Search Results (264)

The Republican era of China witnessed three primary positions regarding Buddhist monastic robe reform. Taixu advocated preserving canonical forms (法服) for ritual garments while adapting regular robes (常服) to contemporary needs; Dongchu proposed diminishing ritual distinctions by establishing a tripartite hierarchical system—virtue-monk robes (德僧服), duty-monk robes (職僧服), and scholar-monk robes (學僧服); and Lengjing endorsed the full secularization of monastic robes. As a reformist leader, Taixu pursued reforms grounded in both doctrinal authenticity and contextual responsiveness. His initial advocacy for robe modifications, however, rendered him a target for traditionalists like Cihang, who conflated his measured approach with the radicalism of Dongchu’s faction. Ultimately, the broader Buddhist reform collapsed, with robe controversies serving as a critical lens into its failure. The reasons for its failure include not only wartime disruption and inadequate governmental support, but also the structural disadvantages of the reformists compared to the traditionalists, which proved decisive. This was due to the fact that the traditionalists mostly controlled monastic economies, wielded institutional authority, and commanded discursive hegemony, reinforced by lay Buddhist alignment. These debates crystallize the core tension in Buddhist modernization—the dialectic between “disenchantment” and “preservation of monastic discipline”. This dynamic of negotiated adjustment offers a vital historical framework for navigating contemporary Buddhism’s engagement with modernity. Full article

The article aims to identify consumer types based on their attitudes and behaviors toward phygital tools and solutions. The analysis was based on the authors’ empirical research. The research was conducted on a sample of 2160 Polish consumers. The study employed an online survey technique. To determine the types of consumers, a 20-item scale was used, allowing the respondents to express their attitudes toward solutions and tools that improve shopping in the phygital space. The extraction of types was carried out in two steps. The first was cluster analysis, conducted using the hierarchical Ward method with the square of the Euclidean distance, and the second was non-hierarchical cluster analysis using the k-means method. As a result of the analyses, three relatively homogeneous types of consumers were distinguished: phygital integrators, digital frequenters, and physical reality anchors. The behaviours of consumers from each type were examined in the context of their impact on sustainable consumption and the sustainable development of the planet. The proposed typology contributes to developing consumer behavior theory in sustainable consumption environments. It provides practical implications for designing customer experiences that are more inclusive, resource-efficient, and aligned with responsible consumption patterns. Understanding how different consumer groups engage with phygital tools allows businesses and policymakers to tailor strategies that support equitable access to digital services and foster more sustainable, adaptive consumption journeys in an increasingly digitized marketplace. Full article

Use of measures of effectiveness (MOE) analysis in exploring candidate systems or alternatives has been the subject of much debate in the systems engineering discipline, as some authors have noted. In this work, methods for MOE analysis are revisited as they pertain to an advanced air mobility platform, first by using the traditional approach, which involves the application of the Pugh matrix, and second by proposing an approach that involves a combination of two (2) methods, namely the Monte Carlo method (MCM) and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), in order to evaluate and rank the preferred alternative from a selection of candidate systems. The latter method is termed the Monte Carlo–analytical hierarchical hybrid process (MC–AHHP). The results obtained from the application of both approaches demonstrate that the MC–AHHP is a less subjective, more objective, data-driven, and quantitative measure for MOE analysis compared to the erstwhile Pugh matrix method. While the Pugh matrix ranked the SAR AAM as first overall among seven (7) alternatives, the MC–AHHP ranked the same second among three (3) alternatives. The subsequent verification and validation process showed that the MC–AHHP approach resulted in a degree of consistency value of $0.083$, where $CI/RI<0.10$ represents an acceptable level of consistency. Thus, the MC–AHHP approach is recommended as a viable decision-making tool for adoption by systems engineering practitioners. Full article

