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Revealing the double-edged sword:introducing the Technology and Consumer Well-being Paradox Model
No full textWhile discourse on technology and consumer well-being has been at the forefront of academics' and practitioners' agendas, the theoretical understanding of the complex interplay between technology and consumer well-being has remained tenuous. To address this gap in our understanding of technology's influence on consumer well-being, this research provides a comprehensive literature review of recent articles published in Psychology & Marketing. Findings indicate a double-edged sword where technology has the propensity to not only foster a state of negative well-being but can also enhance consumers' well-being. Additionally, a technology well-being paradox is uncovered whereby technology is used to manage the negative effects of technology use. Accordingly, we introduce the Technology and Consumer Well-being Paradox Model that incorporates technology's propensity to enhance, diminish, and manage eudaimonic and hedonic consumer well-being. Furthermore, the influence of the purpose of technology use and changes to consumer well-being over time with technology use are also considered. Finally, we provide pertinent avenues for future research to further understanding on the technology and consumer well-being paradox
Beyond the null:recognizing and reporting true negative findings
No full textScience is based on ideas that might be true or false in describing reality. In order to discern between these two, scientists conduct studies that can reveal evidence for an idea, i.e., posi-tive findings, or not, i.e., negative or null findings. The outcome of these studies can either be true, i.e. reflecting the real world, or false. Much has been said about disentangling true from false positive findings and the danger of a publication bias towards positive findings. Here, we argue that publishing negative findings is important to provide an accurate picture of the real world. At the same time, we highlight that a cautious approach should be taken to minimise the impact of publishing false negative findings, which has received limited atten-tion so far. We discuss sources of false negative findings, using experimental and observa-tional animal behaviour and cognition studies as examples, which often differ from those of false positive findings. We conclude by recommending strategies for rigorous studies, such as conducting positive controls, selecting diverse samples, designing engaging protocols and clearly labelling negative findings. These practices will lead to studies that contribute to our knowledge, regardless of whether they result in positive or negative findings
Minimal generating sets for matrix monoids
No full textIn this paper, we determine minimal generating sets for several well-known monoids of matrices over certain semirings. In particular, we find minimal generating sets for the monoids consisting of: all n × n boolean matrices when n ≤ 8; the n × n boolean matrices containing the identity matrix (the reflexive boolean matrices) when n ≤ 7; the n × n boolean matrices containing a permutation (the Hall matrices) when n ≤ 8; the upper, and lower, triangular boolean matrices of every dimension; the 2 × 2 matrices over the semiring ℕ ∪ {−∞} with addition ⊕ defined by x ⊕ y = max(x, y) and multiplication ⊗ given by x ⊗ y = x + y (the max-plus semiring); the 2 × 2 matrices over any quotient of the max-plus semiring by the congruence generated by t = t + 1 where t ∈ ℕ; the 2 × 2 matrices over the min-plus semiring and its finite quotients by the congruences generated by t = t + 1 for all t ∈ ℕ; and the n × n matrices over ℤ/nℤ relative to their group of units
High prevalence and non-suppression of HIV/AIDS in the East and Central African region heightens risk of severe outcomes for Clade I monkeypox virus infection, and may be a driver for subsequent adaptation
No full textIn September 2023, a re-emergence of mpox was noted in the province of South Kivu, in DR Congo. So far, active transmission has been reported in 23 of the 26 provinces. Despite localisation within DRC, there are emerging concerns about possibility of cross-border transmission. In this perspective, we highlight the threat posed to HIV positive patients, particularly those with unsuppressed viral loads. We make several prepositions as part of the preparedness and response plans in the countries in the East and Central Africa region. The six prepositions include: 1) operationalize the Joint Africa Task Force for mpox consistent with Kinshasa declaration on mpox, 2) increased surveillance, 3) deployment of point of care diagnostics, 4) targeted reactive vaccination and enhanced antiretroviral therapy of HIV positive patients in areas of active transmission, 5) community engagement, 6) foster capacity building of national rapid response teams in East and Central Africa in mpox care and management through collaboration with DRC counterparts
Seals exhibit localised avoidance of operational tidal turbines
No full text1. Tidally energetic habitats are used by a range of marine mammals, including pinnipeds. These areas are also important to the tidal energy industry, leading to an overlap between tidal developments and important habitats used by seals. The concerns around negative ecological impacts from tidal turbines derive primarily from the potential for fatal collisions between animals and the moving parts of the turbine (i.e. blades) and habitat exclusion from important areas. 2. We quantified the number of encounters of seals within close range (10s of metres) of the turbine and estimated the likelihood of seal presence over an annual cycle. Data were collected with two multibeam sonars monitoring an operational turbine in the Pentland Firth, Scotland, between May 2022 and June 2023. There were 704 seal encounters within close range of the turbine. 3. We used generalised additive models (GAMs) to investigate the temporal patterns of seal presence at the turbine site. Results showed that the probability of seal presence was significantly higher at slack water, at night and during the winter months (November–January: mean of ~4 seals a day). When comparing seal presence between periods of turbine operation and non-operation, the model predicted a decrease in presence during turbine operation in flow speeds of ≥2.3 ms−1 (mean reduction of 77% at the highest flow speed; 95% CI: 22%–93%). 4. Synthesis and applications. The result showing that seals exhibit avoidance of the turbine during operation is important for industry developers and regulators, as lower numbers of seals close to the turbine reduces the potential for fatal collisions and injuries. The modelled reductions in presence can be used directly as avoidance rates in collision risk models to predict the impacts of future turbine arrays and de-risk the consenting process for this industry
