Search Results (1,189)

The academic encounter between Jews and Arabs in Israel carries tensions stemming from a prolonged historical conflict, yet at the same time offers opportunities for authentic engagement that deepens mutual understanding between the groups. This study is grounded in contact theory and multiculturalism, focusing on the integration process of Arab women teachers in a Hebrew-speaking track at an academic college of education. The research explores the participants’ experiences against the backdrop of national tensions, asking how they perceive their teacher education journey in the Hebrew-speaking track in terms of challenges and benefits. The study is based on a qualitative–phenomenological approach, collecting data through interviews with 12 graduates who shared their experiences and reflections. The analysis reveals the participants’ explicit and implicit attitudes, the barriers they faced, and the gains they reported during their studies. Full article

Understanding the economic performance of heritage-rich towns requires a systematic evaluation of how heritage-related components collectively contribute to revenue generation. Existing studies often examine heritage assets, socio-cultural factors, physical infrastructure, and local economic conditions independently, resulting in fragmented insights that limit comprehensive planning for local economic development. This study develops and validates an integrated Cultural Heritage Economy Model that quantifies the influence of heritage resources, social, physical, and economic aspects on revenue generation in heritage contexts. The model is conceptualized through a structured synthesis of theoretical literature and domain-specific indicators, followed by construct operationalization, expert validation, and pilot-level assessment. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM-PLS), the study demonstrates strong reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and significant structural relationships. The predictive relevance of the final model is further evaluated through PLSpredict, confirming its suitability for future estimation. The findings confirm that revenue generation is a product of the combined and mutually reinforcing effects of heritage, socio-cultural, physical, and economic dimensions, rather than just by the influence of heritage resources. By offering this novel, empirically grounded, multidimensional framework to estimate heritage-driven economic outcomes, this research establishes a foundational model that can guide evidence-based resource allocation, policy formulation, and long-term sustainable urban development planning. Full article

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbiosis is a fundamental mutualism crucial for forest eco-system health. Its establishment is governed by sophisticated molecular dialogue preceding physical colonization. This review synthesizes this pre-colonization crosstalk, beginning with reciprocal signal exchange where root exudates trigger fungal growth, and fungal lipochitooligosaccharides activate host symbiotic programming, often via the common symbiosis pathway. Successful colonization requires fungi to navigate plant immunity. They employ effectors, notably mycorrhiza-induced small secreted proteins (MiSSPs), to suppress defenses, e.g., by stabilizing jasmonate signaling repressors or inhibiting apoplastic proteases, establishing a localized “mycorrhiza-induced resistance.” Concurrent structural adaptations, including fungal hydrophobins, expansins, and cell wall-modifying enzymes like chitin deacetylase, facilitate adhesion and apoplastic penetration. While this sequential model integrates immune suppression with structural remodeling, current understanding is predominantly derived from a limited set of model systems. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding species-specific determinants in non-model fungi and hosts, the influence of environmental variability and microbiome interactions, and methodological challenges in capturing early signaling in situ. This review’s main contributions are: providing a synthesized sequential model of molecular crosstalk; elucidating the dual fungal strategy of simultaneous immune suppression and structural remodeling; and identifying crucial knowledge gaps regarding non-model systems and species-specific determinants, establishing a research roadmap with implications for forest management and ecosystem sustainability. Full article

Insect pollination, a critical ecological process, pre-dates the emergence of angiosperms by nearly 200 million years, with fossil evidence indicating pollination interactions between insects and non-angiosperm seed plants during the Late Paleozoic. This review examines the symbiotic relationships between insects and gymnosperms in pre-angiosperm ecosystems, highlighting the complexity of these interactions. Fossil records suggest that the mutualistic relationships between insects and gymnosperms, which facilitated plant reproduction, were as intricate and diverse as the modern interactions between angiosperms and their pollinators, particularly bees. These early pollination systems likely involved specialized behaviors and plant adaptations, reflecting a sophisticated evolutionary dynamic long before the advent of flowering plants. The Anthropocene presents a dichotomy: while climate change and anthropogenic pressures threaten insect biodiversity and risk disrupting angiosperm reproduction, such upheaval may simultaneously generate opportunities for novel plant–insect interactions as ecological niches are vacated. Understanding the deep evolutionary history of pollination offers critical insight into the mechanisms underlying the resilience and adaptability of these mutualisms. The evolutionary trajectory of bees—originating from predatory wasps, diversifying alongside angiosperms, and reorganizing after mass extinctions—exemplifies this dynamic, demonstrating how pollination networks persist and reorganize under environmental stress and underscoring the enduring health, resilience, and adaptability of these essential ecological systems. Full article