As urban traffic density and congestion increase, effective urban traffic management becomes increasingly challenging, negatively impacting travel times and the overall efficiency of transportation systems. In this paper, a hierarchical Stackelberg model is presented to address both priority for emergency vehicles (EVs) and fairness for other vehicles. This model involves the Traffic Management Center (TMC) as the top-level authority, with emergency vehicles as the first-level leaders and regular vehicles (RVs) as the second-level followers. The multilevel decision-making structure enables real-time adjustments to prioritize critical traffic and ensure equitable treatment for regular traffic. Simulations were conducted under various traffic scenarios, including normal conditions, emergency vehicle priority, and peak traffic congestion. According to the results, the hierarchical Stackelberg model outperforms traditional models in terms of reducing average travel time, waiting time, and congestion. The model also incorporates fairness metrics such as Gini coefficients and skewness to ensure that regular vehicles are not disproportionately affected by emergency vehicle priority. According to these findings, the hierarchical Stackelberg model improves both traffic efficiency and fairness in complex urban environments, positioning it as a promising solution. Full article

The municipal solid waste generation is projected to spike from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. In Taiwan, the upsurge of waste volume, in addition to periodic maintenance of incinerators, which may persist up to four months, has resulted in limited incineration capacity. The optimum approach to address the challenge is to reduce the amount of waste sent for incineration by effective segregation of combustible and non-combustible waste, as well as improving the public recycling rate. Local authorities play a significant role in encouraging public recycling and restricting non-burnable waste from being delivered to incinerators within a short period of time. This can greatly reduce the amount of waste and incinerator maintenance costs. This study aimed to explore the key driving factors for public participation in waste recycling and translate the determinants into policy in order to increase the waste recycling rate. The study employed literature analysis to select factors repeatedly mentioned as indicators and conducted online surveys to collect data on factors influencing consumer engagement in waste recycling in Taiwan. This study also adopted the Analytic Hierarchy Process and established a hierarchical framework with four dimensions (Psychological, Knowledge, Policy, and Infrastructure) and thirteen indicators. The findings have demonstrated that infrastructure (0.275) is the most influential aspect in affecting consumers’ recycling actions, followed by psychological (0.256) and policy aspects (0.251), and knowledge aspect (0.218) as the least influential factor. Positive rewards (0.120), recycling knowledge (0.118), and well-built infrastructure (0.113) were specifically identified as key drivers in encouraging recycling. The findings informed the public’s priorities in recycling involvement, and strategic initiatives targeted at these preferences can effectively assist local authorities in promoting citizen engagement in recycling. Policies that meet public demands, such as positive rewards for recycling, dissemination of recycling knowledge, and provision and improvement of more recycling infrastructure, can ensure the success of the policy implementation and serve as a reference for other Asian countries in reducing waste and improving the recycling rate. Full article

Several studies on cultural–creative tourism, urban branding (UB), youth engagement, and sustainability have been conducted in isolation, obstructing comprehensive approaches to UB development challenges. This review article aims to develop an integrated framework representing the complex interrelationships between these factors through a theory-based review and case study analysis. Methodologically, the investigation adopts bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer software version 1.6.20 to identify thematic clusters across keyword pairings within research from 2000 to 2025, followed by content analysis for classification. The primary result is the Hierarchical–Relational Urban Sustainability (HRUS) framework, which employs a dual-pathway approach: (1) a sequential integration pathway, positioning cultural–creative tourism as the foundational mechanism supporting UB as the central concept, facilitating youth engagement as the key demographic group, and ultimately contributing to sustainability, and (2) a direct relationship pathway, examining specific connections between each factor and sustainability alone. This article contributes the first comprehensive framework that systematically integrates four main themes for sustainable urban development. The HRUS framework facilitates cross-sectoral collaboration by establishing actionable mechanisms for urban planners, universities, and tourism authorities to achieve sustainable urban brand development. Full article

