Volume 51

Abstract: Since the first general economic crisis in Britain in 1825, the world has repeatedly faced economic shocks. The growing interconnectedness of the global economy has amplified both the intensity and scope of these crises. Following World War II, the rapid expansion of the financial sector stimulated global economic growth. However, its complexity also introduced significant uncertainties and instabilities. Asset securitization implies that capital value is not solely determined by productive forces it supports, but is also subject to unpredictable behavior of market participants. Insufficient information can trigger stock market crashes and asset devaluation, causing widespread panic that ultimately affects the real economy. Despite efforts by major economies to stabilize markets through fiscal and monetary policies, policymakers are human beings who possess inherent uncertainties and often adopt short-term approaches with unintended consequences. Efforts aimed at addressing current challenges may inadvertently lay the foundations for future problems due to their butterfly effect nature. Moreover, economic globalization can exacerbate these issues, highlighting a fundamental aspect of modern economic challenges. Using the Great Depression of 1930 as an example, this paper focuses on exploring political and economic factors contributing to outbreaks of economic crises and government measures taken to address them. Studying the Great Depression provides important historical lessons for today's policymakers, enabling them to better assess potential risks and formulate appropriate policies when facing economic crises. It also analyzes banking system fragility and financial markets susceptibility to failure without government regulation, aiding prevention of similar crises.

Show more

Abstract: Rachmaninoff was an outstanding pianist, composer, and conductor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During his life, he composed many popular classical works. Rachmaninoff's mid-career work Etudes-Tableaux Op.33 No.5 is about an immersive picture of an approaching snowstorm. This work has a strong Russian national and contemporary character, and is also one of the representative works in the Etudes-Tableaux. It has been performed by many pianists internationally. And each of them brings unique personal emotions and playing styles to the piece, which allows for multiple interpretations of the same work. Among them, Nikolai Lugansky and Alexander Kobrin have distinct interpretations of the staccato, legato, dynamics, and tempo. This paper compares their performances and offers interpretation techniques and practice suggestions based on this analysis. The aim is to deepen the understanding and mastery of the technical challenges within the piece. I hope to inspire fellow pianists with these insights.

Show more

Abstract: Cherubino, a young male servant, plays an indispensable role in "The Marriage of Figaro." As the most important character outside the main cast, his appearances almost span the entire opera, making his character highly worthy of study. Current research primarily focuses on vocal techniques and how to interpret the aria "Voi che sapete," with some delving into the background of the work and the composer's life but still not deeply enough. This paper analyzes Cherubino's aria "Voi che sapete" from the perspectives of drama, music, and performance. The author will conduct a comprehensive analysis of Cherubino's character through examining the conflicts within the drama. "Voi che sapete," as a classical aria, employs a wide range of musical expressions, and this article will focus on the theoretical analysis of the music. The performance analysis section will also compare works performed in different contexts, ultimately allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding of the character, experiencing his innocent yet yearning love.

Show more

Abstract: Walt Whitman has mentioned the image of the sea many times in Leaves of Grass, and the sea has complex meanings in his writing. Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking is a distinctive poem that links the story of two subjects in an operatic form. The sea is the key link between the elements, therefore, the image of the ocean in this poem is particularly worthy of further exploration. This study focuses on the relationship between symbols and the elements in the system from the perspective of semiotics. In this poem, the sea, as a symbol, interacts with the two elements of the birds and the child. From this point of view, it can be found that the sea in this poem is different from the generalization of the sea by previous researchers. It symbolizes the power of nature, including its two sides of kindness and cruelty.

Show more

Abstract: The film Eat, Pray, Love is adapted from a novel and was widely loved by many females as soon as it was released. However, while many analyses focus on the novel, few academic papers focus on the film's chapter structure and camera language. This paper aims to analyse the narrative structure in Eat, Pray, Love and explore how it expresses and enhances the emotional expression of the characters through visual and narrative techniques. A detailed analysis of the Italian, Indian and Bali chapters reveals how the film conveys Liz's inner changes and growth through different lens angles, colour use, and composition techniques. This study adopts a qualitative analysis method. It compares the use of lens language in different cultural backgrounds and explores its role in emotional expression through chapter-by-chapter analysis. The results demonstrate that Eat, Pray, Love effectively portrays Liz's emotional changes and growth process in different cultural backgrounds through exquisite lens language and narrative structure. This not only enhances the emotional level of the film but also provides a deep emotional resonance for the audience.

