bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC FINANCIAL LITERACY IN PREVENTING ONLINE SLOT GAMBLING AMONG GEN Z
Authors: Anggara  , Yunia Fauzia Ika
Published: December 2024

In the digital era, Generation Z (Gen Z) encounters numerous challenges and opportunities driven by the rapid advancement of information technology, including the increasing prevalence of online gambling. This study investigates the critical role of Islamic financial literacy in mitigating online gambling, with a particular focus on online slot gambling, a rapidly growing segment. Utilizing a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method, the research was conducted in Surabaya and involved participants from within and outside the city to provide a comprehensive perspective. The findings highlight that several factors influence the escalation of online gambling among Gen Z. Internally, the challenge lies in the inadequate internalization of relevant norms and values, which leads to poor financial decision-making. Externally, factors such as economic pressures and technological advancements make online gambling more accessible and appealing, thus exacerbating the issue of rising addiction and financial instability among vulnerable individuals. This study emphasizes the urgent need to enhance Islamic financial literacy among Gen Z. By integrating Islamic financial principles into educational initiatives and personal finance management, individuals can be better equipped to make informed decisions, avoid gambling temptations, and manage their finances responsibly. Strengthening Islamic financial literacy is crucial for reducing the negative impacts of online gambling and fostering a more financially prudent generation.
REVIEW OF ISLAMIC ECONOMIC LAW IN THE FINANCING SYSTEM OF MJS PRODUCTS AT KPPS BINA SYARIAH UMMAH SUGIO BRANCH
Authors: Rofiqoh Relita , Afsal Hamzah Maulana
Published: December 2024

Cooperatives are a collection of several members who produce common goals. The sources of cooperative funds are mandatory dues, principal dues, and voluntary dues. This research applies field research. There are 2 data sources, namely primary data sources (the main source and directly obtained from the research site, namely interviews) and secondary data sources (books, journals, legislation, and other literature studies). The data collection methods used are observation, interviews, and documentation. Analysis of data collection in the form of reducing, analyzing, and drawing conclusions. The results of the research on the Practice of Islamic Economic Law Review in the MJS Product Financing System (Multi Jasa Sehatera) at Kpps Bina Syariah Ummah Sugio Branch are The implementation of the ijarah contract on MJS products at Kpps Bina Syariah Ummah Sugio Branch is not by the DSN MUI Fatwa at Number 09/DSN- MUI/IV/2000 because the fatwa explains that the ijarah contract is a contract in the form of a lease between the owner and the tenant and the compensation is in the form of rent from the item (ujrah) not profit sharing. Whereas in the MJS product, there is profit sharing, which is the sharing of profits from the results of its business or from the results of loans that have been given. So MJS products are not by the DSN MUI fatwa. Researchers suggest that MJS products are by the MUI fatwa, so the rent is in the form of goods or services that can be taken advantage of, not in the form of money, and at the end of the rental period there is no such thing as profit sharing but in the form of paying rent from the goods or services being rented.
Kiprah Kyai Ihsan Jampes dalam Tradisi dan Nilai-Nilai Pendidikan Pondok Pesantren
Authors: Kuncoro Anis Tyas
Published: December 2024

Ada banyak peran yang telah dimainkan pondok pesantren dan tokoh-tokoh kyai kharismatiknya dalam membumikan nilai-nilai tasawuf, baik dalam tataran wacana maupun praktik, dengan menghidupkan tradisi literasi intelektual terhadap kitab-kitab karya tulis ulama besar di masa lampau, nasional maupun internasional. Dengan begitu, apa yang telah dirintis dan dibangun para kyai dan ulama melalui pondok pesantrennya telah menjelma sebagai corong ilmu dan praktik keagamaan Islam, juga sekaligus menjadi referensi dan respon positif terhadap isu-isu sosial dan budaya masyarakat yang dihadapi. Penelitian deskriptif kualitatif ini menggunakan studi pustaka ditujukan untuk mengeksplorasi profil Kyai Ihsan Jampes sebagai salah satu tokoh penting ulama nusantara dan perannya dalam membangun tradisi dan nilai-nilai pendidikan pondok pesantren. Komitmen Kyai Ihsan Jampes terhadap praktik-praktik bertasawuf dan berfiqih di sisi yang lain, menunjukkan bahwa sikap beliau berada pada kerangka cara berpikir moderat, yaitu selalu mengedepankan paradigma berpikir yang memandang persoalan tidak dalam bingkai ekstrem, baik ekstrem kanan maupun ekstrem kiri, yang dalam kerangka teologis menjadi potret ajaran Ahlussunnah wal Jama�ah.
Burnout parental, habilidades sociais educativas parentais e monitoramento parental: mães casadas e solo
Authors: Trivellato Ferreira Amanda , Dos Santos Elias Luciana Carla
Published: December 2024