Transboundary water governance faces persistent challenges due to mismatches between natural hydrological boundaries and political administrative boundaries. This study examines the evolution and mechanisms of intergovernmental cooperation in the Taihu Basin (1987–2024), addressing how cooperation forms, evolves, and sustains amid conflicting priorities. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed 106 policy documents, government reports, and stakeholder interviews to map governance stages, cooperation networks, and policy themes. Results reveal three phases in transboundary water governance in Taihu Basin: (1) a centralized hierarchy (1987–2007) dominated by vertical mandates; (2) a hybrid stage (2008–2018) with rising horizontal cooperation driven by crisis responses like the 2007 cyanobacteria outbreak; and (3) a networked stage (2019–2024) integrating diagonal mechanisms that bridged hierarchical gaps and scaled grassroots innovations. Key findings show diagonal relations reduced bureaucratic delays, enabling bottom-up practices like joint river chief systems to become regional policies. While grounded in the Taihu Basin context, this study provides a compelling case of institutional coupling that may inform governance in other transboundary basins, where vertical authority, horizontal reciprocity, and diagonal experimentation coexist dynamically. This study offers a model for balancing administrative fragmentation and ecological integrity, emphasizing adaptive networks over rigid hierarchies. These insights provide a feasible solution approach for addressing transboundary water resource governance challenges in similar institutional environments. Full article

This study investigates the moderating role of independent directors on corporate boards in raising the ESG reporting for non-financial listed firms in Pakistan to strive for a greener revolution around the economy. A sample of 369 firms listed and operated on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) for a period covering 2012–2023 (both inclusive) have been taken out of a target population of 456 non-financial listed firms. The results are investigated using bivariate, multiple, and hierarchical regression analyses. This study has significant findings in the context of Pakistan and can be generalized to struggling economies around the globe. The interventional role of independent directors has significant findings for the full model. Findings from the Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy Score (CSRSS) are inconclusive irrespective of the measurement method used, i.e., environmental innovation score (EIS) or environmental pillar score (EPS). Environmental, Social, Governance Score (ESGS) has revealed a positive and significant impact when EIS is used as a performance variable, whereas when EPS is taken as a performance measure, the results are significant and negative. Under the lens of stakeholders’ theory, upper echelon theory, and agency theory, this study contributes to the corporate governance domain and the literature on environmental improvisation and ESG reporting. Researchers, statutory authorities, and academicians can benefit from it. The vital role of independent directors is the key to developing economies to strive for a sustained greener environment. This study is the first in the Asian and, specifically, Pakistani context to take on the interventional role of independent directors in promoting ESG reporting requirements for corporate greener revolution efforts. Full article

For avalanche risk management, local authorities need streamlined and quantitative approaches to define the risk of exposed elements. In this paper, two quantitative avalanche risk assessment approaches are compared: (1) Wilhelm’s method, referring exclusively to transport routes, defines numerically the risk, and (2) the multi-criteria risk assessment (McRA) (Italian avalanche risk guidelines), which defines the risk through categorical results. It provides a degree of avalanche risk to which the element is exposed, according to the definition of a risk class (RC). This method allows a simplified avalanche risk analysis for different types of buildings or infrastructures. The paper presents a comparison of the two methods for studying avalanche risk on a stretch of road that reaches the village of Planpincieux in Val Ferret (Aosta Valley, IT), highlighting their advantages and drawbacks. Additionally, to demonstrate the flexibility of the multi-criteria risk assessment, a risk analysis was performed on the hotel in Planpincieux hamlet. The key findings illustrate that Wilhelm’s method shines in defining the risk posed by diverse avalanche paths, but is hampered by imprecise parameter definition. McRA, by means of the RC, allows hierarchical and direct assessment of the risk severity at the territory scale but requires hazard intensity maps. Full article

