This paper critically examines the nexus between the scientific method and the study of race in the contemporary world. It begins by historicizing the emergence of the scientific method as indispensable to the advent of European modernity. The development of modernity collapsed into the racialization of black subjects as subhuman and criminal. This criminalization of blackness occurs at two critical junctures: the arrest of blacks via plantation enslavement and the concomitant imprisoning of black bodies of thought. The consequence of modernity’s carceral methods implicates the study of race, particularly the formation of Black Studies, by criminalizing black reason. As such, the paper contends for an Afromodern scientific revolution, understood as the emancipation of method and the decarceralizing of science in order to procure black liberation in the modern world.

The place of work in organization studies and management has waxed and waned. Yet, today, social and technological developments have raised again interest in the study of work and this curated discussion brings together experts in key approaches to this topic. Seven contributions have been selected to provide a panorama of what we know about work while pointing to some uncharted territories worthy of future exploration. The contributions outline the principles behind and value of systemic, contextualized, or holistic view of work and report insights on how changes in some work components reverberate in its broader ecology. We hope this curated discussion will make us more aware of the collective journey scholars have charted so far while posing new questions and opening or re-directing new avenues of inquiry.

Teachers play a pivotal role in Blended learning (BL) implementation. However, there is limited literature on the impact factors of teacher acceptance and long-term willingness toward BL in the military college. To address this gap, this paper presents a conceptual model of teachers’ factors for BL-based instruction based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. Drawing from a sample of 103 teachers, this paper showed that effort expectation (EE), social influence (SI), self-efficacy (SE), and pleasure motivation (PM) have significant positive impacts on the adoption and long-term willingness of BL. In contrast, performance expectation (PE) seems to have limited appeal for teachers in terms of adopting and long-term willingness toward BL. The influence of Facilitate Conditions (FC) is considered insignificant. In the end, the paper concludes with research recommendations along six dimensions to improve policy on teachers’ adoption and long-term willingness to use

In the past decade, the Universal Basic Income (UBI) concept has gained significant traction as a potential remedy for poverty and inequality. However, the practical implications of UBI implementation remain under extensive debate. This study shifts its focus towards an alternative minimum-security model, the Safety Income (SI) Model, representing a nuanced departure from both established policies and UBI. SI is a welfare system that supplements households earning below the standard median income with 50 percent of the difference between the standard median and their current earnings. The study presents the set-up of SI and assesses the cost of its implementation in South Korea. Employing a computable general equilibrium model, the study analyze the impacts of SI, UBI, and the existing scheme in South Korea on income disparities, labor market outcomes, and Gross Domestic Product. Our analyses demonstrate that SI outperforms the other two welfare systems across all economic indicators. This research contributes to the discourse surrounding economic security, poverty alleviation, and inclusive social policies.

This study examined artificial intelligence adoption and marketing performance of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study adopted the positivism research philosophy and correlational research design. The population of the study consisted of 426 managers drawn from the 71 quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The managers include branch managers, operational managers, production managers, marketing managers and sales managers of the firms. A sample size of 206 managers was used for the study. The sample size was determined mathematically using the Taro Yamene’s formula. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed statistically while the hypotheses were tested using Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (rho). The SPSS version 23.0 was used to perform the bivariate analysis. The findings revealed that the application of artificial intelligence technologies in marketing operations has a significant relationship with sales growth of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study also revealed that the application of artificial intelligence technologies in marketing operations has a strong and significant relationship with market share growth of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study equally confirmed that artificial intelligence capabilities have a strong and significant relationship with sales growth of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study also reported that artificial intelligence capabilities has a strong and significant relationship with market share growth of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Based on these findings, it was concluded that artificial intelligence adoption significantly relate to marketing performance of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Based on these findings and conclusion, it was recommended that quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria especially those that are experiencing poor marketing performance should adopt artificial intelligence technologies in their marketing operations as it would improve their marketing performance.

Chinese-foreign cooperative education has become an important part of the internationalization of higher education in China after the rapid development of the last forty years. The government plays a key role in the development of Chinese-foreign cooperative education through the formulation and implementation of public policies. Furthermore, policy instruments are powerful drivers of policy performance and are central to the policy making process. The study takes the policies related to Chinese-foreign cooperative education since the reform and opening up in 1978 as its research object and builds a two-dimensional analysis framework based on McDonnell and Elmore's policy instrument theory and the elements of Chinese-foreign cooperative education policies. With Nvivo 12 Plus to code and deeply analyze the policy texts, it clarifies the history of the policy on Chinese-foreign cooperative education and reflects on the advantages and shortcomings of the configuration of policy instruments.

