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Drawing on the politeness theory, this study explored the dubbing of English children's cartoons into Modern Standard Arabic, focusing on negative face speech acts such as compliments, suggestions, rejections, and suggestions in rejections.

Through quantitative and qualitative comparative analyses, this study investigated the influence of cultural differences on the selection of dubbing strategies, analyzed the politeness strategies employed in dubbing, and examined the maintenance of pragmatic equivalence in translated speech acts. Data were collected from the cartoon series “The Loud House” from popular digital platforms Shahid and Netflix, chosen for their regional (the Arab world) and global popularity, respectively.

The findings revealed shifts and adaptations in the dubbing process influenced by linguistic and cultural factors, particularly emphasizing social norms and power dynamics (e.g. respect for elders) prevalent in the Arab culture. Translators strategically employed politeness strategies, such as off-record and bald on-record strategies, to ensure cultural appropriateness and maintain the integrity of familial relationships depicted in the content. The comparative analysis of translators' approaches on Shahid and Netflix platforms highlights significant differences in the translation of negative face-threatening act scenarios. Netflix shows a tendency to adjust politeness pragmatic levels to better suit the preferences of the target audience, indicating a proactive effort to enhance viewer engagement through effective translation strategies. In contrast, Shahid adopts a more conservative approach, maintaining a consistent politeness level in its translations, which aligns closely with cultural norms and expectations. This comparative analysis underscores the divergent translation strategies employed by the two platforms, with Netflix prioritizing adaptation to audience preferences and Shahid favoring preservation of established politeness levels. The cultural social factors that influenced the translation and adaptation of face threatening acts can be grasped by considering elements such as social distance, power dynamics, and relative imposition. In Arabic culture, these factors play a crucial role in determining the social dynamics and interactions between individuals. The observed patterns of shifts and adaptations in the translation of face threatening acts on Shahid and Netflix reflect the nature of stratified Arabic societies where communal relationships are defined by factors like family ties, elder-younger dynamics, and friendships. These cultural factors shape the social norms and expectations surrounding face threatening acts, which, in turn, influence the translation choices made on these platforms.

The study has several limitations that need acknowledgment. Firstly, the sample size was limited, focusing on the dubbing of only two versions of an animated series and four seasons, comparing translations across two platforms. Additionally, there were challenges related to the accessibility and availability of data, with limited information about the translators involved in the dubbing process. Furthermore, the study's focus on specific types of translations may have overlooked other important factors influencing translation practices. Lastly, regional variations in translation practices within the Arab world were not considered. Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights into translation practices in animated series on Shahid and Netflix platforms, highlighting the need for future research to address these limitations and provide a more comprehensive understanding of translation practices in the Arab world.

The findings of this study have significant practical implications for a wide range of stakeholders, including translators, educators, textbook writers, and even non-specialists. For translators, especially those working in the field of audiovisual translation, understanding the nuances of politeness strategies and their application in different cultural contexts is essential. The findings suggest that translators should be sensitive to cultural and social factors when translating negative face-threatening act scenarios in cartoons. By making strategic decisions to adapt translations to align with audience preferences while still preserving cultural appropriateness, translators can enhance viewer engagement and ensure that the translated content resonates effectively with the target audience. Educators and textbook writers can also benefit from these findings by incorporating insights into politeness theory and cross-cultural communication into their curriculum and materials. By teaching students about the importance of politeness strategies in translation and providing them with practical examples and exercises, educators can help prepare the next generation of translators to navigate complex linguistic and cultural challenges in their work. Additionally, non-specialists, such as viewers of translated content, can gain a better understanding of the intricacies involved in translation and the impact of cultural factors on communication. By being aware of these issues, non-specialists can become more discerning consumers of translated media and appreciate the skill and artistry involved in the translation process.

This study underscores the cultural competence and sensitivity of Arab translators in navigating linguistic and social dynamics, contributing to the creation of culturally resonant and entertaining content for young Arabic-speaking audiences.

This paper aims to analyse the Sharīʿah premises of waqf (Islamic endowment), followed by dilating on the nature of argumentation among the classical jurists on its rules and principles. The paper critically analyses the edifice of the applied juristic analogy of different early jurists in deriving various waqf doctrines. The objective of analysing the jurisprudential framework of waqf in its classical mould is to conceptualise the methods, mechanism and nature of juristic analogies in deriving the waqf principles. This analysis is critical to understand the scope of jurisprudential flexibility in modern awqāf.

The paper is an outcome of a library-based research. It uses the classical jurisprudential treatises of waqf with an aim to analyse the Sharīʿah basis of the institution, the premises of its key principles and the applied juristic analogy to derive the same. The paper covers the classical waqf books and treatises from the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence and uses a textual analysis method.

The paper finds that in its initial phase, the conceptual framework of waqf was not unanimously agreed by all jurists, rather its Sharīʿah permissibility remained critically disputed among them for a while. Though, the opinion of those jurists who approved the Sharīʿah-validity of waqf was to prevail in the later stage, disagreement persisted with reference to its necessary features and defining criteria. It is found that in the classical waqf literature, two most disputed aspects of waqf jurisprudence constituted the requirements for completion of a waqf and its ownership status.

