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Understanding the workplace experiences of people with disabilities (PWD) is crucial for creating truly inclusive environments. We explore how perceived climate for inclusion affects social anxiety among employees with varying levels of disability severity. Adopting an interactionist perspective, we propose a mediated moderation model in which disability severity weakens the negative effect of perceived climate for inclusion on social anxiety, with this effect mediated by acceptance of disability. To test our hypotheses, we conducted two studies: one with a sample of Chinese employees and another with a culturally diverse sample. We found that the protective effect of perceived climate for inclusion on reducing social anxiety diminishes as disability severity increases, because individuals with more severe disabilities have lower levels of acceptance of disability. These findings underscore the complexities of fostering workplace inclusion and highlight the critical role of self‐acceptance in shaping the effectiveness of inclusive initiatives. Our research contributes to the literature on disability, inclusion, and workplace diversity by revealing the nuanced dynamics that influence social anxiety among PWD in inclusive settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores what is understood by the phrase 'spontaneous movement'. We discern five different understandings of spontaneity in the usage of the phrase: 1) spontaneous movement as automatic machine-like mechanistic, 2) spontaneous movement as free, 3) spontaneous movement as primal animateness of the body, 4) spontaneous movement as embodied responsive dealing in the world, 5) spontaneous movement as a force of nature. The first two understandings are rooted in a dualistic view, with the dichotomies of voluntary/involuntary and mind/body in the Western philosophical tradition. The next two arise from a phenomenological reflection on the body, drawn from Husserl and Merleau-Ponty, while the last comes from a holistic Eastern view of the body, human beings and nature. We argue that the latter three understandings of spontaneity demonstrate three aspects of a more comprehensive picture of the spontaneity of human movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers and marketers often post photos of experiential consumption online. While prior research has studied how human presence in social media images impacts viewers' responses, the findings are mixed. The present research advances the current understanding by incorporating viewers' need for self-identity into their response model. Six studies, including an analysis of field data (14,725 Instagram photos by a top travel influencer) and five controlled experiments, find that the presence (vs. absence) of another human in the photo of an identity-relevant experience (e.g. a vacation, a wedding) can lower viewers' liking and preference for the venue (i.e. the vacation destination, the wedding venue) in the photo. This effect is mediated by viewers' feelings of others' ownership of the venue and moderated by the relevance of the experience to the viewer's self-identity as well as the distinctiveness of the human in the photo. This research is the first to investigate the impact of human presence in shared photos through the lens of psychological ownership and the identity-signaling function of ownership. The findings offer practical insights into when marketers should avoid human presence in advertisements and how to mitigate the negative impact of human presence in online photos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Quran contains numerous references to evil and some of these indicate that the responsibility of some instances of evil, which I call self-inflicted evil, lies with human beings rather than God. This idea of evil leads to an exploration of two interconnected issues in philosophical and theological discussions, moral responsibility and desert, along with the related tension between freedom of action and divine determinism. The article delves into this tension as it appears from the Quran and prevailing standpoints in Islamic theology. I propose that the tension between freedom of action and divine determinism resists a satisfactory reconciliation, which ultimately affects the plausibility of the idea of evil as self-inflicted. I further propose that embracing the contradictions arising from verses expressing freedom and responsibility, on the one hand, and those indicating divine determinism, on the other, could be a viable approach for the theologian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to discussions about the problem of evil and Schelling studies by analysing Schelling's conception of the problem in his 1809 Freiheitsschrift essay. I explicate Schelling's critical response to four classic solutions to the problem (embodiment, degree, dualism, and divine forms) and outline his positive solution. My thesis is that Schelling offers a unique theodicy by arguing for a dialectical conception of the infinite omnipotence of God. In contrast to traditional notions of the infinite as the opposite of the finite, Schelling claims that God is only truly infinite if also embodied in the finite, an embodiment enacted through the human freedom to do evil. To explore Schelling's project, I draw parallels between his account of God's omnipotence and Hegel's 'good infinite' and situate Schelling's thesis within Mackie's discussion of the problem of evil in 'Evil and Omnipotence'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crucial stake of the present paper lies in the dereification of the human being, in the abrogation of the psychological, ethical homogeneity, and the objectified sociocultural representations of the imaginary. The imaginary can be conceived not only as a term able to confirm the mental structures of the subject that constitute the identity and bounds of human thought, but also as the way in which ethical norms become manifest. Norms, which through their internalisation dictate the perception of both the self and the social. Countering the neoliberal representation of the world presupposes an erogenous discourse. The originality of Bataille is to invert the meaning of desire as lack. Far from being conceived as a sign of our finitude, it is indicative of our excess of being. The 'secret of desire' thus appears in the intrinsic relationship that weaves the archaic sacred between eroticism and death. Excess and anguish in front of the emptiness, allow us to escape the subject, to liberate the self from the commercialisation of our imagination. Bataille shows us how erotic desire could be fundamentally