bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shaping the Future Counsellor: Perspectives of Australian Educators on Training and the Counselling Profession
Authors: Beel Nathan , Taylor Sharyn , Chinchen Christine
Published: February 2025

This qualitative study explores the views and perceptions of Australian counselling educators regarding the counselling profession's values, identity, and educational practices. This qualitative study utilised interviews of eight counselling educators with diverse professional backgrounds and applied thematic analysis to develop themes. Three primary themes were developed including: the emphasis on the person of the therapist, the importance of quality counselling education, and the distinctiveness and credibility of the counselling profession. The counselling educators were able to elicit core values in alignment with contemporary Australian counselling scholarship, while also noting what may be some threats to counsellor education and downstream, the reputation of the profession.
Psilocybin Impairs Short-Term Cognitive Flexibility but Indicates Long-Term Benefits in a Rodent Three-Choice Reversal Learning Task
Authors: Gregersen Anton T. , Whelan Tobias , Golden Caroline , Blackmore Thomas , Palner Mikael
Published: February 2025

IntroductionCognitive flexibility is essential for adapting behavior in response to environmental changes and is implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, has shown potential in enhancing cognitive flexibility, though results are mixed. This study investigates the effects of psilocybin on cognitive flexibility using a three-choice visual reversal learning task in rats.MethodsSixteen Long-Evans rats were trained on a three-choice touchscreen-based reversal learning task. Following training and initial reversal testing, psilocybin (COMP360, 1 mg/kg, subcutaneous) or saline was administered in a cross-over design. Behavioral performance was assessed through time to learning criteria, reaction times, and interaction patterns with image choices, focusing on both short-term effects (days after administration during the cross-over interventions) and trends over following reversals (weeks). Computational reinforcement learning models analyzed development in latent cognitive parameters, such as learning rate and value sensitivity.ResultsFive rats successfully completed all six reversal learning protocols, demonstrating significant learning and de-learning dynamics. Number of sessions to learning criteria and reaction time for the touchscreen decreased significantly across protocols. Psilocybin administration impaired the rate of learning and de-learning across sessions during the first reversal following intervention. Computational modeling identified low learning rates, with no significant differences between psilocybin and placebo conditions on any parameters. However, exploratory analysis revealed en-hanced rates of both learning and de-learning over session in the second reversal following inter-vention compared to before intervention.ConclusionsA subset of rats effectively engaged in this complex three-choice visual reversal learning task, demonstrating learning and de-learning over time. Psilocybin impaired short-term performance in both learning and de-learning speed, while exploratory findings suggested long-term enhancements in learning dynamics. These results show a nuanced effect of psilocybin on cognitive flexibility and its potential relevance as an intervention in neuropsychiatric disorders. Further research should explore long-term outcomes and refine computational models for complex tasks.
COSMOS An Analytical Model Based on Observations
Authors: Arnold Hans Werner
Published: February 2025

Our search for the origin of gravitation and time leads to an analytical model of theevolution of the universe. The model is a mathematical equation based onobservations and current physical understanding. It describes the observed cosmicfire as a continuous process of a nuclear reaction. This fire is a source ofgravitation and time. It shows an acceleration of the expansion speed of theuniverse and of the production of dark mass/energy. It leads to a way of findingPlanck's Quantum of Action analytically. Together with Hubble's Law andConstant, it describes the earliest moment of our universe. This moment is sharedwith the Big Bang. It is the origin of the graviton, with a spin of two and anentanglement of two of Planck's quanta of action.
Concerning harm/benefit ratio of escitalopram for pediatric generalized anxiety disorder
Authors: Plöderl Martin
Published: February 2025

Background: Escitalopram was recently approved by the FDA for treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in children and adolescents. Approval was mainly based on a phase 4 clinical trial and reference to other findings regarding escitalopram’s efficacy in treating GAD in adults and depression in children and adolescents. Both the FDA and the authors of the approval trial concluded that escitalopram is safe and effective in treating pediatric GAD. Method: This article aims to re-evaluate this conclusion by examining the results of the approval trial, the FDA-review, and findings from other studies. Results: The approval trial revealed a significantly increased rate of suicide ideation among patients on escitalopram compared to those on placebo. In contrast, the statistical significance of the main outcome (reduction in anxiety symptoms) was uncertain and likely not clinically meaningful. All six secondary outcomes (response/remission in anxiety symptoms) were statistically non-significant and close to zero. In the approval trial, patients on escitalopram had a higher risk of developing suicide ideation compared to achieving remission. Discussion: Considering the evidence from the approval trial and overall evidence from other studies on escitalopram, the harm to benefit ratio appears problematic in the treatment of pediatric GAD, or at the very least uncertain.
Early-Life Microbiota as a Key Modulator of Immune Development: Unveiling Novel Roles of Microbial Metabolites, Maternal Virome, and Probiotics
Authors: Pir Mohammad Arzoo , Sahu Shubham
Published: February 2025

