Top 5 Reads of January 2023
Jan 30, 2023 |
10 Mins ReadWe are kicking off 2023 strong with January’s top reads! The new year’s resolutions that you have set are said to set the tone for the rest of your year. However, have you ever wondered where new year's resolutions stem from?
The ancient Babylonians are the first recorded civilization to celebrate new year’s, although their new year fell mid-march after their crops were planted. It is said that they were the first people to make new year’s resolutions. This tradition was then modernized into the new years we know today. During the reign of Julius Caesar, Ancient Romans celebrated and recognized the New Year to be on January 1st. Ancient Romans selected this date in honor of the Greek God Janus, who they believed symbolically looked back into the previous year and ahead into the future. To celebrate the New Year, the Romans committed to good deeds for the coming year.
If reading often was one of your resolutions, this run-down of top reads may inspire your new discoveries. To give you an idea of all the topics you can dive into on Zendy, we’ll be exploring why healthcare professionals should be more involved in combatting false beliefs on the internet and how WhatsApp can be used as a learning tool to pick up a new language, we also peek at color associated emotional and behavioral responses. We also discuss severe depression in late life and how to tackle it, and finally, the impact that sustainable labeling has on consumer behavior.
The role healthcare professionals play outside of medical settings
This journal article explores the thin line between freedom of speech and the spread of misinformation on the internet. In this technological age, information is always a click away. We’ve all received threads on certain weight-loss tips and steps we should be taking to improve our health. We tend to forget that many of these tips, experiences, and personal views are not regulated or accurate information. This article argues that the threat of misinformation lies beyond clinical settings, and therefore so do the obligations of healthcare professionals. This piece also highlights the types of speech the government can regulate and how healthcare discourse can potentially be governed and monitored without dabbling in the First Amendment rights.
Read more: Why Healthcare Professionals Should Speak Out Against False Beliefs on the Internet
Exploring WhatsApp as a learning tool
This journal article discusses how WhatsApp can be used as an educational tool. This is interesting because WhatsApp’s features align well with the online tools one would need to grasp a new language. The study is aimed at English foreign language learners to significantly improve their conversational English using WhatsApp’s convenient features such as videos, voice notes, texting, and even the use of emojis. However, since this is a classroom setting, certain rules would need to be applied to using social media as a means of education.
Read more: WhatsApp and its Use to Improve Student’s Pronunciation
The psychology behind colors
We come across a plethora of colors every day. Colors hold much more biological and psychological significance than we might think. According to this journal article, colors can trigger psychological, physical, biological, and metabolic reactions within humans. It explores whether the way we react to colors is a learned response or an innate one. Honoring psychology’s well-known nature vs. nurture debate, this article highlights the significance of each color and how literature supports and proves the emotions and feelings each color can invoke in human beings. It also carefully studies the effect of culture and religion and how those factors affect how an individual perceives certain colors.
Severe depression in late life
This unique case study explores the severe depression that elderly people face. We follow Mrs. B’s journey into her medical and psychological treatments and dissect how clinicians should play a more active role in scanning depression in older adults. This study proved that signs of inactivity and feeling neglected should not be dismissed as the effects of aging but rather should be perceived as symptoms of depression. The depression that older adults face can be tackled through treatments such as psychotherapy, behavioral activation, and electroconvulsive therapy. While the elderly become more dependent, this study proves that therapy can, once again, have them thriving independently.
Read more: Older Adults with Severe, Treatment-Resistant Depression: “I got my mother back.”
How sustainable labeling affects consumer behavior
As consumers become more aware of the products and transparency becomes the best marketing tool, this journal article discusses the impact green labeling has on consumer behavior. The researchers discuss how sustainable labeling may work for some products as consumers assign different levels of importance to them. For example, green labeling on dairy products might not grab consumer attention as the environmental issue comes from the very consumption of dairy. The article explores the variables that drive a consumer to attempt to shift to sustainable buying habits and willingly pay more to support these practices. Conscious consumers want to see how brands adapt their products and re-position themselves to be environmental-friendly.
Discover millions of journals, proceedings, e-books, and more on Zendy.
See the Top Reads of December 2023
Behavior Economics This paper highlights how traditional economic models function on the assumption that people behave rationally, which is not always the case. The unification of psychology and economics introduces “prospect theory” which considers how individuals evaluate differently from standard economic theory, the paper also discusses the challenge of replacing rational principles with behavioral alternatives. Read more: Behavioral economics: Reunifying psychology and economics Sociology of Environmental Representation This paper discussed the relationship between environmental representatives and the methods of representation, how these factors contribute to the overall image of the environment. The authors argue that environmental representation goes beyond conversations and awareness and that representatives must lead by example; they propose to understand representation through the context of sociology as a way to learn how environmental politics, management and actions work. Read more: A sociology of environmental representation AI Systems Engineering AI systems engineering develops the new engineering practice in the intersection of systems engineering and artificial intelligence. This paper defines KI engineering while comparing it to historic examples of research disciplines that founded engineering while touching on the long-term challenges where further development is needed. Read more: KI-Engineering – AI Systems Engineering Surgical Site Cytology to Diagnose Spinal Lesions This paper places emphasis on diagnosing specific diseases causing spine lesions as early as possible. The authors propose cytological evaluation alongside regular tissue biopsies to discover these diseases. The study gathered samples from 44 patients from suspected cancerous areas in the spine, these samples were prepared in 2 methods; detailed tissue analysis and microscopic examination for cytological evaluation. Read more: Surgical Site Cytology to Diagnose Spinal Lesions Origamics in Architecture Japanese origami is a valuable tool in developing various engineering and design applications. Origamics is widely applicable as it is currently utilised in mathematics, engineering, biology, manufacturing medical equipment and vehicle parts. This paper discusses the potential of origamics in architectural study as an interface to gain cognitive experience on spatial transformation. Read more: Origamics In Architecture: A Medium Of Inquiry Or Design In Architecture Discover millions of e-books, journal articles, proceedings and more on Zendy now.
