bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finding the Qur’an in Imitation: Critical Mimesis from Musaylima to Finnegans Wake
Authors: Sherman William
Published: October 2024

Certain formulations of Islamic theology place considerable weight on the doctrine of iʿjāz al-Qur’ān: the miraculous impossibility of imitating the Qur’an. The prevalence of iʿjāz al-Qur’ān doctrines, however, has not prevented many Muslims and non-Muslims from interpreting iʿjāz al-Qur’ān less as a concluded statement of mimetic impossibility and more as a dare to engage the Qur’an in ways that elude conventional academic habits of classifying the Qur’anic sciences. In short, there are dozens of Qur’anic imitations throughout Islamic history, and this article argues that they are not mere provocations but variously represent efforts to participate in the revelation of God, to embody the Qur’an while annihilating the self, and to re-open the messianic moment of God’s direct, linguistic communication with humankind. As a conclusion, this article follows the lead of examples of Qur’anic imitation to develop a literary hermeneutic of the Qur’an in which we can read the Qur’an into various literary texts and linguistic philosophies.
In Search of Chronology: Narratives of Qur’anic Evolution in Western Academia
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Authors: Stefanidis Emmanuelle
Published: October 2024

Since the nineteenth century, Orientalist scholars have been preoccupied with recovering the original order of the Qur’an. In the past fifty years, the question appears to have reached an impasse with no sign of an emerging consensus. Divergences over the anchoring in space and time of the Qur’an have contributed to the diagnosis of “crisis” in (Western) Qur’anic studies.

What do the project of determining Qur’anic chronology and its failure tell us about Qur’anic studies in Western academia? What do the current impasses reveal about the nature of the Qur’an as a text and as a theological object? This study analyses disagreements over the Qur’an’s space and time by drawing on tools from literary theory and hermeneutics. It argues for a shift from a positivist to an interpretative paradigm. Moving away from the question of the actual historical order of the Qur’an, this article examines the making and the workings of diachronic readings of the Muslim scripture, with a particular focus on the works of two of the most prominent scholars in the field, Angelika Neuwirth and Nicolai Sinai. The aim of the exercise is double: first, to perform a critical reflection on the networks of meaning that we construct or inherit in our engagement with the Muslim scripture; and second, to apprehend better the nature of the Qur’an as an “open text” (Eco 1962) whose textual characteristics make it particularly prone to a number of interpretations.
Retrieving the Senses in Qur’anic Exegetical Texts: Shaykh Abu al-Futuh Razi’s Persian Qur’an Commentary
Authors: Thaver Tehseen
Published: October 2024

What is the relationship between Qur’an exegesis, ritual practice, and the formation of religious identities and communities? This is the central question this essay will address by focusing on the first Persian Qur’an commentary to have been composed by a Twelver Shiʿi scholar, Shaykh Abu al-Futuh al-Razi (d. 1131), titled The Cool Breeze of Paradise and Breath for the Soul (Rawd al-Jinan wa Rawh al-Janan fi tafsir al-Qur’an). In particular, I examine the mutually reinforcing dynamic between text and ritual in the curation of pre-modern Muslim publics. Through a close reading of Razi’s exegesis, I show the interaction of Qur’an exegesis, Shiʿi rituals of remembrance and the cultivation of distinct sensorial reactions and capacities – an important medium for the narration, transmission, and indeed determination of religious identities. I argue that Razi’s commentary served the dual role of “explanatory written text” and “oral ritual telling”, while establishing its authority in each of these contexts.
Qur’anic Orality and Textual Epistemologies of the Humanities
Authors: Osborne Lauren
Published: October 2024

This article argues that the Qur’an presents an epistemology that can recenter the categories underlying modern understandings of religion and knowledge. This is done through an examination of the role of orality, textuality, writing, and listening in relation to the Qur’an. The article consists of two parts: first, a synthesis and intervention of the research on the construction of the modern category of religion is brought together with a discussion of modern ways of knowing and sensing. Second, I argue that further attention to orality, sound, and listening in relation to the Qur’an further confounds the assumed neutrality of the categories of knowledge and subjectivity associated with the modern category of religion. The argument reveals the implied assumptions of the categories of orality and textuality that undergird the modern category of religion, to which the Qur’an presents an epistemology wherein orality and textuality are intertwined and overlapping categories and ways of knowing and experiencing, not separable categories as is often assumed.
Conceptualizing Migrant Integration in Canadian Small Centres
Authors: Barber Kathryn
Published: October 2024

