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Age-related changes in attentional selection: revealing processes underlying the degradation of task set quality.
No full textThe present study further explored the age-related changes in attentional selection, first reported by Jackson and Balota Jackson and Balota (Psychology and Aging 28:3, 2013). To this end, response stimulus interval (RSI) was manipulated in in a Stroop paradigm that allows to isolate different components of the overall Stroop effect. The originally reported reduction of the overall Stroop effect in short (vs. long) RSI was successfully replicated. In line with the original claim that the ability to maintain the relevant task set consistently across time is preserved in older adults, this reduction failed to interact again with age - a null result that was uniquely supported in the present study with Bayesian evidence. Although healthy aging affected all components of the overall Stroop effect, the present study further identified interference and a disproportionally larger semantic conflict effect, as being the primary mechanisms behind the larger overall Stroop effect that older adults produce compared to younger adults. These results therefore directly fuel the original conclusion of Jackson and Balota Jackson and Balota (Psychology and Aging 28:3, 2013) that age-related differences in attentional selection are due the degradation of task set quality, namely a lesser ability of older adults to control interference. The present study additionally showed this reduced control of interference directly and identified where in the processing stream it occurs. The immediate implication that challenges the dominant unitary models of Stroop performance, is that future interventions designed to boost interference control in older adults should most likely target semantic, as opposed to response conflict
Electro-Osmotic Peristaltic Streaming of a Fractional Second-Grade Viscoelastic Nanofluid with Single and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in a Ciliated Tube
Get PDFMathematical modelling of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in biological fluids is essential for drug delivery, biosensing, and targeted therapy. This study explores the transport dynamics of single-walled (SWCNTs) and multi-walled (MWCNTs) carbon nanotubes in a nanofluid under electro-osmotic peristaltic flow influenced by ciliary motion. A microfluidic channel lined with cilia, hair-like structures found in human airways and reproductive tracts, is considered. The coordinated beating of cilia generates a wavelike motion that propels the surrounding biological fluid. When an electric field is applied across the channel, electro-osmotic forces further modify the flow, affecting velocity and temperature distribution. A nanofluid, consisting of CNTs suspended in a base fluid, flows through this cilia-driven microchannel. The transport process is governed by electro-osmosis, heat transfer, and thermal radiation effects, with simplifications based on long-wavelength and low Reynolds number assumptions. The Caputo fractional model and Debye-Hückel linearization are used to analyse the interaction between electro-osmotic forces and thermal-mechanical effects. The results reveal that a negative Helmholtz-Smoluchowski parameter (í µí± ℎí µí±) reduces axial velocity in the core but increases it in the periphery, while the opposite trend is observed for positive í µí± ℎí µí±. Longer cilia (í µí»½) and higher electro-osmotic parameter (í µí±) slow the core flow while accelerating peripheral transport. Thermal effects indicate that an increased heat source (í µí°µ) raises temperature and axial velocity, whereas a higher nanotube volume fraction (í µí¼) enhances axial velocity but reduces temperature. Notably, MWCNTs exhibit superior axial velocity and temperature enhancement compared to SWCNTs. These outcomes provide valuable insights into electro-osmotic cilia-driven nanofluid transport, offering a theoretical foundation for optimizing microfluidic and biomedical applications
Exploring Silences in Narrative Research with Mothers in Prison
Get PDFResearchers who have previously analyzed silence in interview data, have generally considered literal silences, such as the lack of the spoken word, and/or have taken a singular approach to understand silence. This paper moves beyond this literal and singular understandings of silence to explore narratives gaps, constraint and ambiguities, in the stories of mothers in prison. A feminist narrative approach, combined with the Listening Guide (Doucet & Mauthner, 2008; Mauthner et al., 1998) method of analysis is adopted to explore the stories of twenty mothers with experience of imprisonment. Silence is identified through three different types of stories; ‘Unworthy’ stories highlight where narration may be limited owing to a perceived sense that some stories are not worthy of narration or analytical consideration; ‘Untellable’ stories illustrate how contradictory gendered narratives converge to make some stories difficult to tell, or indeed untellable; ‘Unbecoming’ stories challenge Western storytelling formats that seek a clear resolution. Such stories speak to the ongoing challenges of finding a story to live with in the present. Utilising the Listening Guide with its multi-layered approach to narrative analysis, this article has identified the multifaceted way in which ‘silence’ is imposed, negotiated and utilised in competing and contrasting ways, in the stories of mothers in prison. In attending to these ‘silences’, this paper has enabled consideration of stories that lay outside the ideal of intensive mothering.</i
