Alternative Paradigm Research Articles

The Enigma of Humanistic Justice in Addressing Narcotics Abuse

Drug abuse is a complex problem that requires a comprehensive solution. This includes how the concept is used in various aspects of tackling drug abuse. Justice in drug abuse eradication is a complex enigma, especially when the approach taken tends to be repressive and pays less attention to humanitarian aspects. Restorative justice is an alternative paradigm for handling drug abuse in Indonesia by linking it to the values of Pancasila. Restorative justice emphasizes recovery, reconciliation, and reintegration of offenders, victims, and society. This approach is in line with Pancasila values such as humanity, unity, and social justice. Restorative justice does not only enforce the law, but also pays attention to the social and psychological aspects involved in drug abuse cases. Applying restorative justice to the rehabilitation of drug addicts helps them overcome their addiction and become productive members of society again. Implementing restorative justice requires the cooperation of various stakeholders, including government, law enforcement, and local communities. This research aims to explore and understand the complexity of humanistic justice in the context of drug abuse treatment, as well as examine the definition and concept of humanistic justice in the context of drug abuse. This research uses an empirical juridical method, with interviews conducted at the Kediri City Attorney's Office and observation visits to post-rehabilitation drug abusers. Results of this study show that to overcome this, a comprehensive approach is needed that affects many aspects of life. The noble values of Pancasila provide a solid foundation in developing effective coping strategies.

Operationalising the 15-minute city with New Mobility services

The 15-minute city concept has gained significant traction in recent years but faces implementation challenges across diverse geographical, spatial, and political contexts. This 15-minute concept proposes that primary functions should be accessible within 15 minutes by walking, cycling, or public transport. However, it provides little guidance on the placement of these functions or the modalities of access. Additionally, it does not consider various new mobility modes and services, nor emerging technologies such as telecommuting and e-commerce. The main challenge is that the 15-minute city presents an alternative planning paradigm to the existing automobility paradigm, which has dominated global city planning over the past century. While cars can facilitate all types of trips, no other transport mode can claim the same versatility. To transition to a new mobility paradigm, we must consider unbundling these trips to allow for the rightsizing of vehicles according to trip purposes, better aligning with factors such as cost, environmental impact, and spatial constraints. This article will showcase how the New Mobility Assessment Framework has been applied to the new development of Hinna Park, outside of Stavanger, Norway. The project provides insights for the public transport authority, Kolumbus, on optimising the deployment of shared mobility services such as bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, shared cars, and car-pooling. It also provided insights to allow key discussions between Kolumbus and the property developer to plan the new districts to support sustainable modes of transport. The framework aims to operationalise the mobility principles of the 15-minute city through public-private collaboration, assessing market potential, setting ambition levels for behaviour change, and developing pricing and investment strategies.

A Hybrid Neuromorphic Object Tracking and Classification Framework for Real-Time Systems.

Deep learning inference that needs to largely take place on the "edge" is a highly computational and memory intensive workload, making it intractable for low-power, embedded platforms such as mobile nodes and remote security applications. To address this challenge, this article proposes a real-time, hybrid neuromorphic framework for object tracking and classification using event-based cameras that possess desirable properties such as low-power consumption (5-14 mW) and high dynamic range (120 dB). Nonetheless, unlike traditional approaches of using event-by-event processing, this work uses a mixed frame and event approach to get energy savings with high performance. Using a frame-based region proposal method based on the density of foreground events, a hardware-friendly object tracking scheme is implemented using the apparent object velocity while tackling occlusion scenarios. The frame-based object track input is converted back to spikes for TrueNorth (TN) classification via the energy-efficient deep network (EEDN) pipeline. Using originally collected datasets, we train the TN model on the hardware track outputs, instead of using ground truth object locations as commonly done, and demonstrate the ability of our system to handle practical surveillance scenarios. As an alternative tracker paradigm, we also propose a continuous-time tracker with C++ implementation where each event is processed individually, which better exploits the low latency and asynchronous nature of neuromorphic vision sensors. Subsequently, we extensively compare the proposed methodologies to state-of-the-art event-based and frame-based methods for object tracking and classification, and demonstrate the use case of our neuromorphic approach for real-time and embedded applications without sacrificing performance. Finally, we also showcase the efficacy of the proposed neuromorphic system to a standard RGB camera setup when simultaneously evaluated over several hours of traffic recordings.