A maternidade e parentalidade vem acompanhada de desafios diários e frente a características do processo os pais podem vivenciar burnout parental; uma síndrome resultante da exposição intensa ao estresse, podendo ser contínuo, recorrente ou pontual. O burnout atua como fator de risco na vida dos pais e filhos, por outro lado as habilidades sociais educativas e monitoramento parental podem agir como proteção. Diante desse contexto o presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar e comparar sinais de burnout parental, habilidades sociais educativas e monitoramento parental em mães casadas e solo. Tratou-se de um estudo quantitativo, descritivo, de comparação e com recorte transversal. Participaram 40 mães (5 solo), de uma cidade do interior paulista. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Inventário de Burnout Parental (PBA), Questionário de Monitoramento Parental (QMP), Roteiro de Entrevista de Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais (RE-HSE-P) e Critério Brasil. Os resultados apontaram mães solo mais exaustas do que as mães casadas, contudo, com maior repertório em Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais e Variáveis de Contexto para lidar com seus filhos. Concluiu-se que programas preventivos junto a mães solo e mães casadas, podem auxiliá-las e a seus filhos.
Avances y panorama actual de las revistas de psicología en el Perú: medio siglo de investigación
Authors: Miguez Gonzalo , Esteban Kasely , Salazar-Alvarez Giuliana , Torres-Marruffo Diego Renato , Laborda Mario , Quezada-Scholz Vanetza
Published: December 2024

El objetivo del estudio es presentar un análisis de los principales indicadores bibliométricos de las revistas de psicología en el Perú. El método fue el socio-bibliométrico, la muestra fueron las revistas que cuenten con el Número Internacional Normalizado para Publicaciones Seriadas (ISSN por sus siglas en inglés). Resultados: 1) Revistas, 20 son las Revistas de Psicología en el Perú que cuentan con código ISSN físico y/o electrónico, 13 revistas se editan en la ciudad de Lima la capital del Perú y 7 en provincias. El mayor crecimiento se inició desde el 2011 y 2017, donde se fundaron 12 nuevas revistas. 2) Periodicidad, actualmente 13 revistas están activas, 12 se editan semestralmente. 3) Comité editorial, 17 revistas cuentan con comité editorial, existe una predominancia del género masculino (55%) en la integración de los comités editoriales de las revistas de psicología en el Perú. El 50% de integrantes del comité editorial son de procedencia internacional. 4) Proceso de publicación, 13 revistas tienen una convocatoria abierta todo el año y cuentan con normas de publicación para los autores. 5) Contenido, los artículos empíricos y teóricos son los más publicados por las revistas de psicología del Perú, 11 revistas publican solo en español. La mayoría de las revistas publican en promedio entre 6 y 12.5 artículos por edición. 6) Difusión, 13 revistas no cuentan con alguna red social para la difusión de sus actividades, once revistas están indexadas en Latindex, solo una revista está indizada en Scopus y ninguna revista está indizada en WOS.
Transitioning From Crisis to Continuity Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: Adoption of Telehealth by Sehat Kahani Healthcare Providers, Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Saeed Khurram Sara , Zafar Aga Iffat , Muzzamil Muhammad , Karim Mahek , Hashmi Shahkamal
Published: December 2024

Objective: To evaluate the usability and effectiveness of telehealth services among healthcare providers in Karachi, Pakistan post-COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the Sehat Kahani platform.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 388 healthcare professionals utilising the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ). Sociodemographic information, encompassing age, gender, speciality, and experience, was also gathered.Results: The predominant demographic of participants was female (89.9%), with ages ranging from 25 to 46 (90%). A majority of participants (86%) were of Pakistani origin. The average TUQ score was 5.73 (± 0.4), reflecting a favourable view of telehealth. Identified key challenges encompassed inadequate internet access (92%), limited financial resources (54%), legal issues (49%), and limitations in the treatment of specific diseases (78%).Conclusion: Telehealth possesses considerable potential to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality in Pakistan. Addressing problems like as infrastructure, budgetary limitations, and legal obstacles is essential for its extensive implementation. Future investigations should examine the enduring effects of telemedicine on patient outcomes and the efficiency of healthcare systems.
Keywords: mHealth, Telemedicine, TUQ (Telehealth Usability Questionnaire), Sehat Kahani, Covid-19, Pandemic
Exploring historical maps for insights into ecosystem extent and condition: a case study landscape in Poland
Authors: Sylla Marta , Kołodyńska Iga , Krajewski Piotr
Published: December 2024