The gut microbiota in early life plays a fundamental role in immune system maturation, metabolic regulation, and long-term disease susceptibility. While prior research has established the significance of maternal microbiota transfer, diet, and environmental factors in neonatal microbial colonization, emerging evidence suggests additional pathways influencing immune regulation. This study presents newly identified interactions between microbial metabolites, maternal virome activity, and precision probiotic interventions in modulating immune responses and reducing susceptibility to immune- mediated conditions.
Mathematical Determinism: Does Physical Reality Strictly Follow a Fundamental Mathematical Structure?
Authors: Yu Xiaoyang
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the question of whether physical reality strictly adheres to a fundamental mathematical structure. While modern physics has consistently relied on mathematical formulations to describe the universe—from Newtonian mechanics to quantum mechanics and general relativity—the assumption that nature must conform to an underlying mathematical framework remains a metaphysical belief rather than a provable fact. We examine the evidence supporting this belief, the limitations imposed by Gödel’s incompleteness theorems, and the implications of quantum randomness within a deterministic framework. We argue that despite the absence of definitive proof, the overwhelming success of mathematical physics justifies the assumption that nature is strictly governed by mathematical laws. The discussion extends to whether different levels of physical reality obey the same mathematical principles and whether an ultimate equation governing all physical processes exists.
Sensitivity Analysis of Dynamic Emotional Luxury Cosmetic Purchases
Authors: Tehrani Radin , Ramezanian Hasan
Published: February 2025

Consumers’ purchasing choices are largely shaped by their perceptions of a product’s benefits, drawbacks, and emotional resonance. Psychological and marketing research suggests that emotions are integral throughout the buying process. This study investigates the emotional determinants influencing consumer behavior in the luxury cosmetics sector. A qualitative methodology was adopted, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 23 frequent users of high-end cosmetics and wellness products who are active in Telegram communities. The results revealed a spectrum of emotional reactions and identified key psychological triggers within the study group.In a subsequent phase, a panel of 15 experts—including specialists in marketing, psychology, digital luxury cosmetics enterprises, and administrators of online hygiene and beauty groups—collaboratively determined variables affecting consumer emotions. This process employed a structured three-step consensus approach, culminating in the identification and ranking of 36 factors impacting emotional engagement. These were then classified into three categories: individual characteristics, product- and community-related aspects, and external environmental influences.
Kimberlite, carbonatite and alkaline magmatic systems: definitions, origins, and strategic mineral resources
Authors: Tappe Sebastian , Beard Charles , Borst Anouk , Humphreys-Williams Emma , Walter Benjamin , Yaxley Gregory
Published: February 2025

This Chapter provides an overview of the nature and origin of kimberlites, carbonatites and alkaline silicate rocks, with emphasis on the strategic mineral deposits linked to these types of mantle-derived volcanism (e.g., diamonds and rare-earth elements). It is demonstrated that many of the critical raw materials hosted by carbonatites and alkaline silicate rocks are essential for the transition to a renewable energy based global economy. Both geoscientific and metallurgical research will be of paramount importance to better understand these volatile-rich magmatic systems and their economic mineralization.
A composite index-based insurance instrument for managing the financial risk of variable hydrometeorology for electric utilities
Authors: Amonkar Yash , Pahel-Short Corey , Zeighami Amir , Su Yufei , Kern Jordan , Characklis Gregory
Published: February 2025

Variable hydrometeorological conditions can impact electric utilities' financial stability. Extreme temperatures often increase electricity demand, raising utility costs, while drought reduces hydropower generation and often reduces revenues, with financial impacts potentially exacerbated by spikes in fuel prices, particularly natural gas. In this study, a model of the U.S. West Coast power system is combined with a financial risk model of a large California electric utility as it responds to variable hydrometeorology and market conditions, and is used to test the performance of a novel financial tool for managing risk. An insurance contract based on a composite index of measures related to streamflow, temperature, and natural gas prices is developed and its cost-effectiveness is compared against a portfolio of three currently available index contracts each based on a single index. The new composite index contract achieves an equivalent reduction in the utility’s net revenue variance as a portfolio of the three existing contract types for roughly half the cost with the cost reduction largely attributable to lower basis risk associated with the composite index contract. The utility's financial risk and the effectiveness of the new contract are also explored under an alternative regulatory scenario involving a pollution tax intended to reduce air pollution damages and emissions. Overall, this case study represents a new approach to managing financial risk arising from hydrometeorological and market variability for vertically integrated utilities, the most common utility structure.
Systematic Literature Review: Review of Erosion Control Methods in the 21st Century
Authors: EJIOFOR EZE ANTHONY
Published: February 2025