Abstract: As populations in small and medium-sized Canadian communities steadily decline, migration is increasingly seen as the solution. While government programs promoting migration to smaller centres exist at both the federal and provincial levels, the long-term integration of newcomers to smaller communities remains a challenge. This tendency could be connected to the notable social, economic and political differences that have been described between larger and smaller centres which can be overlooked by theories of integration derived from empirical work conducted in larger, heavily urban centres. This article explores three theories of integration – assimilation, transnationalism and the whole-of-community approach – and their applicability to the study of small centres medium-sized centres. It suggests that the whole-of-community's emphasis on local context, multilevel governance and dynamic view of culture provides a useful framework for theorizing integration in small centres and develops a sketch of factors relevant to their study in the Canadian context. Résumé: Alors que les populations des petites et moyennes communautés canadiennes diminuent régulièrement, la migration est de plus en plus considérée comme la solution. Même si des programmes gouvernementaux favorisant la migration vers les petits centres existent aux niveaux fédéral et provincial, l'intégration à long terme des nouveaux arrivants demeure un défi. Cette tendance pourrait être liée aux différences sociales, économiques et politiques entre les grands et les petits centres qui peuvent être négligées par les théories de l'intégration dérivées de travaux empiriques menés dans des centres plus grands et fortement urbains. Cet article explore trois théories de l'intégration – l'assimilation, le transnationalisme et l'approche 'communautaire globale' – et leur applicabilité à l'étude des centres de petite et moyenne taille. Il suggère que l'accent mis par l'approche 'communautaire globale' sur le contexte local, la gouvernance à plusieurs niveaux et la vision dynamique de la culture fournit un cadre utile pour théoriser l'intégration dans les petits centres et développe une esquisse des facteurs pertinents pour leur étude dans le contexte canadien.
The Impact of Cricket on Immigrant Social Inclusion in Northern Ontario Communities
Authors: Brown Natalya , Armenakyan Anahit , Shahi Ankur
Published: October 2024

Abstract: In the Northern Ontario communities of North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timmins, immigrants have organized and run cricket clubs. Using a social inclusion framework, we surveyed players and conducted interviews with players and sponsors to ascertain their perspectives on the impact of cricket on newcomer social inclusion. We find evidence that participation in cricket increases newcomers' sense of social inclusion and social capital, with sponsorship playing a moderating role. Institutional support and the ability to secure sponsorship are limited by the low profile of the sport in Northern Ontario. As teams balance increasing competitiveness with inclusiveness, cricket has the potential to provide opportunities for interculturalism, mutual learning, and cross-cultural understanding. Résumé: Dans les communautés du nord de l'Ontario de North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay et Timmins, les immigrants ont organisé et dirigé des clubs de cricket. À l'aide d'un cadre d'inclusion sociale, nous avons interrogé et mené des entretiens avec des joueurs et des commanditaires pour connaître leurs points de vue sur l'impact du cricket sur l'inclusion sociale des nouveaux arrivants. Nous trouvons des preuves que la participation au cricket augmente le sentiment d'inclusion et de capital social des nouveaux arrivants, notamment à travers le rôle modérateur du parrainage. Méconnus dans le nord de l'Ontario, le soutien institutionnel et la capacité d'obtenir des commandites sont ainsi limités pour ce sport. Alors que les équipes sportives tentent de trouver un équilibre entre compétitivité et inclusivité, le cricket devient ce lieu favorisant des échanges interculturels et transculturels, encourageant des apprentissages mutuels.
The Topics Were Conditionals: The Origin and Evolution of a rGyalrong Topic Marker / 话题曾是条件：嘉戎语话题标记的来源与演变
Authors: Lin You-Jing
Published: October 2024

Among the studies of possible sources topic markers can develop from, none has mentioned that topic markers can derive from conditionals. Haiman’s (1978) statement that “conditionals are topics” is well accepted, and based on related linguistic facts it has been further stated that “topics are not conditionals” (Shin 1987). The present paper, however, argues that the rGyalrong topic marker = mənaŋorə has derived from the conditional verb form that has the copula ŋôs as the stem: mə-na-ŋôs=rə [COND-PFV-COP=TOP]. We suggest that three factors have made this development possible. One is that the stem of the related conditional verb form is a copula, which is semantically empty. The second factor is that the conditional clause, like most other clause types in rGyalorng, is verb-final. The other concerns the fact that in the rGyalrong dialect examined for the present study, the conditional clause always precedes the main clause. With conditional marking, the copula signals nothing but the givenness of information conveyed by its complement. Since the relative position between the conditional and main clauses is fixed, the path has been paved for [Conditional clause+Main clause] to evolve into [Topic+Comment]. Based on the evidence as observed in rGyalrong as well as Turkic languages, it could be adequate to state: “The topics were once conditionals.”
Diffusion of the Interrogative Pronoun Sha '啥' From Mandarin to Wu: A View of Dialect Contact / 从方言接触看疑问代词“啥”从官话到吴语的扩散
Authors: Sheng Yimin
Published: October 2024