See the Top Reads of November 2023
As we approach the end of 2023, this blog explores November’s insightful top reads featuring research papers from various areas of study such as psychology, political media, law, cancer research and technology within justice systems. The Art of Remembering This article discusses how our memory can be strengthened in this printing and note-making era, through the “loci method”. This method involves constructing visual images of objects and mentally placing them in a familiar space, to recall the memory you would need to simply retrace your steps back to where you mentally placed the item. Learn more here: Psychology: The Art of Remembering Post-mining Policies in The Eastern USA Coal Region This journal article discusses the development of mining laws in the US. Since 1977, mine operators are required to conduct a pre-mining analysis and designate a usage for the land once mining and extraction has concluded. Accepted post-mining use of land are: prime farmland, hay land and pasture, biofuel crops, forestry, wildlife habitat and building site development. This article emphasises that post-mining conditions should provide ecosystem services and lands capable of handling future societal needs. Learn more here: Post-mining policies and practices in the Eastern USA coal region Integrative Approach to Cancer Research This article states that precision oncology has progressed cancer treatment focused on actionable gene mutation, however the majority of cancers don’t have druggable oncogene mutations. The paper proposes that for precision oncology to progress, it has to consider more than just genetics; therefore suggesting researchers should focus on immunotherapy which is a treatment used to help the body’s immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Furthermore, the paper urges medical professionals to take advantage of research across numerous fields as patient care is not one universal approach. Learn more here: Integrative approaches to cancer research Political Public Relations: Media and Information Management This article argues that information in political PR is disseminated by manipulating the material, which is commonly known as “communication spin”. It explores how governments assign communications specialists to execute these spins since media and information management are the most important aspects of political PR. The paper goes on to assess and analyse various spin techniques used in political PR that governments deem “acceptable.” Learn more here: Political Public Relations − Media and Information Management Algorithms in Swiss Criminal Justice System The Swiss justice system is shaped by algorithms which were implemented due to demands for efficiency and political advancement. This paper calls for a critical evaluation and research-based optimisation of these algorithms as the societal implications and legal foundations on the usage of such technology is loosely considered. Furthermore, the paper suggests that potential racial disparity and decline in user responsibility have been criticised widely. Learn more here: Smart criminal justice: exploring the use of algorithms in the Swiss criminal justice system Discover millions of e-books, journal articles, proceedings and more on Zendy now.
See the Top Reads of October 2023
Welcome to Zendy’s top read highlights — the top five research papers of the month. In the evolving landscape of academic scholarship, we bring you a selection of noteworthy contributions to research. From the depths of science and humanities to the forefront of technology and law, these papers exemplify academic excellence. Law of the Sea and Democracy This journal article discusses how the laws that govern oceans are democratic however they are not directly related to democracy. The paper goes on to emphasize the complex framework of sea law recognizing that most democratic countries abide by it and how it has presented conflict in sea usage which escalates issues in international law. It also touches on how certain nations are divided on various sea matters such as coastal countries versus those that rely on open sea or developing versus developed countries. Read more here: Law of the Sea and Democracy Graphic Design and Button Placement This journal article is an analysis of user preferences regarding button placements on map applications, the study focuses on 6 map applications and analysed them based on the graphic diversity of buttons. The research concluded that to achieve effective map application design, the process needs to start considering the smallest possible device the application would be used on. Read more here: Graphic Design and Button Placement for Mobile Map Applications Flipped Micro-modules for Teaching Sustainable Engineering Practices This journal article explores a teaching method known as “flipped micro-module pedagogy” wherein students utlise AR and VR technology to engage in immersive learning, use social media platforms to disseminate course materials, and the method encourages project-basec learning where students apply their learnings to real-world issues. The goal of the study is to assess whether engineering students find this approach effective compared to their existing curriculum. Read more here: Flipped Micro-Modules for Teaching Sustainable Engineering Practices Evaluation of Carbon Farming Strategies This journal article places emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in organic vegetable growth. It proposes carbon farming as an alternative because the method improves soil health, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and supports biodiversity, however, the how effective carbon farming is, is unclear. The study also highlights the importance of measuring and estimating changes in soil carbon stock and potential environmental and economic impact on farmers. The findings suggest that carbon farming can be beneficial in various aspects however further research is required to optimise implementation. Read more here: The Evaluation of Carbon Farming Strategies in Organic Vegetable Cultivation The Science of Judicial Psychology This paper claims that crime in Romania has seen an increase due to severe economic and social challenges and the crisis of authority within institutions, emphasising that in this context crime is driven by needs, tendencies, motives and goals. The article goes on to dissect the complexity of criminal behaviour while highlighting all relevant motivators and factors that lead to a crime being committed. Read more here: The Science of Judicial Psychology Discover millions of e-books, journal articles, proceedings and more on Zendy now.