The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, boasts a long and rich synodal tradition, with roots tracing back to the Metropolitanate of the Orthodox Romanians of Alba Iulia, which, at the close of the seventeenth century (1697–1700), re-established communion with the Church of Rome. The aim of the study I put forward is to analyse the evolution of synodality in the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania between the years 1964 and 2024, employing a methodology that will systematically relate historical, ecclesiological, and canonical aspects, thereby highlighting their identity implications. The structure of the article is determined by the principal stages through which the Greek-Catholic Church has traversed during the specified period: 1964–1989; 1989–2005; 2005–2024. These stages have witnessed profound transformations within the Greek-Catholic Church, including modifications to its canonical status that have also impacted its synodal life. In the year 1964, as the Second Vatican Council concluded and the decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum was approved, the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania was in the midst of severe communist persecution, having been outlawed since 1948. Its canonical status as a metropolitan province extra Patriarchatus was regulated by the Motu Proprio Cleri Sanctitati (2 June 1957), which recognised the institution of the provincial metropolitan synod, yet not that of the diocesan synod. Due to the persecution, the celebration of the metropolitan synod was not possible; however, privy conferences of bishops and diocesan ordinaries were held, which had significant effects on the life of the Church. The fall of communism, in December 1989, and the legalisation of the Greek-Catholic Church were followed by the publication, on 18 October 1990, of the Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium. According to the new legislation, the Greek-Catholic Church regained the status of a Metropolitan Church sui iuris, a status unsuitable to its dignity and tradition since it lacked the institution of the synod. Indeed, the Council of Hierarchs, which under the presidency of the metropolitan archbishop governed the Church, did not constitute a synod but merely a form of exercising episcopal collegiality. Nevertheless, with the approval of the Holy See, the Fourth Provincial Council was held in Blaj (1997–2000). On 14 December 2005, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania to the dignity of a Major Archbishopric. Thus, the full attainment of synodality was achieved, with the supreme governing authority being the Major Archbishop and the Synod of Bishops. The proceedings of the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Catholic Church have prompted institutional development, to be detailed in the article. This research will also illustrate the limitations of the current Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium concerning the synodality of the Greek-Catholic Church. Full article

This study takes the perspective of the theory of ethical witnessing. We analyse whether there is a difference in a discourse transmitted in a frame of reference based on ethical witnessing versus a discourse transmitted in the frame of hegemonic discourse based on the hierarchical testimony. This study tests the hypothesis that discourses diverging from the communication hierarchy and, consequently, from the interpretation frame established about gender-based violence, transform the elaboration, comprehension, and structure of questioning the victim’s suffering. The sample comprised 300 individuals, 85 identifying as male and 215 identifying as female. This study adopted a two-factorial (2 × 2) design comparing the testimony of gender-based violence (ethical witnessing vs. hierarchical testimony) and familiarity with the victim’s testimony (Yes vs. No). The results show that communications based on the ethical witnessing format are more effective in transforming the perception of gender-based violence than those using a hierarchical format. This study adopts the framework of ethical witnessing to examine whether discourse differs when conveyed through this lens, compared to discourse shaped by a hegemonic, hierarchical testimony. We test the hypothesis that narratives which deviate from traditional communication hierarchies—and thus from dominant interpretative frameworks surrounding gender-based violence—significantly influence how the victim’s suffering is processed, understood, and questioned. The global resonance of the #MeToo movement exemplifies the transformative potential of ethical testimony, as it amplified the voices of survivors while challenging traditional hierarchies of credibility and authority in public discourse. Full article

