This paper investigates the elements affecting dividend yield in developing Southeast Asian countries—more specifically, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Examined here are the roles of financial information including debt to equity ratio, free cashflows, property, plant, and equipment (PPE) and total sales with controlling factors of size, institutional ownership, and firm age using both short-run and long-run analytical frameworks including the Error Correction Model and Engle and Granger’s approach. The results reveal different trends in the three nations. Higher debt and free cashflows lower dividend yield in Thailand; institutional shareholders benefit from maintaining greater dividend payouts. Aging companies in Malaysia are more likely to pay more dividends while rising revenues are linked to smaller short-term payouts. Leveraged and asset-heavy companies are more likely to keep paying dividends in Singapore. These discoveries have important ramifications for investors and business management trying to maximize dividend policies and improve shareholder value in developing economies.

This study analyzes the social and individual stigmatization toward Venezuelan immigrants in Peru within the context of the largest migratory movement in Latin America, driven by the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. The study employs a qualitative approach, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 24 participants from major Peruvian cities, including Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, and Trujillo. These in-depth interviews provide insights into the complexity of perceptions toward Venezuelan migrants, ranging from stigmatizing views driven by associations with economic threats and criminality to more positive perceptions that acknowledge the migrants’ adaptability and economic contributions. The findings reveal that while negative stereotypes perpetuate social exclusion and pressures for cultural assimilation threaten the preservation of migrant identities, there are also narratives highlighting resilience and successful integration. The study emphasizes the importance of implementing intercultural education programs, promoting labor integration policies, and collaborating with the media to combat stigma. It concludes that addressing these challenges through a multidimensional, human-rights-based approach can foster greater social cohesion and better integration of migrants, benefiting both the migrant population and Peruvian society.

 Beach protection is vital to reduce the damage to shorelines and coastal areas; one of the artificial protections that can be utilized is the tetrapod. However, much damage occurred when using a traditional tetrapod due to the lack of stability coefficient (K_D). Therefore, this research aims to increase the stability coefficient by providing minor modifications to the cape of the tetrapod, such as round-caped or cube-caped. The modification seeks to hold the drag force from the wave and offer a good interlocking in between the tetrapod. This research applied physical model test research using a breakwater model made from the proposed innovative tetrapod with numerous variations in dimensions and layers simulated with several scenarios. The analysis was carried out by graphing the relationship between the parameters of the measurement results and the relationship between dimensionless parameters, such as wave steepness H/gT2, and other essential parameters, such as the K_D stability number and the level of damage in %. The result shows that the modified and innovative tetrapod has a more excellent K_D value than the conventional tetrapod. In addition, the innovative tetrapod with the cube-shaped has a recommended K_D value greater than the round shape. This means that for the modified tetrapod structure and the same level of security, the required weight of the tetrapod with the cube cap will be lighter than the tetrapod with the round cap. These findings have significant practical implications for coastal protection and engineering, potentially leading to more efficient and cost-effective solutions.

Electrospinning nanofiber membrane has the advantages of wide raw materials, large specific surface area, and high porosity. It is an ideal separator material for lithium-ion batteries. This paper first introduces two common electrospinning nanofiber diaphragms: polymer, polymer, and inorganic composite, and then focuses on the modification methods of composite modification, blending modification, and inorganic modification, as well as the methods of electrospinning nano modified polyolefin diaphragm. Finally, the development direction of the electrospinning lithium-ion battery separator has prospected.

The development of critical thinking (CT) enhances academic and professional opportunities. A review of literature reveals the use of fragmented analysis techniques, such as descriptive and correlational methods, among others, which hinder a deeper understanding of CT levels. This research aims to develop a methodology for analyzing Critical Thinking test scores, integrating five phases: exploratory, item analysis, scoring, gap analysis, and correlational. Using a quantitative approach, CT skills were analyzed with the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment, which includes both open- and closed-ended questions to measure five skills: Verbal Reasoning (VR), Argument Analysis (AA), Hypothesis Testing (HT), Probability Use (PU), and Problem Solving (PS). The sample consisted of 214 students aged 18 and older. The item analysis phase categorized the items into quadrants: satisfactory, for review, or for elimination, based on difficulty and discrimination indices. The gap analysis revealed that Verbal Reasoning and open-ended formats were less satisfactory. The correlational phase, using heat maps, showed a stronger association between Verbal Reasoning and Probability Use. The methodological contributions include a variety of strategies that provide recommended procedures for analyzing tests or questionnaires in general. In today’s digital age, the development of critical thinking is not only a desirable skill but an essential necessity for the higher education system.

Natural forests and abandoned agricultural lands are increasingly replaced by monospecific forest plantations that have poor capacity to support biodiversity and ecosystem services. Natural forests harbour plants belonging to different mycorrhiza types that differ in their microbiome and carbon and nutrient cycling properties. Here we describe the MycoPhylo field experiment that encompasses 116 woody plant species from three mycorrhiza types and 237 plots, with plant diversity and mycorrhiza type diversity ranging from one to four and one to three per plot, respectively. The MycoPhylo experiment enables us to test hypotheses about the plant species, species diversity, mycorrhiza type, and mycorrhiza type diversity effects and their phylogenetic context on soil microbial diversity and functioning and soil processes. Alongside with other experiments in the TreeDivNet consortium, MycoPhylo will contribute to our understanding of the tree diversity effects on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across biomes, especially from the mycorrhiza type and phylogenetic conservatism perspectives.