Search

Background: Scientists can play an important role in policymaking by providing evidence and consensual expert opinion on the state of scientific knowledge. Delphi surveys have been widely used to develop consensus on a topical issue, yet not compatible with public health crisis situations requiring rapid decisions. We developed a fast-track Delphi process, providing experts with a structured approach to rapidly develop and quantify consensus in support of informed policy decisions. Methods: We identified key elements of consensus-building techniques through a literature review and derived methodological procedures that served as the basis for the elaboration of the new process. Selected methodological experts provided advice on necessary adjustments. The process was pilot tested using a real-world public health issue. Results: The fast-track Delphi process is a hybrid approach between a conventional Delphi and the nominal group technique: one group session followed by two rounds of e-questionnaire, with predefined steps. We developed an ad hoc toolkit (REDCap templates, R code for analysis and production of reports, user guide) to overcome time constraints, which we pilot tested with experts. The feasibility test conducted in 18 days in the field of tobacco control demonstrated the applicability and usefulness of the process in real-world conditions. Conclusions: We strongly believe that this fast-track Delphi process has the potential to help inform policy decisions in various types of crises, including emerging diseases or novel potentially harmful products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper examines the distribution of referentially independent genitive and unmarked subjects and subject-oriented person-number inflections in non-finite clauses in Meadow Mari (Uralic), focusing on participles, event nominals, and temporal gerunds. Empirically, the study addresses existing gaps in the description of these phenomena, uncovering more general patterns as well as several microparameters. It also reveals a striking similarity between event nominals and temporal gerunds. Theoretically, the paper contributes to a better understanding of these constructions in the following ways. First, it proposes an analysis of temporal gerunds as event nominals embedded in postpositional phrases. Second, it outlines an approach to licensing overt subjects and inflections in participial clauses and event nominals. Third, building upon Dékány & Georgieva's (2020) work on Udmurt, it explores ways to unify the treatment of event nominals and participial modifiers in Mari, which share morphology; a covert N account is shown to be the most promising one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with converb clauses in Uralic and Turkic languages. These clauses are often defined in the typological literature as featuring a special non-finite verb type. The Uralic and Turkic data show, however, that many of the alleged converbs are in fact morphologically decomposable into a non-finite verb (nominalization, participle, etc.) and a case suffix. For these clauses, I put forward an analysis couched in a generative syntactic framework. I propose that we are dealing with a postpositional phrase (PP), in which the morphologically bound P head (the case suffix) select a non-finite clause. The PP analysis is supported by two case studies. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that this analysis makes correct predictions about the syntactic distribution of these clauses. The present proposal has thus bearing on what counts as a converb cross-linguistically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to explore the pragmaticalization process of (it's) no biggie , through a corpus-based taxonomical and statistical examination. The research study involves (i) elaborating a taxonomy of no biggie constructions by exploring the variability of the pragmatic functions and the syntactic features associated with the construction; (ii) monitoring the links between the taxonomical types of no biggie and the parameters of syntactic loci and structure of the construction (e.g. absence of it's); and (iii) determining habitual lexical items that co-occur with the construction. The findings show that the vast majority of (it's) no biggie constructions are used in its abbreviated form no biggie , half of which being employed as a discourse-pragmatic marker (DPM). The correlations between syntactic loci and the taxonomy were tested through Chi-square, which demonstrates that specific pragma–syntactic properties are orderly assigned to extended forms, and that pragmaticalized free-standing constructions (as with DPMs) are generally used in the middle of a clause. The analysis of no biggie collocates also indicates that the pragma-syntactic function of the collocates is oftentimes subject to the syntactic function of the construction types. Finally, a qualitative examination of the taxonomy and their examples confirms that pragma-syntactic variation occurs differently in all the taxonomical types, the DPM no biggie showing the highest degree of variation. • Development of a no biggie taxonomy by exploring pragma-syntactic variability. • Annotation of corpus data based on type, syntactic loci, degree of nominalization. • Most (it's) no biggie constructions are abbreviated and often employed as a DPM. • The DPM no biggie generally assesses the preceding clause and links to the next. • The DPM no biggie shows the highest degree of pragma-syntactic variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has highlighted the role of patent portfolio strategy on firms' innovation without elaborating on how to layout the diversity of patent portfolios to improve innovation quality. Drawing on the resource-based view and institutional theory, this research attempts to extend patent portfolio–innovation debate by examining the moderating effects of policy or specifically, technology standard on the patenting–innovation relationship. We argue that the leverage of technology standard could help firms optimise patent portfolios by accessing information, reducing transaction costs, and promoting complementary innovation, and therefore leads to higher innovation quality. Moreover, considering heterogeneous technology standards, in the context of relatively complex and rapidly updated technology standards, specialised patent portfolios are more significant for firms to enhance substantive innovation. Our analysis of data from 729 Chinese manufacturing listed companies provides supports for both the moderating role of technology standard on the patent portfolio–innovation relationship. This paper contributes to patent management literature by elaborating upon the mechanisms of how technology standard can be leveraged to capture value from firms' patent portfolios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics represent a critical global issue and one of the most pressing public health challenges of the 21st century. Training future healthcare professionals effectively is essential for ensuring responsible antibiotic use. This study aimed to validate a questionnaire designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of medical students regarding the education they receive on infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and antibiotic stewardship during their university studies. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was developed and distributed to medical students at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Comprising 44 items, the questionnaire assessed eight key dimensions: "infection diagnosis", "criteria for not prescribing antibiotics", "initial antibiotic therapy", "re-evaluation of therapy", "quality of care", "communication skills", "antibiotic resistance", and "teaching methodology". Validation was carried out in two stages: Phase 1 involved content and face validity, while Phase 2 focused on reliability analysis. Results: A total of 295 students completed the questionnaire, with a mean age of 23.15 ± 1.78 years. The sample included 86 male (29.2%) and 209 female (70.8%) respondents. Content and face validity were established by a nominal group of five experts and a focus group of medicine and pharmacy students to ensure consensus on item understanding in the Spanish language. The questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92 and satisfactory item discrimination. Construct validity was confirmed through principal component analysis, which supported the presence of the eight predefined dimensions. Conclusions: The validated questionnaire exhibited strong reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for assessing medical students' training in antibiotic-related topics. Its application will enable the identification of areas for improvement in university curricula, ultimately contributing to the promotion of appropriate antibiotic use and the reduction of antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annotation on the Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 10 September 2024 in Case C-48/22 P Google LLC and Alphabet v European Commission (Google Shopping) [2024] EU:C:2024:800. On 10 September 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) dismissed Alphabet/Google's appeal against the General Court's judgment, largely upholding the European Commission's 2017 Decision finding that Google had abused its dominant position in the market for online general search services.1 This landmark ruling affirms the Commission's theory of harm based on self-preferencing by a dominant digital platform. The case raises important substantive issues about the application of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to non-price conduct by dominant firms in digital markets. The key issues are: what constitutes an abuse under Article 102 TFEU regarding the effects that must be demonstrated, how to properly apply the as-efficient competitor test in these cases, and which characteristics qualify as legitimate competition on the merits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is aimed at solving the scientific task of studying the problematic issues arising in connection with the implementation of the institute of appealing against a notice of suspicion in pretrial criminal proceedings. It is noted that with a view to ensuring human rights and freedoms in criminal proceedings, the provisions of criminal procedure legislation enshrine the right of a suspect to appeal against a notice of suspicion. However, the lack of clear legal regulation of the substantive and criminal procedural grounds for such an appeal leads to a violation of the principles of reasonableness of time limits and application