Conceptual Challenges Research Articles

PUNCHING SHEAR BEHAVIOR AND STRENGTH OF FLAT SLABS

Prestressed and reinforced concrete flat plates are susceptible to failure due to punching shear. Modeling the punching shear strength of prestressed concrete slabs poses conceptual challenges, as it involves various factors, including the bonding of tendons, stress in tendons during punching failure (which can be indeterminate), tendon banding, and the presence of draped tendons that yield a beneficial vertical component of the prestressing force. Additionally, prestressed concrete slabs typically require supplementary bonded reinforcement. The objective of this research is to comprehensively investigate the physical behavior of each test specimen, considering parameters such as deflections, crack patterns, crack widths, mode of failure, and to compare the punching shear resistance of interior slab-column connections with various code provisions. The study involved testing a total of five interior slab-column connections, each measuring 1600×1600 mm in size, 80 mm in thickness, with square columns of 180×180 mm and a height of 300 mm. Keywords: Slab, Punching, Shear, Design, Codes, prestressing.

Military Science and Educational Institutions

Abstract The concept of military science represents the interaction of the system of military disciplines, civilian and military educational institutions and their researchers, whose work is focused on the most important societal value - security. In the context of interpretations by various authors, dictionaries and encyclopedias, the article critically examines the conceptualisation of military science, which has not received much attention in the Slovenian literature. In addition to conceptual challenges, the paper also answers the question of what military science is and how it should be understood in the context of contemporary interdisciplinary approaches and efforts of educational and other institutions that analytically grapple with a wide variety of insights, objects or topics related to the military as a phenomenon, practice or idea.

Refashioning Muslim femininity: YouTube as the facilitator of entrepreneurial motherhood

This article analyses YouTube channels of two Muslim women from Kerala – Silu Talks Salha and Zehera & Samseer – which have created a virtual space of sorority among Muslim women users of internet and smartphones, by way of a discourse of contemporary modernity embedded in the everyday domestic space. I engage critically with the ways in which these channels generate a discourse of entrepreneurial identity in negotiating with one’s lived realities. This discourse simultaneously makes appeal to be dutiful to conventional domestic roles, while being innovative and enterprising in them. Such modes of self-expression, which platforms such as YouTube enable, present conceptual challenges with regard to the categories of the individual and community. Arguing that the videos on these channels complicate the figure of the ‘conventional Muslim woman’ through their constant invocations of modernism and entrepreneurialism, this article illustrates how they produce an Islamic ‘mother community’ virtually. I show how these channels transform into a public yet intimate space, providing an online platform for Muslim women from Kerala to be seen and heard.

A roadmap for triggering the convergence of global ESG disclosure standards: lessons from the IFRS foundation and stakeholder engagement

PurposeMotivated by the growing and urgent demands for a unified set of internationally accepted, and high-quality environmental, social and governance (hereafter ESG) disclosure standards, this exploratory study aims to propose a roadmap for setting out the proper technical groundwork for global ESG disclosure standards.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory study is conducted to gain initial understanding and insights into establishing a worldwide set of standards for reporting on sustainability, as this topic has not been extensively studied. This study examines the viewpoints of various stakeholders, including sustainability practitioners, academics and organizations focused on ESG issues, to generate knowledge that is more solid than knowledge produced when one group of stakeholders work alone.FindingsThe results revealed that there is an ongoing and incompatible debate regarding several conceptual and practical challenges for setting a unified set of ESG disclosure standards.Practical implicationsThe study results provide multidimensional insights for regulatory parties and standard-setters to develop a high-quality package of global ESG reporting standards. This, in turn, enables different groups of stakeholders to understand the firm’s impact on the environment, society and economy.Originality/valueResearch into this timely and relevant global issue is considered an appealing area of study and deserves significant attention. Thereby, working on this topic merits remarkable attention. Furthermore, this exploratory article provides valuable and informative suggestions for creating a unified and high-quality set of internationally accepted sustainability reporting standards.

Proliferating active matter.

