Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Understand Motivation to Register Births in Lombok,Indonesia

Despite government interest in promoting birth registration, more than a third of Indonesian children do not have a birth certificate, affecting the realisation of both their human and citizen rights. While barriers to registering children's births in Indonesia have been assessed, there is limited research on how communities perceive the importance of having a birth certificate. This study used focus group discussions to explore parental motivations around birth registration. The results of a thematic analysis found that perceived use of birth certificates, perceived control over the application process and social norms related to certificate ownership affect the intention to apply.     

It’s Complicated: Sociocultural factors and the Disclosure Decision of Transgender Individuals in Pakistan

The literature on the disclosure decision of transsexual individuals is sparse, and that which does exist either uses empirical quantitative methods or aggregates transsexuals with other non-heterosexual individuals. The current study focuses this underresearched group and examines the disclosure decision of transsexual people in Pakistan, a developing Muslim country with a unique amalgam of social, cultural, and religious ground realities. Drawing on thematic analysis technique using in-depth interviews with 16 transsexuals, we show how sociocultural factors that are inherently embedded in the environment influence the disclosure decision in work and non-work settings. In particular, our respondents illustrate that their disclosure decision, which ranges from total disclosure on one end to nondisclosure on the other end, is influenced by the complexities of family honor, tightly integrated family network, social obligation to get married, and prevalent religious beliefs in the society. This study advances understanding of identity and disclosure decision of transsexual individuals by explicating the ways in which sociocultural factors are intricate part of their decision of coming out.     

Environmental practices and firm performance in emerging markets: the mediating role of product quality

Environmental practices have not received as much research attention in emerging market contexts as traditional topics like quality. However, the importance of environmental practices for a firm’s production strategy has been increasing at an unprecedented level across the globe. Our research objective is, therefore, to investigate the interplay between environmental practices and quality in the pursuit of firm performance. Relying on 492 responses from Turkish manufacturers to test our hypotheses, we show that environmental practices directly improve the quality of products over and above the effect of quality management practices in emerging markets. Product quality, in turn, is important for increasing firm performance, acting as a mediator for the positive effects of environmental practices on performance. Thus, we reveal that product quality functions as an instrumental conduit between environmental practices and firm performance in emerging markets like Turkey where stakeholder pressures are weak, and regulations are often not properly enforced.     

简论维吾尔民间故事中的动物形象

维吾尔民间口头文学中的神话、传说、魔法故事、动物故事、寓言等文学体裁中都塑造了动物的形象。但是动物形象在不同体裁中的性格与作用不同,我们通过动物形象中的这种复杂的变化过程,可以深刻认识和感受维吾尔族人民的自然观和思想历史的发展痕迹。     

"算法推送"与网络服务提供者著作权侵权刑事责任规范性重构 ——从"实际作用"转向"规范能力"

在大数据时代,互联网平台利用"算法推送"向用户定制推送的内容一般来自于平台其他用户的上传.因此,网络服务提供者不是著作权直接侵权人,不能直接认定网络服务提供者著作权侵权刑事责任.然而,依照行为后的"实际作用"为准据的"中立帮助行为理论"赋予了网络服务提供者在从事服务行为时与自身信息管理能力不匹配的较高注意力,扩大了网络服务提供者的刑事归责范围,陷入了刑法扩大化的泥淖中.刑法应从谦抑性原则出发,在探讨"算法推送"技术下网络服务提供者著作权侵权刑事责任之前,应重新解读网络服务提供者著作权侵权刑事责任,大胆提出超越"实际作用"准据的"规范能力"标准,以期提供新的视角和可能.     

人工智能算法个人信息利用刑法规制与个人信息安全刑法保护——从新型权利转向新型法益谈起

在智能社会,刑法对个人信息的保护是以个人信息权入法为基础,将信息的私权保障与利用作为基本原则,导致了人工智能算法个人信息利用刑法规制的错位和提前。当人工智能利用个人信息进行算法分析,一方面,信息主体拥有个人信息权,另一方面,信息使用者也应当拥有信息用益权。个人信息的刑法保护必须从权利说出发并超越权利说,重新回到信息主体和信息使用者共同拥有个人信息安全法益的轨道。然而,刑法尚未明确规定个人信息安全法益,人工智能算法个人信息利用刑法规制与个人信息刑法保护应考虑信息主体和信息使用者对个人信息各自拥有的利益,从场景化行为主义规制的进路出发,对人工智能算法个人信息进行刑法保护和刑法规制。     

硕士研究生两年制学制教育改革与培养质量问题

根据中国研究生教育的目标定位,硕士研究生学制改为两年制是必要的。但实行两年制更应强调培养质量。应坚持因人而异的施教方针,积极推行课程改革,推进导师负责制,减少或者取消学生科研要求,努力提高学习效率,从而在两年内打下坚实的专业基础,有效锻炼实践能力。     

数字时代妨害业务行为的刑法规制

随着数字时代的来临,妨害业务的行为呈现出网络化的趋势.在审判实践中,对于利用网络实施妨害业务的行为,大多数是将其以破坏生产经营罪来处理,少数是将其以非法经营罪、破坏计算机信息系统罪和损害商业信誉罪来处理.以上罪名用来处理利用网络实施的妨害业务行为是刑法客观解释的结果,其最终会走向类推解释,同时也使判决面临着违背罪刑法定原则、刑法的谦抑性原则的质疑,甚至会使非法经营罪、破坏计算机信息系统罪和破坏生产经营罪沦为"口袋罪"的风险.为此,数字时代妨害业务行为的刑事规制需要网络刑事立法重新布局,有必要增设具体的妨害业务罪.     

A new class of ratio-type estimators for improving mean estimation of nonsensitive and sensitive variables by using supplementary information

ABSTRACT

Motivated by some recent improvements for mean estimation in finite sampling theory, we propose, in a design-based approach, a new class of ratio-type estimators. The class is initially discussed on the assumption that the study variable has a nonsensitive nature, meaning that it deals with topics that do not generate embarrassment when respondents are directly questioned about them. Under this standard setting, some estimators belonging to the class are shown and the bias, mean square error and minimum mean square error are determined up to the first-order of approximation. The class is subsequently extended to the case where the study variable refers to sensitive issues which produce measurement errors due to nonresponses and/or untruthful reporting. These errors may be reduced by enhancing respondent cooperation through scrambled response methods that mask the true value of the sensitive variable. Hence, four methods (say the additive, multiplicative, mixed and combined additive-multiplicative methods) are discussed for the purposes of the article. Finally, a simulation study is carried out to assess the performance of the proposed class by comparing a number of competing estimators, both in the sensitive and the nonsensitive setting.