FINTECH AND MONEY LAUNDERING IN NIGERIA MODERATING EFFECT OF FINANCIAL REGULATIONS AND FINANCIAL LITERACY IT IS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY REQUIREMENT ii
Get PDFAs FinTech (Financial Technology) continues to revolutionize the financial landscape, it also poses significant challenges in combating illicit financial flows, particularly in the context of money laundering. This study investigates the dynamics between FinTech and money laundering in Nigeria, offering valuable insights into the regulatory and policy measures necessary to effectively combat these illegal activities. While previous research has predominantly focused on the benefits of FinTech, this study shifts the focus to its potential role in facilitating money laundering—an area where existing understanding is largely anecdotal. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study explores how financial regulation, and financial literacy may moderate the relationship between FinTech and money laundering. Data were gathered through surveys of 248 FinTech users and financial regulators in Nigeria, supplemented by structured interviews with regulators. The quantitative data were analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between the use of FinTech and money laundering activities in Nigeria, with financial regulation acting as a moderating factor. The study underscores the challenges faced by developing nations in aligning technology-based financial practices with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws and international standards, such as those established by the Basel Committee. Through thematic analysis and longitudinal data analysis, the study uncovers the complex interactions between FinTech and money laundering, highlighting the critical role of regulatory quality and financial literacy as moderating factors. These findings offer valuable guidelines for policymakers and practitioners on enhancing regulatory frameworks, safeguarding electronic fund transactions, and promoting digital financial literacy to stabilize the financial system. To validate the empirical findings, a robustness test was conducted using secondary data, including monetary proxies for FinTech, regulatory quality, corruption, trade openness, and other economic indicators. This data, covering 2008 to 2022, was sourced from the Ministry of Justice, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the World Development Indicators. The analysis was conducted using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model.In response to these challenges, the study proposes a framework that emphasizes the necessity of a closely monitored and regulated interaction between FinTech companies and central banks to ensure secure, efficient, and compliant integration of FinTech into the broader financial system. A key recommendation is the establishment of dedicated units within central banks to oversee Financial Innovation such as FinTech and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). These units are crucial for promoting robust digital currency regulations that safeguard financial stability and integrity. The framework advocates for a sustainable regulatory environment where continuous interaction and feedback between regulators and FinTech companies result in adaptive and effective regulations, fostering innovation while mitigating risks such as money laundering and financial fraud. Additionally, the framework highlights the importance of a dual approach to addressing FinTech misuse by integrating AML practices with advanced Regulatory Technology (RegTech) solutions. It is recommended that Nigeria establish a Nigeria Financial Conduct Authority (NFCA) through an Act of legislation, creating an independent agency specifically tasked with the regulation, oversight, and enforcement of laws governing FinTech services and emerging financial technologies. The NFCA would be responsible for ensuring consumer protection, maintaining market integrity, and fostering sustainable economic stability. By standardizing regulations across the sector and enforcing ethical conduct, the NFCA would help create a secure and transparent financial environment that can effectively address the challenges posed by new and disruptive financial technologies.The study also makes significant theoretical contributions by applying Technological Determinism Theory to the field of FinTech, particularly in the context of money laundering. It suggests that future research could utilize this theory to explore similar relationships in both developing and developed countries. Furthermore, the study indicates that Technological Determinism Theory can be extended to various forms of FinTech, such as Blockchain and Biometric Authentication Technologies, and applied to examine connections between FinTech and terrorism financing, thus broadening the theory's application. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-method approach, providing a blueprint for future research by demonstrating the value of using both primary and secondary data, as well as various analytical techniques, to ensure robust and reliable results. Despite its contributions, the study acknowledges limitations in theory, methodology, scope, and context, offering opportunities for future research, including cross-country analysis and examining the dual effects of FinTech on money laundering and terrorism financing.Keywords: FinTech, money laundering, financial regulation, financial literacy, Nigeri
Exploring musculoskeletal pain among Italian olive pickers: A cross-sectional investigation into prevalence, attitudes, expectations, and beliefs
Get PDFBackground: Olive pickers confront ergonomic hazards when performing work activities that may lead to musculoskeletal pain (MSK) that must be adequately managed. The success of MSK pain prevention and treatment strategies is linked to olive pickers’ state of empowerment, shaped by expectations and beliefs. Objective: This study highlighted the prevalence of MSK pain among Italian olive pickers and explored their attitudes, expectations, and beliefs about MSK pain prevention and care. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey instrument was developed to collect data from an Italian olive pickers’ cohort in the Liguria region. The survey investigated the sample on (1) MSK pain prevalence and characteristics, (2) preventive and treatment activities for MSK pain, (3) expectations about MSK pain treatments, and (4) beliefs about their job and MSK pain onset. Results: From January to July 2021, we collected data from 127 participants (78% men); mean age 52 ± 13). Prevalence of MSK pain over one month, six months, and one year was 61.6%, 77.8%, and 84.8%, respectively. The most affected joints were the lumbar spine (61%), the shoulders (57%), and the cervical spine (46%). To prevent the onset of MSK pain, 44% of participants did nothing, and 94% of them never attended any preventive physical activity. Conclusions: MSK pain strongly impacts Ligurian olive pickers, as three out of four experienced it during the last six months. Participants emphasised the need to be educated on working ergonomics and the perceived importance of physical activity for health
Dancing with Douyin: An Exploration of Content Marketing in Douyin’s Fashion Community.
Get PDFOver the past six years, Douyin has become one of China’s most popular social media platforms (Zheng, 2023) yet academic work on it is still in its relative infancy. Many fashion brands have started marketing on Douyin, but there is a gap in knowledge on the extent to which traditional content marketing strategies are effective on this platform, not least given its unique content recommendation system (Su & Valdovinos Kaye, 2023). Previous research on content marketing has also lacked a focus on communication effects and customer perspectives. This thesis makes a contribution to the development of content marketing theory for Douyin by examining communication effects and customer motivations and, in the process, develops a new fashion brand content marketing model for Douyin. Using agenda-setting theory, it examines the impact of community content on customer engagement behaviour (CEB) to establish content marketing effectiveness. Thereafter, it employs uses and gratifications theory (Katz et al., 1973) to analyse the relationship between different levels of CEB and customer needs in the selected community. Finally, it develops a content marketing model for fashion brands on Douyin. The research contributes to the body of work on content marketing by developing its explanatory features in relation to Douyin as follows. First, the application of agenda-setting and uses and gratifications theories from communication scholarship confirms the effectiveness of content marketing and demonstrates the influence of community content perceptions on CEB. The research finds that different motivations drive different levels of CEB, and branded content can significantly influence user perceptions and brand engagement. Second, the research refines the brand content marketing strategy of De Plessis (2015) to establish the Douyin Content Marketing Loop Model (DCMLM) more precisely suited to Douyin’s fashion community. Third, in relation to commercial practice on Douyin, the research puts forward three models to assist fashion brands in: understanding Douyin’s characteristics as a content marketing platform; devising content strategies for different marketing objectives; and comprehending a holistic content marketing process within the Douyin fashion community.The research employs a mixed-method approach, including netnography and an online survey. The netnographic work includes generating observational data (popular video content and field notes) and conducting interviews with 12 Douyin content creation experts and 12 fashion community users. Qualitative data generated was analysed using a netnography-based method (Kozinets, 2019). Online survey data consisted of 607 questionnaire responses from community users and was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Keywords: Douyin, Content Marketing, Agenda Setting, Uses and Gratifications, Customer Engagemen