The aim of this paper is to analyze how historical maps could be used in the context of SEEA EA and what information could be derived from historical maps to facilitate mapping and assessment of ecosystem extent and condition in according to the SEEA EA guidelines. The source materials were maps documenting the landscape in 1883, 1936, 1977 and 2011 of the case study area of Ślęża Landscape Park in Poland, Central Europe. The landscape level characteristics of naturalness and diversity were used to understand the condition. The Ślęża Landscape Park’s ecosystem extent results show trends of increase in forest cover of about 700 ha driven by afforestation and decrease in the agricultural share of land. In 1883, the biggest forested areas were not connected to each other, but on the other hand, forest areas were more compact, as diversity of boundaries was lowered inside forests. The least natural areas were scarce and so human pressure and impacts were lower. Humans have significantly influenced this landscape by expanding mineral extraction activities and built-up areas. We discuss the challenges of local scale SEEA EA applications and present lessons learned from this process.
The Phenomenon of the Sakinah Family in the Rahmat Pura Wedding Tradition
Authors: Afabih Abdillah , Anwar Khoirul
Published: December 2024

The purpose of this paper is three. First, to describe the phenomenon of the Sakinah family in Sumber Pendidikan Mental Agama Allah (SPMAA) Islamic boarding school. Second, it explains the efforts of the executors and participants of the Rahmat Pura wedding tradition in creating a Sakinah family. Third, explain the challenges and solutions the organizers and participants face in realizing this goal. The aspiration for a harmonious family is a shared desire among married couples, including those in arranged marriages. One particular tradition that exemplifies this phenomenon is the Rahmat Pura wedding tradition, which takes place within the context of a pesantren. By applying a phenomenological approach, this article concludes two things. First, the phenomenon of the Sakinah family at SPMAA adheres to the concept of the Sakinah of the Prophets, which is synonymous with the simplicity and struggle of God's religion. Second, among the implementing efforts is to provide providers with pre-marital activities and create a family feeling in the pesantren environment. Meanwhile, the efforts of the participants are to support each other and remind the couple that the purpose of their marriage is the struggle for Allah's religion.
Navigating Custody: The Impact of Religious Court Judges on Interfaith Family Dynamics
Authors: Mursyid Salma , Bilalu Naskur , Subeitan Syahrul Mubarak
Published: December 2024

This study examines the critical role of Religious Court judges in deciding child custody in families with parents of different religions in Indonesia. Religious Court judges face unique challenges in balancing Islamic legal principles with children's best interests in a complex and diverse social context. This study aims to identify factors that affect judges' decisions, including legal foundations, moral considerations, and social impacts. Using a qualitative approach, data were obtained through in-depth interviews with judges, case analysis, and literature reviews. The study results show that judges consider not only formal law but also social values and the interests of children. Factors such as the child's psychological condition, emotional stability, and a healthy growth and development environment are the primary considerations in decision-making. In addition, the study found that the diversity of interpretations of Islamic law among judges influenced their final decisions. This study found that Religious Court judges consider not only formal law but also social values and the best interests of children in making decisions on child custody in families of different religions. In addition, the diversity of interpretations of Islamic law among judges also influences the final decision, with factors such as the child's psychological condition and emotional stability being the primary considerations.
On Applying the Method of Planning a Factorial Experiment for Assessing the Level of Students’ Knowledge during Midterm Assessment
Authors: Bagretsov Sergey , Mishchenko Eduard , Rozanova Lyudmila
Published: December 2024

The article considers a methodology for assessing students’ knowledge taking into account an apriori assessment of the probabilistic parameters of control procedures and the required reliability of the control results. At the same time, the paper considers the previous experience and subjective assessment of the teacher’s training process effectiveness on this topic based on the expected level of the studied material assimilation by this contingent of students.
Technological Development: The Prospects of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Suharev Oleg
Published: December 2024

Developing artificial intelligence is a topical issue of contemporary discussions among engineers and economists. The aim of the article is to analyze major stages of technological evolution that led to creating artificial intelligence to identify the possibilities and limitations associated with its application, as well as economic consequences. The author bases research methodology on the theory of technological development, “core-periphery” technology model, and taxonomic analysis. The main findings state that the emergence of artificial intelligence technology is a natural result of technological evolution, however, the consequences of its development are characterized by a high degree of unpredictability. Introducing a new technology designed to facilitate the work of natural intelligence, and in some areas, replacing it, requires the deployment of new types of human activity, namely, forms of control activity, as well as analytical work interpreting the results of using artificial intelligence. The scale of applying and developing artificial intelligence technology is directly dependent on how high the technological level is, provided by the previous class of technologies, namely electronic-digital ones, robotics, nanotechnology. Here the paper clearly shows the principle of technological development from what the authors have achieved, with creating and preparing an appropriate technological base for disseminating the peak one in novelty of artificial intelligence technology. There is also a need for the synchronous deployment of control systems for applying such technologies with the necessary training of personnel and managing the process of their distribution by types of economic activity, including those arising due to applying new technologies.
Logarithmic Dependence of the Number of Possible Public Opinions in a Social Group and the Entropy of the Psychological State of the Social System
Authors: Golovinsky Andrey , Hudyakov Andrey
Published: December 2024

