Search Results (12)

By reconstructing the concept of the “Mandate of Heaven”, the Zisi School grounded the universality of Confucian ethics in the ontological stipulations of Heaven’s Way, bridging the intellectual gap between Confucius’s practical ethics and Mencius’s theory of mind-nature. Central to their framework is the proposition that “Heaven’s mold imparts form to mankind; and imparts inherent pattern to objects”, which constructs a generative chain from the Mandate of Heaven to the nature of objects and human nature. The School posited that the Heavenly Way endows all objects with inherent patterns, while human nature, derived from the Mandate of Heaven, harbors latent moral potential activated through edification. By dialectically reconciling the “differentiation between Heaven and humans” with the “unity of Heaven and humanity”, the Zisi School emphasized both the transcendent authority of the Mandate of Heaven and human moral agency, forming an “immanent yet transcendent” ethical paradigm. However, theoretical limitations persist, including ambiguities in the certainty of innate goodness due to the separation of Heaven and human nature, mind-body dualism that risks formalizing moral practice, and latent fatalism in their concept of mandate. Despite these unresolved tensions, the Zisi School’s metaphysics laid the groundwork for Mencius’s theory of innate goodness, Xunzi’s legalist emphasis on ritual, and Song-Ming Neo-Confucian discourses on “Heaven’s inherent pattern”. As a pivotal transitional phase in Pre-Qin Confucianism, the Zisi School highlights the interplay between metaphysical grounding and pragmatic adaptability, underscoring the enduring dynamism of Confucian ethics. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between ownership structure (foreign and domestic) and bank risk-taking over the period 2014–2022. The analysis includes 66 banks operating in the GCC, divided into 44 domestically owned, and 22 foreign-owned banks. The research examines the relationship across two distinct periods: the pre-pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic era, using the two-stage least squares (2SLS) method, and panel data techniques for robust analysis. The findings reveal that, in both periods, foreign-owned banks exhibited lower credit risk, greater cost efficiency, and less risk-taking compared to domestic counterparts. Domestic banks, while maintaining profitability, relied heavily on capital absorbency, which resulted in elevated credit risk and operational inefficiencies. These inefficiencies, observed among domestic banks, stem from inadequate monitoring of borrowers’ information and the occurrence of moral hazard. Foreign banks played a crucial role in supporting banking sector stability, as their presence enhanced the GDP growth. The results are in line with the “global advantage hypothesis”. Full article

The escalation of climate-induced disasters underscores how climatic variability has become a main question in designing risk-sensitive policies in advanced and developing countries. The macroeconomic implications of Natural Hazards (NHs) are extremely significant, as they can compromise financial stability and long-term prosperity. To mitigate risks and close the knowledge, protection, and development gaps can free resources, speeding up reconstruction of infrastructure, recovering from disruption of supply chains, and returning to pre-disaster levels of activities. This is not a simple task involving different steps of a “ladder approach”, sharing the burden of cost and responsibilities across the relevant stakeholders and reducing moral hazard. This approach rests on Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) and technological R&D public investments able to crowd private ones in and establish useful Public–Private Insurance Schemes enhancing the disaster risk management role of the state. This paper proposes leveraging innovation technology both to enhance risk assessment and reduce uncertainty for climate-related NHs such as landslides. It is an important interdisciplinary question; in fact, despite the unequivocal acknowledgment of the global warming system, the precise ramifications of global warming and associated climatic shifts on NHs like landslides remain still elusive. The advanced modeling technique implemented by our interdisciplinary PPP contributes to geographically circumscribe the areas eventually subjected to landslides and constantly monitor the vulnerability of their structures, infrastructures, economic activities, and hence population. The reliable data that we can produce through remote sensing acquisition systems are necessary inputs to contain risk exposure both physically and financially. Full article

Liver transplantation (LT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) remains controversial. This study analyzed the recurrence and overall survival rates through long-term results after LT in HCC patients with BDTT and compared the results after LT in HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). We performed a retrospective study of 45 patients with PVTT, 16 patients with BDTT, and 11 patients with coexisting PVTT and BDTT among HCC patients who underwent LT at a single center from 1999 to 2020. The HCC recurrence rates were 40.4% at 1 year, 30.3.3% at 2 years, and 27.6% at 3 years in the PVTT group; 66.7%, 53.3%, and 46.7% in the BDTT group; and 22.2%, 22.2%, and 0% in the coexisting group (p = 0.183). Overall patient survival rates were 68.4% at 1 year, 54.3% at 2 years, and 41.7% at 3 years in the PVTT group; 81.3%, 62.5%, and 48.2% in the BDTT group; and 63.6%, 27.3%, and 0% in the coexisting group (p = 0.157). In the multivariate analysis, the pre-transplantation model for tumor recurrence after liver transplantation (MoRAL) score and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score were found to be independent risk factors for recurrence and survival in all groups. HCC patients with BDTT showed no difference in recurrence and survival compared with HCC patients with PVTT at the long-term follow-up after LT. Full article