This article focuses on the source of the interrogative pronoun sha ‘啥’ in Wu dialects, which is a case study of Wu dialects’ historical syntax. It is generally believed that sha ‘啥’ of Wu dialects comes from the fusing of shenme ‘什么’, but this solution has the following problems: Wu dialects have voiced initials, so sha ‘啥’ which is voiceless initial cann’t come from shenme ‘什么’. The article first discusses the geographical distribution and function differences of sha ‘啥’ in Wu dialect, and then reconstructs its early phonetic form. We hypothesize that the fusing of shenme ‘什么’ were considered in the Bianluo area of the Song Dynasty, and then sha ‘啥’ was brought into Wu dialects via the Song southern migration.
Stenographic Authorship: Pauline E. Hopkins and Literary Infrastructures
Authors: Dahn Eurie
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Stenography, or the practice of shorthand writing systems, is viewed dismissively as rote transcription work, the opposite of literary creativity. However, Black writers and activists like Pauline Hopkins and Charles Chesnutt worked as stenographers to support themselves even as they engaged in the labor of writing. Expertise in shorthand offered the promise of upward mobility in the Jim Crow era for Black Americans. Despite being categorized as automatic work, stenography was also seen as a kind of authorial labor. With a focus on Hopkins and her fiction, this essay examines stenography's role in literary labor and Black activism to call attention to the unglamorous clerical infrastructure that supported the work of institutions, such as the government, legal system, and press.
A School of Its Own: US Naturalism and the Demands of Professional Labor
Authors: Loeffler Philipp
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This essay centers around a comparative reading of William Dean Howells's A Hazard of New Fortunes and Frank Norris's McTeague . Its main goal is to contextualize Norris's attempts to promote what he understood to be literary naturalism—positioned against the "well-behaved, ordinary, bourgeois" realism of Howells—and to show how he connected the idea of 'the literary' to the postbellum world of professional labor. In as much as other, established professions already regulated the practice of work according to internally ratified standards of quality, postbellum writers, too, sought to render the practice of writing objectifiable by appeal to standards of evaluation that were approved by experts within their own community, a "brotherhood of novelists" in the words of James.
From Great Books to World Literature: Anthologies as Institutional Supplements Around 1900 and Today
Authors: Muenchrath Anna
Published: October 2024

Abstract: At the turn of the twentieth century, Great Books anthologies and essay collections began to create a coherent narrative of the world's literature, one that usually ended with the teleological arrival of its imagined reader: Euro-American man. This essay reads four such publishing projects—Charles Dudley Warner's Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern (1896), Henry Cabot Lodge's The Best of the World's Classics (1909), John Macy's The Story of the World's Literature (1925), and Charles W. Eliot's The Harvard Classics (1909)—in order to argue that justifications of their selections constitute a theorization of the relationship between the one (text, editor, or imagined reader) and the many (possible texts, editorial boards, or national citizenry). In this way, these anthologies are meta-institutional texts, generating theories that can help us understand how contemporary world literature anthologies might reimagine their role as mediating between the representative and the universal.
Pioneers and Populists: Sutton E. Griggs, Oscar Micheaux, and Independent Black Publishing at the Turn of the Century
Authors: Blanc Marc
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Recent scholarship on Black print cultures has paid close attention to self- and independent publication. These studies tend to center writer-publishers from the antebellum and Harlem Renaissance periods, arguing that Black authors published their works out of either financial necessity or desire for editorial independence. However, the causes and meanings of Black independent publishing changed during the postbellum, pre-Renaissance period. In this essay, I focus on Sutton E. Griggs and Oscar Micheaux, two early twentieth-century novelists who labored outside of and in opposition to both the Black press and white, mainstream publishers. Ultimately, I argue that Griggs's and Micheaux's use of commission presses carved new paths for Black writers to dissent against emerging trends in political and literary culture: US expansionism and the early corporatization of literary publishing. This essay urges scholars to treat turn-of-the-century commission presses as neglected archives of radical texts.
The Booksellers' School and the Rise of American Independent Bookselling
Authors: Chambers Matthew
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This article analyzes the concerns and activities of the B.W. Huebsch-led Booksellers' School in New York City (1912–1918) to argue how certain fundamentals of bookselling met with a strong emphasis on a national (American) literature, partly through a series of lectures run by Van Wyck Brooks. The School sought to educate sellers in national canons of literature and help them sell the fledgling American one. In bringing together the profession of bookselling and literariness, the Booksellers' School offered a blueprint for a new form of bookselling—one which embraced an idea of literariness as a commercial tactic. By addressing the ideas on bookselling and American literature Huebsch and Brooks forwarded at the School, I show the potential influence it had on the bookselling landscape in the early twentieth century.
Instituting Bestsellers: The First Ten Years of "Sales of Books During the Month"
Authors: Jordan Jessica
Published: October 2024