Show more

Abstract: In an ever-evolving digital landscape, digital product designers must navigate the tension between staying competitive in the market and creating meaningful, humanitarian work. Through a comparison between literature by leading academic voices and online accounts from current practitioners, insights into past and present patterns are gained to inform potential future trajectories of the budding and evolving profession of digital product design. The results show that digital product designers can adapt to short-term future (defined as roughly 5 years into the future) challenges by investing in skill specialization while preparing for the long-term future (defined as roughly 20 years into the future) by enlarging the scope of their services to take on a more advisory role. Analysis of the gathered data also shows that these designers’ greatest long-term value is their ability to be humanitarian voices and advisors for social good. By integrating both short-term skill specializations and long-term investment into social responsibility, digital product designers can remain relevant and contribute to ethical and sustainable practices in the digital age.

Show more

Abstract: Yayoi Kusama plays a significant role in contemporary art history, having navigated the Western-dominated art world and challenged the authority of the male-dominated art scene through her work. This essay will try to analyze Kusama’s artwork, examining how her creations can be viewed as a form of therapy that heals her inner world, using the methodology outlined in the book Art as Therapy. This paper presents the personal experiences of Yayoi Kusama and tries to illustrate how her life has influenced the way she creates art, which conveys her internal energy and her way of communicating with the world. Kusama’s life experiences became one of the elements of her works, with her difficult past fueling a deep yearning for love and hope. Thus, her works were constituted by her life experiences.

Show more

Abstract: Following the collapse of Japan's asset price bubble in the early 1990s, the country experienced a prolonged period of economic stagnation, which influenced social dynamics and psychological well-being. This article examines the profound impact of Japan's "Lost Decade" on the cultural landscape, particularly through the lens of the iconic anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. The narrative complexity of Evangelion, with its themes of societal alienation, economic despair, and identity crises, resonates with the anxieties faced by Japanese youth during this tumultuous time. Utilizing a case study approach, this paper analyzes how the series reflects broader social pressures and personal struggles, particularly through its central characters—Shinji, Asuka, and Rei. Additionally, the article explores Evangelion's transformative influence on otaku culture and the anime industry, highlighting its role in popularizing the production committee model. Despite its significant cultural impact, this study acknowledges limitations, including a narrow focus on the series' immediate cultural context and a need for a more robust psychological analysis. The findings suggest that Neon Genesis Evangelion serves as a critical lens for understanding the interplay between economic hardship and cultural expression in contemporary Japan.

Show more

Abstract: Given the escalating prominence of mental health issues, enhancing the efficacy of psychological treatment has emerged as a pivotal concern. As an enduring psychological characteristic among individuals, patients' personality traits can influence their acceptance, engagement, and response to treatment procedures, thereby impacting treatment outcomes. Simultaneously, fostering a doctor-patient alliance founded on trust, respect, and collaboration also constitutes a crucial factor influencing treatment effectiveness. Consequently, exploring the interplay between patient personality traits and doctor-patient alliance is of paramount significance for optimizing psychotherapy practices and improving therapeutic outcomes. However, existing research exhibits gaps in understanding how patient personality traits and doctor-patient alliance contribute to treatment outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of patient personality traits and doctor-patient alliance on the efficacy of psychotherapy, while proposing recommendations for enhancing the doctor-patient alliance. The methods employed in this study encompass a systematic review and comprehensive synthesis of existing literature, elucidating the present state of research, identifying research gaps, and delineating future research directions. The findings of various studies have consistently demonstrated that individuals with lower levels of neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness tended to exhibit more favorable treatment outcomes. Furthermore, the quality of therapeutic alliances significantly impacts psychotherapy effectiveness.

Show more

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) particularly language models into education has catalyzed an ongoing debate regarding its prospective advantages and perils. Critics continue to stress the perils arguing against continued utilization in educational settings, while those advocating for this technology continue to underscore the need to mitigate the emerging challenges while leveraging the immense opportunities it characterizes. This critical literature review contains an analysis of the impact of ChatGPT, a widely-discussed AI language model, on global education ecosystems. Through an exhaustive literature review, this study evaluates whether ChatGPT acts as a constructive instrument for enhancing personalized learning, supporting educators, and improving access, or if it poses significant challenges like undercutting conventional teaching roles, propagating inequality, and raising ethical issues. The findings reveal that although ChatGPT presents transformative educational opportunities, realizing its full potential necessitates careful and ethical implementation. Ultimately, ChatGPT can be an invaluable educational resource, provided its assimilation is thoughtfully supervised to alleviate associated risks.

Show more