The paper substantiates the concept of “the number of accessible states of a social system”, which is the possible number of public opinions in a social group, functionally related to the numerical composition of the social group and the number of group members included in closed communication flows. The work describes logarithmic relationship between the number of possible public opinions (microcharacteristics of a social system) and the entropy of the psychological state of a social system (macrocharacteristics of a social system).
The Impact of Physical Activity on Visual Perception of Graphic Elements of the User Interface
Authors: Malysheva Veronika , Cherepennikov Grigory , Yanchus Viktor
Published: December 2024

The article is devoted to studying the influence of physical activity on the features of information perception in a graphical interface. The paper considers experimental results of influencing such factors as colour scheme, size of the pictogram in the stimulus, distance from the centre and physical activity, on the template parameters for viewing stimulus material with graphical information. The authors use eye-tracking technology to record eye movements and pulse parameter analysis to obtain data on the physical activity of the subject. The results show a statistically significant dependence of the viewing template parameters on the factors of colour scheme, stimulus size, distance from the centre and physical activity on the subject. One can apply the results of the work to developing graphical user interfaces of control systems.
Forming the Personality of a Psychologist in Service Activities: Professionally Important Qualities and Job Functions
Authors: Spasennikov Valeriy
Published: December 2024

The article shows that in the post-Soviet period, both in civilian educational institutions and in departmental universities of law enforcement agencies, there is no relevant experience in training students in the specialty of “Psychologist in service activities”. Based on the experience of training military psychologists-ergonomists of the Soviet period, the author gives a model for implementing generalized labour functions in preparing the personality of a psychologist in service activities. A list of basic academic disciplines and practices for the performance of such job functions as professional psychological selection and admission to activities in particular conditions for performing special tasks is proposed. The paper considers a psychodiagnostic toolkit used in domestic psychological and ergonomic practice, which is applied in the process of forming and correcting professionally important qualities of a psychologist of law enforcement agencies in preparation for the performance of work actions in accordance with the professional standard.
EXPERIMENTAL TESTING OF COMMUNICATION CHANNELS FOR TRANSMITTING DISPATCH INFORMATION AS PART OF A RIVER INFORMATION SYSTEM
Authors: Bazylev Aleksandr Vladimirovich , Plyushchaev Valeriy Ivanovich
Published: December 2024

The article presents the results of experimental studies of using communication channels based on an automatic iden-tification system (AIS) for exchanging additional amount of information between vessels and coastal points. The au-thors conduct the experiment using the developed components of river information systems (RIS), namely the dis-patcher and ship communication terminals that apply AIS communication channels to transmit information. The paper shows that on inland waterways (IWW) it is advisable to build automated complexes for exchanging information be-tween vessels and coastal points based on AIS. Using AIS for exchanging information in RIS will not only improve the efficiency and safety of navigation, but also reduce the cost of the system operation due to the use of the existing in-frastructure.
HIERARCHICAL LEVELS OF CONFIDENTIALITY OF INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES’ INFORMATION RESOURCES DEPENDING ON STAGES OF THE PRODUCTION LIFE CYCLE
Authors: Kuznetsova Nataliya , Karlova Tatyana , Bekmeshov Aleksandr
Published: December 2024

The aim of the work is to create a methodology for constructing hierarchical levels of confidentiality of an industrial enterprise’s information resource depending on stages of the production life cycle. The base of the methodology is the Bell-Lapadula model “do not write below, do not read above”, applied in stages to the production life cycle. The novelty of the work is the proposed creative concept of using the model of access control to the industrial enterprise’s information resources in relation to the stages of the production life cycle. The result of the study is recommendations for applying the Bell-Lapadula model in constructing hierarchical levels of information resource confidentiality. In this case, the hierarchy of levels is determined according to the stages of the life cycle.
Efektivitas Penggunaan Mandeley Sebagai Manajemen Referensi Tugas Akhir Bagi Mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Teknik Elektronika FT UNM
Authors: Samad Putri Ida S. , Wahrini Retyana
Published: December 2024