creative of social relations, as it eliminates the self-other dualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislation and ethical guidelines around the globe call for effective human oversight of AI-based systems in high-risk contexts – that is oversight that reliably reduces the risks otherwise associated with the use of AI-based systems. Such risks may relate to the imperfect accuracy of systems (e.g., inaccurate classifications) or to ethical concerns (e.g., unfairness of outputs). Given the significant role that human oversight is expected to play in the operation of AI-based systems, it is crucial to better understand the conditions for effective human oversight. We argue that the reliable detection of errors (as an umbrella term for inaccuracies and unfairness) is crucial for effective human oversight. We then propose that Signal Detection Theory (SDT) offers a promising framework for better understanding what affects people's sensitivity (i.e., how well they are able to detect errors) and response bias (i.e., the tendency to report errors given a perceived evidence of an error) in detecting errors. Whereas an SDT perspective on the detection of inaccuracies is straightforward, we demonstrate its broader applicability by detailing the specifics for an SDT perspective on unfairness detection, including the need to choose a standard for (un)fairness. Additionally, we illustrate that an SDT perspective helps to better understand the conditions for effective error detection by showing examples of task-, system-, and person-related factors that may affect the sensitivity and response bias of humans tasked with detecting unfairness associated with the use of AI-based systems. Finally, we discuss future research directions for an SDT perspective on error detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article revisits Ottoman history by exploring the enduring relationship between humans and locusts through an animal-human history approach, emphasizing their 'companionship' and combined agencies. Instead of focusing on a specific region, the study highlights an empire-wide locust agency by examining the dynamics among humans, locusts, and state policies within the framework of the institutionalization of science. The study traces the evolution of Ottoman locust policies from the Hamidian era's shift to standardized methods relying on human labor, to the CUP era's ambitious emphasis on science and increased state racism, categorizing people as 'ignorant inferiors'. It argues that while scientific knowledge was used to justify state racism to manage locusts and police humans, the resilience of locusts and their relationship with 'ignorant' humans and their surrounding environment forced policy changes. By integrating locust agency, this study offers a holistic perspective on the Ottoman past, revealing how locusts, humans, and the state continually influenced each other, and contested the nature of biopolitics and scientific knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on Nietzsche's critique of the moral ideal of forgiveness and explores the idea of active forgetting as a possible alternative to this ideal. It situates Nietzsche's critique against the background of a substantial body of work which has grown around the more general question of unconditional and conditional forgiving. I examine Nietzsche's concept of active forgetting in On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life (1874) and in On the Genealogy of Morality (1887). In both texts Nietzsche addresses the question of how nations and individuals relate to their past and argues that a healthy psyche, of nations as of individuals, requires the ability to relieve ourselves of the burden of the past. I suggest that, while what Nietzsche calls active forgetting is a natural endowment of the human being, albeit suppressed by the abundance of memory, it can also be thought of as an ethical principle in its own right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gabriel Bonnot de Mably (1709–1785) adopts the republican commonplace that social esteem is the suitable reward for civic virtue. At the same time, he emphasizes that distorted imagination makes it difficult to discern what is good for human beings. This combination of views is puzzling because distorted imagination seems to impair the ability to recognize what deserves to be esteemed. I will argue that the coherence of Mably's position is due to his emphasis on factors explaining distorted imagination that do not derive from human nature but, rather, from external factors. One such factor is historiography. Historians' distorted imaginations can mislead readers' imaginations and make them ready to esteem despotic regimes and a politics of conquest. But such pathologies of the imagination can be cured through historiography that is informed by the positive experiences arising from ancient and early modern republican constitutions and the negative experiences arising from ancient and early modern despotic regimes. In Mably's view, republican historiography is one of the factors capable of modifying the imagination of citizens and, hence, their conceptions of what deserves social esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Anthropocene epoch, human activity is ubiquitous on Earth. However, this does not imply that nature is entirely under human control. The growing number of natural disasters that afflict human beings demonstrates the limitations of human abilities. Unfortunately, many of these catastrophes are caused by humans themselves. The adversity caused by human activity indicates that the current approach to education, which prioritises humanity above all other living beings and exerts control over nature through technology, is problematic. This calls for a reconsideration and re-examination of the underlying anthropocentrism. It is important to avoid prioritising humanity exclusively and instead to consider the impact of our actions on the planet and all its inhabitants. To deconstruct the anthropocentric ethos implied in current education, this paper draws inspiration from Michael Bonnett, Michel Serres, Martin Heidegger, and Daoism to draw on intercultural wisdom in addressing the global ecological problem—the Anthropocene predicament—and the related need to ecologise moral education. It argues that reconceiving the human subject as non-self holds the key to thwarting the anthropocentric crisis. The new conceptualisation of the human subject paves the way for ecologising moral education in the Anthropocene. This paper proposes that ecologising moral education can attune individuals to the ecological world by integrating Heideggerian meditative thinking as Gelassenheit and Daoist Wú-practice. This can lead to the construction of a new partnership between humans and nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "When the Second-Person Perspective is the First: On the Interconnection between Second- and First-Person Perspective regarding an Individual's Self-Relationship and its Theological Consequences" examines the significance of the second-person perspective as a human perspective for an individual's self-relationship. Developmental psychological insights are used to argue for an intergenerational and social understanding of human sinfulness. The article emphasizes the role of the second-person perspective in shaping self-image and self-love. It is recommended to focus more on childhood and youth in theology in order to strengthen an intersubjective view of the self and deepen human dependency. [Extracted from the article]

