Gravitational decoherence (GD) refers to the effects of gravity in actuating the classical appearance of a quantum system. Because the underlying processes involve issues in general relativity (GR), quantum field theory (QFT), and quantum information, GD has fundamental theoretical significance. There is a great variety of GD models, many of them involving physics that diverge from GR and/or QFT. This overview has two specific goals along with one central theme:(i) present theories of GD based on GR and QFT and explore (...) their experimental predictions;(ii) place other theories of GD under the scrutiny of GR and QFT, and point out their theoretical differences. We also describe how GD experiments in space in the coming decades can provide evidence at two levels:(a) discriminate alternative quantum theories and non-GR theories;(b) discern whether gravity is a fundamental or an effective theory. (shrink)

Building on prior research in Confucianism and business, the current study examines the effects of Confucianism on consumer trust of government involvement with products and company brands. Based on three major ideas of Confucianism – meritocracy, loyalty to superior, and separation of responsibilities – it is expected that consumers under the influence of Confucianism would perceive products from government-involved enterprises to have more desirable attributes and show preference for their company brands. Findings from an empirical study in the Chinese automobile (...) market support the hypotheses. The results suggest that small firms doing business in China would especially benefit from some association with the government. These results also provide managerial implications for enterprises in other countries with a Confucian cultural background. (shrink)

Background: Social media has become an integrated part of nursing profession, requiring nursing students to develop confidentiality and professional fitness to practice. The aim of this study was to investigate nursing students’ usage, professionalism and attitudes toward social media. Methods: A cross-section study was conducted online among undergraduate nursing students (n = 654). Questionnaires of self-directed learning, self-efficacy and usage and views toward social media were administered. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval was obtained from the Hubei University of Chinese Medicine. Results: (...) All participants were social media users. QQ (93.2%) was the most frequently used. 74.5% respondents spent 2–6 h on social media daily. The majority held positive attitudes toward social media. Year group and gender had influence on perceptions and attitudes toward social media. Furthermore, 81.5% students believed that social media positively influenced self-directed learning. Self-directed learning and learning motivation acted as predictors of the attitudes toward social media. Meanwhile, 67.3% students had posted personal photos and videos online, and 82.4% of them did not have privacy setting on social media. In addition,13.8% students attacked others or posted improper photos online. 22.9% participants witnessed improper posts from schoolmates or teachers, such as complaints about schoolmates or teachers (22.2%), foul language (11.1%), violence (3.9%), sexually suggestive photos (2.6%) and patient confidentiality (0.7%). In all, 15.0% respondents accepted “friend request” from patients. A total of 58.2% students were not aware of professional standards of behavior online for health care providers. In addition, 52.3% participants insisted that it is essential to develop social media and professionalism course for nursing students. Conclusion: Nursing students use social media extensively. Some students are at risk of carrying out unprofessional behavior which have detrimental effects on students’ future opportunities. This suggests that best practices and training in nurse education should be implemented to help students to be informed of professionalism. (shrink)

It was meaningful to predict the customers' decision-making behavior in the field of market. However, due to individual differences and complex, non-linear natures of the electroencephalogram signals, it was hard to classify the EEG signals and to predict customers' decisions by using traditional classification methods. To solve the aforementioned problems, a recurrent t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding neural network was proposed in current study to classify the EEG signals in the designed brand extension paradigm and to predict the participants' decisions. The (...) recurrent t-SNE neural network contained two steps. In the first step, t-SNE algorithm was performed to extract features from EEG signals. Second, a recurrent neural network with long short-term memory layer, fully connected layer, and SoftMax layer was established to train the features, classify the EEG signals, as well as predict the cognitive performance. The proposed network could give a good prediction with accuracy around 87%. Its superior in prediction accuracy as compared to a recurrent principal component analysis network, a recurrent independent component correlation algorithm [independent component analysis ] network, a t-SNE support vector machine network, a t-SNE back propagation neural network, a deep LSTM neural network, and a convolutional neural network were also demonstrated. Moreover, the performance of the proposed network with different activated channels were also investigated and compared. The results showed that the proposed network could make a relatively good prediction with only 16 channels. The proposed network would become a potentially useful tool to help a company in making marketing decisions and to help uncover the neural mechanisms behind individuals' decision-making behavior with low cost and high efficiency. (shrink)

Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, this study investigated the preference of learners of English as a foreign language for four types of written corrective feedback, which are often discussed in the literature, on grammatical, lexical, orthographic, and pragmatic errors. In particular, it concerned whether such preference is influenced by two learner variables, namely, foreign language enjoyment and proficiency level. The preference for selective vs. comprehensive WCF was also examined. The participants in the study were 117 University students in a (...) Thai EFL context. Analysis of questionnaire data revealed a tendency for learners to prefer more explicit types of WCF for most error types, irrespective of their proficiency and FLE level. High proficiency level learners rated less explicit WCF types as useful to some degree, whereas their low proficiency level counterparts did not. Similar results were found for the two FLE groups. Besides, the FLE level seemed to play a role in perceiving the value of WCF in terms of scope. The results of follow-up interviews showed that the linguistic features of learners' first language, existing knowledge of the target language, affective feelings, and teacher's role were the main factors contributing to variation in learners' preferences. Possible pedagogical implications are discussed. (shrink)

Reductionism about testimony has become less popular as philosophers have uncovered our epistemic dependence on others. Meanwhile, both non-reductionism and the interpersonal view face a challenge from gullibility. Surprisingly, the concept of gullibility has not been sustainedly examined. The primary goal in this paper is to propose an analysis of gullibility. After some introductory remarks, we begin this paper by discussing an account of gullibility in terms of insensitivity to defeaters. We argue that this account cannot accommodate cases where agents (...) are gullible. We, therefore, offer a dispositional account of gullibility. In so doing, we show how gullibility differs from other epistemic vices vis-à-vis its interpersonal features. We also discuss how treating gullibility as an intellectual vice has salient implications for the debate between reductionists and non-reductionists about gullibility. (shrink)

ObjectiveTwo subregions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex have been identified as effective repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targets for the “anxiosomatic” and “dysphoric” symptoms, respectively. We aimed to develop a convenient approach to locate these targets on the scalp.Materials and methodsIn a discovery experiment, the two personalized targets were precisely identified on 24 subjects using a neuronavigation system. Then, a localized approach was developed based on individual scalp landmarks. This “landmark-based approach” was replicated and validated in an independent cohort. Reliability of (...) the approach was tested by calculating the correlation of both the inter-rater and intra-rater results. Validity was tested by comparing the mean distance between the personalized and landmark-based targets to the TMS spatial resolution. We further conducted a total of 24 sham rTMS sessions to estimate the misplacement between the coil center and target during a 10-min stimulation without neuronavigation.ResultsThe parameters of the “landmark-based approach” in the discovery experiment were replicated well in an independent cohort. Using discovery parameters, we successfully identified the symptom-specific targets in the independent cohort. Specifically, the mean distance between the personalized and landmark-based targets on the cortex was not significantly larger than 5 mm. However, the personalized and landmark-based targets distance exceeded 5 mm in more than 50% of subjects. During the 10-min sham rTMS session, the average coil misplacement was significantly larger than 5 mm.ConclusionThe “landmark-based approach” can conveniently and reliably locate the two symptom-specific targets at group level. However, the accuracy was highly varied at individual level and further improvement is needed. (shrink)

Medical informed consent stands as an ethical and legal requisite preceding any medical intervention. Hospitalized patients face functional health literacy (FHL) challenges when dealing with informed consent forms (ICFs). The legitimacy of ICFs and informed consent procedures in China remains substantially undisclosed. The study’s aim was to investigate if Chinese patients have adequate FHL to be truly informed before providing medical consent. In this cross-sectional, structured interview-based study, FHL was assessed within the context of the informed consent scenarios in two (...) teaching hospitals (a 1500-bed general tertiary hospital and a 700-bed cancer hospital) affiliated with Shantou University Medical College. Twenty-seven patients admitted across clinical departments, along with their relatives (n = 59), were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed consent. The participants underwent a three-step assessment with two selected ICFs —teach-back skills, perceived understanding (perception), and informed knowledge (cognizance), with each component carrying a maximum score of 10. Data were analyzed with SPSS (version 22.0) for descriptive and inferential statistics, with consideration of significant P values as < 0.05. The median age (IQR and range) of participants was 35.5 (28 – 49 and 13 – 74) years. Most participants had only high school education (24.4%, 21/86) or below high school education (47.7%, 41/86). The median score (IQR) of FHL assessments—teach-back, perception, and cognizance—was 4.0 (2.5, 5.8), 8.0 (6.8, 8.8), and 6.5 (5.5, 8.0) out of 10, respectively. A moderate correlation was observed between the scores of cognizance and teach-back (r = 0.359, P = 0.002) or perception (r = 0.437, P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis predicted being a patient and having lower education levels as independent risk factors of inadequate FHL (Ps = 0.001). Lack of patient-centeredness in ICFs, time constraints, and poor clinical communication were identified as barriers impeding informed consent. This study demonstrates inadequacy in personal FHL and impaired organizational HL, resulting in compromised informed consent in Chinese teaching hospitals. As a remedy, we propose improving the quality of ICFs and institutionally mandated outcome-focused training on informed consent for all concerned clinicians to enhance medical ethics, ensure quality health care, address patient values, and mitigate potential medical conflicts. (shrink)