Penelitian ini membahas bagaimana penggunaan mendeley dalam meningkatkan kualitas penulisan skripsi mahasiswa. Tujuannya adalah untuk memahami kualitas penulisan skripsi mahasiswa dengan menggunakan mendeley. Penelitian ini merupakan deskriptif kualitatif dengan tujuan menganalisis data yang telah disusun dengan data primer dan/atau data sekunder dan kemudian menghubungkan data tersebut pada teori-teori yang relevan. Informan penelitian berasal dari temuan atau survei yang dilakukan pada mahasiswa program studi Pendidikan Teknik Elektronika FT UNM melalui purposive sampling. Metode pengolahan data dengan observasi partisipatif, wawancara mendalam, dokumentasi. Analisis data menggunakan deskriptif kualitatif yakni dapat menghasilkan data yang berkualitas . Indikator yang paling utama dalam mengetahui pemanfaatan Mendeley sebagai manajamen referensi pada penulisan skripsi terdiri dari 5 indikator yaitu memudahkan pekerjaan (makes job easier), mempercepat pekerjaan (work more quickly), meningkatkan produktivitas (increase productivity), meningkatkan kinerja pekerjaan, dan efektivitas (effectiveness). Mendeley dikatakan bermanfaat apabila memenuhi 5 indikator tesebutHasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Penggunaan Mendeley dalam meningkatkan kualitas penulisan tugas akhir atau skripsi mahasiswa pada program studi Pendidikan Teknik Elektronika FT UNM telah memberikan solusi terkait Penulisan Tugas akhir mahasiswa sehingga mahasiswa menjadi semakin efisien dan lebih cepat dalam menyelesaikan tugas akhir atau skripsi mereka. Mahasiswa tidak perlu lagi membuat kutipan atau daftar pustaka secara manual karena dengan mendeley bisa secara otomotis membuat daftar pustaka. Sementara sebelumnya mahasiswa kesulitan dalam mencari referensi untuk tugas akhir mereka tetapi dengan adanya mendeley mereka secara otomoatis tidak lagi kesulitan karena aplikasi ini bisa dibuka langsung ke Google sehingga apapun yang mahsiswa butukan bisa langsung mereka cari.
Cross-border Transactions: Challenges and Possible Solutions for BRICS
Authors:   Financial Research Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation, Yakovlev I. A. , Tikhonova A. A/ ,   HSE University, Moscow, Russian Federation, Cherkasov V. Yu. ,   Financial Research Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: December 2024

The article critically examines the idea of a supranational accounting and settlement unit of BRICS. The theoretical and historical excursion brings us closer to understanding the nature of modern money and leads to the conclusion about the reasons why the national fiat unit serves as a means of international liquidity. The experience of European monetary integration is analyzed through the prism of the theory of the optimal currency area. The bottlenecks of international settlements and possible infrastructural solutions based on a central bank digital currency or multilateral clearing are considered. It is proved that multilateral clearing is an effective means of addressing the challenges in cross-border settlements, while the solutions leading to currency integration are possible only if the economic benefits exceed the damage to national monetary sovereignty.
Behavioral experiments in computational social science
Authors: Buskens Vincent , Corten Rense , Przepiorka Wojtek
Published: December 2024

Behavioral experiments are rarely used as an empirical strategy in computational social science, where empirical studies typically focus on analyzing large-scale digital trace data. We argue that behavioral experiments have a role in computational social science, in particular in combination with agent-based modeling – a key theoretical strategy in computational social science. We highlight three ways in which behavioral experiments can contribute to theory building in computational social science: by testing macro-level predictions from agent-based models, by evaluating behavioral assumptions on which these models are based, and by calibrating agent-based models. We illustrate these points through three examples from our work concerned with the emergence of conventions.
Onset and persistence among young offenders during an exceptional event: evidence from New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Langfield Cameron Thomas
Published: December 2024

Developmental and life-course criminologists have long been interested in the criminal careers of individuals, and particularly why an individual starts their offending, why they continue, and why they stop. Two of these criminal career parameters—known as onset and persistence—have perhaps been the most researched in the discipline. However, no scholarly work to date has explored to what extent these two parameters were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we use unit-record data for individuals born in 2004 in New South Wales drawn from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) Reoffending Database (ROD) to explore how the rate of onset and persistence were impacted during the first two years of the pandemic. Our analysis shows that the cumulative rate of onset declined by 17 percent compared to a cohort born two years prior. We find that these declines are clustered mainly in property offending, such as stealing, with some smaller declines in onset witnessed for violent offending. However, we find very few impacts on the rate of persistent offending among this cohort—in fact, these offenders committed 10 percent more property offences during the COVID-19 period than their older counterparts. We think that the disruption to routine activities and guardianship are most likely responsible for the decline in new onset, but we do not think these same mechanisms are responsible for the limited changes among high frequency offenders. The implications of these results for the field are discussed and future research areas are identified.
A primer for the use of classifier and generative large language models in social science research
Authors: Cova Joshua , Schmitz Luuk
Published: December 2024

The emergence of generative AI models is rapidly changing the social sciences. Much has now been written on the ethics and epistemological considerations of using these tools. Meanwhile, AI-powered research increasingly makes its way to preprint servers. However, we see a gap between ethics and practice: while many researchers would like to use these tools, few if any guides on how to do so exist. This paper fills this gap by providing users with a hands-on application written in accessible language. The paper deals with what we consider the most likely and advanced use case for AI in the social sciences: text annotation and classification. Our application guides readers through setting up a text classification pipeline and evaluating the results. The most important considerations concern reproducibility and transparency, open-source versus closed-source models, as well as the difference between classifier and generative models. The take-home message is this: these models provide unprecedented scale to augment research, but the community must take seriousely open-source and locally deployable models in the interest of open science principles. Our code to reproduce the example can be accessed via Github.
Object fine-grained discrimination as a sensitive cognitive marker of transentorhinal integrity
Authors: Delhaye Emma , Besson Gabriel , Bahri Mohamed Ali , Bastin Christine
Published: December 2024