Enhanced elastic stability of a topologically disordered crystalline metal–organic framework

By virtue of their open network structures and low densities, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are soft materials that exhibit elastic instabilities at low applied stresses. The conventional strategy for improving elastic stability is to increase the connectivity of the underlying MOF network, which necessarily increases the material density and reduces the porosity. Here we demonstrate an alternative paradigm, whereby elastic stability is enhanced in a MOF with an aperiodic network topology. We use a combination of variable-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements and coarse-grained lattice-dynamical calculations to interrogate the high-pressure behaviour of the topologically aperiodic system TRUMOF-1, which we compare against that of its ordered congener MOF-5. We show that the topology of the former quenches the elastic instability responsible for pressure-induced framework collapse in the latter, much as irregularity in the shapes and sizes of stones acts to prevent cooperative mechanical failure in drystone walls. Our results establish aperiodicity as a counter-intuitive design motif in engineering the mechanical properties of framework structures that is relevant to MOFs and larger-scale architectures alike.

Periodisation and modernity: an introduction

ABSTRACT Dividing time into separate epochs is fundamental to historical research. However, while periodisations reflect particular interpretations of political, economic, social, and cultural developments, they often rely on the concept of ‘modernity’ as a foundation. This nexus between modernity and periodisation is well-established yet deeply problematic. Pre- or non-modern times and spaces are deemed deficient and backward, as not yet modern. This bias extends to colonial and postcolonial regions, where Western historical paradigms were imposed to interpret political and social realities. Confronting these biases unveils how historians conceptualize space and time and highlights the normative assumptions embedded within different forms of periodisation. However, simply expanding the scope or timeframes of research alone does not address the dilemma. Historians do well to historicise this nexus and develop alternative approaches to writing history. The intricate relationship between periodization and modernity forms the intellectual starting point of this special issue. Originating from dialogues between medieval and modern European history, this issue aims to critically reevaluate classical periodisation models and explore alternative paradigms. By integrating contributions from scholars of medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary European history, this issue bridges previously separated debates, promotes a comprehensive understanding of historical temporalities and challenges established historiographical norms.

Symbolic recording of signalling and cis-regulatory element activity to DNA.

Measurements of gene expression or signal transduction activity are conventionally performed using methods that require either the destruction or live imaging of a biological sample within the timeframe of interest. Here we demonstrate an alternative paradigm in which such biological activities are stably recorded to the genome. Enhancer-driven genomic recording of transcriptional activity in multiplex (ENGRAM) is based on the signal-dependent production of prime editing guide RNAs that mediate the insertion of signal-specific barcodes (symbols) into a genomically encoded recording unit. We show how this strategy can be used for multiplex recording of the cell-type-specific activities of dozens to hundreds of cis-regulatory elements with high fidelity, sensitivity and reproducibility. Leveraging signal transduction pathway-responsive cis-regulatory elements, we also demonstrate time- and concentration-dependent genomic recording of WNT, NF-κB and Tet-On activities. By coupling ENGRAM to sequential genome editing via DNA Typewriter1, we stably record information about the temporal dynamics of two orthogonal signalling pathways to genomic DNA. Finally we apply ENGRAM to integratively record the transient activity of nearly 100 transcription factor consensus motifs across daily windows spanning the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into gastruloids, an in vitro model of early mammalian development. Although these are proof-of-concept experiments and much work remains to fully realize the possibilities, the symbolic recording of biological signals or states within cells, to the genome and over time, has broad potential to complement contemporary paradigms for how we make measurements in biological systems.