The fascinating patterns of collective motion created by autonomously driven particles have fuelled active-matter research for over two decades. So far, theoretical active-matter research has often focused on systems with a fixed number of particles. This constraint imposes strict limitations on what behaviours can and cannot emerge. However, a hallmark of life is the breaking of local cell number conservation by replication and death. Birth and death processes must be taken into account, for example, to predict the growth and evolution of a microbial biofilm, the expansion of a tumour, or the development from a fertilized egg into an embryo and beyond. In this Perspective, we argue that unique features emerge in these systems because proliferation represents a distinct form of activity: not only do the proliferating entities consume and dissipate energy, they also inject biomass and degrees of freedom capable of further self-proliferation, leading to myriad dynamic scenarios. Despite this complexity, a growing number of studies document common collective phenomena in various proliferating soft-matter systems. This generality leads us to propose proliferation as another direction of active-matter physics, worthy of a dedicated search for new dynamical universality classes. Conceptual challenges abound, from identifying control parameters and understanding large fluctuations and nonlinear feedback mechanisms to exploring the dynamics and limits of information flow in self-replicating systems. We believe that, by extending the rich conceptual framework developed for conventional active matter to proliferating active matter, researchers can have a profound impact on quantitative biology and reveal fascinating emergent physics along the way.

A critical review of the mixed method application and its criticism

Purpose - This research paper aims to apply and criticize mixed methods research in different fields. Mixed methods research (MMR) has also faced criticism for its conceptual and methodological challenges. Therefore, this study will explore the research’s criticism and strategies for overcoming them. Methodology - Most of the current research works employ a mixed research methodology. Researchers use the mixed methodology to investigate challenging research questions that a single methodology cannot answer. Findings - This research paper presents results related to using mixed methods research in various fields. Some critics argue that MMR lacks methodological rigor and can be time-consuming; others acknowledge its value in providing a more comprehensive understanding of complex social phenomena and marginalized communities. MMR has successfully employed to identify gaps in student knowledge, explore the interplay between psychological and physiological factors in health and illness, and develop more effective policies. However, balancing the depth of qualitative data with the breadth of quantitative data can be challenging, leading to compromises. Practical implications - The findings of this research have important practical implications for researchers and practitioners across various fields. It can be beneficial, specifically in education, health psychology, and public policy. Recommendations - Researchers should consider using mixed methods to examine complex research questions that require a multifaceted approach. Also, they should incorporate both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a more complete understanding of the research question. MMR can help capture diverse perspectives and experiences, particularly for underrepresented populations, providing a more nuanced understanding of social phenomena. These recommendations highlight the potential benefits of using mixed methods research and suggest directions for future research.

Researching Practice Areas of Consultancy Firms

Abstract We reflect on a multi-year study of practice areas within professional service firms that has resulted in impact in various ways, including research publications, class teaching, and industry dissemination. We describe the challenges in conducting academic research at the practice area level, rather than the firm level. These challenges are grouped into two camps: fieldwork challenges and conceptual challenges. While we navigated these during our project in order to achieve our goals, we believe more work needs to be done at the practice area level within the consultancy industry, especially as this unit of analysis is affected by trends in AI and ESG that were not so prominent 20 years ago. We suggest one way forward will be to utilize collaborative systems approaches through a holistic stance, rather than focus on narrow sets of variables in a reductionist stance.

Ab Initio Derivation of Lattice-Gauge-Theory Dynamics for Cold Gases in Optical Lattices

We introduce a method for quantum simulation of U$(1)$ lattice gauge theories coupled to matter, utilizing alkaline-earth(-like) atoms in state-dependent optical lattices. The proposal enables the study of both gauge and fermionic-matter fields without integrating out one of them in one and two dimensions. We focus on a realistic and robust implementation that utilizes the long-lived metastable clock state available in alkaline-earth(-like) atomic species. Starting from an $ab\,initio$ modelling of the experimental setting, we systematically carry out a derivation of the target U$(1)$ gauge theory. This approach allows us to identify and address conceptual and practical challenges for the implementation of lattice gauge theories that - while pivotal for a successful implementation - have never been rigorously addressed in the literature: those include the specific engineering of lattice potentials to achieve the desired structure of Wannier functions, and the subtleties involved in realizing the proper separation of energy scales to enable gauge-invariant dynamics. We discuss realistic experiments that can be carried out within such a platform using the fermionic isotope $^{173}$Yb, addressing via simulations all key sources of imperfections, and provide concrete parameter estimates for relevant energy scales in both one- and two-dimensional settings.