The transentorhinal cortex (tErC) stands among the first regions to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathology, years before any clinical symptoms manifest. Understanding the precise role of this region in cognition is key to detecting the earliest AD-related cognitive impairments. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the tErC supports fine-grained representations of unique individual objects (1) regardless of the cognitive function involved (i.e., perceptual or mnemonic) and, critically, (2) sensitively to the granularity of the demanded discrimination. Therefore, tErC alterations should be consistently and specifically associated with fine-grained object discrimination impairments. We leveraged the prevalence of early AD-related alterations in healthy aging and assessed the association of fine-grained object vs. scene discrimination with two AD-related neuroimaging markers of tErC alterations, i.e., cortical integrity alterations and resting-state functional connectivity changes. Estimating visual similarity using both a pre-trained neural network and subjective measures, our results bring compelling new evidence that the structural integrity of the tErC is specifically related to the sensitivity to visual similarity for objects, but not for scenes, in both perceptual and mnemonic discrimination. Moreover, the integrity of tErC-BA36 functional connectivity is specifically associated with object, but not scenes, mnemonic discrimination.
Groundwater Flooding of Superficial Gravels in an Urbanized Catchment
Authors: Paul Jonathan , Bolaji-Dada Doris , Ajmi Aneena , Bordessoule Samuel
Published: December 2024

Groundwater behavior in superficial gravel aquifers is globallypoorly understood, especially across urban regions where drinking water is sourced from elsewhere. We focus on one such region around Staines, SE UK, where local River Terrace Gravels form a thin (<10 m) superficial aquifer. Our objective was to explain the unusually broad and long-lived distribution of flooding by investigating local groundwater level fluctuations and flow. Over a period in January 2024, we instigated a targeted citizen science program to leverage local knowledge of floodwater, which was determined to match groundwater chemistry. We designed geophysical surveys (ground-penetrating radar and seismic refraction) to produce high-resolution water table maps, validated against well measurements. Flow rates and hydraulic conductivity, K, of the gravels were determined both in the field (via pumping and tracer tests) and laboratory, to obviate any scale effects. K depended non-linearly on hydraulic gradient, with Darcyan behaviour breaking down at low (<0.03) gradients, in conditions approaching turbulent flow. Dramatic, localized fluctuations in groundwater level, combined with the existence of several fast-flow pathways, are explained by the strong heterogeneity of the gravels, as well as their sensitivity to the imposition of sub-surface obstacles such as clay-lined backfilled gravel pits, or deep basements. These manifestations of urbanization drive observed patterns of groundwater emergence, together with aquifer thickness, rather than changes in river stage or surface elevation alone. Our experience motivates us to suggest that groundwater flooding be considered as significant as fluvial flooding in the production of risk maps by environmental regulatory bodies.
A Novel Model to Assess the Greenhouse Effect
Authors: Roth Eike
Published: December 2024

The greenhouse effect is the warming of the earth's surface due to the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is said to be 33 °C, but we cannot measure this value because we cannot create the state “without greenhouse gases”. We therefore have to rely on calculations, although these are controversial. In the climate debate, this lack of measurements is often denoted as a major shortcoming. As a remedy, a novel model is proposed here, which proves the fundamental existence of the greenhouse effect beyond doubt, and which makes it possible to determine its real size from well-known measurements. Additionally, this model makes it possible to reject some other arguments against the greenhouse effect in a better way, such as an alleged contradiction to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, or an allegedly far too low concentration of greenhouse gases. This model consists of a row of bodies, the first one heated, the last one cooled, those between freely adjusting their temperatures. When an additional body is inserted into that row, a temperature spread develops in it, so that the body before the new one must warm up by half of this spread and that behind it must cool down accordingly. Applied to the earth, the temperature of the earth’s surface is warmer with greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than without by half of the temperature spread in the atmosphere. This value is well-known and confirms the 33 °C cited above for the “natural greenhouse effect” surprisingly well. The weakness of the model is that it is too coarse to make a statement about the increase of the greenhouse effect when the CO2 concentration is enhanced (“additional greenhouse effect”). Lessons learned, limits, related problems, and open questions are discussed.
How imitation moves: Effects of movement congruency and temporal contingency on affiliation, social influence, empathy and prosocial behavior
Authors: Majdandžić Jasminka , Rauchbauer Birgit , Gerger Gernot , Maksimova Marina , Chromec Jakub , Huber-Huber Christoph , Lamm Claus
Published: December 2024