Paradigmatic reflections in cross-cultural management to make sense of a VUCA world

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the concept of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) in the field of cross-cultural management.Design/methodology/approachThe related literature has been analysed from various paradigmatic lenses.FindingsAs the VUCA world concept originates from business circles, several key articles were published in non-academic journals. Two distinct groups of publications can be identified: consulting literature and academic literature on the VUCA world. While both consulting literature and academic literature about the VUCA world can be associated with functionalism, alternative research paradigms can easily accommodate new studies in connection with the VUCA world: interpretive, critical and postmodern works would fit the features of the VUCA world, along with multi-paradigm studies.Research limitations/implicationsIt is advisable to investigate emergent contemporary issues, often labelled VUCA, according to multiple paradigms and to conduct multi-paradigmatic research.Originality/valueWhile consulting literature on the VUCA world implicitly assumes functionalist paradigms, academic literature might provide alternative assumptions. Interpretative, critical and postmodern paradigms more accurately address the issues raised by VUCA.

Optimization of Joint Scheduling for Automated Guided Vehicles and Unmanned Container Trucks at Automated Container Terminals Considering Conflicts

Port development is a critical component in constructing a resilient transportation infrastructure. The burgeoning integration of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) within container terminals, in conjunction with the orchestrated scheduling of unmanned container trucks (UCTs), is essential for the sustainable expansion of port operations in the future. This study examined the influence of AGVs in automated container terminals and the synergistic scheduling of UCTs on port operations. Comparative experiments were meticulously designed to evaluate the feasibility of integrated scheduling schemes. Through the development of optimization models that consider conflict-free paths for both AGVs and UCTs, as well as strategies for conflict resolution, a thorough analysis was performed. Advanced genetic algorithms were engineered to address task-dispatching models. In contrast, the A* optimization search algorithm was adapted to devise conflict-free and conflict-resolution paths for the two vehicle types. A range of scaled scenarios was utilized to assess the impact of AGVs and UCTs on the joint-scheduling process across various configuration ratios. The effectiveness of the strategies was appraised by comparing the resultant path outcomes. Additionally, comparative algorithmic experiments were executed to substantiate the adaptability, efficacy, and computational efficiency of the algorithms in relation to the models. The experimental results highlight the viability of tackling the joint-scheduling challenge presented by AGVs and UCTs in automated container terminals. When juxtaposed with alternative scheduling paradigms that operate independently, this integrated approach exhibits superior performance in optimizing the total operational costs. Consequently, it provides significant insights into enhancing port scheduling practices.

Systematizing modeler experience (MX) in model-driven engineering success stories

Modeling is often associated with complex and heavy tooling, leading to a negative perception among practitioners. However, alternative paradigms, such as everything-as-code or low-code, are gaining acceptance due to their perceived ease of use. This paper explores the dichotomy between these perceptions through the lens of “modeler experience” (MX). MX includes factors such as user experience, motivation, integration, collaboration and versioning, and language complexity. We examine the relationships between these factors and their impact on different modeling usage scenarios. Our findings highlight the importance of considering MX when understanding how developers interact with modeling tools and the complexities of modeling and associated tooling.

Encountering the Strange Feminine: Failure of Partition and Masculine Hegemony in Saadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Colder Than Ice’ (‘Thanda Gosht’)

ABSTRACT Fictional narratives centred around the Partition of India in 1947 usually voice the plight of the women caused by the communal riots and hatred among religious communities. Saadat Hasan Manto, in his short story ‘Thanda Gosht’ (trans. ‘Cold Meat’), translated into English by Khalid Hasan as ‘Colder than Ice’, brings out the other side of Partition’s gendered narrative – the impact of the violent creation of borders on Indian men. Through the notion of ‘strange encounters’, the paper demonstrates the metaphoric connection between the female body and the contested land of pre-Partition India while the masculine and oppressive Ishwar, who symbolises political leaders mandating the Partition, fails to exert his supremacy as he is traumatised by the psychological repercussions of the aftermath of violence- sexual on a micro level, communal on a macro level. By critiquing the familiarity and strangeness that underscore the Self-Other binary, the essay visualises alternate paradigms of gendered nationalist encounters- how the male communalist perpetrator’s masculinity is a product of myriad privileges, his hegemonic power in a patriarchal system being one. It will also interrogate notions of shame and honour that pervade such gendered encounters underlined by violence to demonstrate how Manto’s stories subvert that discourse.