of due process of law to a person. The author establishes that among the substantive grounds for appeal, the provisions on the completeness of the content of the suspicion, the correctness of the criminal law qualification should be distinguished, and among the criminal procedural grounds – the proper subject, compliance with the deadlines, availability of sufficient evidence, explanation of the suspect’s rights, and compliance with the procedure for serving a notice of suspicion. It is noted that in the context of determining the level of violation of human rights and freedoms, the criterion of ‘materiality/ insignificance’ should influence the establishment of grounds for appealing against a notice of suspicion to ensure the requirement of general fairness of criminal proceedings. The author emphasizes that the problem of regulatory regulation of appealing against a notice of suspicion is the uncertainty of the procedural time limit after which a relevant complaint may be filed if the prosecution parties notify a new suspicion or change the original notice of suspicion. It is found that the implementation of a notice of suspicion covers several stages, and therefore is considered through the prism of a combination of a procedural decision and the execution of a procedural action. It is stated that the inaction of an investigator, coroner, or prosecutor, which is manifested in the failure to serve a notice of suspicion, is subject to a separate appeal in terms of failure to serve a written notice of suspicion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ethiopian Federal Constitution currently in force has hitherto been formally unreformed. This does not mean that there has been no societal pressure to reform; rather, the opposite is true. Since the time of its adoption, the Constitution has been a controversial document, and it has been subjected to substantial criticism both from within academic circles and from a wide range of political parties and other societal elites. Due to a lack of democratic space in the process of its development, the Federal Constitution has suffered from a legitimacy deficit, which has prevented the document from constituting the basis for a widely shared national identity or standard for common citizenship. These legitimacy problems have not benefited from the fact that the many identity-related tensions and conflicts that have ravaged the country and have prevented durable peace, stability, and sustainable socio-economic development are directly linked to the Constitution by its detractors. It seems that only a constitutional reform could offer a way out. Rather than focusing on the substance of constitutional reform, this paper concentrates on the process that should create a conducive environment for such substantive options to be debated and decided on. While the deep ethnic polarization and manifold public security problems currently afflicting Ethiopian society make such reform necessary, they simultaneously create a very challenging environment for a constitutional reform process to be adequately implemented and administered. In this regard, the paper argues that, apart from the necessity of securitization measures, the design of the constitutional reform process, which needs to be participatory and inclusive, can have a positive impact on both these security problems and on the development and drafting of a constitutional document that provides a widely agreed-upon and, hence, legitimate foundation for durable peace, stability, and sustainable socio-economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Introduction Methods Results Discussion Regional anaesthesia provides important clinical benefits to patients but is underutilised. A barrier to widespread adoption may be the focus of regional anaesthesia research on novel techniques rather than evaluating and optimising existing approaches. Research priorities in regional anaesthesia identified by anaesthetists have been published, but the views of patients, carers and other healthcare professionals have not been considered previously. Therefore, we launched a multidisciplinary research priority setting partnership that aimed to establish key regional anaesthesia research priorities for the UK.Research suggestions from key stakeholders (defined by their interaction with regional anaesthesia) were gathered using an online survey. These suggestions were analysed to identify common themes and then combined to formulate indicative research questions. After an extensive literature review, unanswered and partially answered questions were prioritised via an interim online survey and then ranked as a top 10 list during a final live virtual multidisciplinary prioritisation workshop.In total, 210 individuals completed the initial survey and suggested 518 research questions. Fifty‐seven indicative questions were formed, of which three were considered fully answered after literature review and one not feasible. The interim online survey received 335 responses, which identified the 24 highest priority questions from the 53 presented. At the final live prioritisation workshop, through a nominal group process, we identified the top 10 regional anaesthesia research priorities. These aligned with three broad thematic areas: pain management (two questions); patient safety (six questions); and recovery from surgery (two questions).This initiative has resulted in a list of research questions prioritised by patients, carers and a multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals that should be used to inform and support future regional anaesthesia research in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Musculoskeletal pain and disability are leading causes of reduced health and significant economic costs worldwide. Individualised, and evidence-based treatment approaches for specific musculoskeletal conditions aimed at improving patient outcomes and costs have not been successful. Recently authors have suggested that the 'process' of how care is implemented within a health system needs to be considered as an influencer on patient outcomes. With the rising prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions and the burgeoning costs associated with their treatment, it seems timely that new research focusing on process variables and their influence on patients with musculoskeletal conditions is explored. Before such studies can take place, a modern definition of a process variable within a musculoskeletal care pathway is needed to anchor future research endeavours. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish a consensus-based definition of a process variable within a musculoskeletal care pathway, based on a New Zealand setting. Methods: This study used a virtual nominal group technique and took place in July 2023 using a Microsoft Teams platform. A nominal group technique employs a structured approach to generate information and solutions to problems that can then be prioritised through group discussion and consensus. It is unique because it allows expert participants to explore using in-depth inquiry, areas previously unidentified or not yet investigated. There was an inclusion criterion and the participants completed pre-work before the two-hour five stage virtual meeting. The Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee (AUTEC) approved this study (AUTEC 23/94). Results: The study included eight participants (five male, three female) who had extensive experience with the New Zealand ACC insurance scheme and the design, implementation, and administration of musculoskeletal care pathways. The consensus definition was 'A health process variable is any modifiable factor in a health process or pathway that can be quantified and measured and that if varied may achieve a different operational or patient outcome'. Conclusions: This study of New Zealand-based experts has formed a consensus-based agreement for a definition of a process variable in a musculoskeletal care pathway. This is an important first step in developing our understanding of process variables, and further research is needed to establish the link between process variables and their influence on the outcomes of patients with musculoskeletal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of curricula activist campaigns requires intensified scrutinisation of representation in the curricula. Although case studies represent a key pedagogical tool within management education, representation within case studies and educators' accompanying decision-making processes are underexplored. Adopting a qualitative research approach, this study interviewed sport management lecturers at two UK higher education institutions. Natalie Jester's feminist reading of the theory of representation, which conceptualised representation within the curricula, was drawn upon to explore educators' decision-making processes, including the representative groups used (if any), when selecting and creating case studies. Using a grounded research approach, educators' perceptions regarding the challenges to achieving representation in case studies were investigated. The findings informed a conceptual model of educator decision-making, identifying meso, micro and macro factors that influence decisions regarding descriptive and substantive representation within case studies. Practical implications for higher education sport management educators, departments and senior managers were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The position of First Lady is typically viewed as ceremonial and a reflection of marital and maternal roles: some combination of "the president's wife," the "nation's social hostess," and the "Mom‐in‐Chief." Yet modern First Ladies often develop their own policy priorities and programs, and the Office of the First Lady is integral to modern presidential administrations. We make a case for studying First Ladies as policy actors by systematically measuring the audiences to which First Ladies speak, the roles they adopt in doing so, and the degree of substantive policy content in their remarks. Using data from public speeches and statements from 1993 to 2022 we demonstrate that First Ladies over the past 30 years have been active in adopting a policy role and speaking to policy‐focused audiences. First Ladies frequently speak to national, organized interest groups and adopt a policy role more often than not across most of their audiences. Our data highlight the importance of studying First Ladies in the policy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Literatura y Lingüística is the property of Universidad Catolica Cardenal Raul Silva Henriquez 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.)