Being imitated has profound effects on social affect and behavior, but it is still unclear how it produces these effects. According to one view the effects are grounded in covert movement simulations and therefore require the movements of the individuals to be bodily congruent. Yet, imitation could also have its positive effects because of the rewarding experience of perceiving temporal contingencies between one’s own and others’ movements, implying that these effects would also occur if the imitator’s movements are temporally contingent, but not bodily congruent. In two experiments, we assessed whether bodily congruency is necessary for increasing empathy and prosocial behavior, or whether temporal contingency alone can also produce such effects. Participants made spontaneous joystick movements while engaging in a feigned webcam interaction with two confederates, one of whom made imitative movements, while the other (the control actor) made unrelated movements. In two experimental groups, we varied whether the imitator made bodily congruent or temporally contingent movements. Participants reported more affiliation to the congruent actor compared to the control actor, and conformed more to this actor’s judgments. Besides, participants showed a higher skin conductance response (SCR) when perceiving the congruent actor in pain, and favored this actor in prosocial behavior, with increase in SCR predicting whether the imitator was favored. Imitation that was merely temporally contingent did not evoke such effects. Together, these findings suggest that the social effects of imitation seem grounded in motor and affective resonance processes, and that they can be selectively targeted at specific interaction partners.
The Structure of Memory during Development
Authors: Cohen Samantha Syd , Olson Ingrid , Newcombe Nora
Published: December 2024

Episodic memory, or memory for specific past experiences, can be measured in ways ranging from fully controlled laboratory paradigms to real world settings. It is unknown whether different measures of episodic memory are capturing the same construct. We examined this question in children between four and seven years (N=76), using a battery of assessments ranging from measurements of memory for mini-events presented in the lab, to measures of memory for a cartoon, and most naturalistically, recall of real-world events, i.e., autobiographical memory. Most measures of memory improved with age. After controlling for the effects of age and verbal IQ, a factor analysis revealed two distinct components of children’s memory. The first component was comprised of our lab-based measures of memory and captured the majority of variance in the data. The second component included autobiographical memory and free recall of previously seen cartoons. This dichotomy may be driven by whether memory was assessed via recall or recognition. However, it also yields evidence for the idea that lab-based tasks and more naturalistic assessments of memory may not be measuring the same underlying construct.
Supporting Young Siblings of Children with Disabilities with the Serious Game ‘Broodles’: A Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Veerman Linda Klasina Maria , Willemen Agnes M. , Derks Suzanne Divera Maria , Dijken Anjet A. J. Brouwer-van , Sterkenburg Paula
Published: December 2024

Background: Siblings of children with disabilities experience conflicting emotions and have an increased risk of mental health problems. Several sibling interventions have been developed, but few are readily available, leaving many siblings without support. Therefore, an easily accessible, sibling serious game was developed. This study assessed the effectiveness of ‘Broodles’ in promoting quality of life, and a range of inter- and intrapersonal factors in siblings (6–9 years) of children with intellectual disabilities or visual impairments. Social validity and perceived learning outcomes were evaluated. Methods: A randomized controlled trial with a waitlist control group was conducted. In total, 107 parent-child dyads completed questionnaires at three timepoints, across 12–14 weeks. The intervention group also completed post-test interviews. Interaction effects were assessed using multilevel modelling, and thematic analysis was applied to the evaluations. Results: Significant, weak interaction effects were found on sibling negative adjustment, but only in those who completed ≥75% of the game or followed the study timeline. Regardless of group, (very) small, significant improvements over time were found on several outcomes. ‘Broodles’ was experienced as fun (80%) and helpful (79%). Perceived learning outcomes were present on the themes: ‘sibling awareness and validation’, ‘emotions and needs’, ‘coping with emotions and situations’ and ‘family interactions’. Conclusion: Although quantitative data showed small effects, qualitative data revealed a variety of learning outcomes which can contribute to siblings’ resilience, and prevention of mental health problems. To unlock its full potential, future studies should examine how adding intervention elements can enhance the intervention’s impact.
How does pseudoscience differ from science? A pair-wise bibliometric analysis
Authors: Ortega José Luis
Published: December 2024

This study aims to observe what differences there are between pseudoscientific and scientific disciplines according to different bibliometric parameters such as citation, funding acknowledgments, composition of journals’ editorial boards, authorship, integrity, and social impact. An experimental model has been designed to pairwise compare the performance of three pseudoscientific communities as treatment groups (Chiropractics, Psychoanalysis and Integrative medicine) against a control group of three similar scientific fields (Physical therapy, Clinical psychology and General medicine). 83k articles from scholarly journals associated with these disciplines were extracted from Scopus. To avoid a size factor, journals from each pairwise group (control vs. treatment) were selected with similar impact measures (i.e., CiteScore). The findings reveal that pseudosciences tend to be more isolated and more resistant to external ideas and contributors. There is a geographical/cultural pattern in the distribution of authors and organization types. Whereas Chiropractics and Psychoanalysis are Western disciplines, Integrative medicine is strongly supported by Asian governments (China, India, South Korea). In all the cases, there is an important presence of non-scholarly entities involved in pseudoscientific studies, in front of a great presence of governmental and university actors in scientific disciplines.
Assessment of the Attitude and Barriers of Iraqi Community Pharmacists to Provide Vaccination Services
Authors: Kadhim Dheyaa Jabbar
Published: December 2024

