University of Saint Joseph

Introduction Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is an economically important and widely adopted crop in Burkina Faso. Yet its production is constrained by the lack of improved, locally adapted varieties. This study used a participatory variety selection approach to identify preferred landraces and selection criteria across two agroecological zones: Sudanian and Sudano-Sahelian. Methods The evaluation of landraces/accessions was carried out using an ordinal rating system, assigning scores ranging from 9 (most preferred accession), through 7 (very interesting), 5 (moderately interesting), 3 (less interesting), to 1 (least interesting). Landraces considered undesirable were specifically evaluated using negative scores of −5, −3, and −1, reflecting the degree of rejection expressed by the participants. Results Participatory selection involved 126 stakeholders (75.4% women), including producers (37.3%), consumers (30.9%), processors (16.7%), and traders (15.1%). The findings showed that 130 accessions (81.25%) were positively selected across zones, with traits such as leaf size, tenderness, absence of pubescence, market value, and drought tolerance being prioritized. Preferences differed significantly by agroecological zone, ethnicity (p < 0.001), age group, and actor role (χ² = 360.21, p< 0.001). Two accessions (CKK1 and CKN5) were consistently ranked at the top, with index scores of 0.0441 and 0.0428, respectively. In contrast, accessions like CKO2 and HBB3 were most rejected due to poor agronomic and culinary traits. The analysis showed that only 30% of the selected accessions were shared between the two zones. Conclusion These results highlight the potential value of participatory selection in identifying varieties that are well-adapted, socially acceptable, and potentially more resilient for underutilized species in West Africa.

The concepts diglossia and polyglossia are used in bilingual and multilingual contexts, respectively. The former refers to the use of two languages in different contexts, one being used in formal contexts and the other in informal ones. These terms aim of preserving native or local languages. With that in mind, the current study investigated the effectiveness of polyglossia in Burkina Faso. Following that, this study stressed on how polyglossia can contribute to language maintenance and then how to promote it after all. To better assess the effectiveness of polyglossia in Burkina Faso, a research survey is designed (See appendix) and involved 163 people. The findings of the study have proven that polyglossia is effective to some extent in Burkina Faso for 33.7%. of people speak local languages at home and 56.4% use the official language, French, in formal situations. Yet some people do not even use their local languages at home. Instead, they solely use the official language. The study also revealed that 50% of people use both French and local languages in households. More interestingly, the current research has shown that some people use both French and English in formal contexts. This shows the importance of English, a foreign language, in the country. Fewer people even use French along local languages in some formal contexts. These findings associated with the literature review has helped this study affirm that polyglossia or diglossia can help preserve local languages as supported by Kobul (2016). Therefore, promoting a diglossic or polyglossic behavior in our societies would help maintain local languages. Thus, the government along with linguists and parents are important bodies to raise people awareness on the relevance and benefit of polyglossia for an effective and efficient language maintenance.

Caregiving is a demanding role that can result in significant psychological strain. Many caregivers experience increased stress, depression, and other negative psychological outcomes due to the intensity and duration of their caregiving responsibilities. Guided by social exchange theory (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) and the stress process model (Pearlin et al., 1990), this study examines perceived appreciation role as a psychological resource that can impact caregivers’ well-being and work as a positive caregiving environment. Further, we aim to provide insights into gender differences by examining caregiving intensity and perceived appreciation from the caregivers’ perspective. Using data from 2015 and 2017 waves of the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC), we analyzed responses from 3,061 informal caregivers (Mean age = 61.96 years) through moderating regression analysis. Findings indicated that high levels of perceived appreciation mitigate the negative effects of caregiving intensity on role overload while promoting mental health and self-realization. Notably, perceived appreciation promoted self-realization in male caregivers, whereas it more strongly buffered the negative effects of caregiving intensity on mental health and role overload among female caregivers. These results highlight the importance of fostering environments where caregivers feel valued and recognized, with particular attention to gender differences in psychological well-being and caregiving experiences.

ABSTRACT This article examines the interplay between Awkwafina's “Blaccent” controversy, her celebrification, and her performance of cultural identity. Through critical discourse analysis of her public persona, the study argues that her popularity stems from “metamorphic aesthetics”—a performative trope shaped by neoliberal and postfeminist discourses. This aesthetics positions her as a different type of Asian female celebrity. However, her celebrification engenders a paradox: while subverting stereotypes, it destabilizes her cultural‐political subjectivity as an Asian American feminist, revealing tensions between commodification and agency in contemporary popular culture.