Examining the dyadic effects of parental depression on parenting behaviors is important for understanding the dynamic impact of a family member’s negative emotions on parenting and family-based interventions. To clarify the interpersonal processes between parental depression and parenting within families, this study aimed to investigate the mutual influence of parental depression and parenting (warmth–reasoning and harshness–hostility) in one large sample of adolescent twins and their parents. A sample of 1387 Chinese families with adolescent twins was used. The actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) was used to examine the mutual influences. By examining the dyadic patterns with APIM, we found that depressive symptoms in mothers or fathers significantly influence their own and their partner’s parenting behaviors. The model comparisons found no significant difference in the partner effect between maternal and paternal depression. In the Chinese family system, depression in one parent influences not only their own parenting but also their partner’s parenting. Full article

Every act of design tells a story about who belongs, who is seen, and who is heard. This paper looks at how participatory design-based research (PDR), practiced with relational care and reflexivity, can help shift interactions among marginalized youth from urban Indigenous and newcomer immigrant communities in Canada from othering toward understanding. Moving beyond surface-level celebrations of multiculturalism, the study frames design as a relational and ethical practice, one that surfaces assumptions, holds space for difference, and creates openings for intercultural dialogue. The study draws on a series of design circles (d.circles) in which youth co-created visual communication artefacts reflecting their lived experiences. These artefacts became catalysts for dialogue, enabling participants to challenge stereotypes, articulate concerns, and develop shared perspectives. Reflexivity was integral to the process, guiding both participants and the facilitator to consider power, positionality, and relational accountability throughout. Findings show that participatory design, grounded in Indigenous relational principles and participatory action research, can unsettle dominant narratives, foster mutual recognition, and support youth-led meaning-making. This work contributes to emerging conversations that position design thinking as a practice of ethical engagement rather than a tool for problem-solving alone. The learnings from this study show how critically practiced PDR can cultivate more inclusive and socially responsive pathways for intercultural understanding to take shape. Full article

The healthy evolution of an entrepreneurial ecosystem relies on the symbiotic relationships among its diverse internal actors. This study addresses a gap in entrepreneurial ecosystem research, which has predominantly focused on two-agent models, by constructing a tripartite symbiotic evolution model that incorporates entrepreneurial ventures, incubation chains, and customers. Based on the Logistic and Lotka-Volterra models, the research identifies the system’s equilibrium points and their stability conditions. Simulations reveal evolutionary paths from parasitism and commensalism to mutualism. A comparative case study of SenseTime (Shanghai, China) and Lanma Technology (Shanghai, China) validates these findings. The comparison shows that an influx of multiple agents, coupled with the core venture’s ability to strengthen key symbiotic coefficients, drives the ecosystem towards a dynamic multi-agent symbiosis in the post-optimization phase. Conversely, the failure to establish these robust reciprocal value flows leads to ecosystem fragility. The results indicate that: (1) Multi-agent entrepreneurial ecosystems are complex systems where symbiotic units form adaptive relationships for value creation, adhering to market laws. (2) The system’s equilibrium depends on symbiotic coefficients, leading to four modes—independent coexistence, parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism—with mutualism being the optimal state. (3) The contrasting cases further demonstrate that the evolution towards mutualism is not automatic but hinges on the core venture’s strategic agency in constructing and strengthening synergistic pathways with forward and backward linkages. This study provides a theoretical model for understanding the evolutionary mechanisms of entrepreneurial ecosystems and offers practical insights for optimizing ecosystem governance. Full article

The unconscious is a core concept in both the Yogācāra Buddhism and psychoanalytic traditions. It is easy to assume that the understanding of the unconscious in Yogācāra cannot coexist with the understanding of the unconscious in psychoanalysis, because the unconscious in Yogācāra (i.e., ālayavijñāna) primarily explains how the world is constructed by it, while the unconscious in psychoanalysis primarily explains how neurosis develops. Due to this difference in the understanding of the unconscious, Yogācāra Buddhism and psychoanalysis have developed different psychotherapeutic methods. Yogācāra’s therapeutic method is to observe emptiness, while psychoanalysis aims to transform the pathogenic unconscious into the conscious. But there is a potential for mutual enrichment between the two in psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis’s emphasis on functions of the self can help people avoid misunderstanding Yogācāra’s doctrine of “non-self”. Yogācāra can help psychoanalysis explore deeper levels of the unconscious. Full article