Towards transformative climate justice: reorienting communication paradigms in India

ABSTRACT This paper explores the intersection of neoliberalism, development communication, and climate justice in India, particularly under the Modi regime. It examines how neoliberal ideologies leverage dominant communication paradigms reflecting class dominance, biopolitical control, and a unified national identity rooted in religion. This form of communication extends to policies related to climate justice with India conceptualised and communicated as a monolithic entity or a nation-state with a homogenous belief system that prioritises development over climate concerns, reinforced through binaries prevalent in global climate justice negotiations. This nation-centric approach to climate justice marginalises the views of vulnerable communities in climate justice. While taking a critical view of environmental movements, this article advocates alternative paradigms of communication through a bottom-up approach and identifies conditions and institutions that promote transformative climate justice.

Circular economy: A review of review articles

AbstractThe circular economy (CE) has emerged as a focal point in discussions surrounding sustainable development, industrial production, and resource efficiency. While it has garnered attention as a ground‐breaking paradigm with the potential to harmonize economic, societal, and environmental dynamics, divergent perspectives and critical inquiries have surfaced. This paper delves into the interdisciplinary literature on CE, exploring the interpretative flexibility inherent in its conceptualization. Acknowledging the diverse range of strategies associated with the CE, the study contends with the potential risks of its misappropriation, emphasizing the importance of understanding its systemic socio‐ecological implications. With an umbrella review approach, rarely applied in social sciences, the study navigates through 167 review articles, unveiling thematic trends and identifying gaps within the existing literature. By scrutinizing the techno‐managerial dominance within CE discussions, the paper calls attention to the overshadowing of numerous critical issues. It highlights the importance of systematic attention to CE's social aspects, essential to provide insights into how policies, strategies, and actions affect the society, as well as the emerging discussion on the alternative social transformative paradigm. The paper concludes with a three‐stage study design: a meticulous review of 167 articles, a thematic analysis revealing trends, and a reflective exploration of potential research avenues. This review serves as a comprehensive guide for scholars and practitioners for a holistic understanding of CE and encouraging contributions to address identified gaps and fostering the evolution of CE literature.

Ivan Illich의 교육개발협력 사상에 근거한 UN 글로벌 교육의제의 비판적 고찰

Objectives The purpose of this study was to critically analyze issues related to educational development cooperation in the UN global education agenda based on Illich's educational development cooperation ideas to explore the direction and implications of the UN global education agenda. Methods In order to examine critical issues related to the UN Global Education Agenda, 29 relevant prior studies selected by the RISS were analyzed and to organize philosophies and ideas related to Illich's educational development cooperation, seven books at a time when Illich's educational development cooperation activities were active were examined. Based on this analysis, the UN global education agenda was re-analyzed to derive alternative implications. Results The issues pointed out in the relevant prior studies are summarized as follows (1) Issues related to the background of the educational agenda, 2) Issues related to the establishment process of the educational agenda, 3) Issues related to the logic of the educational agenda itself, 4) Issues related to the application of the educational agenda. Illich's Ideas on educational development cooperation through analysis of his 7 books are briefly summarized into three areas about society and international development: (1) criticism(industrial society criticism, misuse of ‘improvement’ and ‘development’ concept, school education criticism) 2) goals(the directions related society, life, and education) 3) alternative(Conviviality). Conclusions The conclusion from this study is as follows : 1) The UN Global Education Agenda requires macro paradigm shift of development cooperation or the ODA system itself, rather than internal modification and micro supplementation. 2) It is necessary to change the overall form of education away from standardized school education, universal education, and compulsory education to education that respects the autonomous and voluntary learning of individuals and reflects the alternative paradigm of modern education. 3) It is necessary to change direction to ‘regional customized’ support to realize a vibrant autonomous symbiotic ‘Conviviality’ in indigenous life considering the social and cultural environment of each country, not the needs and growth from the perspective of capitalism and industrial society.