Intellectual preferences often align with the broader concept of standardization. The centralizing tendency observed in the sciences mirrors the patterns seen in linguistic standardization, such as the establishment of standard dialects in diverse speech communities. In both cases, there is a deliberate disregard for the complexities of the “lower” systems within the hierarchy and an exaggerated belief in the purity of the dominant system. The process of language standardization involves minimizing linguistic variation, often leading to the marginalization of non-standard varieties and reinforcing social hierarchies by privileging certain forms of language, which can restrict access to opportunities and institutional authority. The hierarchical tendencies observed in both scientific disciplines and linguistic standardization reflect a broader intellectual preference for centralized, “pure” systems, often at the expense of diversity and complexity. This paper explores the relationship between linguistic and scientific standardization, highlighting their influence on knowledge, authority, and social structures. Focusing on the global use of Greco-Latin scientific terminology, it examines both the practical advantages and cultural implications of standardized scientific language. While proponents emphasize its unifying role, critics argue it threatens linguistic purity and cultural identity. Through historical and contemporary debates, the paper argues that standardization serves as both a tool for communication and a contested space reflecting ideological tensions about language, culture, and knowledge. Topics include the politics of language standardization, the globalization of scientific vocabulary, debates on the interlingual lexicon, and the conflict between global communication and Arabic language preservation. Full article

Ensuring secure communication for mobile patients in e-healthcare requires an efficient and robust key distribution mechanism. This study introduces a novel hierarchical key distribution architecture inspired by federated learning (FL), enabling seamless authentication for patients moving across different healthcare centers. Unlike existing approaches, the proposed system allows a central healthcare authority to share global security parameters with subordinate units, which then combine these with their own local parameters to generate and distribute symmetric keys to mobile patients. This FL-inspired method ensures that patients only need to store a single key, significantly reducing storage overhead while maintaining security. The architecture was rigorously evaluated using SPAN-AVISPA for formal security verification and BAN logic for authentication protocol analysis. Performance metrics—including storage, computation, and communication costs—were assessed, demonstrating that the system minimizes the computational load and reduces the number of exchanged messages during authentication compared to traditional methods. By leveraging FL principles, the solution enhances scalability and efficiency, particularly in dynamic healthcare environments where patients frequently switch between facilities. This work bridges a critical gap in e-healthcare security, offering a lightweight, scalable, and secure key distribution framework tailored for mobile patient authentication. Full article

In a recent Barna poll, 60% of practicing Christians indicated rarely or never doubting religious beliefs. This puzzling statistic evokes questions. How did this approach to uncertainty benefit the respondents? Were suppression and concealment in their coping strategy? Would an alternative management approach, one derived from a compendium of personality traits in a four-stage doubting process, be of assistance? In a review of religion-personality literature, several gaps were uncovered. Gender effects with these constructs were often unattended; authors utilizing the Five-Factor Model (FFM) frequently didn’t include facet traits; positive and negative sides of religious doubt were usually not discussed together; multiple stages in the doubting process were seldom considered; and researchers rarely employed a multidimensional model of quest religious orientation (QRO) as a measure of doubt phenomena. Consequently, a sample of Protestant Christian undergraduates (n = 335) was recruited and administered the FFM using facet and domain traits along with unidimensional and multidimensional instruments of QRO. Findings from hierarchical regression analyses of constructs representing four stages in the doubting process revealed 11 facet and the five domain traits emerging as predictors. Implications and applications from the predictive associations forming a doubt management strategy were discussed. Full article

In response to the issues of high transaction transparency and regulatory difficulties in blockchain account-model transactions, this paper presents a supervised blockchain anonymous transaction model based on certificateless signcryption aimed at ensuring secure blockchain transactions while minimizing both computational and communication overhead. During the transaction process, this approach utilizes certificateless public key signcryption without bilinear pairs to generate anonymous user identities, achieving strong anonymity of user identities and confidentiality of transaction amounts. It employs the Paillier homomorphic encryption algorithm to update transaction amounts and uses the FO commitment-based zero-knowledge proof scheme to validate transaction legality. Additionally, adopting a publicly verifiable secret threshold sharing scheme for hierarchical regulatory authority reduces the security risk of a single regulator storing the regulatory key. This model not only meets the privacy and timely update requirements of account-based blockchain transactions but also effectively regulates abnormal transactions. Rigorous security analysis and proofs demonstrate that this model possesses excellent anonymity, traceability, forward security, and backward security. When compared to similar schemes, the computational cost is reduced by at least 33.18%, effectively fulfilling the requirements for security. Full article