This study neither covers the historical contribution of waqf among the Muslim societies nor touches on the empirical aspects of modern waqf. Rather, the focus of the study is limited to analysing the classical jurisprudential discourse of waqf and distillation process of its rulings.

The objective of analysing the classical juristic discourse of waqf is to underline the premises of classical juristic analogy in determining the framework of fiqh al-awqāf (jurisprudence of waqf) in its classical permutations and to learn how to adopt a similar approach for deduction of new waqf rulings.

This paper adds original value to the body of waqf literature for analysing the classical waqf rulings distillation process along with examining the methods and mechanism of juristic analogy.

This study aims to examine how the adoption of digital technologies affects the business competitiveness of countries in Latin American and European countries.

This study used a structural model based on factors representing the pillars of the Global Competitiveness Index: financial system, adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT), skills, labor market, product market, macroeconomic stability, business dynamism and gross domestic product (GDP) purchasing power parity (PPP) as a percentage of the total world value. The authors considered 17 Latin American and 28 European countries. The model was analyzed by partial least squares-structural equation modeling.

ICT adoption in Latin American countries is a strong predictor of business dynamism (66% of the variance), skills (81% of the variance), product market (75% of the variance), labor market (42% of the variance) and financial system (49% of the variance). Similarly, ICT adoption in European countries is a strong predictor of business dynamism (35.6% of the variance), skills (72.2% of the variance), product market (51.6% of the variance), labor market (81.7% of the variance, but with a negative path coefficient) and financial system (38% of the variance).

Latin American countries should create policies to build skills to increase ICT adoption, and improve business and labor market dynamism. A theoretical implication is that the authors propose two structural models based on the GCI that best explains competitiveness in Europe and Latin America.

Using GCI data, the authors present empirical evidence on the predictors of competitiveness across 17 Latin American and 28 European countries with a special focus on the adoption of digital technologies.

Public realm urban regeneration projects aim to provide facilities for the common good such as improved road systems, public parks, museums and cultural institutions. Driven by political priorities, the expected benefits for society comprise of the proposed regeneration outcomes articulated in a masterplan vision. As a philosophical concept, common good in the context of urban regeneration is explored in this study to understand the expectations for major, long-term regeneration projects and the intended project objectives. In the approach to governance, there should be a relationship between monitoring indicators adopted by the regeneration project as part of the governance framework and their alignment with the common good. These concepts are analysed through a case study of the development and reporting of benchmark indicators established at the start of a major 20-year urban redevelopment in 2010. The monitoring and enhancement concept implemented required indicators to be developed and embedded in the regeneration process to, not only monitor, but also enhance sustainability. The longitudinal case study, at the interim point 10 years since the establishment of these indicators, will evaluate the sustainability of the urban regeneration and evaluate current evidence for the common good. The indicators were developed following the principles of a theme orientated framework in line with the UK and Scottish Government approach at that time. The process of indicator development was iterative, refined and finalised through working closely with local authority, Scottish Enterprise and partnership stakeholders (civic oriented organisations) to capture evidence of progress towards the masterplan vision. Ten years on, conclusions examine whether these indicators could be used a proxy for common good. The conclusion will identify the extent to which we would need to revise indicators to address any gaps to become a more accurate measure of common good.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymmetric adjustment of cash holdings in Pakistani firms for above and below target firms.

The study employs generalized method of moments (GMM) to investigate the adjustment of cash holdings.

The study found that the firms which hold cash above the optimal level of cash holdings have higher speed of adjustment than the firms which hold cash below the optimal level. Financially constrained (FC) firms also adjust their cash holdings faster than financially unconstrained (FUC) firms but high speed of downward adjustment does not remain persistent after financial constraints are controlled. Findings of this study reveal this asymmetric adjustment in above and below target firms and extend these results in FC and FUC Pakistani listed firms, respectively.

The conclusion of this study has been derived under certain limitations. There is a vast space to extend this study in different dimensions. Firms operating in capital-intensive industries may provide different results for financial constraints because their policy designing would be quite different from other firms.

This study contributes to cash holdings research in Pakistan by exploring the adjustment behavior of cash holdings across Pakistani non-financial firms using econometric modeling. Downward adjustment rate is supposed to be higher than upward adjustment rate and this rate is tested using dynamic panel data model. Similarly, it is inferred that this relationship holds for above target firms even after including the financial constraints in the presented model.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on medical education and training, with many medical schools and training programs having to adapt to remote or online learning, social distancing measures and other challenges. This paper aimed to examine the disruption for clinical training, as it has reduced the opportunities for students and trainees to gain hands-on experience and interact with patients in person.

The ethnographic qualitative research design was chosen as the research methodology. Using Gibbs' reflective cycle, the researcher explored the psychiatry clerks' (final-year medical students) reflections on the disruption of their clinical training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings demonstrated that the students had a significant psychological impact on their coping capacities as the crisis progressed from shock and depression to resilience. The students being the key stakeholders provided a concrete foundation for the development of a framework for improving practices during uncertain times.

Students' reflections provided valuable insight into the pandemic’s impact on their psychosocial lives with uncertainty and incapacity to cope up with changing stressful dynamics. The results will assist in planning how to best support medical students' well-being during interruptions of their educational process brought about by similar future crises.