This study explores the discourse of educational excellence and internationalisation in Japan’s Designated National University Corporation System. It frames the policy initiative within the continuum of longstanding goals set by the Japanese government and demonstrates how the work of Michel Foucault can be used to help uncover intricate power dynamics and ideological conflicts inherent in policy. The investigation employs Carol Bacchi’s “What’s the Problem Represented to Be?” framework to operationalise Foucault’s theories and investigate the policy discourse. Consequently, the research illuminates the government’s central concern as the global competitiveness of Japanese universities, leading to the imposition of rigorous criteria for the designation, emphasising research quality, collaboration with society, and international cooperation. The recommendation is that more comprehensive reforms are needed to foster authentic global engagement and inclusivity across a broader base of higher education institutions, rather than focussing resources on elites and their pursuit of global prestige.

Abstract The paper examines the origin of the animosities and the raging conflict in Sudan, culminating into the current devastating consequences and regional implications. Broadly, it investigates the actual motivation of the deadly violence between (Sudan Army Forces (S.A.F) and Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F), shedding light on the ensuing devastation. In addition, it contributes to the current debate and delves into ongoing mediation initiatives and proposes remedies to address challenges hindering the success of peace efforts.

Historically, debates over relationships between lexical form and meaning have been dominated by views of arbitrariness, until more recent research revealed a different perspective in which non-arbitrary mappings play an important role in the makeup of a lexicon. It is now clear that phoneme-sound symbolism contributes to non-arbitrariness (iconicity) of words, which is present in many forms and degrees in different languages. Attempts have been made to provide a mechanistic explanation of the phenomenon, and these theories largely centre around cross-modal correspondences. The multimodal communicative system, to which iconicity is integral, has important phylogenetic and ontogenetic advantages, facilitating language learning, comprehension, and processing. Despite its numerous advantages, iconicity must compete with arbitrariness, forcing language systems to balance the competing needs to link linguistic form with human experience and to ensure an effective signal. On balance, iconicity should be viewed as a core principle of language, and not merely a marginal phenomenon.

The conference hosted at Dalian Maritime University concerning maritime education and sus-tainable shipping industry discussed the future of Maritime Education and Training (MET). With the emergence of new technologies and enforcement of Ⅳ Amendments of the IMO MARPOL Convention in 2023 1st January, the future of MET has gained more inspection. Lectures are con-ducted by scholars from 42 different institutions under three paralleled sessions. The conference has witnessed a trend of increasing awareness of society and corporation collaboration. The consensus of curriculum modification was also stressed by many speakers. The multi-ple-dimensional application of technology could be an effective assistance to both the MET and the future of the industry.

Women are more likely to earn a doctoral degree in higher education but are less likely to attain tenure in postsecondary institutions. Women have been tied to traditional norms that society has placed on them where they are believed to be housewives and responsible for housework. Academia has continued to practice that stereotypical mindset which has made it difficult for women to succeed in colleges and universities. Women are less likely to obtain tenured positions compared to their male counterparts. This qualitative study explored gender discrimination female's face when trying to attain tenured positions, why this occurs, and proposed solutions.

The exponential progression of guerrilla marketing from its stature as a mere low-cost method used by small and unestablished enterprises to acceptance by major and established players, as well as the blending of street-based approaches and digital technologies, make the concept arduous to delineate (Dahlén et al., 2009). The idea of guerrilla marketing is incredibly pertinent in a world where advertisers compete for customers’ attention by being more strategic and ingenious with their marketing operations (Koeck & Warnaby, 2014). It is a novel, unconventional, and captivating method of marketing intended to pique interest and spread word of mouth (Dinh & Mai, 2015). The core of guerrilla marketing, in contrast to normal marketing efforts, is more about communicating a distinctive image or identity concerning a firm than it is about outlining the characteristics and benefits of the product (Lee et al., 2018). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore how guerrilla marketing influences customer preferences. This article seeks to evaluate the efficacy of guerrilla marketing strategies in raising brand recognition, boosting brand loyalty, and eventually influencing customer purchasing behaviour. The outcomes of the study will offer focused insights to marketers and companies seeking to leverage guerrilla marketing effectively in their advertising endeavours.

This paper presents a model to use market indices to predict the daily net asset value of hedge funds that are not market observable. The model allows financial market participants to produce a daily mark-to-model for their hedge fund positions, and eventually options derived thereon. We use the historical data of indices to generate a robust estimate of the required index weighting parameters. Empirical study shows that the model makes reasonable predictions when appropriate index choices have been made and produces diagnostic information that can indicate the relative reliability of predicted daily hedge fund returns.

