Complex View Research Articles

Hannah Arendt, Karl Jaspers, and World Citizenship Rethought

AbstractIn antiquity Diogenes was asked to identify himself as a citizen. He retorted by affirming that he was a “citizen of the world” and thus implicitly rejecting local citizenship. Ever since, his political identification has become a reference point in most literature on cosmopolitanism. After a brief discussion of the predicate “citizen of the world,” this article turns to Hannah Arendt’s attribution of it to Karl Jaspers. It explores how Arendt’s related work helps us recast issues of patriotism and cosmopolitanism, get a more accurate picture of her complex view on locality and universality, and introduce new sensibilities into political philosophical engagement with claims of world citizenship. Themes of limits, solitude, and darkness emerge as possible points of interest of a philosophy that acknowledges the centrality of politics in the life of the person whose right to world citizenship is tested by subjective and collective answerability to cosmos.

Smallness and Newness as Export Barriers: A Configurational Approach to SMEs in Emerging Countries

This study investigates firm-specific export barriers for SMEs in an emerging country, Russia. Instead of isolating the liabilities of newness and smallness as individual conditions that could prevent companies from exporting, we examine conjunctural causation, that is, the complementary factors that cause newness or smallness to become export barriers, and the presence of equifinality, that is, the existence of multiple export barrier configurations that could include smallness or newness in different ways. We took an inductive, theory-building approach based on set theory, applying a fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to a unique cross-section dataset of privately-owned Russian SMEs in the manufacturing industry in 2013. Our findings first suggest that SMEs that do not export are not necessarily small or young. Also, the liabilities of smallness and newness do not need to occur together. To prevent SMEs from exporting, the liability of smallness or newness has to be associated with a lack of other internal resources and the absence of links to external resource providers in the local environment. External parties in the home country, such as local strategic alliances, business group affiliations, or state support, provide different types of resources and are therefore not perfect substitutes. This study provides a more nuanced and complex view of the liabilities of newness and smallness as export barriers for SMEs in the context of an emerging country.

Origins and Pathways of Constitutionalism

The paper is part of the forthcoming volume 'Constitutional Democracy in the European Union and India: Comparing the Law of Demcoracy in Contintental Polities' (Elgar 2021, eds. P. Dann & A. Thiruvengadam). The present chapter reflects on the origins and pathways of Indian and European constitutionalism. With the concept of constitutionalism, the authors make reference to a practical discourse involving both professional actors and laymen regarding the legal foundations of the respective polity – its constitution. Both India and Europe have developed their own brands of constitutionalism, neither of which replicates the blueprints of ‘limited government’ or ‘popular sovereignty’ drawn by the American or French revolutions. The main argument of this chapter concerns the role of judicial institutions. Undisputedly, both the Indian Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice have played a crucial role in shaping their respective constitutional orders. However, the authors contrast the conventional, court-centred narrative with a more complex view on the interplay between judicial and political actors. In this context, they make an attempt at reconstructing the ‘original view’ of the framers on the constitutional project as a whole, and the appropriate role of the Judiciary. The resulting constitutional experiments build on a unique blend of liberal and post-liberal ideas. Both foundational documents enshrine an aspirational program of social change while preserving the constitutionalist commitment to democratic self-government and the rule of law – albeit the content of these programs differs and, as a matter of fact, adopts contrasting perspectives in its assessment of the role of nationalism to achieve the respective goals. A common theme is a more interventionist, or ‘activist’, understanding of constitutionalism as compared to classic conceptions. Both constitutional orders have laid down an aspirational program of social change – of economic progress, social equality, and cultural openness – to be implemented by representative or independent institutions, as the case may be. The authors argue that in view of contemporary authoritarian threats to its foundations, the future of constitutionalism in India and Europe might depend on the renewal of these original ideas.