Normalising right-wing alternative media perspectives: A cross-national study of US and UK mainstream media systems
Get PDFIn this article, we critically examine the degree to which left-wing and right-wing alternative media appeared in US and UK mainstream media. We develop a distinctive comparative approach by carrying out a comprehensive content analysis of references to US and UK alternative media sites between 2017 and 2021 in each country's mainstream news media systems. The study identified 3481 references in total and revealed that mainstream media featured alternative right-wing sites far more than left-wing sites, and their credibility as information sources was rarely questioned or challenged by professional journalists. Our cross-national comparative study also identified where different media and political systems enhanced and moderated the perspectives of alternative media, and their contributors in mainstream media. We argue that the more national media systems evolve into market-driven and deregulated environments then the more the editorial influence of right-wing partisan media will increase and conflate with the world of mainstream media
Do Lifestyle Factors affect patient reported clinical outcomes after total knee replacement surgery? A feasibility cohort study
Get PDFAimsTo evaluate the feasibility of a substantive cohort study to determine whether modifiable lifestyle factors, including smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption and being overweight, affect patient-reported clinical outcomes after total knee replacement surgery.MethodsAdults awaiting total knee replacement surgery were recruited pre-operatively and completed self-reported questionnaires at baseline and 3- and 6-months post-surgery. Feasibility outcomes, including recruitment, retention and response rate of the primary outcome questionnaire were analysed descriptively.Results40 participants were recruited from 183 eligible patients (22%). 87.5% (35/40) participants returned questionnaires at 6-months. 85% (34/40) of participants were overweight (BMI>24.9), 25% (10/40) drank alcohol (AUDIT-C > 4), 5% (2/40) smoked tobacco and 67.5% (27/40) were physically inactive (GPAQ classification of ‘moderately inactive’, or ‘inactive’). ConclusionModifiable lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity and being overweight are highly prevalent in patients waiting for total knee replacement. Based on this study, a future substantive cohort study investigating the effect of lifestyle factors on clinical outcomes post total knee replacement in the UK NHS is feasible
Opening the “too difficult box”: Strengthening adult safeguarding responses to homelessness and self-neglect
No full textPeer-to-peer energy management of distributed ledgers in renewable smart energy systems
No full textThe rapid progress of communication technologies has encouraged industrial infrastructures to merge such tools with their own assets to enhance efficiency through smart control and surveillance. In this regard, data transmission security has taken center stage and generated considerable interest among researchers. This paper examines a key challenge in utilizing blockchain technology for advanced power system management: the high energy consumption of miners. Miners function as variable loads in the system; their hash rate and energy consumption directly influence the security of information exchange and the overall costs of the system. To tackle this challenge, a distributed energy management application has been developed using a peer-to-peer architecture that interacts with the energy consumption of blockchain distributed ledgers (DLs) and manages it alongside the power grid and microgrids. The program employs the RCI adaptive method, developed to address multiple constraints concurrently. These include minimizing overall costs, optimizing energy consumption among miners, balancing the load distribution between microgrids and the main grid, and ensuring a robust level of information security. This energy management framework balances hash rate, data security, and energy costs. It shows that using a peer-to-peer structure and RCI approach can more effectively solve these challenges than current methods. Production sources and consumers are modeled with uncertainty due to the nature of renewable energy sources and the load dependence of miners. This approach ensures that the cost of production and consumption more closely reflects real-world outcomes. P2P’s proposed energy management system shows that combining a data security platform with distributed consensus can lower costs and improve system efficiency. This approach creates a more affordable infrastructure for society and increases the overall welfare index, leading to a brighter and more sustainable future for everyone
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