Purpose This study adopts the multinational operational flexibility perspective to examine how the characteristics of the existing subsidiary portfolio influence the subsequent investment attributes of its subsidiaries. Specifically, we explore how the switching needs and opportunities associated with cross-border labor cost conditions influence a new subsidiary's location, product and ownership. Design/methodology/approach We employed a panel data analysis of Korean overseas manufacturing subsidiaries. We adopt binomial logit regression for three dependent variables, the last two nested within the first regression. Findings We find that higher labor cost uncertainty interacts with higher labor cost correlation among countries of existing subsidiaries, leading to a new subsidiary in a country with a negatively correlated labor cost. We also find that the locational choice is synchronized with a less localized product and higher ownership for global switchability. We additionally observe that this synchronization of investment attributes is more pronounced when managers are highly aware of switching options embedded in their international investments. Originality/value We examine the nested relationships of key investment decisions (location, product, ownership) from the multinational operational flexibility, which provides different explanations from other perspectives.

This review paper examined the relationship between perceived aggressive anger expressions in teachers and students' achievement goals by integrating findings from neurocognitive evidence on motivational directions and theoretical models of achievement goals in motivation. Previous research on anger and its motivational direction has not examined the specific characteristics of anger expressions and their impacts on motivational tendencies. Although anger is typically perceived as a negative emotion, different expressions (such as the presence or absence of threats) may lead to distinct outcomes, producing either positive or negative consequences. The evidence linking anger and avoidance raised concerns about the effect of fear triggered by threatening cues in anger expressions. Since threats appeared to mediate the relationship between teachers’ anger and students’ learning motivation, the nature of anger expression was considered a potential reason for inconsistencies in existing research on the motivational tendencies associated with anger. This review paper differentiated various types of teacher anger expression, focusing particularly on the presence or absence of threats. Aggressive anger expressions by teachers may create a sense of threat for students, potentially leading them to adopt avoidance-oriented goals. Findings suggest that the motivational direction of anger has often been overshadowed by its affective valence in much of the research in this area.

University entrance exams (UEEs) play a crucial role in higher education admissions worldwide, influencing curriculum design and teaching practices. This study examines the mathematics questions in UEEs in Iran, Turkey, and the USA from 2021 to 2024, comparing their content based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics strands and Cognitive Demand Level framework. The results of the study showed that algebra comprised a higher percentage of questions compared to other content areas across all the countries. Additionally, the UEEs questions in all three countries predominantly consisted of procedural-level questions (either procedures without connections or procedures with connections). Based on these findings, suggestions and recommendations were provided to enhance the balance of question types and promote deeper conceptual understanding in assessments.

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ABSTRACT We demonstrate the potential of Euclid ’s slitless spectroscopy to discover high-redshift ($z>5$) quasars and their main photometric contaminant, ultracool dwarfs. Sensitive infrared spectroscopy from space is able to efficiently identify both populations, as demonstrated by Euclid Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer Red Grism (NISP ${\rm RG}_{\scriptscriptstyle \rm E}$) spectra of the newly discovered $z=5.404$ quasar EUCL J181530.01$+$652054.0, as well as several ultracool dwarfs in the Euclid Deep Field North and the Euclid Early Release Observation field Abell 2764. The ultracool dwarfs were identified by cross-correlating their spectra with templates. The quasar was identified by its strong and broad ${\rm C \small {III]}}$ and ${\rm Mg {\small II}}$ emission lines in the NISP ${\rm RG}_{\scriptscriptstyle \rm E}$ 1206–1892 nm spectrum, and confirmed through optical spectroscopy from the Large Binocular Telescope. The NISP Blue Grism (NISP ${\rm BG}_{\scriptscriptstyle \rm E}$) 926–1366 nm spectrum confirms ${C {\small IV}}$ and $\rm{C \small {III]}}$ emission. NISP ${\rm RG}_{\scriptscriptstyle \rm E}$ can find bright quasars at $z\approx 5.5$ and $z\gtrsim 7$, redshift ranges that are challenging for photometric selection due to contamination from ultracool dwarfs. EUCL J181530.01$+$652054.0 is a high-excitation, broad absorption line quasar detected at 144 MHz by the LOw-Frequency Array ($L_{\rm 144}=4.0 \times 10^{25}\,$W Hz$^{-1}$). The quasar has a bolometric luminosity of $3\times 10^{12}\, {{\rm L}_{\odot }}{}$ and is powered by a $3.4\times 10^9\, {{\rm M}_{\odot }}$ black hole. The discovery of this bright quasar is noteworthy as fewer than one such object was expected in the $\approx$20 deg$^2$ surveyed. This finding highlights the potential and effectiveness of NISP spectroscopy in identifying rare, luminous high-redshift quasars, previewing the census of these sources that Euclid’s slitless spectroscopy will deliver over about $14\, 000\,$deg$^2$ of the sky.