Inferences from ethnography in sociocultural anthropological arguments frequently rely on an unexamined model of the human mind and behaviour. Across a range of theoretical approaches, human thought and behaviour are implicitly understood as coherently following a single underlying cultural logic, described in terms such as 'ontology', habitus, political strategy. We term this implicit model Homo anthropologicus, by analogy with Homo economicus. Both simplify human behaviour and can thus lead to errors in its interpretation. We examine examples of Homo anthropologicus in anthropological approaches to ontology, caste, state evasion, and habitus. We propose that such accounts are erroneous in light of the multiple cognitive systems involved in human thought and behaviour, discussed with close reference to dual process theory. Unlike Homo anthropologicus, Homo sapiens ' behaviour is frequently inconsistent. Whilst anthropologists have long acknowledged this is the case, in practice, as we demonstrate through our examples, inconsistency is frequently seen as a problem to be explained away rather than as a feature of behaviour to be accounted for in its own right. We therefore conclude by calling for a greater degree of methodological reflexivity when making inferences from ethnography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This collective case study sought to investigate the distinctive writing processes and productions of young writers within the space of a writers' workshop. Based on video-taped observations, fieldnotes, writing samples, and teacher and student interviews, a description of preschool students' writing processes began to unfold. Some might consider these preschool writing processes to be necessary stepping stones to more conventional writing, but this study makes clear the students already engaged in complex writing processes that may have distinct, valuable qualities to be encouraged and supported. The following research questions guided the data collection and analysis for this study: "How do preschool students create texts within a writers' workshop?" and "How do these processes differ from past descriptions of the writing process?" These questions are significant, because much of the literature focuses on the writing processes of older students or specific aspects of the emergent writing process (e.g., rehearsal, transcription, dialogue), but this study attempted to describe preschool writing processes as a whole and then identify the dimensions distinctive to these early writers. The data collected in this study highlighted three tightly interconnected themes that reflected aspects of preschool writing processes: the use of illustrations to direct the story, play within writing, and the socialization of emergent authoring. All of these themes underscore how students were writing "in the moment" and creating a multimodal production. By valuing this entire production rather than only the finished written product, young students can view themselves as authors and take on that role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While genetic testing is now more accessible in pediatric nephrology, little is known about the views of pediatric nephrologists regarding genetic testing in clinical settings. Methods: An online 41-item survey was developed and distributed via professional listservs to self-identified U.S. licensed pediatric nephrologists from January 22 to May 4, 2021. Results: Pediatric nephrologists had a high referral rate to genetic counseling and agreed on the significant impact of genetic testing on diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, counseling, and kidney transplant planning. Challenges for the utilization of genetic testing among pediatric nephrologists include the need to (1) learn how to counsel patients on the risks and benefits of genetic testing, (2) choose appropriate testing, (3) interpret genetic results, and (4) return those results to patients and families. Conclusion: There exists an opportunity to expand genetic testing education for pediatric nephrologists to assist incorporation of genetic testing into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In arguing that slavery is not a relic of the past, but a relational dynamic undergirded by an ontology of anti-Blackness that prevents Blacks from ever being considered human beings, the self-described Afropessimist, Frank Wilderson III, argues that Black people occupy the position of social death in the present. Due to this anti-Black condition, Wilderson concludes that no form of redress is possible to assuage, liberate, and redeem Black people from this anti-Black condition other than the "End of the World." Drawing upon Fredrich Nietzsche's understanding of the problem of nihilism and its existential consequences, I argue that while Afropessimism is useful for articulating the problem of anti-Blackness, it makes a nihilistic turn through Wilderson's "End of the World" since there is no world where Blackness is experienced as anything other than social death. As a response to Wilderson, I conclude that the philosopher Jacqueline Scott's life-affirming Nietzschean philosophy and her anti-racist activism in "Racial Nihilism as Racial Courage" is one adequate response to the nihilistic threat to Black America if Black people are condemned to a life of social death because of the enduring nature of anti-Black racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an analysis of Swedish students' group discussions while taking part in a fiction-based ethics education, this article presents conditions for the development of a multidimensional ethical competence. Four crucial conditions in students' group discussions are identified: focus on the task, interest in each other's contributions, knowledge about the object of the ethical analysis and its context, and explorations of the complexity of the human being. The results show that the fiction stories, and the students who act as more capable others, support the development by modelling in different ways, both procedural and substantial knowledge in ethics are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Human development is critical for fostering economic growth and development. Given the importance of human development, this study examines the asymmetric impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on human development by decomposing total FDI into positive and negative shocks in five South Asian countries from 1990 to 2021. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses the panel Non-linear Autoregressive Distributive Lag model (NARDL) to examine asymmetric long and short-run effects of FDI. Further, the direction of causality between HDI and FDI is examined using the recently developed (Joudis et al., 2021) panel granger non-causality test. Findings: The positive and negative FDI shocks positively impact HDI, but positive shocks have a higher effect than negative shocks in the long run. The Wald Test rejects the long-run symmetric effect, confirming the asymmetric relationship between FDI and human development. More importantly, causality results reveal the FDI-led HDI and HDI-led FDI development in South Asia. Practical implications: FDI should be encouraged by formulating a well-tailored policy intervention. The development policies should be interlinked with FDI policies. Absorptive capacities such as infrastructure facilities, a threshold level of human capital, and institutions should be strengthened to attract higher FDI into high-tech sectors. Originality/value: Unlike the previous empirical studies, this study provides asymmetric evidence between FDI and human development in South Asia. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2023-0380. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aristotle's fundamental rationale for the 'teleios life' requirement (Nicomachean Ethics i 7.1098a18) is that a virtuous activity is better when it is more continuous and more enduring. Consequently, the Aristotelian wish (boulēsis) for happiness properly inclines the virtuous person to wish for immortality. This is not an incoherent wish because mortality is coincidental to the human being as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report on methodological insights gained from a workshop in which we collaborated with theater professionals to enact situated encounters between humans and robots on a mixed reality stage combining VR with real-life interaction. We deployed the skills of theater professionals to investigate the behaviors of humans encountering robots to speculate about the kind of interactions that may result from encountering robots in supermarket settings. The mixed reality stage made it possible to adapt the robot's morphology quickly, as well as its movement and perceptual capacities, to investigate how this together co-determines possibilities for interaction. This setup allowed us to follow the interactions simultaneously from different perspectives, including the robot's, which provided the basis for a collective phenomenological analysis of the interactions. Our work contributes to approaches to HRI that do not work toward identifying communicative behaviors that can be universally applied but instead work toward insights that can be used to develop HRI that is emergent, and situation- and robot-specific. Furthermore, it supports a more-than-human-design approach that takes the fundamental differences between humans and robots as a starting point for the creative development of new kinds of communication and interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Research in Humanities is the property of Tarbiat Modares University Press 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.)

Molecular sensors respond to the presence of biological analytes by producing signals that are either directly perceivable by human sensory systems or converted into electric signals, which require electronic devices for communicating the signals to humans. Here, we review the outputs of molecular sensors detectable directly by human senses. According to the literature, sensors with visual outputs dominate. Undeservedly unnoticed, sensors that release gases might be particularly useful since the gas output can be detected with the several human senses in a quantifiable format. Relatively new sensors with tactile outputs can be accessed by visually impaired people. Molecular sensors communicating their outputs directly to human senses bypassing electronic devices may contribute to the development of point-of-care testing technologies, as well as providing the direct communication of molecular nanorobots with humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on feedback in writing has predominantly focused on its effectiveness in improving surface-level linguistic accuracy, with limited attention to how students perceive and engage with written qualitative feedback as an interactive tool for writing development. This study addresses this gap by emphasizing the role of written qualitative feedback, defined as descriptive comments that address both content and linguistic element, promoting deeper engagement and critical thinking in student writing. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study examines the conception of written qualitative feedback held by 107 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China. Over an academic semester, each learner produced three argumentative texts and received written qualitative feedback in three formats. Quantitative data from an adapted Conception of Written Feedback questionnaire reveals two predominant patterns in their conception of written qualitative feedback: (1) engaging with positive emotion and active use or (2) ignoring with defensiveness. To explore potential explanations for these patterns, a purposeful subsample of 10 learners participated in semi-structured interviews, conceptualizing the role of feedback in their writing practices. Qualitative findings indicate that learners perceive feedback along a continuum as an instructional tool, evaluative system, cognitive guide, dialogic conversation, and catalyst for personal change. By triangulating quantitative results and qualitative findings, the study demonstrates how personalized educational interaction in the form of written qualitative feedback facilitates adolescents' transition from competent language use to higher-order argumentative skills and agentic approaches to writing development. The study