Abstract: In February of 1895, the first American bestseller list appeared in the inaugural issue of the Bookman under the unassuming title of "Sales of Books During the Month." Though scholars have used the Bookman list as a reference point in studies of reading trends, there has been no sustained consideration of its specific form and influence. This article seeks to supply both, providing an institutional history while also locating the bestseller phenomenon within a larger turn of the century publishing context, including early experiments in advertising. Focusing on the first ten years of the Bookman list, from 1895–1904, this analysis relies in part on a database of every title which appeared on the list during that time, comprised of over 21,000 entries. This approach allows for new perspectives on how questions of homogeneity and simultaneity, inherent to bestseller discourse, played out across turn of the century American landscapes.
Literary Sites of Institutional Confirmation and Critique: Howells in the Study, Cather in the Office
Authors: Sedlmeier Florian , Starre Alexander
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Against the backdrop of the current interest in the institutions of literature, the essay deploys Luc Boltanski's social theory of institutional confirmation and critique for a comparative analysis of two key writers in the emergent field of US literature around 1900: Wiliam Dean Howells and Willa Cather. Visiting Howells in the editor's study at Harper's New Monthly Magazine and Cather in the corporate office at McClure's Magazine , the essay traces how each publishing institution not only informs their criticism and correspondence but also seeps into their fiction. Framed by editorial columns and archival materials, Howells's story "The Critical Bookstore" (1913) as well as Cather's early short fiction and her debut novel Alexander's Bridge (1912) can be seen to engage what Boltanski calls the "semantic security" of institutions. Building on sociologically inflected readings of these texts, the essay considers Boltanski's claim that critique is an inherent effect of institutionalization.
Threads of insight: Exploring the narrative of online reviews (2002–22) in the apparel industry through bibliometrics
Authors: Garg Yashu , Gopal Krishan , Chandel Ajay
Published: October 2024

Online reviews have become crucial in research and consumer decision-making, providing insights into customer perspectives on products and services. In today’s digital age, they are an essential tool for retailers to engage with their customers. This is particularly true in the apparel industry, where understanding consumer satisfaction and preferences is key to crafting effective marketing strategies. Despite the abundance of literature on the impact of online reviews on consumer evaluations of ready-made garments, there has been limited scientific analysis of this extensive body of work. This bibliometric study utilizes performance analysis and science mapping to rigorously examine the body of literature on online reviews. Performance analysis assesses the quality and quantity of various scientific contributions using a suite of bibliometric indicators, such as publication trends, leading authors and journals, and the most influential publications. To complement this, science mapping is employed to elucidate the broader intellectual, social and conceptual frameworks of the field, providing a holistic view of its fundamental dynamics that performance analysis alone cannot offer. We analysed 161 articles published between 2002 and 2022, selected via targeted keywords from the Scopus database. The data was processed using VOSviewer (1.6.20) and Biblioshiny, a web-based platform powered by the R-package Bibliometrix 4.1. This study not only delves into the historical and current states of the literature but also identifies and discusses future research agendas in online reviews within the apparel industry.
Review of Clifford Case and the Challenge of Liberal Republicanism
Authors: Barrett Marsha E.
Published: October 2024

Review of Clifford Case and the Challenge of Liberal Republicanism
Innovating Through Public–Private Partnership
Authors: Zai Paul Vasile , Lazar Andreea-Mihaela-Veronica
Published: October 2024

The article titled Innovating through Public-Private Partnership, explores the potential of public-private partnerships (PPP) as a means to foster innovation, economic stabilization, and sustainable community development. It highlights how the collaboration between public administration authorities and private or non-governmental sectors can address pressing societal challenges, including global warming, healthcare modernization, and technological advancements. The research outlines the essential components of PPPs, including financial models, management frameworks, and project evaluation criteria, with a particular focus on innovation-driven initiatives. Various stages of establishing a successful PPP are examined, from project conceptualization and partner selection to implementation and performance monitoring. Furthermore, the paper delves into the importance of funding methods and risk management, demonstrating how a well-structured PPP can combine public and private resources to deliver public goods effectively. The article also provides insights into sector-specific innovation strategies, such as digitalization and renewable energy projects. The case for renewable energy production through PPPs, involving solar and wind energy, is highlighted as a sustainable development model that strengthens collaboration between public and private sectors. By analyzing a five-year history of PPP projects in Europe and providing forecasts for the future, the paper underscores the growing relevance of PPPs in achieving long-term goals for economic and infrastructural development. The study concludes with recommendations for fostering a conducive environment for PPPs, such as legislative reform, the creation of national databases, and investment in education and training to enhance the success and innovation potential of PPPs.
Effects of COVID-19 on Job Turnovers and Succession Plans in the Hospitality Industry in Kenya
Authors: Francis Kabii
Published: October 2024