Invisible no more: the intersectionality of Asian American immigrants experiences

ABSTRACT Violence against individuals of Asian ancestry is frequently overlooked and dismissed as a personal issue. This conceptual paper aims to critically analyze the roots of anti-Asian violence as a sociopolitical problem and investigate the systematic oppression that leads to the invisibility of Asian American experiences. To begin, we introduce two conventional paradigms that function as forms of systemic oppression, contributing to the marginalization of Asian American immigrants. Subsequently, we present the concept of intersectionality as an alternative paradigm for understanding the diverse experiences within the Asian American community. Furthermore, we offer suggestions for the training of social workers to better equip them to assist Asian American individuals and families who find themselves caught between the Black/White and Native/Alien binaries.

Revolutionizing Arthritis Care: Cutting-Edge Nanogel Formulations for Targeted, Long-Lasting Relief and Enhanced Mobility

Arthritis, which impacts individuals all over the globe, is characterized by severe pain and a high prevalence rate. Current treatments for the illness come with a number of obstacles and difficulties. It is necessary to explore alternative paradigms, as systemic medications aren’t necessarily the greatest choice. The new discipline of nanotechnology has the potential to significantly alter several aspects of arthritis treatment. Therefore, the work provides strong support for developing novel therapies employing compositions of topical nanogels. Traditional systemic narcotics have their limitations, and the evolution of arthritis treatments has to take that into consideration. Thus, novel nanogel formulations offered as a nanotechnology solution may out to be quite advantageous. Applying nanogels to product design has been a significant administrative step. Nanogels offer unparalleled precision and efficiency, whether you’re dealing with simple concepts, cutting-edge techniques for surface modification, or intricate strategies for drug encapsulation. New data from pain evaluations, clinical studies, and comparisons to traditional therapies have supported their revolutionary potential and effectiveness. However, the patient’s health must always come first. While we strive to mitigate adverse effects and evaluate long-term ramifications, the positive outcomes of our biocompatibility testing offer reassurance regarding the safety profile of nanogels. For regulatory and ethical considerations, there must be transparency, informed permission, and equitable access for nanotechnology-powered arthritic treatments. This study calls for additional research into the use of nanotechnology in the treatment of arthritis because recent advances in nanogel technology have the ability to completely transform the current approach to treating this debilitating disease, bringing about a new era of precision medicine.

Outlier detection for keystroke biometric user authentication.

User authentication is a fundamental aspect of information security, requiring robust measures against identity fraud and data breaches. In the domain of keystroke dynamics research, a significant challenge lies in the reliance on imposter datasets, particularly evident in real-world scenarios where obtaining authentic imposter data is exceedingly difficult. This article presents a novel approach to keystroke dynamics-based authentication, utilizing unsupervised outlier detection techniques, notably exemplified by the histogram-based outlier score (HBOS), eliminating the necessity for imposter samples. A comprehensive evaluation, comparing HBOS with 15 alternative outlier detection methods, highlights its superior performance. This departure from traditional dependence on imposter datasets signifies a substantial advancement in keystroke dynamics research. Key innovations include the introduction of an alternative outlier detection paradigm with HBOS, increased practical applicability by reducing reliance on extensive imposter data, resolution of real-world challenges in simulating fraudulent keystrokes, and addressing critical gaps in existing authentication methodologies. Rigorous testing on Carnegie Mellon University's (CMU) keystroke biometrics dataset validates the effectiveness of the proposed approach, yielding an impressive equal error rate (EER) of 5.97%, a notable area under the ROC curve of 97.79%, and a robust accuracy (ACC) of 89.23%. This article represents a significant advancement in keystroke dynamics-based authentication, offering a reliable and efficient solution characterized by substantial improvements in accuracy and practical applicability.