adds to a growing literature on adolescent writing development from the lens of interactive teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans tend to approach positive stimuli faster than they avoid them and faster than negative or neutral stimuli. The mechanisms underlying this “Approach Avoidance Bias” (AAB) remain contested. First, it is not clear whether the AAB can be explained in terms of a classical “cognitivist” account based on associative connections involving internal representations or whether an “embodied” account that draws on the fact that we behave the way we do because we have a specific body with which we operate in a particular environment might not be equally viable. Moreover, while theoretical considerations and empirical evidence suggest that an embodied account might be preferable, it is still unclear how the meaning of approach and avoidance emerges from our bodily constitution in such a way that, ultimately, we end up tending to approach the good and avoid the bad. This paper addresses both points. It argues that the AAB is indeed embodied, but it also admits that a proper understanding of the way the AAB is embodied arguably has to incorporate central cognitivist insights. In doing so, it defends an ecumenical middle ground between positions that have historically too often been caricatured as irreconcilable rivals and, more generally, contributes to a better understanding of what embodiment does and does not mean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three experiments tested the conjecture that people carrying out a temporal bisection experiment have an ‘equalizing tendency’, that is, the idea that they are motivated to try to equalize the number of SHORT and LONG responses they produce. All three experiments varied instructions between two conditions. In one case, people were instructed to try to equalize, in the other it was emphasized that any proportion of SHORT and LONG responses was acceptable. Experiment 1 used short and long standards of 200 and 800 ms with comparisons spaced linearly, logarithmically, or reverse logarithmically between them, in three different groups. No effect of instructions was found in any group. Experiment 2 once again used 200 and 800 ms as the standards but had a range of comparisons closely spaced around the midpoint (500 ms), so most were ambiguous with respect to the standards. Again, no effect of instructions was found. Experiment 3 used smaller long/short ratios (300/200 ms or 800/533 ms). Once again, no effect of instructions was found. The three experiments together also replicated some previously obtained effects such as those of stimulus spacing and long/short ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive studies have shown that humans process faces holistically, considering not only individual features but also the relationships among them. Knowing where humans and dogs fixate first and the longest when they view faces is highly informative, because the locations can be used to evaluate whether they use a holistic face processing strategy or not. However, the conclusions reported by previous eye-tracking studies appear inconclusive. To address this, we conducted an experiment with humans and dogs, employing experimental settings and analysis methods that can enable direct cross-species comparisons. Our findings reveal that humans, unlike dogs, preferentially fixated on the central region, surrounded by the inner facial features, for both human and dog faces. This pattern was consistent for initial and sustained fixations over seven seconds, indicating a clear tendency towards holistic processing. Although dogs did not show an initial preference for what to look at, their later fixations may suggest holistic processing when viewing faces of their own species. We discuss various potential factors influencing species differences in our results, as well as differences compared to the results of previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Scene-selective regions were shown to be significantly affected by spatial frequencies (SF) and have different sensitivities to low spatial frequencies (LSF) and high spatial frequencies (HSF). However, previous studies mainly focused on the neural activations or the neural patterns in a single SF band. Methods: To investigate the extent to which the information of a single SF is used in scene category representations, we not only decoded the scene categories in each SF, but also used the neural patterns to LSF or HSF to decode the patterns to non-filtered (NF) scenes based on fMRI data using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA). As luminance contrast was shown to follow statistical regularities along with SF, we performed the decoding analyses separately in two conditions of contrast where the contrast of LSF and HSF was unmodified or equalized. Results: The results showed distinct SF preferences in the two contrast conditions, showing that luminance contrast has a significant role in SF processing. In addition, we also performed the above analyses only within natural and indoor scenes, respectively. The results showed the scene-selective regions were more efficient in distinguishing natural scene categories in LSF, and the LSF was preferentially used along with high luminance contrast in recognition of natural scenes. On the other hand, humans preferentially used HSF information in distinguishing indoor scenes. Discussion: This distinct SF preferences maybe caused by the different aspects of information conveyed by LSF and HSF, as well as the different strategies of spatial perception in natural and indoor scenes recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the history of Web2.0 there is a large body of evidence of data being used for something other than what it was consented to be used for. What were 2D webpages are becoming 3D worlds, collectively forming a Metaverse of virtual and mixed reality domains which should help to create new interactive learning, social and economic opportunities. In this paper we reflect on how the physical world will itself become a networked interface, making reality even more machine-readable, click-able, and searchable. We begin with a review of the Metaverse and some of the consent challenges that arise and urgently need to be addressed whilst exploring its potential. There is a core need for creators of Metaverse environments to make them safe spaces for everyone to use. We explore and review the knowledge gap of consent needed to ensure a fair and just use of data within the Metaverse. We explore the challenges of consent including examples such as unauthorised surveillance and the need for ethical and moral