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Social Media Usage and Social Capital as Determinants of Oil Palm Integration Practices Among Smallholders in East Malaysia
Authors: Ab Rahman Abdul Hafiz , Abdullah Azlina , Johari Mohammad Lui , Yusoff Sarina , Rasli Fateen Nabilla
Published: October 2024

Social media plays an increasingly important role in expanding social networks, which may influence the development of social capital among rural communities. This study investigates the relationship between social capital, social media usage, and the adoption of integration practices among oil palm smallholders in East Malaysia. A survey of 194 smallholders revealed that those with higher education levels had significantly higher bonding social capital (p < 0.05). Additionally, smallholders who had used WhatsApp for five years or more exhibited significantly higher levels of both bonding and bridging social capital (p < 0.05). The study found a significant association between bridging social capital and integration practices, particularly non-agricultural activities, but no significant link with bonding social capital. Logistic regression showed that smallholders with higher bridging social capital were more likely to engage in non-agricultural integration practices (OR = 5.64, 95% CI = 2.30–13.83, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that targeted efforts to enhance social media literacy could strengthen social capital and diversify the economic activities of smallholders. Expanding future research to cover a broader geographical area with varying internet accessibility is recommended.
The Use of Design Thinking in the Development of IoT Projects
Authors: Zainal Salbiah , Yusoff Rasimah Che Mohd , Abas Hafiza , Ibrahim Roslina , Ab. Rahim Nor Zairah
Published: October 2024

One of the difficulties in the teaching and learning of the Internet of Things (IoT) is the lack of exposure to IoT concepts and inadequate teaching methods and tools. The use of Design Thinking (DT) when developing IoT projects can promote solution-based thinking and enhance creativity in problem-solving. The process of DT involves five phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. The objective of this study was to evaluate the DT tools and process for developing IoT projects. This study involved 22 Information Technology undergraduate students. The Define Problem Statement template, POV template, User Feedback, and Affinity Diagram were among the DT tools introduced to the students. Using a survey form, each student assessed the efficacy of the DT tool and process. Student feedback revealed that the DT process and tools significantly enhanced their understanding of IoT projects. An expert assessment using a DT rubric was also carried out by a lecturer having a master’s degree in information and technology to assess students’ performance using five criteria. Students need to do two rounds of Affinity Diagram activity.  The DT rubric results show students’ average scores increased from 2.52 to 3.48, indicating an improvement in students’ IoT project development using DT.
Female Leaders in Lebanese Private Schools: Perceptions, Barriers and Leadership Characteristics
Authors: Issa John , Hariri Nibal
Published: October 2024

Globally females are underrepresented in leadership positions. In academic settings, despite the majority of teachers being females, there is no equal representation between the two genders when it comes to leadership. The trend remains that females teach and males manage. This is discriminatory and unfair, especially when female leaders have an advantage over male leaders in school settings. If females are more effective in academic leadership positions, why aren’t they provided with equal leadership opportunities? This paper uncovers the perceptions surrounding female leaders and their ability to lead, the barriers that forbid females from advancing to leadership positions, and the predominant leadership characteristics viewed in each gender. By surveying female and male teachers from Lebanese private schools in the district of Mount Lebanon, this paper indicates that female leaders are surrounded with positive perceptions, but are, however, prevented from advancing to leadership positions by several challenges. The two most prominent barriers to female leadership are found to be related to organizational discrimination, and societal pressures. Moreover, the predominant leadership characteristics visible in each gender are confirmed by this study. Similar to studies about the situation of female leaders in other Arab countries, this research reveals a growing acceptance for female leaders in Lebanese private schools, despite the presence of challenging barriers. By uncovering the current situation of Lebanese female leaders in private schools, this study helps pave the path for much needed solutions in terms of gender equality and equity.
The Issue of Safety Amongst Undergraduate Students of the University of Delhi
Authors: Bhatia Anjali , Kashyap Rina
Published: October 2024