3D PRINTING FOR DISSEMINATION OF MAYA ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: THE ACROPOLIS OF LA BLANCA (GUATEMALA)

Abstract. This paper focuses on the use of 3D printing as a tool for the dissemination of Maya architectural heritage. The case study is the Acropolis of La Blanca, the main complex of this archaeological site located in the Peten department, Guatemala. One of the objectives of La Blanca Project was to create a model of the Acropolis as part of the strategy for dissemination and as a didactical resource for the Visitor Center. The documentation of this architectural complex with digital survey techniques allowed to obtain a high-fidelity model of the Acropolis’ buildings. In order to achieve this goal, it was necessary to develop a methodology for the reverse modelling of the Acropolis, starting from the data obtained by laser scanning. We developed a workflow to create a virtual replica of the Acropolis optimized for 3D printing. This model was first printed in 17 parts by using the FDM technology. Then, it was transported to Guatemala and, finally, it was reassembled and placed at the Visitor Center. Today, this physical replica of the Acropolis is an important resource that allows the visitors to have a complete view of the main complex of the site, which is not easy in the Guatemalan jungle. It also provides an exclusive view of some parts of the Acropolis, already studied by researchers and now protected with a soil layer to ensure their preservation. Moreover, it is a useful resource for supporting dissemination and also serves as a teaching resource for student visitors.

Subdomain cryo-EM structure of nodaviral replication protein A crown complex provides mechanistic insights into RNA genome replication

For positive-strand RNA [(+)RNA] viruses, the major target for antiviral therapies is genomic RNA replication, which occurs at poorly understood membrane-bound viral RNA replication complexes. Recent cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) of nodavirus RNA replication complexes revealed that the viral double-stranded RNA replication template is coiled inside a 30- to 90-nm invagination of the outer mitochondrial membrane, whose necked aperture to the cytoplasm is gated by a 12-fold symmetric, 35-nm diameter "crown" complex that contains multifunctional viral RNA replication protein A. Here we report optimizing cryo-EM tomography and image processing to improve crown resolution from 33 to 8.5 Å. This resolves the crown into 12 distinct vertical segments, each with 3 major subdomains: A membrane-connected basal lobe and an apical lobe that together comprise the ∼19-nm-diameter central turret, and a leg emerging from the basal lobe that connects to the membrane at ∼35-nm diameter. Despite widely varying replication vesicle diameters, the resulting two rings of membrane interaction sites constrain the vesicle neck to a highly uniform shape. Labeling protein A with a His-tag that binds 5-nm Ni-nanogold allowed cryo-EM tomography mapping of the C terminus of protein A to the apical lobe, which correlates well with the predicted structure of the C-proximal polymerase domain of protein A. These and other results indicate that the crown contains 12 copies of protein A arranged basally to apically in an N-to-C orientation. Moreover, the apical polymerase localization has significant mechanistic implications for template RNA recruitment and (-) and (+)RNA synthesis.

An efficient framework for generating robust adversarial examples

Recent studies show that deep neural networks (DNNs) suffer adversarial examples. That is, attackers can mislead the output of a DNN by adding subtle perturbation to a benign input image. In addition, researchers propose new generation of technologies to produce robust adversarial examples. Robust adversarial examples can consistently fool DNN models under predefined hyperparameter space, which can break through some defenses against adversarial examples or even generate physical adversarial examples against real-world applications. Behind these achievements, expectation over transformation (EOT) algorithm plays as the backbone framework for generating robust adversarial examples. Though EOT framework is powerful, we know little about why such a framework can generate robust adversarial examples. To address this issue, we do the first work to explain the principle behind robust adversarial examples. Then, based on the findings, we point out that traditional EOT framework has a performance problem and propose an adaptive sampling algorithm to overcome such a problem. By modeling the sampling process as classic Coupon Collector Problem, we prove that our new framework reduces the cost from O ( n ∗ log ⁡ ( n ) ) to O ( n ), where n denotes the number of sampling points. Under the view of computational complexity, the algorithm is optimal for this problem. The experimental results show that our algorithm can save up to 23% overhead in average. This is significant for black-box attack, where the cost is charged by the amount of queries.

A Condensed View of the Chromosome Passenger Complex.