standards in large platforms such as VRChat. This need is then further elaborated using experiences gathered during the XPRIZE Rapid Re-skilling Competition. The main contributions of this paper are the five stage Shared Consent Framework which was developed in response to understanding the limitations of existing consent frameworks and the extended definition of the Metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSubstituted judgment is widely used at the bedside, but the moral value that underpins its use needs examination. I argue that this value is the value of leading an authentic life. I then argue that an authentic life has multiple axes and that patients (like all human beings) vary widely in how they score on these axes. This entails that the moral weight of the value of authenticity in bedside decision-making also varies widely. And that means that, at the bedside, substituted judgment should not be seen as a moral trump. Put differently, when a surrogate must make a bedside decision, the answer to the “What would the patient choose?” question should not be morally decisive for that decision. The answer to that question should be a part, but only a part, of a more complex decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Metaverse and Blockchain technologies has influenced capabilities in a wide variety of industries. These have now started to provide affordances for automating provision of insight and empowerment in coaching business leaders and staff. This paper discusses the risk, that as such technologies become smarter, human beings may abdicate their thinking capabilities, especially related to creative problem solving, to machine intelligence. The author calls for prevention of cognitive decline in human beings as machines get smarter. A route to this can be mapped through use of Industry 5.0, Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) approaches, that focus on a harmonisation of human and machine intelligence, ensuring human beings can make machines smarter and that machine intelligence can in turn make human consciousness advance. Practitioner Coaches, to future proof their practice, must ensure they embody 5IR mindsets, techniques and technologies. The coaching discipline that is fit for practice in 5IR environments and contexts is what the author has called "Coaching 5.0." This paper looks at Coaching 5.0 components and how they can be adopted by coaches to ensure the future is sustainable, insightful and empowering one for their practice and for their clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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According to the biological objection against strong artificial intelligence (AI), machines cannot have human mindedness – that is, they cannot be conscious, intelligent, sentient, etc. in the precise way that a human being typically is – because this requires being alive, and machines are not alive. Proponents of the objection include John Lucas, Hubert Dreyfus, and John Searle. The present paper explains the nature and significance of the biological objection, before arguing that it currently represents an essentially irrational position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human face displays expressions through the contraction of various facial muscles. The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) is a widely accepted taxonomy that describes all visible changes in the face in terms of action units (AUs). In this study, AUs are examined by finding the most active landmarks of the face and then examining the most representative patch sizes of each landmark for the AU detection task. Sparse learning is employed to learn the most active landmarks for each AU, and then the active landmark patches are fed to ViT and Perceiver mechanisms independently. Experiments indicate that using active landmark patches with their most representative size improves the results when compared to using all the landmarks, especially when it is used on more challenging datasets as a support for the attention mechanism of the classifier. The results demonstrate that the proposed method improves the performance of the employed models and are further supported by experiments conducted across different datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans have long pondered their genesis. The answer to the great question of where Homo sapiens come from has evolved in conjunction with biotechnologies that have allowed us to more brightly illuminate our distant past. The "Multiregional Evolution" model was once the hegemonic theory of Homo sapiens origins, but in the last 30 years, it has been supplanted by the "Out of Africa" model. Here, we review the major findings that have resulted in this paradigmatic shift. These include hominin brain expansion, classical insight from the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) regarding the timing of the divergence point between Africans and non-Africans, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes. These findings largely bolstered the "Out of Africa" model, although they also revealed a small degree of introgression of the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes into those of non-African Homo sapiens. We also review paleogenomic studies for which migration route, north or south, early migrants to East Eurasia most likely traversed. Whichever route was taken, the migrants moved to higher latitudes, which necessitated adaptation for lower light conditions, colder clines, and pro-adipogenic mechanisms to counteract food scarcity. Further genetic and epigenetic investigations of these physiological adaptations constitute an integral aspect of the story of human origins and human migration to East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Seeing faces in random patterns, such as in clouds, is known as pareidolia. Two possible mechanisms can cause pareidolia: a bottom-up mechanism that automatically detects inverted triangle or top-heavy patterns, and a top-down mechanism that actively seeks out faces. Pareidolia has been reported in nonhuman animals as well. In chimpanzees, it has been suggested that the bottom-up mechanism is involved in their pareidolic perception, but the extent of the contribution of the top-down mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the role of topdown control in face detection in chimpanzees. Methods: After being trained on an oddity task in which they had to select a noise pattern where a face (either human or chimpanzee) or a letter (Kanji characters) was superimposed among three patterns, they were tested with noise patterns that did not contain any target stimuli. Results: When the average