Abstract
            Since the focus of healthcare has shifted toward prevention, pharmacists were highly encouraged to expand their practice to include vaccination services. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the attitude of Iraqi community pharmacists to provide vaccination and to explore the expected barriers to provide such services at community setting. The present study was a cross-sectional online survey study that included 135 Iraqi community pharmacists who are licensed by the Iraqi syndicate of pharmacists. The first part of the survey questionnaire is related to sociodemographic characteristics. The 2nd part assessed the attitudes of community pharmacists towards delivering vaccination service in community pharmacy setting. The 3rd section explore barriers that community pharmacists expected to face when delivering vaccines. Among the 135 participants, 59 (43.7%) showed high positive attitude and 65 (48.14%) reported high barriers level. Only (45.93%) of respondents agreed that community pharmacists have a good knowledge about vaccination and only (42.22%) of them agreed that vaccination by community pharmacists will lower the cost to the patients. In addition, (79.26%) of them agreed that providing vaccination through community pharmacy will improve the rate of vaccination in general. Regarding barriers,  results of the current study showed that the most common two barriers to provide vaccination services  were lack of authorization and lack of continuous training and workshops [(85.19%) for each]. Pharmacists with Bachelor degree had significantly higher positive attitude compared with those having higher academic degrees. In addition, pharmacists with working experience of 5 years or less had significantly higher barrier score compared to those with more than 5 years working experience. In conclusion, despite their desire to increase their knowledge, less than half of Iraqi community pharmacists reported a positive attitude toward the introduction of a community-based vaccination program. In addition, many barriers about implementing vaccination services were found in the current study.
Implementing a Facilitated Black Admissions Process in a Canadian Physiotherapy Program
Authors: Spadoni Gregory F , Wojkowski Sarah , Smith-Turchyn Jenna , Stratford Paul W , Osuji Ebuka
Published: December 2024

Purpose:

To report on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a facilitated Black admissions program (FBAP) in a Canadian physiotherapy program in 2023.

Methods:

We observed and reported on the development and application process of a FBAP in a Master of Science Physiotherapy [MSc(PT)] program, and the characteristics and results of applicants who applied through the FBAP and compared their interview experience with the conventional stream of applicants in the MSc(PT) program. We summarized the candidate data from the streams using descriptive statistics and then compared the stream's interview score means and the evaluator scores between and within streams by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients and standard errors of measurements.

Results:

Our analysis revealed the mean scores of the FBAP were significantly higher than those of the conventional stream ( p =  0.018). There was no difference in the correlation between sub-GPA and interview scores for the two streams. In addition, the comparison of the interrater reliability of the FBAP (ICC: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.90) and the conventional stream (ICC: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.84), demonstrated alignment with no significant difference.

Conclusions:

In 2023, McMaster University successfully implemented the first iteration of the FBAP stream and fulfilled a vision that began in 2021 to increase the diversity of underrepresented minorities and decrease historical barriers for Black applicants in their MSc(PT) admissions processes.
Ecological importance of Al-Gara Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the eastern part of Sirte Gulf, Libya
Authors: Shakman Esmail , Elmgwashi Abdalaha , Hajaji Mohamed , Karmous Abdalaha , Benghazi Nairuz Bek , Elfituri Abdulfattah , Sghaier Yassine , Etayeb Khaled
Published: December 2024

Islands are important ecosystems for biodiversity and also represent a refuge area for many species, often threatened, that live on them. The Libyan coastline is characterized by the presence of many islands. In term of biodiversity hotspots, eight important sites have been identified in Libya. Al-Gara is one of these sites as important island ecosystem; it was declared as Marine Protected Area (MPA) according to the resolution of the Minister of Environment No. 272 of 2021, which includes the area surrounding the island. This island is annually hosting the biggest colony of the Lesser crested tern Thalasseus bengalensis (Lesson, 1831), the main breeding site for this species in the Mediterranean, and it is also a breeding ground for the European shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis (Linnaeus, 1761). Fieldwork was conducted on February and May 2023. Eleven (11) species of Macrophytes have been collected during this study, 17 species of Molluscs, four Crustaceans and 16 Fish species including five non indigenous species. Illegal fishing and illegal fishing gears, fishing in critical ecosystems, invasive species, overfishing and oil pollution are the most important threats to Al-Gara MPA.
Lost African paradises and biodiversity conservation: do not forget history!
Authors: Gippoliti Spartaco
Published: December 2024

The lack of a historical perspective may hinder awareness of an existing bias in our knowledge of the world’s mammalian diversity and conservation status. Sudan and South Sudan are here utilised as case-study of a huge region that was among the first to be explored by westerners and also saw the first steps of the international conservation movement. Post-colonialism instability exacerbated political and etnical conflicts, slowing biodiversity research and moving Sudan away from the attention of international ecological research. Today there is a shy regrowth of interest for wildlife conservation in Sudan and South Sudan, and hidden historical data and natural history collections may furnish precious biodiversity information.