Erosion control has become one of the foremost environmental issues of the 21st century due to the accelerated impacts of climate change, land degradation, and unsustainable land management. The method of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used. Series of eligibility/exclusion criteria were applied: only journal articles, peer reviewed conference papers and government publications were selected; articles in English publications were chosen as well. Only papers published in 1994 Onwards were selected. This systematic review examines the broad array of erosion control methods developed and deployed in the past two decades and their efficacy, sustainability, and applicability across contexts. The review highlights the significance of vegetative strategies, such as cover crops, agroforestry, and reforestation, which not only reduce soil erosion but also enhance ecosystem  services such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Structural strategies, such as terracing, check dams, and geosynthetic materials, remain effective but are typically limited by their high expense and maintenance requirements. Bioengineering techniques, by vegetative and structural incorporation, are increasingly favored for the double advantage of immediate erosion control alongside promoting long-term ecological recovery. Conservation tillage and soil organic amendments are agricultural management practices that have demonstrated the significance of improved soil quality and tensile strength. Moreover, community and policy-level interventions, such as integrated watershed management and payment for ecosystem services, have also emerged as indispensable methods of combatting erosion at the landsscape level. Despite taking great leaps forward, scaling them up and sustainability over the long term continues to pose a problem. This review underlines integrating technical measures into community involvement coupled with policy action through locally determined strategies. Present studies must focus on optimizing the use of erosion control techniques, optimizing the involvement of stakeholders, and detailing innovative options for addressing emerging problems in a rapidly evolving world. It is feasible to minimize the impact of erosion and promote sustainable land use for generations to come by employing a multidisciplinary method.
Can't help processing numbers with text: Eye-tracking evidence for simultaneous instead of sequential processing of text and numbers in arithmetic word problems
Authors: Roth Lilly , Nuerk Hans-Christoph , Cramer Felix , Daroczy Gabriella
Published: February 2025

Solving arithmetic word problems requires individuals to create a correct mental representation, and this involves both text processing and number processing. The latter comprises understanding the semantic meaning of numbers (i.e., their magnitudes) and potentially executing the appropriate mathematical operation. However, it is not yet clear whether number processing occurs after text processing or both take place simultaneously. We hypothesize that number processing occurs early and simultaneously with other problem-solving processes such as text processing. To test this hypothesis, we created non-solvable word problems that do not require any number processing and we manipulated the calculation difficulty using carry/borrow vs. non-carry/non-borrow within addition and subtraction problems. According to a strictly sequential model, this manipulation should not matter, because the problem is non-solvable, and no calculation is required. In contrast, according to an interactive model, attention to numbers would be higher when word problems require a carry/borrow compared to a non-carry/non-borrow operation. Eye-tracking was used to measure attention to numbers and text in 63 adults, operationalized by static (duration and count of fixations and regressions) and dynamic measures (count of transitions). An interaction between difficulty and operation was found for all static and dynamic eye-tracking variables as well as for response times and error rates. The observed number processing in non-solvable word problems, which indicates that it occurs simultaneously with text processing, is inconsistent with strictly sequential models.
Inconclusive evidence for causal effects between rumination and sleep quality: A simulated reanalysis and comment on Yang and Lei (2025)
Authors: Sorjonen Kimmo , Melin Bo
Published: February 2025

Based on findings from analyses with cross-lagged panel models, Yang and Lei suggested reciprocal causal effects between rumination and sleep problems. Here, we simulated data to resemble the data used by Yang and Lei. We used triangulation and fitted complementary models to the simulated data and found contradicting increasing and decreasing effects of initial rumination on subsequent change in sleep problems and vice versa. These divergent findings indicated that it is premature to assume causal effects between rumination and sleep problems and the suggestions by Yang and Lei in this regard can be challenged. It is important for researchers to be aware that correlations, including adjusted cross-lagged effects, do not prove causality in order not to overinterpret findings, something that appears to have happened to Yang and Lei. We recommend researchers to triangulate by fitting complementary models to their data in order to evaluate if analyzed data could be used to support contradicting conclusions, in which case the data should not be used to support any of those conclusions.
Eeyore: Realistic Depression Simulation via Supervised and Preference Optimization
Authors: liu siyang , Brie Bianca , Li Wenda , Biester Laura , Lee Andrew , Pennebaker James W. , Mihalcea Rada
Published: February 2025