Extant studies have shown that socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) brings beneficial effects on employees’ work outcomes. However, little attention has been given to the effect of SRHRM on employee resilience from a balanced perspective. This study draws on conversation of resources theory to examine how and when SRHRM influences employee resilience from a balanced perspective. Using two scenario-based experiments and one multi-wave field study, results show that SRHRM can enhance employee resilience by increasing work meaningfulness, but it can (...) also deplete employee resilience by draining resources. Moreover, organization-set performance goal weakens the positive relationship between SRHRM and employees’ work meaningfulness. Organization-set performance goal also magnifies the positive relationship between SRHRM and employees’ resource depletion. This study presents theoretical and practical implications on how organizations can precisely promote employee resilience. (shrink)

Morin suggested that one of the reasons for the difficulty in standardizing graphic codes is that the production of spoken language reduces the need for graphic codes. Here we try to extend their claims from a psychological perspective, which allows us to conclude that the puzzle of ideography is perhaps related to human psychological traits and psychological evolution.

Non-governmental organizations often regard expanding revenue and reducing costs as standard procedures to achieve corporate sustainability, while at the same time considering human resources as important assets. Government agencies have greater flexibility in staffing, and their human resource strategies for employee education and training often use organizational learning to develop operational performance. Training is regarded as a panacea for corporate sustainability and channels have been established to support employees' learning. Curriculum development of synchronous online learning is an approach that requires (...) further investigation. We distributed 360 questionnaires to supervisors and employees of the Taipei City Government, Taiwan. A total of 268 valid copies were retrieved, giving a response rate of 74%. The study results are expected to help public sector employers enhance employee cohesiveness and generate more operational team spirit. (shrink)

Das vorliegende Werk stellt eine Einführung in die ethisch-politischen Konzepte der islamischen Theologie dar, so wie sich diese aus den religiösen Primärquellen ableiten lassen. Eine sich hieraus ergebende "islamische Politik" fusst dabei auf dem Grundsatz der sozialen Gerechtigkeit, die sich von der göttlichen Gerechtigkeit ausgehend in allen Sphären zwischenmenschlicher und sozialer Beziehungen, bis hin zur politischen Ordnung manifestieren sollte, um den Anspruch einer theologisch legitimierten Form der Politik erfüllen zu können. Dabei hat es historisch betrachtet verschiedene Ausformungen und Umsetzungen, abhängig (...) von den jeweiligen Faktoren, wie kulturelle Identität und geographische Lage gegeben. (shrink)

本书分为十章,主要内容包括:陶行知教育思想与中小学创造教育实验、陶行知教育思想与基础教育教学改革、陶行知教育思想与基础教育课程改革、陶行知教育思想与中小学德育等.

This paper discusses the stability of semi-Markovian jump networked control system containing time-varying delay and actuator faults. The system dynamic is optimized while the network resource is saved by introducing an improved static event-triggered mechanism. For deriving a less conservative stability criterion, the Bessel–Legendre inequalities approach is employed to the stability analysis and plays a major role. By constructing the enhanced Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional relevant to the Legendre polynomials, a stability criterion with lower conservativeness indexed by N is derived, and the (...) conservativeness will decrease as N increases. In addition, a controller is designed. To prove the validity of this paper, numerical examples are provided at the last. (shrink)

This study examined the correlation between depressive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, and social support before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and verified causal relationships among them. The study used Social Support Scale and Symptom Self-Rating Scale to investigate relevant variables. A total of 1,414 employees from company were recruited for this longitudinal study, which a follow up study was conducted on the same group of participants 1 year later. Paired sample t-test results showed that significant differences were only found in social (...) support, not in depressive symptoms or interpersonal sensitivity. The results of correlation analysis showed that social support, depressive symptoms, and interpersonal sensitivity were significantly correlated between wave 1 and wave 2. The cross-lag autoregressive pathway showed that employees’ social support level, depressive symptoms, and interpersonal sensitivity all showed moderate stability. Crossing paths showed that wave 1 social support could significantly predict wave 2 depressive symptoms and wave 2 interpersonal sensitivity. Wave 1 depressive symptoms could significantly predict wave 2 social support, while wave 1 interpersonal sensitivity could not predict wave 2 social support. Social support can be considered as a protective factor against mental health problems. (shrink)