Firms are increasingly operating in turbulent environments in which unpredictable change is driven by causes such as climate change and economic crises. In this paper, we study how firms perceive environmental turbulence and respond with four types of actions. We distinguish between actions creating economic value for the firm and actions creating sustainable value for society and the environment and between substantive and symbolic actions with only the former changing firms' strategies, structures, and processes. We built a unique dataset on large European firms and their 470 responses to turbulence from 2017 until 2022. We show that in volatile and complex environments, in which rapid change occurs but information is available, firms respond with substantive actions. In uncertain and ambiguous environments that lack information, firms respond with symbolic actions. These findings hold for responses that aim to create both economic and sustainable value. However, these findings change when firms acquire environmental, social, and governance (ESG) capabilities. With high and improving ESG capabilities, firms are more likely to respond with sustainable substantive actions, even when they perceive their environments to be uncertain. We contribute to the literature on organizational capabilities and corporate environmental responsiveness by showing that firms with superior and improving ESG capabilities increase their substantive commitments to sustainable development and are less inclined to base their responses on their perception of turbulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of head movement has been debated since its discovery (see Dékány 2018 for discussion). While it is generally agreed that head movement (the sort that results in the formation of complex heads) is subject to more stringent locality restrictions than phrasal movement, little else is uncontested. In this article, I will argue that a flexible (but literal) interpretation of Harizanov and Gribanova's (2019) definition of head movement (more specifically, their "amalgamation") is needed to account for the movement of suffixal adjectives (As) in Aleut. These As typically suffix to nominals, but under certain conditions surface in verbs between the root and agreement morphology. I show that these As base-generate as adjuncts of NPs and undergo head movement into the verbal complex. I then explore two theories of word-building which would require only phrasal movement on the part of suffixal As—based on ideas put forth in Julien (2002) and Compton and Pittman (2010)—and conclude that phrasal movement alone is too unrestricted to account for the phenomenon, overgenerating As in unacceptable sites. In contrast, previous theories of head movement are too restrictive, only permitting a head and the head of its complement to form a complex head (e.g., Travis 1984; Embick and Noyer 2001); this excludes heads in adjunct positions, like suffixal As, from participating. However, Harizanov and Gribanova's definition of amalgamation, whereby heads Raise or Lower into the nearest c-commanding or c-commanded head, uniquely allows head movement to occur out of specifier positions and even adjunct positions. This comparative flexibility correctly permits Aleut suffixal As to form a complex head with verbal morphology, explaining their incorporation deep within the structure of the verbal complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Modern Hebrew, some, but not all, nominals exhibit obligatory /a/-syncope in open syllables if they are antepretonic in a simple (nominal) word. The same vowels optionally syncopate in any pretonic syllable in non-final members of compounds. Here we first show that syncope in compounds fills a gap in the typology of weak positions. We then propose a formal analysis in Gradient Harmonic Grammar (Smolensky and Goldrick 2016), which distinguishes between a weak /a/ and a strong /a/. Only the former undergoes syncope in both configurations; and only in non-compounds is it protected by a positional faithfulness constraint referencing the head foot of the prosodic word. Optionality in compounds is shown to follow from Base-Derivative faithfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effects of supply chain (SC) distance on sustainability adoption, this study aims to advance the way prior studies on SC sustainability presume that SC structures are well-developed and stable. Since SC members face structural voids in different regions, we recognize that the information flow is impacted as SC partners often have limited knowledge of their direct partners. Thus, by studying a multi-stakeholder partnership, this article sheds light on the institutional foundation of sustainability adoption issues largely neglected to date. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study was used with members of an MSP (i.e. a roundtable), to understand the beef SC located in Brazil. Overall, 18 h of interview recordings and notes from 18 h of meeting observations were gathered, equaling 36 h of primary data. Findings: Four dimensions of SC distance (physical, organizational, cultural and institutional) were identified, generating three driving effects on symbolic sustainability adoption and, consequently, a degree of invisibility for beef SC members. The results explain the process of sustainability adoption and highlight that smaller and more upstream suppliers show lower degrees of substantive adoption of SC sustainability practices. Originality/value: This study investigates how SC distance affects the alignment of SC members in terms of sustainability adoption. By providing reflections on how institutional distance can hinder suppliers from adopting sustainability requirements they received from the SC, this research contributes to shifting from sustainability discourse to real practice and proactive partner engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We motivate the view that Arabic psych construction types originate as root phrases, devoid of categorial specifications, rather than verbal phrases, as commonly assumed. It is shown that roots are categorially and ontologically flexible, and that valency affixes are arguably roots, not categorical templates. Furthermore, the root/template divide, as defended by many authors, can only be construed as morphonological, once implemented in Distributed Morphology, rather than morphosyntactic. One advantage of our approach over the category (or vP) based approach is that it can apply on equal bases to all categories alike, because roots are acategorial, and psych expressions are not limited only to verb phrases. This is supported cross-linguistically by the existence of psych nominals or adjectives that have no verbal source. More motivation for the root hypothesis comes the root ontological flexibility, their complexity in valency increasing or decreasing morphosyntactic alternations, as well as from investigating adicity limitations on psych nominals, compared to those of psych (causative) verbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive leadership has been identified as playing a key role in promoting employee innovation. However, previous studies on the mechanism of inclusive leadership influencing employee innovation performance have ignored the fact that innovation requires a substantive change process at work. Therefore, drawing on social learning theory and social information processing theory, we adopt the perspective of job crafting, which is characterized by a substantive changing process, and respectively introduce employee job crafting and leader job crafting to reveal this mechanism. The results of matching leader–employee data from 62 teams in high-tech industries showed that inclusive leadership can enhance employee innovation performance via prompting employee job crafting, and leader job crafting moderates the effect of inclusive leadership on employee job crafting, employee job crafting on employee innovation performance and the indirect relationship between inclusive leadership and employee innovation performance through employee job crafting. By revealing the mediating role of employee job crafting and the moderating effect of leader job crafting at two separate stages, this study provides new knowledge on the process mechanism of an inclusive leader's role in fostering employee innovation, and adds valuable insights for management practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Types of ideational metaphor in English considered in this research incorporate nominalization, verbalization, and adjectivization. Previous