Liver transplantation (LT) is a curative treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) unsuitable for surgical resection. However, tumor recurrence (TR) rates range from 8% to 20% despite strict selection criteria. The validation of new prognostic tools, such as pre-MORAL or RETREAT risks, is necessary to improve recurrence prediction. A retrospective study was conducted at Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital in Cantabria, Spain, between 2010 and 2019 to determine the rate of TR in LT patients and identify associated factors. Patients with liver-kidney transplantation, re-transplantation, HIV infection, survival less than 90 days, or incidental HCC were excluded. Data on demographic, liver disease-related, LT, and tumor-related variables, as well as follow-up records, including TR and death, were collected. TR was analyzed using the Log-Rank test, and a multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed. The study was approved by the IRB of Cantabria. TR occurred in 13.6% of LT patients (95% CI = 7.3–23.9), primarily as extrahepatic recurrence (67%) within the first 5 years (75%). Increased TR was significantly associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) (HR = 1.3 [95% CI = 1.1–1.5]), vascular micro-invasion (HR = 8.8 [1.6–48.0]), and medium (HR = 20.4 [3.0–140.4]) and high pre-MORAL risk (HR = 30.2 [1.6–568.6]). TR also showed a significant correlation with increased mortality. Conclusions: LT for HCC results in a 13.6% rate of tumor recurrence. Factors such as BMI, vascular micro-invasion, and medium/high pre-MORAL risk are strongly associated with TR following LT. Full article

The study of geo-hydrological problems in urban contexts of considerable historical importance plays an extremely interesting role in the safeguarding of architectural and artistic assets of great value. The need to guarantee the conservation of monumental heritage is an ethical and moral requirement that new generations have a duty to support. Operating in urbanised contexts is extremely difficult, due to the presence of infrastructures and underground services that prevent the execution of classical surveys and prospecting. The technologies currently available, however, allow us to also investigate the subsoil in a non-destructive way and to control the evolution of active natural phenomena in a continuous and automated way with remote-sensing techniques. The methodological approach consists of the development of a series of cognitive investigations, aimed at identifying the elements of weakness of the soil system, so as to be able to subsequently undertake the most appropriate decisions for the reduction of geo-hydrological risks. The case here analysed concerns Lanciano city (Central Italy), famous for its pre-Roman origins, that was affected by a violent storm in the summer of 2018. This event devastated the inhabited Centre with flooding of all the neighbourhoods and the collapse of parts of buildings. For this reason, direct and indirect geognostic investigations were carried out within the Historical Centre, which is of considerable architectural value, and an important monitoring system was installed. The actual geo-hydrological hazard was planned using 3D numerical modelling to define the hydraulic and deformational behaviour of the subsoil. Comparison between the modelling performed and the monitoring data acquired has allowed us to understand the complex behaviour of the subsoil and the subsidence mechanisms of the Historic Centre. Full article

Background: Military members, veterans, and public safety personnel have been noted to have a higher risk of exposure to potentially traumatic events and potentially morally injurious events resulting in operational stress injuries (OSI) such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury (MI). Treatments that can quickly and effectively address these conditions are desperately needed. The purpose of this research was to identify the impact of participation in a non-evidence-based trauma-oriented retreat for the above populations experiencing PTSD and MI. Methods: This study was an embedded mixed-methods longitudinal study with parallel repeated quantitative measures designed to evaluate outcomes at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after completion of the retreat. Results: Analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in self-reported symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, stress, depression, MI, anger, and emotional dysregulation pre/post-retreat, and an increase in resilience. Self-reported longitudinal results did not see a change in symptom scores, with participants continuing to maintain their clinical diagnoses post-retreat. Conclusions: The results from this study illustrate that trauma-oriented retreats may be a complementary treatment modality for OSI-related conditions but should not be seen as a first-line treatment option. Program evaluation, determination of the evidence-based nature of retreats, and standardization are yet needed. Full article

E-commerce and FinTech are currently booming in China. The growing consumer market is accompanied by internet finance, by which consumers can easily borrow money from financial institutions online. As a result, the growing risks of financial institutions are of concern to the government and regulatory bodies. Consequently, the securitization market in China is seeing rapid growth that could affect financial stability. Applying FinTech and emerging technologies in securitization might be an effective way to protect against these risks. This paper studies the question of whether China needs a higher standard of information transparency in order to protect against its risks against the background of digital transformation. We analyzed the determinants of securitization in the Chinese banking sector, relying on data on banks for two periods: pre-2017Q4 and post-2017Q4. The main findings of the paper demonstrate that the application of FinTech in China’s banking industry resulted in less information asymmetry. The risk exposure was the most significant determinant in general. Higher risk exposures increased securitization transaction volumes, which reflects securitization with adverse selection problems between the originator and investors. Liquidity and profitability, as important determinants indicating the moral hazard problem, also affected securitization pre-2017Q4, but liquidity and profitability were found to be unimportant determinants after the application of FinTech (the post-2017Q4 period). Moreover, this study finds that the effects of the adverse selection and moral hazard problems varied in different types of banks. Overall, our findings suggest that the Chinese securitization market needs a higher standard of information transparency. Full article