Despite the growth of knowledge on teacher emotional tensions and identities, little research has explored how emotional tensions shape teacher identity development within teacher education courses. This study explored the contributions of a professional learning community (PLC) structured around sharing and discussing emotional tensions to eight Iranian English teachers’ identity (re)construction. In line with our theoretically-grounded proposed model of PLC – as settings in which individuals share ideas to expand their learning, data were collected before, during, and after the PLC (...) using semi-structured interviews and reflective journals over a four-month time span. Data analyses revealed that before the PLC, the teachers had problems in developing the identity of agentic teachers and in their interpersonal relationships with colleagues. During the PLC, they were able to develop collegial identities that facilitated embracing the course contents. After the course, the teachers experienced enhanced collaboration and agency-induced autonomy that enabled them to effectively manage emotional tensions. Collectively, the PLC helped the teachers in agentically exercising praxis in relation to their colleagues, practices, and relationships with students. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teachers to use their current potential to form PLCs and for teacher educators to systematize PLCs at the institutional level. (shrink)

Faces provide information about a person's identity, as well as their sex, age, and ethnicity. People also infer social and personality traits from the face — judgments that can have important societal and personal consequences. In recent years, deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have proven adept at representing the identity of a face from images that vary widely in viewpoint, illumination, expression, and appearance. These algorithms are modeled on the primate visual cortex and consist of multiple processing layers of simulated (...) neurons. Here, we examined whether a DCNN trained for face identification also retains a representation of the information in faces that supports social‐trait inferences. Participants rated male and female faces on a diverse set of 18 personality traits. Linear classifiers were trained with cross validation to predict human‐assigned trait ratings from the 512 dimensional representations of faces that emerged at the top‐layer of a DCNN trained for face identification. The network was trained with 494,414 images of 10,575 identities and consisted of seven layers and 19.8 million parameters. The top‐level DCNN features produced by the network predicted the human‐assigned social trait profiles with good accuracy. Human‐assigned ratings for the individual traits were also predicted accurately. We conclude that the face representations that emerge from DCNNs retain facial information that goes beyond the strict limits of their training. (shrink)

Research on COVID-19 has drawn the attention of scholars around the world since the outbreak of the pandemic. Several literature reviews of research topics and themes based on scientometric indicators or bibliometric analyses have already been conducted. However, topics and themes in linguistic-specific research on COVID-19 remain under-studied. With the help of the CiteSpace software, the present study reviewed linguistic research published in SSCI and A&HCI journals to address the identified gap in the literature. The overall performance of the documents (...) was described and document co-citations, keyword co-occurrence, and keyword clusters were visualized via CiteSpace. The main topic areas identified in the reviewed studies ranged from the influences of COVID-19 on language education, and speech-language pathology to crisis communication. The results of the study indicate not only that COVID-19-related linguistic research is topically limited but also that insufficient attention has been accorded by linguistic researchers to Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Critical Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics, and Corpus-based discourse analysis in exploring pandemic discourses and texts. (shrink)

马克思主义哲学是对人类以往科学和哲学发展的科学总结,是人类思想史上的革命,是整个马克思主义学说的重要组成部分和理论基础,是无产阶级争取自身解放的科学世界观和方法论.

Robot manipulators have been extensively used in complex environments to complete diverse tasks. The teleoperation control based on human-like adaptivity in the robot manipulator is a growing and challenging field. This paper developed a disturbance-observer-based fuzzy control framework for a robot manipulator using an electromyography- driven neuromusculoskeletal model. The motion intention was estimated by the EMG-driven NMS model with EMG signals and joint angles from the user. The desired torque was transmitted into the desired velocity for the robot manipulator system (...) through an admittance filter. In the robot manipulator system, a fuzzy logic system, utilizing an integral Lyapunov function, was applied for robot manipulator systems subject to model uncertainties and external disturbances. To compensate for the external disturbances, fuzzy approximation errors, and nonlinear dynamics, a disturbance observer was integrated into the controller. The developed control algorithm was validated with a 2-DOFs robot manipulator in simulation. The results indicate the proposed control framework is effective and crucial for the applications in robot manipulator control. (shrink)

Based on social learning theory and the trickle-down effects, in which behavioral patterns cascade from one management level to the next, we attempt to answer whether upper-level managers’ temporal leadership can be transferred to lower-level managers to form their temporal leadership, and what the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions for this occurrence are. By analyzing the data from 234 middle-level managers and 686 junior managers/employees, we found that top managers’ temporal leadership was positively associated with middle-level managers’ temporal leadership through (...) the mediating role of middle-level managers’ temporal leadership perspective and that the relationship was moderated by middle-level managers’ identification with the top manager. Identification with the top manager, in particular, strengthens both the top manager’s positive effect on middle-level managers’ temporal leadership and the top manager’s temporal leadership’s mediating role in this relationship through their temporal leadership perspective. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are investigated. (shrink)