This study aims to adapt the Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) Scale into Japanese and investigate its psychometric properties in order to provide a useful measure to assess positive childhood experiences in Japan. In this study, 300 participants from various prefectures of Japan were recruited, and the sociodemographic form, the Japanese version of the BCEs Scale, the Adolescent Resilience Scale (ARS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the General Well- being Schedule (GWBS) were used. To investigate the factorial structure, exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and the data were analyzed for the correlations between the BCEs Scale, ARS, PSS and GWBS to investigate the convergent validity. To establish the test-retest reliability of the instrument, the scale was administered to 246 participants from the sample group one month later under identical conditions. The results of the study revealed the Japanese version of the BCEs Scale to have a one-factor structure and to significantly correlate with ARS, PSS and GWBS. The internal consistency coefficient was found to be 0.92, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was found to be 0.83. It can be concluded that the Japanese version of the BCEs Scale can be used as a valid and reliable measure to assess positive childhood experiences in Japan.

The emergence of dynamic rerouting in multi-modal transportation networks has emerged as a crucial area in operations research, revolutionizing routine optimization. The review study analyzes multiple research publications on algorithms and techniques related to dynamic rerouting to give a thorough summary of the state of research in this field and provide future suggestions. The research paper explains the importance of dynamic rerouting in modern transportation systems and recognizes its critical role in tackling issues like accidents, traffic congestion, and infrastructure constraints. In addition, the review examines the development of dynamic rerouting techniques by examining several studies to uncover the theoretical foundation, technological developments, and effects of the practices on various forms of transportation. The paper emphasizes the potential of technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data in transforming routing efficiencies. Further, the review presents specific difficulties and best practices for each mode of transportation, highlighting the many uses of dynamic rerouting in air, sea, rail, and road transportation. The review also digs deeper into the integration barriers common in multi-modal networks, highlighting successful case studies that overcome these obstacles as well as strategic approaches and regulatory modifications. Lastly, the research paper assesses the impact of dynamic rerouting on urban development, sustainability, and potential directions for future research such as the integration of large language models. The comprehensive literature review incorporates multiple research perspectives to offer significant insights into the efficacy, challenges, and potential future pathways for dynamic rerouting within multi-modal transportation networks.

The roles of the two substructures of the striatum, i.e., caudate and putamen, in voluntary motor control are less addressed. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated the neural correlates of motor control while participants were asked to press with their right index finger, and to hold naturally, and then to relax, and we focused on whether the caudate and putamen were involved differently during the pressing, holding, and relaxation of the finger. Only the bilateral caudates were activated in the holding process, i.e., sustaining of the muscle contraction, and only bilateral putamen were activated in the relaxation process, along with subthalamus nucleus (STN). However, both the caudate and putamen were activated in the pressing process. We conclude that the two substructures of the striatum, i.e., caudate and putamen, play different roles in motor control; the caudate plays a more important role in muscle contraction, while the putamen plays a more important role in muscle relaxation. However, they cooperate together to accomplish a successful and smooth movement, in line with the modulation role of the basal ganglia in motor modulation.

Objective: The objective of this study is to achieve cultural equivalence in translating the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) into Hebrew, ensuring it captures underlying concepts, semantic nuances, and functional performance within the Israeli target culture. Methods: The study involves a three-phase translation protocol for the ASQ. Phase 1 entails initial translation into Hebrew by expert clinicians, and Phase 2 includes back translation by bilingual professionals with a quantitative assessment of discrepancies. Phase 3 engages expert bilingual clinicians to review the revised Hebrew ASQ and provide qualitative and quantitative feedback. Results: The initial translation revealed discrepancies, leading to collaborative clarification with the ASQ research team. The back translation phase identified issues concerning the choice of language. The rating of questions revealed strong equivalence, and qualitative feedback emphasized the acceptability of direct language in Hebrew. The resource section was updated to include local crisis support lines. Conclusion: The study successfully established a culturally equivalent Hebrew translation of the ASQ. Future research should focus on validation studies to assess its use in Israel for suicide risk screening, emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive tools in the field of suicide prevention.

Through the use of generational storytelling, our multi-layered exercise is designed to bridge gaps in the inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility conversations. In doing so, students become aware of all that has been gained, and begin planning for the next phase of acceptance and inclusion. We begin by challenging the students on statements made about inclusion and equity from readings and textbooks. Stories are then shared from across generations to provide the IDEA definitions each different working generation has used. Finally, students are challenged to craft a path forward, to identify what steps are needed next.