studies particularly highlighted functions of nominalization, leaving the other types of ideational metaphor unconsidered; in addition, expressions of ideational metaphor are not carefully selected while exploring the functions realized by these expressions. Against this backdrop, functions of ideational metaphor uncovered in previous studies are insufficient of coverage and typicality. Drawing on COCA in this research, a corpus of typical American English, expressions of the three types of ideational metaphor with significant attraction by means of the simple collexeme analysis are employed to analyze the functions that these metaphorical expressions actually realize in their linguistic contexts. The findings demonstrated that expressions of ideational metaphor could realize such interpersonal functions as authoritativeness and objectivity, such ideational functions as conciseness, abstractness, ambiguity, and semantic condensation, and such textual functions as formality and cohesion. Explanations to these realized functions of ideational metaphor are also provided. This research is of great significance in that the documented functions are typical and representative of ideational metaphor in English. Plain Language Summary: Functions of ideational metaphor Drawing on COCA in this research, a corpus of typical American English, expressions of the three types of ideational metaphor with significant attraction by means of the simple collexeme analysis are employed to analyze the functions that these metaphorical expressions actually realize in their linguistic contexts. The findings demonstrated that expressions of ideational metaphor could realize such interpersonal functions as authoritativeness and objectivity, such ideational functions as conciseness, abstractness, ambiguity, and semantic condensation, and such textual functions as formality and cohesion. Explanations to these realized functions of ideational metaphor are also provided. This research is of great significance in that the documented functions are typical and representative of ideational metaphor in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do forms of trust influence South Korean views of North Korean arrivals? While a broad literature addresses the institutional and generalized social trust impacting a range of public perceptions, this has not been extended to views on North Korean arrivals. Meanwhile, research on views of arrivals often relies on only one measure for what are likely complex concerns. Through the use of a 2021 Korean Social Integration Survey, we find evidence of institutional and social trust positively influencing overall views of arrivals, with mixed results on the impact on proximal tolerance of arrivals, suggesting that policy efforts to enhance trust as a means to improve integration efforts may fail to produce substantive improvements for arrivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we develop unified and analytical frameworks to examine the effect of viscosity, elasticity, and viscoelasticity on the Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI), which underlies finger formation during prompt splashing as a droplet impacts a flat metal surface. We complement our theoretical developments with experimental validations designed to match our theoretical predictions. A new dimensionless number, R = R e / W e 3 / 4 , is introduced to characterize the evolution of the finger patterns. Three distinctive regimes are identified based on our analysis: when R ≲ 1 , the number of fingers scales with R e 2 / 3 ; for 1 ≲ R ≲ 10 , the finger count is influenced by both Re and We, a regime not extensively studied previously; and for R ≳ 10 , the count becomes insensitive to Re. We also discern a transient deceleration effect, represented by g = 16 V 0 2 / D , which prompts perturbation development due to RTI. It is noted that the constant 16 is dependent on fluid and surface physical properties. Though our theoretical predictions closely align with experimental observations, it is noteworthy that in experimental settings, g exhibits significant temporal variability. Further, our study extends to include viscoelastic effects, facilitating comparisons with recent advancements in managing finger formation in splashing scenarios. Additional experiments targeting medium R values further corroborate our theoretical model. This comprehensive analysis not only reaffirms but also enhances the understanding of splashing dynamics by integrating complex material behaviors and characteristics, thus offering a substantive benchmark for future research in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid the rise of the new industrial revolution, the digital economy has gradually become the major fulcrum behind China's industrial transformation. This study examines how the digital economy impacts enterprises' substantive green innovation and its mechanism using data drawn from a sample of Chinese listed companies covering 2011–2019 and focusing on internal control and long-term investment. The findings of a mechanism analysis indicate that the digital economy can significantly enhance enterprises' substantive green innovation by promoting the quality of internal control and stimulating long-term investment. Incorporating internal governance and agency issues into the research framework reveals that a higher level of corporate governance enhances the facilitation influence of digital economy on enterprises' substantive green innovation. Heterogeneity test results show that digital economy has a peculiarly significant role in enhancing the substantive green innovation of enterprises with a high proportion of management ownership. Not only does this study enrich the research on the microeconomic consequences of digital economy and the drivers of enterprises' green innovation, but its implications also suggest that China should accelerate the construction of new infrastructure and the green transformation of domestic enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to rating scale items is a multidimensional process, since not only the substantive trait being measured but also additional personal characteristics can affect the respondents' category choices. A flexible model class for analyzing such multidimensional responses are IRTree models, in which rating responses are decomposed into a sequence of sub-decisions. Different response processes can be involved in item responding both sequentially across those sub-decisions and as co-occurring processes within sub-decisions. In the previous literature, modeling co-occurring processes has been exclusively limited to dominance models, where higher trait levels are associated with higher expected scores. However, some response processes may rather follow an ideal point rationale, where the expected score depends on the proximity of a person's trait level to the item's location. Therefore, we propose a new multidimensional IRT model of co-occurring dominance and ideal point processes (DI-MIRT model) as a flexible framework for parameterizing IRTree sub-decisions with multiple dominance processes, multiple ideal point processes, and combinations of both. The DI-MIRT parameterization opens up new application areas for the IRTree model class and allows the specification of a wide range of theoretical assumptions regarding the cognitive processing of item responding. A simulation study shows that IRTree models with DI-MIRT parameterization provide excellent parameter recovery and accurately reflect co-occurring dominance and ideal point processes. In addition, a clear advantage over traditional IRTree models with purely sequential processes is demonstrated. Two application examples from the field of response style analysis highlight the benefits of the general IRTree framework under real-world conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's technology-enriched world, the demand for engineers continues to grow, while students' interest in natural sciences is on the decline. In order to spark students' interest in STEM subjects, we launched a project "Smart Schoolhouse by means of IoT" and involved schools from five different regions in our country, with whom we were testing the idea of Smart Schoolhouse (IoSS). The main idea of IoSS is to automatically collect various data from the Smart Home system, from physical and virtual learning environment and integrate this data with the digital footprints of learners' (on their own devices and online platforms) and use it for two different purposes: nonpersonalised data for learning processes and personalised