Reckoning with the digital turn in electoral geography

The sub-discipline of electoral geography contains research threads that draw on different theoretical, philosophical, and methodological traditions. I link these threads to the ‘digital turn’ that is occurring in the electoral landscape and in the discipline of geography itself. The use of digital technology is increasingly shaping electioneering and data regimes, providing new conceptual challenges concerning the spatial mediation and subsequent knowledge politics of voting and campaigning. Responding to these challenges requires not only building on the subfield’s tradition of interdisciplinarity but also on strengthening intra-disciplinary dialogue, in particular working across the quantitative–qualitative divide.

"Addressing Aging and Its Associated Diseases: Conceptual Challenges"

"Addressing Aging and Its Associated Diseases: Conceptual Challenges"

The Expressive Function of Healthcare

AbstractThis paper aims to square our considered judgements about the moral significance of healthcare with various empirical and conceptual challenges about its role in a theory of justice. I do so by defending the moral significance of healthcare by reference to a central but neglected dimension – healthcare’s expressive function. Over and above its influence on health outcomes and other metrics of justice (such as opportunity or welfare), and despite its relatively limited impact on population health outcomes, healthcare expresses respect for individuals in a distinctive and morally salient way. Grounding the moral significance of healthcare in this way not only highlights an important distinguishing feature of healthcare, but it also makes our support for healthcare immune from several powerful objections against its significance. This conclusion has important implications for theorists of (health) justice and for political philosophers more widely, highlighting the appropriate role of healthcare within public policy and normative theorising about theories of justice.

Sustainable Development of Tourism: Research and Policy Challenges

Substantial conceptual and empirical challenges face tourism researchers, practitioners and policy makers in articulating the concept of sustainable development and in formulating strategies to achieve and maintain sustainable development of the tourism industry. These challenges include better understanding of the dynamics of the sustainability concept and its essential interconnection with human well-being; better appreciation of the complex nature of well-being pertaining to present and future generations of destination residents; improved understanding of the role played by changing quantities and qualities of capital stocks in well-being transmission; and the extent to which capital stocks are substitutable for each other. Addressing these challenges can inform useful directions for future research on theory and good practice in the area of sustainable tourism development.

International Personal Data Transfers and Effective Redress: Concluding Remarks

This concluding piece aims to bring together the various reflections contained in the special issue focused on the right to an effective remedy with specific reference to data protection legislation and international personal data transfers. The piece shows how the contributions to the special issue have unveiled an important function of Article 47, that of 'value exporter' of the EU. However, they have also highlighted the conceptual and definitional challenges and persisting uncertainties surrounding the use of Article 47 with respect to international data transfers.

In Search of Legal Certainty Regarding 'Effective Redress' In International Data Transfers: Unpacking The Conceptual Complexities and Clarifying The Substantive Requirements

While effective redress has emerged as a decisive issue in the context of international data transfers, it is shrouded by legal uncertainty due to several conceptual and practical challenges. First, the CJEU rulings on the right to an effective (judicial) remedy raise issues regarding its role in the international domain as well as in relation to EU data protection primary and secondary law. Second, the extraterritorial application of substantive requirements for redress remains unclear and limited to ad hoc assessments. In particular, questions relating to the administrative and/or judicial nature of remedies as well as the according constitutive elements of redress are yet to be determinately answered. The present article aims to address this gap by proposing a roadmap of what effective redress should entail in the context of international data transfers by focusing on i) the EU autonomous definition of tribunal as developed within the CJEU case-law on Article 267 TFEU and, ii) the United Kingdom's Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) as providing for an effective judicial remedy in the context of secret surveillance.

Conceptual Legal Challenges in Tax Automation via Blockchain Technology

The blockchain technology has been projected to substantially disrupt numerous aspects of tax processes. This prediction has by and large not come to fruition yet. While every disruptive technology must overcome some barriers before realizing its full potential, the authors inquire whether there is something inherently hindering in the way current laws are drafted and constitutional guarantees formulated that prevents the blockchain from flourishing. The authors argue that, to reap the full benefits of automation via blockchain, the existing social institutions (legal framework) and the creative achievement (new technologies) must meet half way. On the one hand, new technologies such as blockchain must be established within the framework of the existing social structure and be fully subjected to the fundamental rights guaranteed by the legal order. On the other hand, the legal order itself must be transformed in a way that permits binary automated outcomes while preserving equity. This paper looks at the ways of achieving that.