In this paper we investigate what are the connotations of safety for students and in what way is college a safe space. In the questionnaire administered, there was no specific question on safety. However, the response to our first question—What does entering college mean to you?—saw a significant percentage (68%) of female students associating entry into college with entry into a safe space. Students’ expectations from college —as revealed in their responses to other questions—go beyond physical safety, not only do they draw attention to the multidimensionality and complexity of the concept, but in doing so they mark out and identify within the safe environs of college, temporally and spatially fluid islands of unsafety. Their responses problematized the notion of safety, thus alerting us to a political (including gendered) and expansive understanding of safety. In this expansion safety emerges as a cluster concept incorporating dimensions of gender, equality, justice, freedom and democracy. This paper makes two arguments, first  that the college experience contributes to the students’ understanding of safety in its multidimensionality. The connotations of safety include both the physical and the socio-psychological dimensions. Second that in the articulation of this learning a student develops a critical understanding of social, political, and economic structures of power.
Restorative Justice: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Authors: Kashyap Rina
Published: October 2024

Is restorative justice, an idea whose time has come? Or do we still await the tipping point to arrive? This paper explores the relevance of restorative justice by engaging with primarily three texts—Changing Lenses (Howard Zehr), Returning to the Teachings: Exploring Aboriginal Justice (Rupert Ross), and The Expanding Prison (David Cayley)—on the subject. While the texts are primarily an exploration of the concept of restorative justice in the west. They also raise questions are of universal concern. I subscribe to the standpoint of universal values, with a qualification. It must be arrived at, by becoming conscious of the myriad hues that characterize human life, by respecting and learning from differences. The idea of universal values has to be a result of a conversation, a dialogue. It is with this perspective that I approach the readings.  The introduction in the first section is followed by laying out of the key points of the texts in the second. Howard Zehr’s Changing Lenses is a primary text, which has been quoted and interrogated by the other books. In the third section is in an interview format where I share brief portions of a conversation that I had with a lawyer working in the Supreme Court of India. This section brings out the contrast and similarities between the penal justice and restorative justice approaches. In the concluding section four, I discuss some of the changes that are needed to realize restorative justice.
Gender and Age-Related Variations in Elite Student-Athletes’ Experiences of Organizational Stressors
Authors: Srem-Sai Medina
Published: October 2024

The study investigated gender and age-related group differences of experienced organizational stressors across young adults in popular sports. For this purpose, 93 males (60%) and 62 females (40%) student-athletes (n = 155) aged between 18 and 30 were conveniently surveyed using the Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP) through a cross-sectional design. The frequency, intensity and duration dimensions were assessed under the five subcategories of the OSI-SP: "Goals and Development", "Logistics and Operations", "Team and Culture", "Coaching" and "Selection" using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). There were no significant differences between gender and age groups in the frequency of occurrence of student-athletes’ organizational stressors. However, significant differences were found only in the subcategory "team and culture" under the duration and intensity dimensions of organisational stressors. Specifically, female and younger student-athletes experienced team and culture-related stressors longer and more intense than their male and older counterparts. Based on these findings, sport coaches, sport psychologists and directors of sports working with elite student-athletes in the universities could integrate or design stress management interventions. The rationale for these is to help athletes develop appropriate team dynamics to promote appropriate team culture, climate and optimum well-being, especially for female and younger student-athletes.
Construction of Overseas Social Responsibility Image of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises Based on Corpus: Overseas Social Responsibility Image of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises
Authors: Zhou Yajuan , Zhu Wenzhong , Liu Xiaoqin
Published: October 2024

As the "cornerstone" of the socialist economy with Chinese characteristics and the "pioneer" in expanding international markets, state-owned enterprises' overseas social responsibility image directly affects the nation's image and reputation. Drawing on the latest achievements in discourse analysis, this study constructs a multidimensional analytical framework for the overseas social responsibility image of Chinese state-owned enterprises based on a corpus. Using state-owned enterprise social responsibility reports as the corpus, the study examines the linguistic features of the texts and the constructed social responsibility image from the perspectives of thematic words and phrases, intertextuality and interdiscursivity, modal verbs, and explores the underlying socio-cultural context. The findings of the research are as follows: 1) State-owned enterprise social responsibility reports construct multiple social responsibility images, including those of loyal party patriots, guardians of social stability and sustainability, practitioners of shared prosperity, industry leaders, and promoters of firm theoretical beliefs, thereby promoting traditional culture. 2) Furthermore, the reports exhibit positive traits such as openness, diversity, innovation, inclusivity, moderation, and friendliness. The research also indicates that the multifaceted and three-dimensional corporate social responsibility image of state-owned enterprises is closely related to their unique mission and status, as well as China's distinctive cultural context. This study also aims to provide insights into the construction of social responsibility images for non-state-owned enterprises.
Impact of Physical Exercise on College Students' Loneliness: The Mediating Role of Social Support
Authors: Ma Chaoyi , Johnston Dan , Kim Kyungyeol , Zhang Yi
Published: October 2024