Dynamics of circular business development: The case of social clothing recycle

AbstractNowadays, scholars and policymakers see circular economy (CE) as a relevant paradigm to pursue sustainability. Despite the mushrooming literature on CE, management studies lack in describing CE implementation features at a firm level and the driving forces for circular conversion. This paper thus seeks to investigate the key dynamics occurring in native circular firms to support hypotheses generation on the development and diffusion of circular business models. For this purpose, two representative case studies in the social clothing sector have been performed with a qualitative and participative approach, making use of system dynamics (SD) tools. Cases' narrative and embedded SD causal structures depict the organization's business, environmental, social and educational features. The model illustrates self‐reinforcing dynamics of circular consumptions and sales, organizational capacity building and consumer conversion to circularity. Composite learning mechanisms and educational initiatives catalyse the commercial business and disclose a role for circular companies in the affirmation of CE as an alternative paradigm to the linear economy. Furthermore, case‐based inductive understanding is discussed through a typological matrix that contains a classification of CE businesses. Overall, the paper attempts to contribute to the management field by describing the development dynamics of CE business models. The case studies, faced with an SD approach, provide insights on implementation mechanisms of CE at a company level and are the basis of new hypotheses generation on circular development and conversion.

Structural Condition Assessment of Steel Anchorage Using Convolutional Neural Networks and Admittance Response

Structural damage in the steel bridge anchorage, if not diagnosed early, could pose a severe risk of structural collapse. Previous studies have mainly focused on diagnosing prestress loss as a specific type of damage. This study is among the first for the automated identification of multiple types of anchorage damage, including strand damage and bearing plate damage, using deep learning combined with the EMA (electromechanical admittance) technique. The proposed approach employs the 1D CNN (one-dimensional convolutional neural network) algorithm to autonomously learn optimal features from the raw EMA data without complex transformations. The proposed approach is validated using the raw EMA response of a steel bridge anchorage specimen, which contains substantial nonlinearities in damage characteristics. A K-fold cross-validation approach is used to secure a rigorous performance evaluation and generalization across different scenarios. The method demonstrates superior performance compared to established 1D CNN models in assessing multiple damage types in the anchorage specimen, offering a potential alternative paradigm for data-driven damage identification in steel bridge anchorages.

STEP: extraction of underlying physics with robust machine learning.

A prevalent class of challenges in modern physics are inverse problems, where physical quantities must be extracted from experimental measurements. End-to-end machine learning approaches to inverse problems typically require constructing sophisticated estimators to achieve the desired accuracy, largely because they need to learn the complex underlying physical model. Here, we discuss an alternative paradigm: by making the physical model auto-differentiable we can construct a neural surrogate to represent the unknown physical quantity sought, while avoiding having to relearn the known physics entirely. We dub this process surrogate training embedded in physics (STEP) and illustrate that it generalizes well and is robust against overfitting and significant noise in the data. We demonstrate how STEP can be applied to perform dynamic kernel deconvolution to analyse resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectra and show that surprisingly simple estimator architectures suffice to extract the relevant physical information.

Near‐Field Coupling of Janus Dipoles Beyond Polarization Locking

AbstractPolarization, as a fundamental property of light, plays a key role in many phenomena of near‐field coupling, namely the coupling of source's evanescent waves into some guided modes. As a typical example of the polarization‐locked phenomenon in the near‐field coupling, the Janus dipole has the orientation of its near‐field coupling face intrinsically determined by the polarization state of linearly‐polarized surface waves, specifically whether they are transverse‐magnetic (TM) or transverse‐electric (TE) surface waves. Here, a mechanism to achieve the directional near‐field coupling of Janus dipoles beyond polarization locking by leveraging hybrid TM‐TE surface waves is presented. These hybrid surface waves, as eigenmodes with both TM and TE wave components, can be supported by optical interfaces between different filling materials inside a parallel‐plate waveguide. Under the excitation of hybrid surface waves, it is found that the coupling and non‐coupling face of a Janus dipole may be switched, if the Janus dipole itself rotates in a plane parallel to the designed optical interface between different filling materials, without resorting to the change of surface‐wave polarization. The underlying mechanism is due to the capability of hybrid surface waves to extract both the source's TM and TE evanescent waves, which offers an alternative paradigm to regulate the interference in the near‐field coupling.