Human Capital vs. Quality of Life: A Sociological Appraisal

The present article sociologically analyzes how human capital and quality of life mutually affect each other. Yet, human capital is strongly possible in changing quality of life. Most countries first try to build their human capital, to be followed by a better and more prosperous quality of life. For example, South Korea and India in Asia have initially upgraded their human capital which was followed by improvement in quality of life in various sectors. In fact, in all societies, educated men and women generally have lower mortality rates; their offspring also have higher survival rates. Thus, the educational capital that leads to social capital, while affecting the current generation, also has a positive effect on future generations. Almost globally, women with higher levels of education have fewer children. They have better access to birth control tools. Such a quality of life further leads to the continuity of future quality of life. Improved quality of life leads to food per capita, accommodation per capita, services per capita, convenience per capita, and many more.

Avoiding a Hairy Dispute: Using Pet Nups to Avoid Custody Battles over the Ownership of Animals

One of the more contentious issues involved in the break-up of a marital or other long-term relationship is not necessarily the issue of who gets custody of the children or other possession, but which party will retain custody of the pets. This article explores the benefit of a party’s executing a pet nup that settles the issue without a court battle.

Understanding Source-Related Influences on Physicians’ Translating Comparative Effectiveness Research into Patient Care: Results from a Study of Cardiologists

Comparative effectiveness research (CER), which refers to an evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of two or more medical interventions that are used to treat the same condition, has the potential to inform decision-making in both policy circles and physicians’ exam rooms. The ability of stakeholders to translate that research into practice has important implications for health outcomes, but the impact of information sources on physicians in translating CER remains understudied. This project examines the source-related influences on and motivations of cardiologists with respect to willingness to make changes in their practice based on emerging CER results. The results from this survey of cardiologists (N = 42) indicate that the source of information (including perceived credibility of those sources) matters greatly to cardiologists when deciding whether to make a change in practice. These findings suggest data-based implications for researchers and practitioners that are engaged in closing the CER translation gap.

Opportunity Cost and Automated Behavior in Groups

What you are giving up may be what others are holding on to, and what you are holding on to may be what others are giving up. This paper revolves around the relationship between opportunity cost and automated behavior and its application to groups.

Comparison of Japanese and British Monarchy after World War II

Both Britain and Japan have made reservations and continuations to the monarchy in the process of historical development, and their political systems are constitutional monarchy. The royal family of both countries has a very long history. With the historical development and social change, the monarch has become a spiritual and cultural symbol. The “sanctification” of the monarch and the strong “plot of the monarch” have been deeply rooted in social culture. From the perspective of historical development and social and cultural influence, although there are similarities between the royals of the two countries, their roles in political, economic and social stability are different from the ways in which they are exerted. Through the comparison between Britain and Japanese monarchy in the above three aspects, this paper analyzes the difference between the two countries monarchy in the size of the role, the way to implement the role and the impact, and finally compares and summarizes the role of the two countries monarchy.

Diminished Association between Parental Education and Parahippocampal Cortical Thickness in Pre-Adolescents in the US

Introduction: Socioeconomic status (SES) indicators, such as parental education and household income, are associated with the thickness of various cortical areas. However, less is known about the parahippocampal region. Additionally, more research is required regarding how the correlation between SES indicators and cortical thickness differs among diverse racial groups. Purpose: This study uses a national sample of pre-adolescents ages 9 to 10 years old in the US and was performed with two aims in mind. First, to investigate the correlations between two SES indicators, namely parental education and household income, and parahippocampal cortical thickness. Second, to explore racial differences in these associations. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to analyze the Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI) data of 9,849 US pre-adolescents between the ages of 9 and 10 years old. The main outcomes were parahippocampal cortical thickness separately calculated for the right and the left hemispheres using sMRI. The independent variables were parental education and household income, which were both treated as nominal variables. Age, sex, ethnicity, and family structure were the covariates, and race was the moderator. Mixed-effects regression models were used for data analysis with and without interaction terms. Results: High income positively associated with right and left parahippocampal cortical thickness in the fully adjusted models. Race showed a statistically significant interaction with parental education on children’s parahippocampal cortical thickness, suggesting that the correlations between parental education with the right and left parahippocampal cortical thickness were significantly larger for White than Black and other/mixed race pre-adolescents. No interaction was found for household income and race. Conclusions: The association between parental education and pre-adolescents parahippocampal cortical thickness may be weaker in Black than in White American children. Consistent with the findings of Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs), parental education shows weaker links for some brain indicators, such as parahippocampal cortical thickness, in Black and other racial and minority children when compared to White children.

Interweaving of Unique Stories Nested in Flesh: A Perspective Analysis

The purpose of this study is to critically analyze unique stories nested in flesh to exhaustively help readers and future researchers expand their appreciation and understanding on the expansive value of tattoos, its importance more than the symbols and images shown, and the recurring themes that can often tell you something about the person wearing the tattoo. Moreover, it seeks to understand how those without tattoos think towards those who have one. In this study, the researcher has used the qualitative method among 20 tattooed and 20 non-tattooed students in Talisay City College who were selected randomly. The results of the study show that non-tattooed respondents perceive as less acceptable than those students with tattoos. Most of the tattooed respondents’ motives for having tattoos are for self-identity that tattoos can never be taken away from them as it permanently inked on the skin. Other students see it as self-expression, making them unique in shapes, sizes, and colors. The researcher recommends an orientation-seminar on acceptance and tolerance in order to remove typecasting and value the stories inscribed in flesh.

Discipline Construction and Practical Reflection during the Founding of the CPC

At the beginning of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Party explored discipline construction in early times for dealing with the unprofessional and corrupt CPC members and the unregulated organizational discipline. Although this action was immature, it still reflects the practical wisdom based on ideological construction, guaranteed by the measure of targeted treatment.

The Gambia: Citizenship and Civic Consciousness

Citizens are an important component of national development enterprise. This is because citizenship is crucial to the promotion of nationhood. But being a citizen alone means very little if it does not come with certain responsibilities and civic consciousness. Through the historical lens of The Gambia, this paper argues, an understanding of citizenship and civic consciousness is necessary for sustained national development. It draws an interrelation among these concepts. Therefore, supports for responsible citizenship through education and emphasizes education’s role in attaining national development. Also, refers to primary and secondary sources. It uses oral interviews, content analysis of government publications, academic journals, books, and media reports to provide context to the paper. The article suggests some viable strategies for sustainable national development in The Gambia such as free and fair election, informed citizenry, visionary leadership and vibrant civil society organizations.

Computational Mindfulness

We take a computational approach to investigating highly abstract concepts including mindfulness, brain waves, and quantum mechanics. Using Langerian non-meditative mindfulness, defined as the active process of noticing new things, we find that when tested on the authors as subjects in two different ways, induced mindfulness is consistently distinguishable from induced mindlessness, and results in a calmer time series of brain waves as measured on an electroencephalogram. Additional results include a statistical Granger causality analysis of scholarly mindfulness research showing that Langerian mindfulness research causes future mindfulness research but not vice versa, and preliminary results from another study showing substantial differences in responses among subjects induced to view their own faces either mindfully or mindlessly.