data for learning analytics. We developed a Self-Assessment Model of the Smart Schoolhouse (SAMSS) to support schools to map their readiness of innovation before taking real steps to implement the IoSS, e.g. before to rebuild the Smart Home system. In this article we give an overview of the validation process of a SAMSS with The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) where participated eight experts from different schools, school levels, and with different teaching experience. During validation, there where arised 22 ideas or proposals of change and all of them were discussed. At the section of results there are an overview of the selfassessment model supplemented with the proposed changes made during the validation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of engaging valuation specialists on the value relevance of Level 3 fair value measurements (FVMs) within the auditing process. Through an analysis of a sample of international commercial banks over the period from 2016 to 2019, this study reveals that both Level 1 and Level 2 FVMs are generally value relevant, regardless of the involvement of valuation specialists in the auditing process. However, the value relevance of Level 3 FVMs appears to be contingent upon the auditor's utilization of valuation specialists during the audit of these measurements. The findings of this study indicate that, notwithstanding the concerns highlighted in prior research, investors tend to hold the conviction that valuation specialists can make a substantive and positive impact on the auditing process, thereby enhancing the value relevance of Level 3 FVMs. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: G21; M41; M42. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics organizations' cultures inherently produce tension between safety and operational requirements. Perhaps counterintuitively, such tension is important for organizations to achieve safe practice and effective operational outcomes. In this study, we evaluate how logistics managers and workers create, identify, and manage various tensions between operational requirements and personnel health and safety during an extended period of uncertainty. Using a grounded theory (GT) approach, this research draws on multiple data sources from six global U.S. Air Force logistics organizations during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic. A six‐stage GT empirical analysis process revealed a tension‐centered approach to safe, effective logistics, presented as a substantive (middle‐range) theory with an accompanying process model. Data demonstrate operations‐ and people‐focused cultural elements are activated based on respective requirements, thus inducing tension between potentially competing, yet interrelated, areas. In high‐performing organizations, logistics managers and workers address tensions via a balanced focus to alleviate conflicts and conduct safe, effective logistics. This research responds to calls for organizational culture research using qualitative methods while offering implications for theory and practice. Specifically, logistics leaders can use the process model to prepare personnel to safely and effectively handle dynamic operational logistics in the face of unforeseen crises or changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive as decision makers influence the corporate sustainable development, especially their environmental experiences will be internalized in corporate management to promote the development of corporate substantive green innovation. This article empirically explores the impact of executive's environmental background on corporate substantive green innovation based on the data of Chinese A‐share listed companies from 2011 to 2019, and finds that executive's environmental background is conducive to promoting corporate substantive green innovation, which is achieved by obtaining government environmental subsidies and attracting green investors. And further research has revealed that executive's environmental background has a more significant impact on corporate substantive green innovation with higher level of environmental regulations, quality of corporate governance and environmental awareness of executives. The findings of this article not only provides a new perspective for companies to choose a green development path and enhance substantive green innovation, but also provides empirical evidence for companies to promote green transformation and introduce executive with environmental background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Angle Health Law Review is the property of Angle Publishing Co., 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.)

Today, revitalization and transformation works have started for many port regions around the world in order to ensure urban integration in coastal cities. The Port of Eğirdir within the borders of Isparta Province, which is included in the study, is one of the areas that has these qualities and allows triathlon sports and other water sports in addition to sailing sports. In order to reveal the lost value and potential of the Port of Eğirdir over the years, projects were produced under the title "waterfront revitalization" within the framework of the Design Studio IV course at the Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Suleyman Demirel University, associated with sailing sports. During this process, students were given information about the Nominal Group Technique. The questions prepared within the scope of the Nominal Group Technique were directed to the students and the students participated in the project with their co-participation. The questions posed to the students and the studio flow are given in the method section of the study. In this study conducted for the revitalization of Eğirdir port, field-specific design approaches were adopted and the alternatives determined on the basis of sailing sport were presented by modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Implementation science scholars have made significant progress identifying factors that enable or obstruct the implementation of evidence-based interventions, and testing strategies that may modify those factors. However, little research sheds light on how or why strategies work, in what contexts, and for whom. Studying implementation mechanisms—the processes responsible for change—is crucial for advancing the field of implementation science and enhancing its value in facilitating equitable policy and practice change. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality funded a conference series to achieve two aims: (1) develop a research agenda on implementation mechanisms, and (2) actively disseminate the research agenda to research, policy, and practice audiences. This article presents the resulting research agenda, including priorities and actions to encourage its execution. Method: Building on prior concept mapping work, in a semi-structured, 3-day, in-person working meeting, 23 US-based researchers used a modified nominal group process to generate priorities and actions for addressing challenges to studying implementation mechanisms. During each of the three 120-min sessions, small groups responded to the prompt: "What actions need to be taken to move this research forward?" The groups brainstormed actions, which were then shared with the full group and discussed with the support of facilitators trained in structured group processes. Facilitators grouped critical and novel ideas into themes. Attendees voted on six themes they prioritized to discuss in a fourth, 120-min session, during which small groups operationalized prioritized actions. Subsequently, all ideas were collated, combined, and revised for clarity by a subset of the authorship team. Results: From this multistep process, 150 actions emerged across 10 priority areas, which together constitute the research agenda. Actions included discrete activities, projects, or products, and ways to shift how research is conducted to strengthen the study of implementation mechanisms. Conclusions: This research agenda elevates actions to guide the selection, design, and evaluation of implementation mechanisms. By delineating recommended actions to address the challenges of studying implementation mechanisms, this research agenda facilitates expanding the field of implementation science, beyond studying what works to how and why strategies work, in what contexts, for whom, and with which interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a meaning-oriented perspective, the study drew on the nominalization in Systemic