This study examines the impact of physical exercise on loneliness among college students, as well as the role of social support as a mediating variable. An online questionnaire measuring loneliness, physical exercise level, and social support was administered to a sample of 1,175 college students in China. Structural equation modeling analysis shows the significant negative effect of physical exercise on loneliness. Social support is found to be negatively associated with loneliness. Social support plays a partial mediating role. The preset research introduces social support as an intermediary variable, which highlights its significance in enhancing  physical exercise and reducing a sense of loneliness for college-age individuals
Determining a Statistical Analysis for the Quantitative Study in Research
Authors: Mweshi Geoffrey Kapasa , Muhyila Mildred
Published: October 2024

The manner in which research will be conducted follows from the research questions or hypotheses; the type of research must be in support of the project. Several types of research are conducted in studies, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational research. Researchers must weigh the advantages and drawbacks of each type of research to determine which design is best for their specific research questions or hypotheses. Alternately, researchers can employ several methods, known as triangulation, to provide a varied and complementary perspective. The use of several methods, measures, or theoretical frameworks to examine a particular phenomenon or behavior improves the robustness of study and can corroborate findings across the various measures (Keyton 2014). Quantitative Designs states the research questions the study will answer, identifies the variables, and states the hypotheses (predictive statements) using the format appropriate for the specific design. For a quantitative study, the theory(ies) or models(s) guides the research question(s) and justifies what is being measured (variables) and describes how those variables are related. Quantitative study: Describes each research variable in the study discussing the prior empirical research that has been done on the variable(s) and the relationship between variables. The overall structure for a quantitative design is based on the scientific method. It uses deductive reasoning, where the researcher forms a hypothesis (Albers, 2017), collects data in an investigation of the problem, and then uses the data from the investigation, after analysis is made and conclusions are shared, to prove the hypotheses not false or false
History’s Legacy: Human Nature Is Unchanging
Authors: Pezzani Fabrizio
Published: October 2024

Today we ought to be in a completely different situation from that of Plato and Raphael during " italian renaisance ", thanks to the progress and power of technical knowledge. A knowledge which has become an end in itself for the modern world, one that should have provided answers to satisfy our primary needs, releasing us from our “shackles”, reducing inequalities, freeing us, at least in part, from a life of fatigue and suffering in physical terms. Scientific knowledge should have helped to create a situation in which our free, inventive mind could once again be the driving force of life, leading us to that dimension of spiritual joy we admire in splendid works of art. This is what Keynes thought would happen. In his essay Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren written in 1930 he said: ‘Thus for the first time since his creation man will be faced with his real, his permanent problem – how to use his freedom from pressing economic cares, which science and compound interest will have won for him [...]. The love of money as a possession – as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life – will be recognised for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity, one of those semi-criminal, semi-pathological propensities which one hands over with a shudder to the specialists in mental disease’.
The Radioecological Peculiarities of Soil Cover in Mountainous Areas (Kyrgyzstan)
Authors: Djenbaev B. М. , Dzhamanbaeva Z. A. , Zholboldiev B. T. , Karmisheva U. Zh , Kaldibaev B. K. , Zhalilova A. A.
Published: October 2024

The article presents the results of a radiological study of mountain soils depending on the height above sea level (740 - 760; 1600-1700 and 2000-2500 m above sea level) on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic. Mountainous areas are characterized by denudation-erosion processes and humus; total nitrogen, gross phosphorus and potassium in the soil cover in mountainous zones are not uniform; in general, the studied zones are at the level of a natural area with small deviations, this is due to both natural and man-made processes. The content of natural radionuclides in the studied soil samples of mountain dark chestnut soils (tailing ponds and the adjacent territory) is several times higher than the average Clarke values, where a sharp decrease in the content of radionuclides is observed in the lower 20-60 cm layers, compared to mountain meadow-steppe subalpine soils. Radioecological analyzes in the city of Bishkek showed that, in general, the exposure dose is at background levels and below established standards. In the Issyk-Kul Biosphere Territory, the calculated annual doses to the population from all routes of exposure to radionuclides in the conditions of the Issyk-Kul region do not exceed the established norm (1 mSv per year). Mothballed storage facilities and dumps are a dangerous potential source of environmental pollution and therefore require constant monitoring.
A Comparison of Children’s Social Behaviors in Single Mother and Two Parent Families in Japan
Authors: Katsurada Emiko , Ueda Mizuho
Published: October 2024