Large Language Models (LLMs) have been previously explored for mental healthcare training and therapy client simulation, but they still fall short in authentically capturing diverse client traits and psychological conditions. We introduce \textbf{Eeyore}, an 8B model optimized for realistic depression simulation through a structured alignment framework, incorporating expert input at every stage.First, we systematically curate real-world depression-related conversations, extracting depressive traits to guide data filtering and psychological profile construction, and use this dataset to instruction-tune Eeyore for profile adherence. Next, to further enhance realism, Eeyore undergoes iterative preference optimization - first leveraging model-generated preferences and then calibrating with a small set of expert-annotated preferences.Throughout the entire pipeline, we actively collaborate with domain experts, developing interactive interfaces to validate trait extraction and iteratively refine structured psychological profiles for clinically meaningful role-play customization.Despite its smaller model size, the Eeyore depression simulation outperforms GPT-4o with SOTA prompting strategies, both in linguistic authenticity and profile adherence.
Spouse Support and Stress: Gender Differences in Neural Measures of Performance Monitoring Under Observation of a Spouse
Authors: Clayson Peter E , Varkala Kipras , Baldwin Scott , Steffen Patrick , Sandberg Jonathan , Larson Michael J.
Published: February 2025

Spousal support can mitigate stress’s impact on daily functioning and neural responses to stressors. However, the effectiveness of spousal support in reducing stress may be moderated by gender. The present study investigated the impact of observer presence in 66 heterosexual married couples, specifically a spouse or a confederate, on two neural indices of performance monitoring: early error detection (error-related negativity [ERN]) and later error awareness (error positivity [Pe]). Contrary to predictions, ERN was consistently smaller in observed conditions, suggesting that being observed, irrespective of the observer’s identity, diminished attention to errors. Notably, only women exhibited an enhanced ERN in the presence of their spouse, suggesting gender-specific differences in neural responses to spousal support during performance monitoring. Pe was larger when completing the task in the presence of a spouse and men displayed larger Pe than women. The present findings underscore the complex role of social context in performance monitoring, challenging existing assumptions about the uniformity of neural indices of performance monitoring during observation. Findings emphasize the need to dissect the nuanced interplay between observer presence, gender differences, and performance monitoring and offer valuable insights into the social modulation of error processing, particularly in a stressful observation context.
Theoretical note: The relation between structure and dynamics in psychological networks of attitudes
Authors: Orr Mark
Published: February 2025

Two claims of the the Causal Attitude Network (CAN) model and the descendent Attitude Entropy framework (AE) are indicative of significant theoretical hurdles facing the psychological network modeling efforts of attitudes. The first claim is that the dynamics of change in an Ising-like attitude network, under perturbation of any one single node, can be inferred from the static network attributes of said node. The second claim is that psychological network models of attitudes with Ising-like dynamics will maximize both attitudinal consistency and accuracy when within the small-world topological regime. The first claim, one with significant application potentials, has not been sufficiently tested; the second claim, one with high theoretical novelty, has never been addressed. Using a set of analytic results and simulations, we found little support for these claims–in short, the predictions are not logically consistent with the theory. Our results have implications beyond attitude models to the the larger field of psychological networks (e.g., in clinical psychology) in reference to how we should explain and understand their dynamics. KEYWORDS: attitudes, neural networks, dynamical systems, psychological networks.
Enhancing Scalability in Preventive Interventions: Theoretical Framework and Practical Applications for Expanding the Reach and Impact of Preventive Intervention Programs
Authors: Saberi Sahba
Published: February 2025

Background: The field of preventive psychological intervention has made significant strides, but a need persists for comprehensive frameworks with a strategic direction for large-scale implementation. Existing preventive programs face limitations that hinder their ability to reach a larger audience and have a broad impact.Body: The Fount Prevention Framework aims to bridge this gap by proposing strategies to enable preventive intervention programs to achieve scalability, reach a wider audience, enhance mental health outcomes, reduce the financial burden, and allow faster access for communities. This paper examines the fundamental features of the Fount Prevention Framework, which serves as a protocol designed to guide prevention and mental health promotion programs in achieving a broader impact.Additionally, the paper examines a preventive program, Mind Wellbeing, developed based on this framework, as a practical application of how these principles can be implemented. Strategies that render the program independent of experts, trained facilitators, and technology-based delivery modes—including the use of a self-help, group-based mode of program delivery through physical, paperback workbooks—are examined. Other features of the program, such as its transdiagnostic, universal, and comprehensive nature, are explored in light of the need to foster widespread prevention coverage and broader public engagement and participation. Limitations and challenges of the program are also addressed, offering insights into the broader application of the framework and considerations necessary for achieving a goal of this magnitude.Conclusion: Through ongoing empirical research and innovative strategizing to overcome the intrinsic challenges faced by programs of this nature, the measures proposed by this framework may present a compelling avenue for influencing global mental health and a potential pathway to enhancing mental health outcomes worldwide.
Odor Coding in the Mammalian Olfactory Epithelium
Authors: Kurian Smija M. , Naressi Rafaella G. , Manoel Diogo , Barwich Ann-Sophie , Malnic Bettina , Saraiva Luis
Published: February 2025