images of the patterns selected by the chimpanzees in these test trials were analyzed and compared with those that were not selected (i.e., difference images), a clear non-random structure was found in the difference images. In contrast, such structures were not evident in the difference images obtained by assuming that one of the three patterns was randomly selected. Discussion: These results suggest that chimpanzees may have been attempting to find "faces" or "letters"in random patterns possibly through some form of top-down processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans have a long-standing evolutionary history of group belonging. Our visual system should thus be tuned to detect social groups, especially those in interactive or “core configurations,” where group members face each other. Past work shows that two individuals are detected more efficiently when they are facing toward (vs. away from) each other. Here we tested whether this facing advantage extends to small social groups of three, or triads. In three preregistered experiments, participants searched for a facing group (among non-facing ones) or a non-facing group (among facing ones). Facing groups were found faster than non-facing ones, demonstrating a perceptual advantage for groups in core configurations (Experiment 1). This advantage persisted in inverted displays, suggesting a role for cues to body orientation (Experiments 2 and 3). Human perception is thus well-tuned to detect not just prototypical dyadic interactions, but interactive configurations more generally, facilitating efficient processing of complex social information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates students’ experiences of master’s thesis supervision and analyses the links between metacognitive awareness, justice experiences and study burnout in supervision. University students’ study burnout has concerned higher education institutions recently. Especially writing a master’s thesis can be stressful, because it demands cognitive involvement and metacognitive awareness. In addition, justice experiences are essential for human beings in organisational contexts, but research integrating supervision and justice experiences in higher education is scarce. Survey responses were collected from 441 master’s students from the Faculty of Law. The results revealed that metacognitive awareness and justice experiences in supervision were significant predictors of students’ study burnout in master’s thesis projects. In particular, lack of knowledge about cognition and poor ethical processes in supervision explained master‘s students’ study burnout. The results confirm earlier findings about the importance of justice experiences and open new avenues for future research in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccines have always been one of the promising therapeutic sources against many pathogens including infectious fungi. Candida lusitaniae is also one of those fungi which is responsible for different infections in human beings including vaginitis, endocarditis, endophthalmitis and blood stream infections. There is thus, a need to adopt effective therapeutic strategies to tackle such infections. Vaccine is one of those efficient therapeutic agents which stimulates immune response and prevents a certain infection to get hazardous. Keeping in view this very important concept, we have designed in-silico vaccine against C. lusitaniae by following the subtractive proteomics approach. Initially, the screening of therapeutic targets was performed to identify potent vaccine candidates from the whole proteome of C. lusitaniae. Several significant factors were taken into account in this context, such as stability index, IFN status, allergenicity, and antigenicity. As a result, four distinct proteins that were both antigenic and non-allergenic, were selected from the whole proteome. Furthermore, physiochemical investigation revealed that these vaccine candidates were stable and that their IFN status was positive. Notably, each of these proteins was non-homologous to human beings. This particular attribute of the selected proteins i.e., to be non-homologous, was made in order to possess the ability to trigger an immunological response in host (humans). Furthermore, the whole proteome (WP) vaccine was constructed accordingly. The structural modelling of all the selected vaccine candidates was then performed to proceed them further for docking with the human toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Afterwards, the codon optimization was executed, followed by in-silico cloning of the final vaccine construct. The pet28A plasmid was incorporated for this purpose while, the SnapGene tool was utilized for this particular analysis. Ultimately, the immune simulations were executed to assess the immune response of the designed vaccine (WP). Upon final results, it was found that highest count of IgG and IgM was achieved i.e., up to 700000 between the days 8 to 13 and then slowly neutralized till the day 30. These results signified that the designed vaccine possessed the potential to stimulate the required immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Upper extremity physical function is an essential health domain in the rehabilitation care for patients with upper limb amputation or absence. The PROMIS-9 UE Physical Function short form is a recently established instrument designed for individuals with upper limb amputation or absence. The instrument's responsiveness to changes after receiving a prosthesis has not been investigated. The current study aimed to evaluate the ability of the PROMIS-9 UE to detect changes in bimanual (two-handed) functional capacity after patients' receipt of a prosthesis. Methodology: A retrospective chart review was conducted on the longitudinal PROMIS-9 UE outcome measure scores completed between April 2016 and February 2024. Participants included individuals with an outcome collected before and after prosthesis receipt. Results: The final sample size included 124 individuals (91 male, 33 female; 43.4 ± 15.0 years old, 34.4 ± 103.0 months since amputation, and 62.9% injury etiology). Analyses found significant improvement across all patients in the PROMIS-9 UE scores from baseline to post prosthesis intervention (baseline: 25.3 ± 8.6, post: 29.5 ± 9.6; p < 0.001). The PROMIS-9 UE demonstrated a moderate responsiveness (Standardized Response Mean = 0.6) to prosthetic intervention. This was a directional change consistent with subjective patient reports of increased functionality. Furthermore, findings from the linear mixed model demonstrated significant responsiveness for the PROMIS-9 UE instrument to detect post-intervention