The inner centromere is a region on the mitotic chromosome that serves as a platform for mitotic signaling and possesses unique biophysical properties that enable it to withstand relatively large pulling forces that are generated by kinetochores (KTs) during chromosome segregation. The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) localizes to and is the key regulator of inner centromere organization and function during mitosis. Recently, we demonstrated that in addition to its kinase and histone code-reading activities, the CPC also can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and proposed that the inner centromere is a membraneless organelle scaffolded by the CPC. In this perspective, we explore mechanisms that can allow the formation and dissolution of this membraneless body. The cell-cycle-regulated spatially defined assembly and disassembly of the CPC condensate at the inner centromere can reveal general principles about how histone modifications control chromatin-bound membraneless organelles. We further explore how the ability of the CPC to undergo LLPS may contribute to the organization and function of the inner centromere during mitosis.

Enactment of moderation in Plato's "Charmides"

Plato’s dialogues are as much literary dramas as philosophical inquiries. In light of the scope and development of σωφροσύνη and the carefully crafted historical resonances of the dialogue’s dramatic date and cast of characters, it is argued here that σωφροσύνη is a foundational virtue, best understood as moderation, moderating one’s behavior, rather than on a par with other virtues. The Charmides is non-dogmatic, rather than skeptical or aporetic, and essentially political rather than ethical or epistemological, as often assumed. Rather than asserting any simple, propositional account of moderation, it enacts a complex moral and political view of moderation that unifies many strands of the term’s meanings in Greek through the persons and words of its characters and operating as much through the reader’s, imagination, and emotions as through reason and purely logical argument.

Oral Histories of Field Science in the Late Portuguese Colonial Empire

ABSTRACT This paper addresses theoretical and practical questions posed by an oral history project with researchers who did fieldwork in the Portuguese colonies as part of scientific expeditions for the Overseas Research Board (1951–1974) in the post-war period. I discuss what historians of science and late imperialism can draw from oral history as a methodology, as it is not a form of research used with any regularity in the history of science generally. I argue that oral history can be used as an alternative to ethnographic work, allowing researchers to pay close attention to scientific practices, processes of local knowledge production, and the racial division of labor that occurred – in my case specifically – in the colonial setting. Apart from that, the interviews illuminate the Portuguese field scientists’ shared identity in the colonies and their multi-layered interactions and political, social, and cultural negotiations; these broaden our knowledge and understanding of Portuguese field science in the colonial context, presenting a more complex view that does not reinforce either celebratory views of Portuguese colonial science or simplistic views of science in the service of Empire.

Autistic adults' views of their communication skills and needs.

Autistic people require varying levels of support at different stages of their lives. Yet, the healthcare needs of autistic adults are largely unmet. Speech and language therapy (SLT) is one healthcare service that has an important role in supporting autistic people: both with initial diagnosis, and with the ongoing support needed to navigate different communicative challenges across the lifespan. Despite recommendations for such support, currently there is no clear SLT pathway for autistic adults, and a lack of established approaches to support autistic adults' speech, language and communication needs. To seek autistic adults' views on (1) their communication skills and support needs; (2) the type of support SLT could offer; and (3) how such support could be provided. A total of 18 autistic adults were interviewed in their preferred mode of communication (e.g., face to face, phone call, text messaging, e-mail), expressing their views on their communication skills and needs. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Autistic adults presented complex views on communication, identifying the benefits of communication, while also emphasizing the significant negative impact that communication difficulties can have on their everyday lives. Identifying a range of internal (e.g., personal feelings) and external (e.g., the communication partner) factors, they highlighted the need for support at both individual levels (for specific life situations) and broader societal levels (to increase awareness and acceptance of communication difficulties). Considering the negative impact that communication difficulties can have for autistic adults, a need for support was emphasized. Despite recognition of this need within current legislation (in the UK) and positive steps toward providing support, more needs to be done. As experts in supporting individuals with communication difficulties, speech and language therapists could play a pivotal role in providing support at an individual level, as well as increasing awareness of communication differences more widely. What this paper adds What is already known on this subject There is a growing population of autistic adults with unmet support needs. A core characteristic of autism is difficulty with neurotypical social communication and interaction, which persists into adulthood and impacts across various life domains. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Autistic adults outlined the types of communication difficulties they experience, and how these can negatively impact on physical and mental health. Results highlight how these difficulties are not just rooted within the person themselves but can be influenced by external factors (e.g., the environment and the communication partner). What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Some autistic adults may benefit from direct support from SLT services. However, increased awareness and respect for communication differences at a broader societal level is also needed. Speech and language therapists can play an important role in increasing this level of awareness, positively highlighting differences in communication and ways to support people with communication difficulties/differences.