Small Island Developing States and climate securitisation in international politics: Towards a comprehensive conception

This article focuses on the engagement of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the climate security debate launched by the United Nations Security Council. It aims to show how SIDS’ engagement in the Security Council debate can provide an innovative approach to explain and overcome some of the conceptual and policy challenges for climate securitisation at the international level. Big and small actors in the climate security debate have formed multiple perceptions about threats and solutions concerning climate security. Military-based framings of security have taken a dominant place in the Security Council debate; this has created challenges for security actors seeking to include multiple threat factors related to climate change in the security space. SIDS have illustrated the challenges in highlighting the diverse range of vulnerabilities, impacts, and solutions uniquely inherent to many security speakers and audiences involved in the climate security debate. Using a qualitative analysis of constructivist literature on securitisation, this article develops a conceptual framework to help incorporate SIDS’ broader aspects of climate security into the securitising move at the international level. It asserts that SIDS make a compelling case to explain the impacts of multilevel threat factors and security provisions on climate security formation.

Thinking ‘with’ China: Material and conceptual challenges

Urban studies have been roiled by a lively debate over the roles of generalization and particularity in advancing theory about cities and urbanization. Also at stake are questions of epistemology, method, inclusion, representation, and power in knowledge production. Teo, Chung, and Wang have proposed a set of methodological propositions aimed at ‘building theory in and through urban China’ as a contribution to the larger ongoing discussion about urban theory and global urban studies. In this commentary, I present a critique of their methodological proposals by highlighting issues originating from within and outside the field of urban Chinese studies.

Seeds of knowledge: paving the way to integrated historical and conservation science research

Recognition of the importance of protecting agrobiodiversity is not a new phenomenon. Crossing different sciences is often pinpointed as a relevant contributor to its successful protection. This paper proposes an integrated research approach in history and conservation science by opening new paths for using written historical sources in biodiversity inventories. It discusses some conceptual and methodological challenges raised by historical research regarding the diversity and distribution of wild and cultivated edible plants. The possibilities of using historical sources for compiling plant lists that can be integrated into biodiversity databases are also explored. Arguing that interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are crucial, enabling a wide range of vernacular sources from several centuries to be cross-referenced, the paper aims to draw attention to written historical sources and their importance in deepening knowledge about past biodiversity patterns.

Open problems in PDE models for knowledge-based animal movement via nonlocal perception and cognitive mapping

The inclusion of cognitive processes, such as perception, learning and memory, are inevitable in mechanistic animal movement modelling. Cognition is the unique feature that distinguishes animal movement from mere particle movement in chemistry or physics. Hence, it is essential to incorporate such knowledge-based processes into animal movement models. Here, we summarize popular deterministic mathematical models derived from first principles that begin to incorporate such influences on movement behaviour mechanisms. Most generally, these models take the form of nonlocal reaction-diffusion-advection equations, where the nonlocality may appear in the spatial domain, the temporal domain, or both. Mathematical rules of thumb are provided to judge the model rationality, to aid in model development or interpretation, and to streamline an understanding of the range of difficulty in possible model conceptions. To emphasize the importance of biological conclusions drawn from these models, we briefly present available mathematical techniques and introduce some existing "measures of success" to compare and contrast the possible predictions and outcomes. Throughout the review, we propose a large number of open problems relevant to this relatively new area, ranging from precise technical mathematical challenges, to more broad conceptual challenges at the cross-section between mathematics and ecology. This review paper is expected to act as a synthesis of existing efforts while also pushing the boundaries of current modelling perspectives to better understand the influence of cognitive movement mechanisms on movement behaviours and space use outcomes.

Social–emotional skills of teachers: Mapping the content space and defining taxonomy requirements

Many studies acknowledge the importance of social–emotional skills1 (SEMS) to function in contemporary society. Understanding these skills and how these develop presents several conceptual and methodological challenges, with emerging consensus on what kind of skills should be fostered in education. Less work, however, has considered SEMS specifically for teachers, despite the fact that they are presumed to be the primary agents to affect SEMS of students. The current article examines different conceptualizations of teacher SEMS and provides a first attempt at defining and structuring this broad conceptual space. We further propose a conceptual teacher SEMS framework that may serve as a basis of an empirical one to guide future educational research and policy-making.