changes after controlling for potential confounding effects (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest the PROMIS-9 UE Physical Function instrument demonstrates moderate clinical utility in capturing patient progress following upper limb prosthesis intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquinas’s analyses of the action process can be traced to a twofold structure: an end as a final cause determines a human action, while the action derives causally from the rational will. By comparing the transcendent relationship between God and His creatures with the special causal and noncausal relationships between human beings and his actions, this paper aims to provide a new perspective for understanding this structure. According to Aquinas, God is the ultimate end and the first agent for all creatures in a state of absolute transcendence. In contrast, human action partially participates in the divine mode of action so that a universal good as an end of action is still transcendentally related to individual actions while the rational will, as a second agent, causally and nontranscendentally contributes to the execution of action. Thus, Aquinas’s action theory is both explanatory and causal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: A prospective birth cohort study was conducted in Iran. During the first trimester of pregnancy, food intake was measured using a food frequency questionnaire. Each participant's DII score was calculated, and then, the Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI of GDM across the quartiles of DII. We systematically searched the literature to conduct a meta-analysis of observational studies (PROSPERO: CRD42022331703). To estimate the summary relative risk for the highest versus lowest category of DII, a random-effects meta-analysis was performed. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results: In the prospective cohort study (n = 635 pregnant mothers), the multivariable HRs of GDM for the third and fourth quartiles of DII were 2.98 (95%CI: 1.98, 6.46) and 2.72 (95%CI: 1.11, 6.63), respectively. Based on a meta-analysis of six prospective cohorts and a case-control study (1014 cases of GDM in 7027 pregnant mothers), being in the highest category of the DII was associated with a 27% higher risk of GDM (relative risk: 1.27, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.59; I2 = 50%; low certainty of evidence). A dose-response meta-analysis suggested a positive monotonic association between DII and GDM risk. Conclusions: Our prospective cohort demonstrated a positive correlation between GDM risk and the inflammatory potential of diet in the first trimester of pregnancy. The results need to be confirmed by larger cohort studies. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to identify risk factors for rebleeding within 180 days post-discharge in blunt splenic injury patients managed without splenectomy or embolization. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Adult patients aged ≥ 18 years with blunt splenic injury (ICD-9-CM codes 865.01–865.09) from 2000 to 2012 were included. Patients who died, underwent splenectomy (ICD-9-OP codes 41.5, 41.42,41.43, and 41.95) or transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) (ICD-9-OP codes 39.79 and 99.29) on the first admission were excluded. The primary endpoint was rebleeding, which was identified if patients underwent splenectomy or TAE at 180 days after discharge. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify risk factors, which were validated in a separate cohort. Results: Of 6,140 patients, 80 (1.302%) experienced rebleeding within 180 days. Five significant risk factors were identified: age < 54 years (aOR 3.129, p = 0.014), male sex (aOR 2.691, p = 0.010), non-traffic accident-induced injury (aOR 2.459, p = 0.006), ISS ≥ 16 (aOR 2.130, p = 0.021), and congestive heart failure (aOR 6.014, p = 0.006). We generate Delayed Splenic Bleeding System (DSBS). Patients with > 2 points had significantly higher rebleeding rates (risk-identifying cohort: 2.2% vs. 0.6%, OR 3.790, p < 0.001; validation cohort: 2.6% vs. 0.8%, OR 3.129, p = 0.022). Conclusions: Age < 54 years, male, non-traffic accident-induced injury, ISS ≥ 16, and congestive heart failure are risk factors of rebleeding within 180 days after discharge from treating blunt splenic injury without splenectomy or embolization. Despite limitations, this study underscores large-scale data's role in identifying risks which can aid clinicians in prioritizing additional interventions during NOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polar regions modulate the global climate system across human and geological timescales. A new deep-sea study highlights how the Southern Ocean became the distinctive ecoregion it is today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses' work engagement is critical for improving quality care, facilitating positive patient outcomes, and solving considering the nursing shortage. This study aimed to identify the mediating effect of job crafting on the relationship between positive psychological capital and work engagement in registered nurses. Methods: A total of 132 hospital nurses with clinical experience of more than one year, excluding nurse administrators, participated. The participants were recruited from three hospitals in South Korea from August to September 2021. The SPSS 27.0 and PROCESS macro were used for data analysis. Results: Positive psychological capital had a significant association with job crafting (β = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.95), and job crafting had a positive association with work engagement (β = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.29 to 0.56). In the mediating effect analysis, the mediating role of job crafting on the relationships between positive psychological capital and work engagement was statistically significant (β = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.24 to 0.48). Conclusions: Based on our findings that positive psychological capital and job crafting could improve the work engagement of registered nurses, strengths coaching-based programs for increasing positive psychological capital and job crafting exercises for helping nurses make their job more engaging need to be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correction notice in Molecular Cancer addresses an error in Figure 8 of the original article, which can be accessed online. The authors identified a duplication of a graph in the production process and have provided the incorrect and correct figures for reference. The correction was made by a group of researchers listed in the notice. [Extracted from the article]