closely inter-connected with self-disorders. Although, the anomalies of imagination correlated moderately with perceptual disturbance and positive, negative and general state symptomatology, these dimensions aggregated separately and relatively distant in the network.ConclusionsThe results support that anomalies of imagination are highly characteristic of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and closely related to self-disorders.

Copyright of Orthodontie Française is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Anomalies of imagination encompass disturbances of the basic experiential structure of fantasies and imagery that can be explored in a semi-structured way with the Examination of Anomalous Fantasy and Imagination (EAFI). We aimed (1) to examine the distribution of anomalies of imagination among different diagnostic groups and a group of healthy controls, and (2) to examine their relation with disorders of basic self, perceptual disturbances and canonical state psychopathology of the schizophrenia-spectrum (positive, negative and general symptoms). Methods: The 81 participants included patients with schizophrenia or other non-affective psychosis (N = 32), schizotypal personality disorder (N = 15) or other mental illness (N = 16) and healthy controls (N = 18). The assessment encompassed EAFI, Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE), parts of Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms (BSABS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). For network analysis, the associations of EAFI with the other psychopathological variables were tested by Pearson's correlation coefficient and graphically represented using multidimensional clustering. Comparisons between correlations in the network were tested with Steiger's test. Results: Anomalies of imagination aggregated significantly in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders compared to other mental illness and healthy controls with no difference between schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder. In the network analysis, anomalies of imagination were closely inter-connected with self-disorders. Although, the anomalies of imagination correlated moderately with perceptual disturbance and positive, negative and general state symptomatology, these dimensions aggregated separately and relatively distant in the network. Conclusions: The results support that anomalies of imagination are highly characteristic of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and closely related to self-disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding what is happening to our “common home”, Planet Earth, presupposes that we have perceived the profound mechanisms that have determined the behavior of the actors of the Anthropocene. The register of accusations of ecocide and guilt-tripping is not relevant to account for the goodwill shown by those who believed in development, progress, and the advancement of science and the economy during the period known as the “great transformation” in the second half of the 20th century. Borrowing from Hannah Arendt’s idea of the banality of evil, the article aims to show how this pernicious evil that is destroying the Planet has taken the form of an obedience to the prevailing conformism, the ideology of work, the path of least resistance, and sentimentality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19 is seen as a black swan event widely affecting almost all sectors and sending a wave of uncertainty for micro, small, and medium enterprises (henceforth MSMEs) in Indonesia. Despite being the most affected, these sectors could stand under this pressure, remain, and regrow faster following this hit. The government, referring to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation and several delegated regulations, intends to ease, protect, and empower the MSMEs and bring them further as leading sectors to recover the economy in Indonesia. This research aims to evaluate the degree of success of 28 government-driven programs according to Job Creation Law focused on the three aspects: ease, protection, and empowerment. With a backcasting method, it is necessary to work backwards to identify existing regulations and programs run at present time. Through constructive cross-examination, this research reveals that 15 programs worked successfully, 10 programs indicated an average degree of success, and 3 programs were categorized as poor degrees of success. This indicates that in general, the government's programs aiming to ease, protect, and empower the MSMEs amidst the pandemic can serve as a legal breakthrough for the revival of the MSMEs. However, some programs need improvement to maximise the impact on the MSMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of XVIIe Siècle is the property of Presses Universitaires de France and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research on elites and elite schooling mainly theorize the embodied elite distinction of ease as a dispositional phenomenon, drawing on a Bourdieusian framework. I respond to this by developing an interactionist perspective on embodied elite distinction not as a function of social position, but rather as means of communication used more or less actively to manage others' impressions of one's social position. Drawing on ethnography and interviews, I explore how students at two Swedish upper secondary schools with different elite profiles—an economic elite school and a meritocratic elite school—negotiate what counts as successful performances of their elite position in face‐to‐face interactions during conferences for "young leaders". The findings suggest that in order for performances to be honored as "confident ease," which is attributed with prestige and moral legitimacy in the peer group, the interacting students had to share the impression that the interaction was a "merit situation". In interactions defined as "privilege situations," similar behavior was labelled as arrogant superiority and seen as illegitimate performances of elite position. While "confident ease" was the hallmark of the male students at the economic elite school, the findings suggests that "confident awareness" may be understood as a contradictory mode of elite distinction characterizing the female students from the meritocratic elite school. They display confidence while simultaneously exploiting the unease they felt in the conference to craft a morally legitimate performance of their elite position. While the findings confirm that students' classed, gendered and moral dispositions are central to navigate elite distinction, they also demonstrate that meanings of such embodied distinctions emerge in relation to how situations are defined and are dependent on the interacting students' combined ability and interest to maintain working consensus on the definition of the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity has dramatically increased in prevalence, making it essential to understand its accompanying metabolic changes. Modeling diet-induced obesity in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies), we elucidated transcriptional and metabolic changes in w (1118) flies on a high-fat diet (HFD). Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics revealed altered fatty acid, amino acid, and carbohydrate metabolism with HFD. Microarray analysis uncovered transcriptional changes in nitrogen metabolism, including CG9510, homolog of human argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). CG9510 knockdown in flies phenocopied traits observed with HFD, namely increased triglyceride levels and decreased cold tolerance. Restoration of CG9510 expression ameliorated observed negative consequences of HFD. Metabolomic analysis of CG9510 knockdown flies confirmed functional similarity to ASL, regulating the balance of carbon and nitrogen metabolism. In summary, we found that HFD suppresses CG9510 expression, a gene required for proper triglyceride storage and stress tolerance. These results draw an important link between regulation of amino acid metabolism and the response to diet-induced obesity.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived usefulness and ease of use of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) among undergraduates in Kwara state, Nigeria. The study specifically examined the perception of undergraduate students in University of Ilorin and Kwara State University about OPAC; ascertain the frequency of use of OPAC by undergraduate students in University of Ilorin and Kwara State University; investigate the perceived usefulness of OPAC among the undergraduate students in University of Ilorin and Kwara State University; examine the perceived ease of use of OPAC among the undergraduate students in University of Ilorin and Kwara State University; and identify challenges that undergraduate students in University of Ilorin and Kwara State University encountered while using OPAC. The research adopted survey method and employed stratified sampling technique to select 504 undergraduates as its sample from the population consisting of undergraduate students of University of Ilorin and Kwara state University. A self designed questionnaire tagged as "Questionnaire on Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use of OPAC among Undergraduate Student". Out of 504 copies of the questionnaire administered, 493 copies were returned and properly filled to give 97.8% return rate. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency and counts percentages while t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses. The study revealed that there is a great relationship between perceived ease of use and the use of OPAC. Furthermore, the study found that there is a significant difference in the perception of male and female undergraduate students in University of Ilorin and Kwara State University about the OPAC.The studyconcluded that undergraduate students had positive perception about the usefulness and ease of use of OPAC while lack of assistance from library staff; unstable power supply; poor internet facility and inadequate computer terminals designated for the use of OPAC are the major challenges that undergraduate students in University of Ilorin and Kwara State University encountered while using OPAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]