Training primates to forage in virtual 3D environments
No full textVirtual environment software is increasingly being employed as a non-invasive method in primate cognition research. Familiar and novel stimuli can be presented in new ways, opening the door to studying aspects of cognition in captivity which previously may not have been feasible. Despite the increased complexity of visual input compared to more traditional computerised studies, several groups of captive primates have now been trained to navigate virtual three-dimensional environments. Here, we outline a method for training primates to use a computerised virtual foraging task presented on a touchscreen. We document how to tailor this method to groups facing different training challenges. We present data from three groups: touchscreen-experienced chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), touchscreen-naïve orang-utans (Pongo abelii), and chimpanzees tested in a group setting. Subjects from all groups mastered basic navigation challenges with relative ease (some in as little as 16 days), setting them up for systematic studies of primate cognition within virtual environments. The training method we present is flexible, yet structured, and we encourage other researchers to adapt it to implement virtual environment research with more individuals and across more species
Following in the apostles’ footsteps:martyrdom, mysticism, and proto-feminism in Lucrezia Marinella’s <i>Holocausto d’Amore della Vergine Santa Giustina</i> (1648)
No full textThis article examines the relationship between protofeminism and faith in Lucrezia Marinella’s “Holocausto d’amore della vergine Santa Giustina” (1648). In particular, it explores Marinella’s departures from her sources, which serve to assert women’s excellence as preachers, exegetes, and rulers. Situating the life of the martyr Saint Justina within the context of the querelle des femmes and the Counter-Reformation backlash against public displays of female mysticism and religious authority, this contribution proposes that the hagiography promotes a form of female holiness inspired by the mystics and living saints who dispensed with male ecclesiastical mediation and exercised power beyond the monastic enclosure. This reading complicates the hypothesis that Marinella relinquished her pro-woman advocacy in her later years
Press freedom and systemic risk
No full textThis paper investigates the role of press freedom on systemic risk using an international sample of banks. We construct a novel and comprehensive measure of press freedom by integrating data from multiple widely recognized sources: the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom country ranking, the Freedom of Expression Index, and the Freedom House Index. By combining these three distinct indices, our measure offers a more robust and multi-dimensional assessment of press freedom, capturing a broader spectrum of factors influencing media independence and freedom of expression across countries. Our empirical evidence suggests that press freedom is associated with lower systemic risk in the banking sector. We show that this relationship is mitigated during the upward phase of the economic cycle, and enhanced during banking crises. Our findings hold when addressing potential endogeneity problems and when accounting for additional macroeconomic and firm controls
Post-pandemic geographies of working from home:more of the same for spatial inequalities?
No full textRather than being an indiscriminate ‘greater leveller’, it is widely recognised that the burden of the covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath has largely mirrored longstanding cleavages of social and spatial disadvantage. This paper considers how the nature and effects of the mass covid-induced shift to remote and hybrid working can inform theorisations of contemporary regional inequalities. Through a loosening of the relationship between the geography of home and employment, in theory, these novel working practices and associated changing residential preferences hold potential for easing spatial disparities. Drawing predominantly on interviews and workshops across 15 UK case study areas, this analysis however contends that stark social and spatial divides in the prevalence of remote/hybrid working mean that the propagation of working from home (WFH) may well in fact entrench rather than alleviate geographical inequalities, as working practices have improved for the mainly higher socio-economic employees who can WFH (overrepresented in prosperous areas) but remain largely unchanged for the majority of the workforce elsewhere who cannot WFH. In this sense, the resilience of core–periphery economic geographies is just as compelling as the significant shift in working practices and residential preferences that the pandemic created. Consequently, caution is needed to avoid a fetishisation of ostensibly transformed post-pandemic geographies of work–home relations and their potential as a panacea for spatial inequalities
Critical perspectives on predictive policing:anticipating proof?
No full textTaking a critical approach, this book advances understanding of the social, legal and ethical aspects of digitalisation in law enforcement and the reliance on data-driven tools to predict and prevent crime. It shows how the proliferation of data analytics challenges citizens’ rights, at a time when what counts as ‘safety’ or ‘policing’ is being fundamentally transformed