Noses are extremely sophisticated chemical detectors allowing animals to use scents to interpret and navigate their environments. Odor detection starts with the activation of odorant receptors (ORs), expressed in mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) populating the olfactory mucosa. Different odorants, or different concentrations of the same odorant, activate unique ensembles of ORs. This mechanism of combinatorial receptor coding provided a possible explanation as to why different odorants are perceived as having distinct odors. Aided by new technologies, several recent studies have found that antagonist interactions also play an important role in the formation of the combinatorial receptor code. These findings mark the start of a new era in the study of odorant-receptor interactions and add a new level of complexity to odor coding in mammals.
Judging object weights using familiar and newly learned cues: cue combination and individual differences
Authors: Kristiansen Olaf , Scheller Meike , Attanayake Annisha , Bambrough Emily A. , Nardini Marko
Published: February 2025

Human perception is often characterised by efficient combination of sensory signals (cues). In recent studies, people could also improve precision via newly learned cues, with applications to enhance perception in healthy and clinical groups. However, it is unclear whether new cues can enhance manual object interactions. To study how new cues are used for object weight perception, people compared weights of containers. With haptic information plus the familiar visual cue of volume, participants showed precision improvements indicating cue combination. By contrast, a group of participants briefly trained with a novel visual cue to weight (line orientation) did not show improvements expected from combination. We then asked whether prolonged training (12 hours) with the novel cue would promote combination, testing for significant precision gains individually in six participants. Half of participants showed combination benefits, but these were not clearly related to training, as some combined cues before training. Using an illusion analogous to the size-weight illusion, we also asked whether the novel cue would become an automatic predictor of weight: two participants were susceptible to the illusion. We conclude that weight perception is susceptible to some enhancement, but subject to training effects and individual differences that are not yet understood.
Cognitive networks highlight differences and similarities in the STEM mindsets of human and LLM-simulated trainees, experts and academics
Authors: Haim Edith , van den Bergh Lars , Siew Cynthia S. Q. , Kenett Yoed , Marinazzo Daniele , Stella Massimo
Published: February 2025

Understanding attitudes towards STEM means quantifying the cognitive and emotional ways in which individuals, and potentially large language models too, conceptualise such subjects. This study uses behavioural forma mentis networks (BFMNs) to investigate the STEM-focused mindset, i.e. ways of associating and perceiving ideas, of 177 human participants and 177 artificial humans simulated by GPT-3.5. Participants were split in 3 groups - trainees, experts and academics - to compare the influence of expertise level on their mindsets. The results revealed that human forma mentis networks exhibited significantly higher clustering coefficients compared to GPT-3.5’s, indicating that human mindsets displayed a tendency to form and close triads of conceptual associations while recollecting STEM ideas. Human experts, in particular, demonstrated robust clustering coefficients, reflecting better integration of STEM concepts into their cognitive networks. In contrast, GPT-3.5 produced sparser networks with weaker clustering, highlighting its limitations in replicating human-like mindsets. Furthermore, both human and GPT mindsets framed “mathematics” in neutral/positive terms, differently from STEM high-schoolers, researchers and other large language models sampled in other works. This research contributes to understanding how mindset structure can provide cognitive insights about memory structure and machine limitations.
Wider than the Sky: An Alternative to “Mapping” the World onto the Brain
Authors: Barwich Ann-Sophie , Firestein Stuart , Dietrich Michael
Published: February 2025

This paper reevaluates the conventional topographic model of brain function, stressing the critical role of philosophical inquiry in neuroscience. Since the 1940s, pioneering studies by Penfield and subsequent advancements in visual neuroscience by Hubel and Wiesel have popularized the concept of cortical maps as representations of external and internal states. Yet, contemporary research in various sensory systems, including visual cortices in certain animals, questions the universal applicability of this model. We critique the restrictive influence of this paradigm and introduce an alternative conceptualization using the olfactory system as a model. This system's genetic diversity and dynamic neural encoding serve as a foundation for proposing a rule-based, adaptive framework for neural processing, akin to the dynamic routing in GPS technology, which moves beyond fixed spatial mappings.
A Key to the Voynich Manuscript
Authors: Caspari Gino , Faccini Agnese
Published: February 2025