The present study examined the differences between young children from single-mother families and those from two-parent families based on their prosocial behaviors and behavior problems. Mothers’ affectionate parenting was also compared.  We collected data using a Japanese online survey company. A total of 335 women who had a 3 to 5-year-old child participated; 51.2% of which were single mothers. The mothers rated their child’s behavior problems and prosocial behavior and answered a questionnaire on affectionate parenting. The results indicated a significant interaction effect of family structure and child’s gender on children’s behavior problems. The scores of girls were significantly higher than those of the boys in single-mother families, whereas no such gender difference was found in two-parent families. Concerning the scores of children’s prosocial behaviors and the mothers’ affectionate physical contact, however, there was no difference between single-mother and two-parent households. Limitations of using internet surveys were discussed.
The Importance of Originality in Scientific Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases Cannot Be Overstated: Through Our Original Ideas and Investigations, We Can Hope to Make Significant Strides in Understanding and Combating these Diseases
Authors: Teixeira Antonio R. L.
Published: October 2024

The pace of scientific research on neglected tropical diseases, such as Malaria, Leishmaniases, African trypanosomiasis, and Chagas disease (American Trypanosomiasis), has been perceived as slow, potentially failing to keep up with the escalating burden on the global human population. While there have been strides in the treatment and partial prevention of some neglected diseases, the alarming global spread of Leishmaniases and Chagas disease is a cause for concern. To contribute to the discourse on these neglected tropical diseases, examining the morbidity and mortality rates, which have now become a pressing global health issue necessitating international solidarity, is crucial.
The College Campus, a Place of Learning, and a Place of Healing
Authors: Bashir Huma A. , Francis Joshua
Published: October 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have precipitated a marked increase in mental health needs among college students. Lockdowns, the sudden shift to remote learning, and social distancing mandates have compounded existing challenges, highlighting a trend that has evolved over the past two decades. Despite heightened demand for mental health support, colleges struggle to meet these needs amid the emotional aftermath of COVID-19 effectively. Recognizing the pivotal role of higher education institutions in shaping future leaders and addressing and enhancing the mental well-being of the college community is imperative to foster an environment conducive to learning and healing. This paper will review current literature on mental health within college campuses, examining multifaceted contributors to mental health challenges. Additionally, it aims to provide college practitioners with campus-wide strategies to support students, faculty, and staff, acknowledging the interconnectedness of the entire college community.
Obstacles to Scientific Research from the Point of View of Graduate Students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tripoli
Authors: Alayuri Abdurazag Khalifa , Jalid Mohamed Chadli
Published: October 2024

This research aimed to identify the obstacles to scientific research from the point of view of graduate students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Tripoli University related to faculty members, related to graduate students, and related to the administrative side and supervision, the researcher used the descriptive method by survey method due to its suitability to the nature of this research, the research sample was selected randomly, where the total number of the sample amounted to (77) students with a percentage of (48%), and the most important findings of this research were that the responses of the sample members towards the dimensions of The most important findings of this research were that the responses of the sample members towards the dimensions of the axis of obstacles to scientific research from their point of view were realistic and were not due to chance, and the results of the responses of the research sample towards the stability coefficients of the axis of obstacles to scientific research ranged from (73% to 83%), and that the overall stability scores for the axis as a whole amounted to (84%), which are high stability scores.
The Crises Facing Sports Federations in Libya
Authors: Abdulmajeed Abdelbaset Abdullah Ghaith , Jalid Mohamed Chadli
Published: October 2024

The study aimed to identify the crises facing sports federations in Libya, and the study community consisted of the heads of the committees of sports federations in Libya, whose number (150) members, where the study was conducted by a comprehensive inventory method, as their number reached (150) members, and the researcher built a questionnaire as a study tool, and included (37) paragraphs, distributed on four axes, namely the administrative axis, the technical axis, the potential axis, and the legislative axis, and the validity and stability of the study tool was verified using statistical methods. The results of the study showed the crises facing sports federations in Libya, the legislative axis ranked first with relative importance (78.4%), followed by the possibilities axis on the second place with relative importance (77.79%), followed by the third-place administrative axis with relative importance (69.48%), while the last place came the technical axis with relative importance (36.60%). In light of these results, the study made a set of recommendations, including working to provide appropriate capabilities for sports federations adequately and within international standards and levels, benefiting from the experiences of other countries in crises in sports federations and bodies, and taking preventive measures to face some of the expected crises.