Functional Linguistics with Coh-Metrix and interviews to check how L2 academic writing of student writers may develop with the implementation of task-type repetition (TtR). The findings revealed that the development of L2 academic writing was presumably staged rather than constantly linear. Over the development, language proficiency dynamically resonated with TtR. First, the beginning session of TtR (from Task 1 to around Task 4) witnessed a more dynamic developmental trajectory during which the low-proficiency student constantly outperformed the other two in inter-sentential cohesion, while the intermediate-level student stood out over the middle session (Task 4- around Task 8). Second, at three genre stagings, students' genre knowledge deeply resonated with their meaning-making activities throughout TtR, particularly in facilitating individual iterative reflection on their established writing knowledge. Third, the deficiency of genre knowledge may cause wide-range absence of nominalization at DESCRIPTION and CONCLUSION than EXPOSITION. Fourth, the linguistic fossilization identified at DESCRIPTION implies that anaphoric reconstrual may be individually mediated (by grammatically complicating the syntax in the study). Finally, a nuanced improvement in metaphorical enrichment and control was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) comprises 14 countries, many of which currently grapple with an increasing burden of cardiothoracic surgical (CTS) diseases. Health and economic implications of unaddressed CTS conditions are profound and require a robust regional response. This study aimed to define the status of CTS specialist training in the region (including the density of specialists, facilities, and active training posts), examine implications, and proffer recommendations. Methods: A desk review of COSECSA secretariat documents and program accreditation records triangulated with information from surgical societies was performed in May 2022 and September 2023 as part of education quality improvement. A modified nominal group process involving contextual experts was used to develop a relevant action framework. Results: Only 6 of 14 (43%) of COSECSA countries offered active training programs with annual intake of only 18 trainees. Significant training gaps existed in Burundi, Botswana, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Country specialist density ranged from 1 per 400,000 (Namibia) to 1 per 8,000,000 (Ethiopia). Overall, the region had 0.2 CTS specialists per million population as compared with 7.15 surgeons per million in High‐Income Countries. Surgical education experts proposed an action framework to address the training crisis including increasing investments in CTS education, establishing regional centers of excellence, retention incentives and opportunities for women, and leveraging international partnerships. Conclusion: Proactive investments in infrastructure, human resources, training, and collaborative efforts by national governments, regional intergovernmental organizations, and international partners are critical to expanding regional CTS training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Limited research exists on medical students' coping and adjustment skills, especially in the South African context. Stakeholders planning medical curricula need to be aware of emotional and communication skills that allow students to cope and adjust to stress associated with transitioning to medical studies. Objective. To design a support framework to facilitate first-year undergraduate medical students' social learning and integration skills. Methods. This descriptive qualitative case study used multiple data collection methods, nominal group meetings and Delphi questionnaires to explore and understand undergraduate medical students' challenges with social learning and integration factors. These insights were then used to develop the support framework. Results. The support framework articulates levels of engagement and actions required to address social learning and integrated factors, namely underpreparedness, peer support, confidence, self-management, alienation and academic advice. Conclusion. Implementing the proposed support framework on social learning and integration could facilitate the successful transition of first-year undergraduate medical students from high school to university. This framework aids students in dealing with social learning and integrated factors, such as under-preparedness, peer support, confidence, self-management and alienation as well as academic advice using contextualised and appropriate skills and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important reason for the success of the Venetian Paolo Sarpi's ideas in England is found in the 'Englishing' of his printed works, that is, their adaptation and appropriation by printers and translators. During the Venetian interdict (c. 1606–1608), Sarpi's tracts were treated as timely, informative, and politically useful news. Englishing consisted of re-writing titles by adding bombastic phrases, changing printers' ornaments, and adding marginalia to help readers unfamiliar with Italy. In the History of the Council of Trent, published in 1619 (Italian) and 1620 (English), the Englishing became more substantive – adding lengthy prefaces, inserting words into Sarpi's text, and including the translator's name. The prefaces framed the book's contents, while the translator's name provided authority. The additional words made the English History even more partisan than the Italian Historia. Publishers and translators modified Sarpi's works to produce aggressive readings that diverged from his own political and religious goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses null objects (NOs) in Ibero-Romance. European Portuguese (EP) has both definite and indefinte NOs, but Castillian Spanish (CSpanish) only allows NOs when the antecedent is a bare plural nominal or a mass noun. The paper argues that these differences are related to the distribution of bare nominals in each language and proposes that the same underlying mechanism is at the root of indefinite and definite object drop, namely a rootless [nPn ] proform. [nPn ] denotes a contextually salient property, its possible interpretations being derived by general type-shifting operations. In CSpanish, the property denoted by [nPn ] is interpreted as a restrictive modifier of the predicate and the relevant variable is bound under VP level Existential Closure. Focusing on EP, there are striking similarities between definite NOs and other types of nominal anaphora, including epithets. In particular, like epithets, NOs are subject to an Antilogophoricity Constraint. This affinity between NOs and epithets constitutes a case in favor of the idea that the NO is a base-generated nominal. The difference with respect to CSpanish lies in the possibility of interpreting the null nominal by a choice function, a function maps a property onto an entity that has the property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various branches of the literature suggest that exposure to the high‐status appearances and lifestyles of politicians in contemporary "diploma democracies" affects the attitudes and behavior of less‐educated citizens because it confronts them with their lower status in the political domain. Informed by this, we theorize that such exposure inspires docility (a lower subjective social status, weaker feelings of political entitlement) and revolt (anger, more support for aggression against government). To investigate this, we conducted an original, pre‐registered, video‐vignette survey experiment among a representative sample of the Dutch population. While our findings likely generalize to other liberal democracies, the Dutch context is suitable to test our theorizing because low‐status and high‐status appearances and lifestyles are found across the political arena, irrespective of politicians' substantive positions or use of populist rhetoric. Each less‐educated respondent (n = 1390) was presented with a professionally produced video of an actor playing the part of a fictitious politician. This politician signaled either a low or a high status via his appearance and lifestyle. The potentially confounding factors of his substantive positions and populist rhetoric were randomized and controlled for. We find that exposure to the high‐status politician increased less‐educated citizens' support for aggression against the government. Through exploratory analyses, we assess how the responses of docility and revolt are interrelated, and how they are shaped by less‐educated citizens' economic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the challenges of understanding statistical language, particularly for students. The author shares their own struggles with mastering statistical language and highlights the issue of lexical ambiguity, where statistical terms have different meanings than their everyday counterparts. The lack of standardization in statistical language and the confusion caused by different terms for the same concepts are also discussed. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding statistical language for full participation in the discipline and suggests the need for careful language choice and awareness of lexical ambiguity. Different approaches to terminology and definitions are explored, with an emphasis on finding a balance between mathematical and linguistic requirements. The article acknowledges the difficulty of achieving a perfect solution to these challenges. [Extracted from the article]