The Voynich Manuscript is a 15th century text which features herbalist, pharmaceutical, balneological, and astronomical illustrations [1]. Despite numerous attempts over the past 100 years the text has so far resisted all efforts at decryption. Even the application of sophisticated statistical methods has not led to a clear identification of the language the text is written in and leaves some chance that it is perhaps an elaborate hoax [1]. Here we partially decode the Voynich alphabet and provide an identification of the Voynich language as vernacular Italian (lingua volgare) written in shorthand. We are able to show that the words we read make sense in the context of the illustrations. We provide a lexical list of 400+ words that can be consistently read throughout the text in vernacular Italian with our decipherment and show that the text displays morphological and grammatical features consistent with the language identification. While there is more work to be done in translating the text, the key to the manuscript’s decipherment is now available.
Offences, Punishment and Rehabilitation in the Vinaya Pitaka
Authors: Acharya Deepak Prasad
Published: February 2025

Background: The Vinaya Pitaka, a comprehensive Buddhist scripture, contains a rich repository of ethical and moral guidelines.
Objective: This research paper explores the descriptions of criminal and other offences within the Vinaya Pitaka and the associated penalties. This paper explores the significance of discipline and ethical conduct in the Vinaya Pitaka, analyzing the categorization of offences, the purpose of punishments, and the emphasis on rehabilitation. The study also aims to shed light on the socio-ethical aspects of the Vinaya Pitaka and its potential relevance in contemporary ethical discourse.
Methodology: Library based textual analysis of the Vinaya Pitaka, focusing on the division of offences and their respective punishments within the Buddhist monastic context has been applied to carryout this research.
Result: Through the detailed study, it has been found that the detailed account of offences and punishments provides valuable insights into the Saṅgha's emphasis on maintaining order, harmony, and adherence to the Buddha's teachings. Through a systematic analysis of the text, this paper provides insights into the understanding of criminal behaviour and sanctions within the Buddhist monastic context. The Pātimokkha, a crucial text within the Vinaya Pitaka, outlines the code of conduct for Buddhist monks and nuns. Its detailed system of offences and punishments reflects a unique approach to monastic discipline, emphasizing rehabilitation and restoring harmony within the monastic community.
Conclusion: This paper examines the purpose of punishments in the Pātimokkha, highlighting its restorative nature and its alignment with Buddhist principles of compassion and non-violence.
Recycling of Myths in Contemporary Nepali Art
Authors: Rajbhandari Jasmine
Published: February 2025

This article presents the ‘recycling of myth’ in Nepali art. Nepali artists distorted such stories, characters, and emotions in their art to create unity in communication by transforming these stories from past generations to upcoming generations. This writing explores the relationship between myth and the art of Nepali artists, using their works as examples. The artworks are analyzed using qualitative research methods. They sometimes painted those stories precisely according to what was written in the text in their style. In some paintings, they distort the myth to explain their perspective about the world, political situation, and nature. These depictions of myth symbolically teach love, respect, unity, and moral lessons to society. The artists utilizing this have unique styles and are achieving great success. Information acquired by analysis of individual artworks leads to finding the meaning of works.
Power, Class Consciousness and the Voice of Social Change in Ghamaka Pailaharu
Authors: Chalise Keshav Raj
Published: February 2025

Dhanush Chandra Gautam, with his literary name Dha Cha Gotame, composed the novel Ghamka Pailaharu in Tarai setting, reflecting upon the social reality as a driving force. Authors reflect the social reality in multiple ways. Gotame’s social picture aligns with the reality of class structure. This research article aims to examine how the author has presented the social reality in this novel as the central problem of this research. It applies the Marxist theory of class consciousness, power and the social change as the tool of the research. With the details of the construction of railroad networking, the author gives the social picture of the mixed community in an imagined city as the representation of people from different strata. Their relationship gives a class structure of the capitalist or aristocrats and the citizens of the unmentioned or nameless society. It can be further observed as self-called civilized and uncivilized ones. The society as depicted in the novel is power centric and is the combination of the class-based structure.
जिरो कटेज उपन्यासमा साइबर–पर्यावरण
Authors: Poudyal पौड्याल Eknarayan एकनारायण
Published: February 2025

Available in full text.
Factors Influencing Customers’ Borrowing Decisions in Commercial Banks
Authors: Kapil Deb Subedi  , Anoj Joshi
Published: February 2025