While nursing is an ethical profession, unethical behavior among nurses is increasing worldwide. This study examined the effects of an ethics seminar on nurses’ moral sensitivity and ethical behavior. A total of 35 nurses (17 experimental, 18 control) were recruited. The ethics seminar was held over a six-month period from May to October 2018 and comprised six sessions held once a month for two hours. Moral sensitivity and unethical behavior were measured at the start and end of the seminar. Moral sensitivity and unethical behavior showed a negative correlation (r = −0.400, p < 0.05). After the ethics seminar, the experimental group’s moral sensitivity was not significantly increased (t = −1.039, p = 0.314). The experimental group’s mean scores of unethical behavior at pre- and posttest were 12.59 and 9.47, respectively, indicating a statistically significant difference (t = 3.363, p = 0.004). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean score in both moral sensitivity and unethical behavior at pre- and posttest in the control group. Thus, ethics seminars can reduce the risk of unethical behavior among nurses. Regular ethics seminars and training must be provided to nurses as part of their curriculum/practice. Full article

Background and objectives: Sex education is a necessity and a right of young people in Angola. However, this education is deficient or even absent in various subsystems and, therefore, the impact of an educational intervention on human biology and sexuality was addressed. Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a non-equivalent control group, pre-test post-test design. It was conducted with students from three secondary schools (6th to 12th grade, two public and one private) in Huambo (Angola), between June and December 2017. First, a questionnaire was distributed to assess the students’ knowledge on aspects related to sexual maturation, psychological development, gynecological organs’ anatomy, human fertilization, contraception, and risks of unprotected sexuality. Then, an educational program was developed by the principal investigator along with the school’s moral and civic education and biology teachers selected for a group of students (experimental group, EG); the others constituted the control group (CG). Classes were held on non-working days, on Saturday mornings (8:00 to 10:00 a.m.), so as not to interfere with the school calendar. The initial questionnaire was redistributed two months later to assess the impact of the intervention. Results: Of the 589 individuals included (mean age of 16.8 ± 2.5 years), 56.7% were males. EG (n = 241) consisted of students from the public school and CG (n = 348) by students from public and private schools. The last part of the questionnaire consisted of 30 questions to assess students’ knowledge, and in 23 of these questions, both groups showed no differences at baseline. After the intervention, the EG showed significant improvements (p < 0.05), while the CG revealed only slight improvements. Conclusions: Students from Huambo province have a significant lack of knowledge on human biology and sexuality. Rigorous development and evaluation of interventions addressing multiple individual and environmental level factors is needed, notably for effective education in human biology and sexuality. Full article

The decrease in touch has been explored in recent literature in relation to child protection discourses and no touch policies and it has been suggested that Physical Education (PE) has been weakened by the lack of touch. Significantly, the issue of touch has remained largely unexplored in Latin societies, which are characterised by an amplified tactile approach to people and comparatively little personal space. This paper examines how a group of pre-service PE teachers in Spain responded to, acted and negotiated touch with primary school students. It draws on data generated from body journals and the concepts of risk society, surveillance and moral panic. The findings indicate that touching school students is still common practice in Spain and was considered something positive. The influence of other individuals and certain spaces was also noted by participants, who felt more surveilled and distressed on particular occasions and some of them strategically introduced touch with students in a progressive manner. The results of the study invite us to reflect on the possibility of doing more harm than good by presenting topics about touch to pre-service teachers and how pre-service teacher educators may need to provide PE students with proper resources and understandings to successfully negotiate touch with school students. Full article

Synovial sarcoma is a high-grade soft tissue sarcoma that inflicts mostly children and young adults with high mortality rate; however, the risk factors that impact the outcomes remain incompletely understood. We have identified the synovial sarcoma cases from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California cancer registry between 1981 and 2014. Kaplan–Meier plots were used to display disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS); log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine the impact of clinical factors on DFS, OS, and disease-specific survival. Tumor size > 5.0 cm and age > 50 years were associated with higher risk of presenting with stage IV disease. Median OS for patients with stage IV was 1.3 years and 7.8 years for early-stage disease. For patients with early-stage disease, tumor size > 5.0 cm was significantly associated with worse DFS, sarcoma-specific morality, and OS. Compared to extremity primary, patients with head and neck and trunk primary had approximately three-fold higher sarcoma-specific mortality and lower OS. There was no significant difference in DFS or OS among three histologic subtypes. Pre-operative and/or post-operative chemotherapy was not associated with improvement in DFS or OS. Twenty-six patients relapsed with predominantly lung metastasis, thirteen of whom received metastatectomy with a median OS of 7.8 years, compared to 2.3 years for patients who did not receive metastatectomy. In conclusion, age older than 50 years and tumor size > 5.0 cm are risk factors for presenting with stage IV disease. For early-stage patients, trunk and head and neck primary as well as tumor size > 5.0 cm are risk factors for decreased OS. Full article