There is a debate concerning the history of demonstratives. Are they primitive or grammaticalized elements in languages? Moreover, notwithstanding the relevance of demonstratives to NP, nominals are not regarded as a potential source of grammaticalized demonstratives. The present study, based on synchronic observations, argues that the proximal demonstratives ða 'this' and ʔulaaʔ 'these', which constitute the nucleus of the demonstrative system of Standard Arabic, are grammaticalized elements. It also offers a new grammaticalization pathway and a new source of demonstratives. Arabic proximal demonstratives evolve from possessive adjectives, which are themselves grammaticalized from nominals that mean 'oneself' and 'companion'. The motive underpinning this pathway is that the lexical sources and the grammaticalized elements share the property of being egocentric. Concerning medial and distal demonstratives, two further stages of grammaticalization occur: (1) the phonological derivation of two medial demonstratives from their corresponding proximal demonstratives and (2) the phonological derivation of two distal demonstratives from their corresponding medial demonstratives. The extended grammaticalization pathway is as follows: nominals that mean 'self' and 'companion' > possessive adjectives > proximal demonstratives > medial > distal. This pathway implies that the source of demonstratives may comprise more than one lexical word; however, they are meaningfully related, and their grammaticalization pathway towards forming the demonstrative system of Standard Arabic applies uniformly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offered a detailed cross-disciplinary analysis of master thesis titles (MTTs) in the fields of Linguistics and Literature, focusing on the variations in title length, syntactic structure, and lexical features. Utilizing a corpus-based approach, the research analyzed 1,000 MTTs from 25 top universities in China, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how titles reflect disciplinary conventions. The quantitative analysis revealed that Linguistics titles were typically longer and utilized complex nominal structures with a higher lexical density of substantive words, emphasizing precision and detailed content communication. In contrast, Literature titles demonstrated greater syntactic diversity and lexical variety, reflecting a broader thematic scope and adaptability in narrative and thematic expressions. Qualitatively, the study highlighted how these features aligned with the distinct cultural and academic settings of each field. The findings suggested that while Linguistics titles focused on analytical depth, Literature titles incorporated more creative and interpretative elements. This research provided valuable insights into the construction of thesis titles and suggested practical applications for enhancing academic communication across disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) is a chronic ulcerating disease. A literature review identified inconsistencies in clinical trials. The aims of this study were to reach a consensus on the most important domains to measure when assessing LCL, agree on parameters to measure the domains, and develop a tool representing a Core Outcome Set (COS), for use in clinical assessment of LCL. Methodology & principal findings: A literature review was conducted to identify any existing COS for LCL embracing agreed Outcome Domains, i.e. what to measure and any Outcome Measurement Instruments (OMIs). As no COS was available, potential outcome domains for assessment of LCL were identified through an international collaborative approach using e-consultations and virtual discussions with expert stakeholders (n = 20) from geographically different LCL endemic countries. Subsequent judgmental validation process included a face-to-face multidisciplinary stakeholders' meeting adopting the Nominal Group Technique. A final consensual agreement on outcome domains and items required to measure these domains was established. "Clinical Cure" was defined as the ideal overall "General Concept". The five Core Outcome Domains included Signs capturing clinical morphology, diameter, and induration of an index lesion with the aid of a palpability score, Treatment Efficacy assessing percentage change in size of the lesion and re-epithelialization compared to baseline, Treatment Impact which included an investigator and patient visual analogue score, and Clinical Sequelae rating pigment change, atrophic and hypertrophic/keloid scars. It was agreed that two open-ended questions should be included to capture some aspects of Health-Related Quality of Life as a means of capturing a patient-focused approach. Conclusion: LeishCOM_LCL was generated to reflect a COS for LCL. This captured demographic details, agreed outcome domains and measures to assess these domains. Validation of LeishCOM_LCL will be reported in a separate paper. Development of a Patient Reported Outcome Measure will be considered in the future. Author summary: Localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) is a chronic ulcerating disease caused by the parasite Leishmania spp. Literature review identified inconsistencies in methods and parameters used to evaluate treatment/alternative-interventions resulting in difficulties in comparing new treatment/interventions in clinical trials. In our international consensual study, we adopted the face-to-face nominal group technique and a judgment process to identify domains key to assessment of LCL. Subsequent measures for each domain were used to form a Core Outcome Set (COS). LeishCOM_LCL was developed as an outcome measure instrument (OMI) to capture the COS incorporating existing and newly developed tools. "Clinical Cure" was agreed as the "General Concept" to be captured through five domains. It was agreed that "Signs" domain should capture clinical morphology, diameter, and induration of an index lesion with the aid of a palpability score. "Treatment Efficacy" was assessed by recording percentage change in size of the lesion and re-epithelialization compared to baseline. "Treatment Impact" was reflected through an investigator and the patient visual analogue score and "Clinical Sequelae" rated pigment change, atrophic/hypertrophic scars. Two open-ended questions were included to capture some aspects of "Health-Related Quality of Life". LeishCOM_LCL also records patient demographic details and was validated in a small cohort of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionTo understand current practices and challenges for collecting author feedback for English-language, industry-sponsored publications in Asia-Pacific (APAC), and the implications for adherence to international publication guidelines.A cross-sectional, internet-based survey of industry (‘internal’) authors (17 questions) and publication professionals (18 questions) supporting publications in APAC, conducted between November 18 and December 4, 2022.Overall, 142 survey responses were received, of which 94 (66%) were complete and included in the analysis (33 internal authors, 61 publication professionals). Almost half (45%) of internal authors preferred a non-English language for providing feedback on publications, and most (70%) would use this language whenever possible. Internal authors favored written (91%) versus spoken (73%) English, and email was the preferred mode of communication. Publication professionals said they have observed qualitative differences when authors provide feedback in a preferred non-English language versus English. Many agreed that authors