This study examines the determinants of borrowing decisions of customers in commercial banks using survey responses from 384 participants analyzed through mean, standard deviation, correlation, and multiple regression. The results highlight that bank satisfaction, service quality, interest rates, loan installments, loan covenants, and insurance guarantees significantly impact borrowing behavior, with customer satisfaction and service quality being the most influential. The findings underscore the importance of trust, affordability, and flexibility in shaping borrowing decisions. These insights provide valuable implications for banks to enhance customer experience, policymakers to promote financial inclusion, and researchers to explore borrowing behavior in developing economies further. The study also identifies areas for future research, including the role of digital banking, financial literacy, and sustainable financial products in influencing borrowing behavior.
Gender Diversity and Firm Performance: Evidence from Co-operative of Chitwan
Authors: Suraj Bhujel
Published: February 2025

This paper examined the relationship between gender diversity and firm performance by taking the evidences from Co-operatives of Chitwan, Nepal. The study adopted descriptive and casual comaparative research design. Secondary data from annual report of the sampled co-operative were used for the analysis. SPSS and Gretl software were used for data analysis. The data of 90 co-operatives were collected from the annual report of the co-operative and Nepal Federation of Savings and Credit Cooperative Unions (NEFSCUN) and saving and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS). Based on the resource dependency theory, by measuring gender diversity as inclusion of female director in the boardroom, this study found the positive and significant relationship between gender diversity and firm performance and firm perfermonance is measured by the Return of Asset (ROA). Further analysis revealed that financial performance is positively related to age, level of education and multiple directorships of the female directors in the boardroom.
The Impact of Public Debt on Economic Growth and Revenue Generation in Nepal: An Analysis from 1974/75 to Present
Authors: Binod Joshi  , Gyan Mani Adhikari
Published: February 2025

The complex relationship between public debt, economic growth, and revenue generation is an essential aspect of macroeconomic management, particularly for developing nations like Nepal. This paper offers an in-depth analysis of Nepal’s foreign and domestic debt management practices from 1974/75 to the present, focusing on the evolution of public debt and its interplay with economic growth, revenue generation, and fiscal sustainability. The period around 1974/75 marked a significant turning point for Nepal, initiating a shift in the country’s reliance on external financing due to domestic fiscal constraints and political instability. Through an extensive review of historical data, economic theories, and comparative analysis with other South Asian nations, this paper explores how both internal and external debt have affected Nepal’s development trajectory, revenue systems, and long-term growth prospects. Using a variety of economic models and principles, including debt-overhang, Ricardian equivalence, and the fiscal multiplier, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of how public debt influences national economic outcomes. The paper further investigates the challenges associated with debt sustainability, rising debt servicing costs, and the crucial role of domestic revenue generation in managing Nepal’s debt trajectory.
With robust empirical data from credible sources, this study provides a thorough examination of Nepal’s debt history, policy reforms, and economic outcomes. It offers new insights into the importance of managing both external and internal debt effectively to ensure long-term fiscal health and sustainable growth. The paper concludes with policy recommendations on debt management, revenue mobilization, and growth strategies for Nepal and other countries facing similar challenges.
The Day After: The Post-Crisis IASA and Daemons That Can Help
Authors: Jędrzejko Paweł
Published: February 2025

Amid the chaos of pandemics or wars, the conflict extends beyond mere human struggles with (their) commonsensically understood “demons”—fears, ambitions, traumas, desires, angsts, and all of other conditions and structures always-already in place even before we become aware of them. Although, beyond doubt, such “side effects” of being-in-the-world or being-with-others generate facts that are effect-producing, whether these facts prove to be morally actionable depends on if and how we engage them. Summing up the mission of the post-Crisis IASA, I build my argument around Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of personal responsibility in the face of the Daemon of Eternal Recurrence, Paul Ricoeur’s phenomenological hermeneutics, and leading Western existentialists to demonstrate that, at least in the Western perspective, the conflict also entails, perhaps more crucially, a fierce battle between the daimōn and the daemonium. Recognizing the eternal recurrence of such catastrophes such as pandemics or wars, the “Greek mindset,” embracing the daimōn, fosters an existential philosophy that emphasizes participation in the realm of immanence, shaping our ethical considerations and propelling actions. In contrast, the “Latin approach,” in constant fear of the daemonium, seems to foster self-perception as constantly plunged in “fear and trembling,”  despairingly “sick unto death,” and prone to attributing malevolent forces to the “evil spirits,” thereby generating configurations that shift the narrative towards self-absolution, and ultimately legitimize refigurations that, diluting personal responsibility, delegate it to transcendence. Embracing Greek thought, we engage in an ongoing quest with facta-ficta, revising language critically (Gr. κρίνω), without expecting finality in our categories, acknowledging that our imperfect language is essential for defining our existence within immanence. Conversely, “Latin thinking,” in which demons are seen as elements of a transcendent realm—unreachable without relinquishing the self, or as part of a faith-based narrative, and in which human is potentially lacking tangible impact—involves the risk of rendering us indifferent to historical lessons, legitimizing a fatalistic nihil novi as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Contextualizing Anti-Vaccination Movements. The Covid-19 Trauma and the Biomedicalization Crisis in the United States
Authors: Burzyński Tomasz
Published: February 2025