Introduction: Incomplete polymerization of in vivo composite resins (CR) poses a significant problem, with monomer-to-polymer conversion rates ranging from around 60 to 75%. Furthermore, oxygen exposure hampers polymerization in the surface layers. This research aims to evaluate the autophagy-inducing potential of three types of CRS and to explore the role of the Akt/mTOR–autophagy–apoptosis crosstalk in composite resin-induced autophagy. The study uses human gingival fibroblasts and three composite materials (M1 and M2, which are 3D printed, and M3, which is milled). Materials and Methods: SEM analysis was performed on the dental materials, and cells kept in contact for 24 h were subjected to tests including the following: MTT, LDH, NO, immunological detection of proteins involved in autophagy and apoptosis, as well as immunofluorescence tests (Annexin V and nucleus; mitochondria and caspase 3/7; detection of autophagosomes). Results: The results showed statistically significant decreases in cell viability with M1 and M2, linked to increases in cytotoxicity and oxidative stress (LDH and NO). Using multiplex techniques, significant increases in glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3b) protein were observed in both M1 and M2; a decrease in mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) expression was noted in M1 and M3. Immunofluorescence tests revealed an increase in Annexin V across all materials studied, and an increase in autophagosomes in M1 and M2, whereas a decrease was observed in M3. Conclusions: The relationship between apoptosis and autophagy is highly complex, indicating they may occur sequentially, coexist, or be mutually exclusive. Understanding this complex interplay can help in designing new 3D-printing protocols and monomer compositions to prevent autophagy imbalance. Full article

The Peak Age of Information (PAoI) quantifies the freshness of updates used in cyber-physical systems (CPSs), realized within the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, encompassing devices, networks, and control algorithms. Consequently, PAoI is a critical metric for real-time applications enabled by Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC). While highly useful for system evaluation, the direct analysis of this metric is complicated by the correlation between the random variables constituting the PAoI. Thus, it is often evaluated using only the mean value rather than the full distribution. Furthermore, since CPS communication technologies like Wi-Fi or DECT-2020 involve multiple processing stages, modeling them as tandem queueing systems is essential for accurate PAoI analysis. In this paper, we develop an analytical model for a DECT-2020 network segment represented as a two-phase tandem queueing system, enabling detailed PAoI analysis via Laplace–Stieltjes transforms (LST). We circumvent the dependence between generation and sojourn times by classifying updates into four mutually exclusive groups. This approach allows us to derive the LST of the PAoI and determine the exact Probability Density Function (PDF) for $M\left|M\right|1\to M\left|M\right|1$ system. We also calculate the mean and variance of the PAoIs and validate our results through numerical experiments. Additionally, we evaluate the impact of different service time distributions on PAoI variability. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of PAoI in tandem queueing systems and provide practical insights for optimizing DECT-2020-based communication systems. Full article

In today’s plural and global context, the Theology of Religions and Interreligious Dialogue play a decisive role in fostering mutual understanding and a genuine culture of encounter. This article examines the theological and spiritual foundations of this task through a re-reading of Paul Tillich and Jacques-Albert Cuttat. Starting from Tillich’s unfinished reflection on the significance of the history of religions, this study reconstructs his ontological and pneumatological framework, with particular attention to the notion of a mystical a priori as the structural condition of all religious experience. On this basis, it analyses Cuttat’s model of “assumptive convergence” between the two “religious hemispheres”—East and West—as an experiential and spiritual unfolding of Tillich’s intuition. This article argues that Cuttat’s proposal anticipates, in practical and mystical terms, the theology of religions outlined by Tillich, showing how Christian mystical experience can assume, discern, and transfigure other religious traditions without syncretism or relativism. In this perspective, mysticism emerges as a fundamental theological principle for articulating truth, plurality, and ethical responsibility in interreligious dialogue. Full article