tend to provide more substantive or critical feedback when they can respond in their preferred non-English language. Internal authors had low self-assessed familiarity with key publication guidelines, while most publication professionals had a moderate or high self-assessed familiarity. The main barriers to application of publication guidelines, as rated by publication professionals, were that external authors in APAC are not familiar with global publication guidelines and do not always provide feedback/responses in writing.It is important to consider the diverse language, cultural, and communication preferences of individuals involved in English-language publication development in APAC, and to ensure that authors are aware of current publication guidelines and best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I argue that “general pejoratives” such as “jerk” or “bastard” differ crucially from items such as “that damn N”. While items such as the latter typically serve to give vent to one's attitudes, general pejoratives essentially involve judgments about a person's behaviour or character. This is particularly evident in cases where pejoratives occur not as epithets, but as predicate nominals. If we want to account for the overall contribution of words such as “jerk”, there are three kinds of content that ought to be distinguished: truth‐conditional contents, evaluative presuppositions, and expressive contents that are either at‐issue (in the case of expressive predicates) or non‐at‐issue (in the case of epithets). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on the syntax complexity variation in individuals with Alzheimer's disease primarily focuses on isolated language features like sentence length or syntactic structure, with limited exploration of their connection to memory and cognitive deficits. This study investigated the syntactic complexity variation in AD by associating working memory load with fine-grained syntactic features adopting a dependency distance approach. The findings include: (1) AD patients had shorter mean dependency distances (MDD) and more head-final dependencies compared to the HC group; (2) The patients still produced their speech under the DDM tendency but exhibited a stronger preference for simple syntactic structures; (3) Sentences produced by AD patients were statistically shorter than the HC group, and the patients exhibited greater difficulty handling syntactic structures as sentence length increases; (4) The patients could employ different syntactic structures but perform worse in extending them, particularly in nominal groups and hypotactic constructions; (5) The patients showed stronger reliance on sentence-initial adjuncts and inverted constructions. These findings suggest that syntactic impairments in AD exhibit a potential hierarchical decline along the continuum of syntactic complexity, with working memory deficits being a critical factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazilian Veneto (a heritage variety of Veneto spoken in several areas of Brazil), a stem alternation targets the plurals of masculine nominals ending in a consonant. While nominals with a word-final rhotic or nasal are pluralized by adding the masculine plural suffix / − i /   ([ b i ' t ∫ ̑ e r ] → [ b i ' t ∫ ̑ e r i ] 'glass'), pluralization in nominals with a final lateral involves deletion of the consonant (e.g., [ n i ' s o l ] → [ n i ' s o i ] 'bedsheet'). I argue that these differences stem from word-final laterals having a distinct representation from rhotics and nasals: while the latter are represented as codas, the former are represented as onsets of empty-headed syllables. Based on a corpus analysis, I show that (a) speakers' productions of these plurals are stable, and (b) other patterns of pluralization (namely, in monosyllables and words with final stress on a CV syllable) are consistent with the proposal. In addition, the behaviour of laterals with respect to resyllabification, metaphony and intervocalic consonant deletion further suggest that laterals are represented as onsets word-finally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 is typically reconstructed from military files that offer a dispassionate view, recording events rather than opinions. Gaining insights into the minds of key German commanders is much more difficult and often a matter of speculation, which all too often reflects the supposition of the author rather than anything substantive about the protagonist. Yet almost every German general wrote letters home to their wives and families in which — from the available examples — they offered surprisingly frank commentaries on the conduct of their operations. One such insightful collection is by Colonel-General Heinz Guderian, the commander of Panzer Group 2 in the summer of 1941. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to identify the distinctive features of the embodiment of the spiritual content of Psalm No. 8 in the choral works ―Lord, Our Master‖ by Yevhen Stankovych and ―Psalm No. 8‖ by Oleksandr Yakovchuk. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach that includes historical-cultural, religious-philosophical, textual, and musicological aspects. The methods employed include historical, sociocultural, textual, musicological, interpretative, and comparative approaches. Scientific novelty. For the first time, different interpretations of the spiritual content of Psalm No. 8 in contemporary Ukrainian choral music are considered. Based on a comparative analysis of Y. Stankovych's choral concert ―Lord, Our Master‖ for mixed a cappella choir and O. Yakovchuk's choral miniature ―Psalm No. 8‖ for solo tenor and male a cappella choir, distinct and common features in the figurative-emotional, dramaturgical, and stylistic aspects of these works are revealed. Conclusions. It was found that the composers revealed the figurative-emotional, substantive, and semantic potential of the psalm text in different ways. The differences in interpretation concern the choice of genre, performance ensemble, text selection, embodiment of figurative content, emotional filling, and textural techniques. The common features of both works are manifested in the use of a cappella choir, a tendency towards harmonic colourfulness, the organic combination of chordal structure, imitative polyphony techniques, and folk polyphony. It is proven that the concept of the choral concert implied an elevated, solemn sound, while the choral miniature aimed for deep meditative concentration in prayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the traditional components of initial joint sessions occur less frequently today than they did historically and are more likely to take place during initial caucuses than during initial joint sessions. These changes in mediation practice lead to questions about whether initial joint sessions still provide the benefits historically attributed to them and whether initial caucuses now provide not only the benefits specifically ascribed to them but also the benefits typically associated with initial joint sessions. The present Article addresses these questions while taking into consideration differences in case and mediator characteristics as well as the extent of discussions in each setting. The findings are based on the survey responses of over 1,000 mediators in general civil and family cases across eight states. There were differences between cases that began mediation in joint session versus in caucus in several intermediate outcomes associated with the initial session, especially in civil cases, but few differences in final outcomes between cases where the disputants spent some versus no time together during the entire mediation. However, for the most part the differences disappeared or were reduced after we statistically adjusted for the extent of substantive discussions among the mediator, the disputants, and the lawyers as well as several case and mediator characteristics. Thus, the outcome differences largely appear to be explained by differences in the extent of discussions that occur during the initial mediation session as well as differences in case characteristics rather than simply by whether the disputants are together or apart during the mediation. The findings do not support some common assertions about the relative benefits of initial joint sessions and initial caucuses or the benefits of the parties being together for some time during the mediation, but they do provide evidence for the informational and relational benefits of mediation more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]