The paper outlines a sociological perspective on the healthcare system in the United States from a perspective of biomedicalization processes. Methodologically, the argument pays its intellectual debts to the American tradition in the sociology of health and illness in which problems of healthcare and individual well-being are discussed in the functionalist context of axiological and normative regulation. Our article focuses on the biomedicalization crisis as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The outbreak is conceptualized as a trigger of structural tensions already implicit in the American system of biomedicalized healthcare. Rather than focusing on the political polarization of the US society in the wake of the outbreak, the paper sees the pandemic in terms of ‘cultural trauma’ and related political conflicts which threaten to destabilize the discourse and organization of healthcare in the United States. The salient role in this process is attributed to anti-vaccination movements which abuse the pandemic situation to subvert the principles of biomedicalization. In the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, anti-vaccination movements are disseminating misinformation and anti-vaccination sentiments, effectively channeling the public’s dissatisfaction with the implemented methods of crisis management and undermining the pivotal principles of biomedicalization.
Where Stories Are Alive: Traveling into Wolverine’s Territory in Eowyn Ivey’s "To The Bright Edge of the World"
Authors: Poks Małgorzata
Published: February 2025

In 1885 Lieutenant Colonel Forrester explores the newly acquired territory of Alaska for the US government. His passion to see an unknown world clashes with the mission Forrester has received from his military superiors. How will he meet the dual challenge—as well as the moral dilemma—of navigating an older world that resists comprehension—a world he learns to respect—and mapping the terrain for potential military invasion? My analysis will thus attempt to foreground the manifold paradoxes of travel/narratives. Loosely based on Lieutenant Henry Tureman Allen’s historic exploration of the Tanana and Copper rivers, Ivey’s novel departs significantly from historical accuracy in order to bring the colonizing agenda of the government-sponsored exploration party into conversation with the individual perspectives and sensibilities of its members, exposed as they are to a world where old stories are alive and where nonhumans or not-quite humans are all agential beings. Employing anthropologist Viveiros de Castro’s theorization of Amerindian perspectivism, I want to argue that To the Bright Edge of the World decolonizes the genre of travel narratives as well as the experience of travelling between worlds.
Indicadores BibPúblicas e Indicadores BibUniversitarias: herramientas web con indicadores de primer nivel, esfuerzo y eficiencia para bibliotecas públicas y universitarias de España
Authors:   Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Lázaro-Rodríguez Pedro
Published: February 2025

Se presentan las herramientas web Indicadores BibPúblicas e Indicadores BibUniversitarias
para la evaluación de bibliotecas. Indicadores BibPúblicas incluye resultados e
información sobre indicadores de primer nivel, de esfuerzo y de eficiencia para bibliotecas
públicas de España desde 2010; e Indicadores BibUniversitarias sobre indicadores de
primer nivel y de eficiencia y de primer nivel para bibliotecas de universidades públicas
presenciales de España desde 2011. Se dan a conocer las diferentes secciones y
opciones destacando la sección con un generador dinámico de gráficos desarrollado con
JavaScript y que permite reproducir la evolución de los indicadores según la ventana
temporal cubierta. Se reflexiona sobre la utilidad y efectividad de evaluar y se destaca la
originalidad de la reproducción de la evolución de los resultados al permitir percibir
visualmente el fuerte impacto negativo que sufrieron las bibliotecas y sus servicios por la
crisis sanitaria por Covid-19 en 2020 y el grado de recuperación. Por último, se considera
que las herramientas pueden ser útiles para el ámbito de la investigación sobre evaluación
de bibliotecas y para el ámbito de la educación en asignaturas relacionadas con la
evaluación y la calidad de servicios en documentación.
Фаховий розвиток викладачів професійно-теоретичної підготовки шляхом удосконалення цифрової компетентності: спецкурс
Authors:   Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University, Гуменний О.
Published: February 2025

Спецкурс розроблений для викладачів професійно-теоретичної підготовки закладів професійної освіти з метою сприяння їхньому фаховому розвитку шляхом удосконалення цифрової компетентності. Курс спрямований на підвищення готовності викладачів до ефективного використання цифрових технологій у професійній діяльності, інтеграцію сучасних цифрових інструментів у освітній процес та вдосконалення їхніх практичних навичок роботи з освітніми платформами.