Mutual interaction between the nervous and immune systems underpins many pathophysiological processes. Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 2 (TRPM2) channels are abundantly expressed in both systems, acting as a critical interface of neuroimmune interaction. TRPM2 channels in immune cells participate in innate immunity and immune inflammation by acting as an oxidative stress and metabolic sensor. TRPM2 in neurons functions not only as an oxidative sensor but also a temperature sensor and a pain transducer critical to neuronal death, temperature sensing, thermoregulation, and chronic pain. Cooperation between immune and neuronal TRPM2 influences the outcome of neuroimmune interaction and many diseases such as infection, inflammation, ischemic stroke, pain, and neurodegenerative diseases. Improved understanding of neuronal and immune TRPM2 interaction is essential for therapeutic interventions for the treatment of diseases mediated by TRPM2 channels. Full article

The frequent occurrence of fires has prompted China to accelerate the development of community fire prevention and emergency management systems. Language, serving both communicative and affective functions by facilitating the flow of information and fostering mutual understanding, runs through the entire process of community fire emergency management. In response to the early-stage nature of this field and the lack of a systematic framework, this study constructs a dynamic capability evaluation system for urban community fire-related emergency language services (FELS) by integrating multi-source and heterogeneous data. First, by adopting a hybrid approach combining dynamic capability theory and text mining, a three-level indicator system is established. Second, based on domain knowledge, quantitative methods and scoring rules are designed for the third-level qualitative indicators to provide standardized input for the model. Third, a weighting and integration framework is developed that simultaneously considers the internal mechanism characteristics and statistical properties of indicators. Specifically, a knowledge-driven weighting approach combining FAHP and fuzzy DEMATEL is employed to characterize indicator importance and interrelationships, while the CRITIC method is used to extract Data-Driven weights based on data dispersion and information content. These knowledge-driven and Data-Driven weights are then integrated through a multi-feature fusion weighting approach. Finally, a linear weighting model is applied to combine the normalized indicator values with the integrated weights, enabling a systematic evaluation of the dynamic capabilities of community FELS. To validate the proposed framework, application tests were conducted in four representative types of urban communities, including internationally developed, aging and vulnerable, newly developed, and economically diverse communities, using fire emergency scenarios as the entry point. The external validity and internal robustness of the proposed model were verified through these tests. The results indicate that the evaluation system provides accurate, objective, and adaptive assessments of dynamic capabilities in FELS across different community contexts, offering a governance-oriented quantitative tool to support grassroots fire prevention and to enhance community resilience. Full article

This study investigates how U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cuts during the 2019–2020 easing cycle influenced the performance of equity mutual funds, with a particular emphasis on contrast between growth and value investment styles. Using an event study framework, we examine abnormal returns, cumulative abnormal returns, and risk-adjusted performance metrics, including those based on both 30 days static and rolling Jensen’s alpha and Sharpe ratios, across short-term (30-day) and long-term (6-month and 1-year) windows surrounding three major rate cut events. Our empirical results show that growth funds significantly outperform value funds following rate reductions, especially over longer horizons. This performance advantage is more pronounced in risk-adjusted measures and strengthens when incorporating rolling dynamics, indicating that and asymmetric sensitivity of fund styles to interest rate changes, shaped by differences in duration exposure and investor sentiment. Overall, this study offers novel insights into how monetary policy influences fund-level dynamics beyond broad market movements and deepens the understanding of monetary transmission in asset management by incorporating time-varying performance metrics. Full article

Greene and Pruim’s (2023) theory of adult communicative play (TACP) was developed as an effort to address considerations of: (a) pattern and novelty, (b) interpersonal connection, and (c) enjoyment as they pertain to adult conversational activities by recourse to a parsimonious, integrated conceptual framework. Central to their treatment is the notion of quintessential (or “ideal”) play, referring to occasions characterized by: (a) receptivity and absorption in the conversation; (b) comprehension and understanding; (c) connection and mutuality; and (d) a sense of discovery and insight. This conception of “ideal play” is viewed as the endpoint of a continuum along which efforts at play may be understood to be successively less and less mutually enjoyable as one moves away from the “ideal” endpoint. The primary aim here is to further refine and clarify the nature of quintessential play. In particular, “ideal” play is posited to: (1) unfold over multiple, mutual conversational entries, (2) be relatively rare and fleeting, (3) be enacted in pursuit of the enjoyment derived from the communicative event itself, (4) involve mutual, improvisational contributions to the interaction, and (5) be both the product and source of enhanced communication skills. Full article