Pengelolaan Wakaf Uang Tunai Pada Lembaga Darut Tauhid (Dt) Peduli Kota Sukabumi

ABSTRACT
 This study is intended for getting information about the strategy of developing cash waqf at the institution of Daarut Tauhiid Peduli, Sukabumi. Another purpose was also to find out the law of cash waqf in the view of muamalah fiqih and the law based on the fatwa of Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI). The techniques of data collection for this study were interviews conducted direct communication, and also by phone. The method of analysis was descriptive analysis which is qualitative research. Also, the researcher made a complex view of the respondents based on the real situation. The results indicate there was a considerable positive influence in society, so that it can create the enthusiasm of the community for waqf with cash.

Approaching climate change mitigation policymaking in South Africa: a view from critical complexity thinking

ABSTRACT From a complexity thinking perspective, the world is understood as complex, systemic, and only partially knowable. The particular perspective we inhabit is determinant of what we can know. Perspective or ‘approach’ is therefore foregrounded by complexity thinkers as an active part of knowing and acting. We take a complexity view of climate change mitigation policymaking to argue that climate change mitigation policy communities have a dominant approach, which determines both our understanding of the climate change mitigation policy problem, and how we respond to it. To construct this argument, we first summarize and describe the existence of a hegemonic scientific and cultural worldview. We use multi-disciplinary literatures to demonstrate how this worldview operates in the approach of the international climate change mitigation policy community. Finally, we draw on empirical datasets to describe how the influence of this worldview characterizes the dominant approach of the South African climate change mitigation policy community. That climate change mitigation policy communities have a dominant approach means that, whilst aspects of the complex policy situation are illuminated by this approach, others are obscured. It is clear from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on 1.5°C warming that policymakers are not yet responding adequately to the problem. If approach determines what we see and how we act, it follows that approach can be interrogated as an active site of the policy challenge. A complexity view, for instance, enables us to see differently, emphasizing perspective, impartial knowledge, non-linearities and emergence in complexity and complex systems. This in turn has implications for our policymaking. Key policy insights Policymakers should explore how an understanding of approach informs climate change mitigation policymaking. Climate change mitigation policy communities should critically examine the underlying assumptions and worldviews that influence both how we encounter climate change mitigation and how we act upon it. An appreciation of ‘approach’ demands skills not typically valued or taught to climate change mitigation policymakers, with implications for climate change mitigation policy curricula and the composition of policymaking teams Complexity thinking opens up spaces for policymaking currently obscured by the dominant climate change mitigation policy approaches.

‘It's still the same old story’: The current southern Transdanubian approach to the Neolithisation process of central Europe

The pivotal role of the western Carpathian basin in the transmission of key inventions of food production towards central Europe is an accepted fact in Neolithic research. Southern Transdanubia in western Hungary may serve as a unique ‘laboratory’ for targeted investigations, as north Balkan and central European characteristics overlap in the region. Site-based studies of recently excavated late 6th millennium cal BC Neolithic settlements provide insights into possible patterns in the development of longhouse architecture and settlement layout, different combinations of material culture and their alterations, and technology transfer on a regional scale.In order to gain a more complex view of these themes, three micro-regions have been selected around key sites for further study of different vantage points between Lake Balaton and the Dráva/Drava river. The southernmost one is located in the Southern Baranya Hills, the second along the Danube on the northern fringes of the Tolna Sárköz and in the adjacent section of the Sárvíz valley, while the third lies in the central section of the southern shore of Lake Balaton. Field surveys including the systematic collection of surface finds complemented by geomagnetic prospections can contribute significantly to the reconstruction of settlement clusters.Absolute chronology has become an important research focus due to larger sets of radiocarbon dates interpreted within a Bayesian framework. The two dominant scenarios for the start of the westward expansion of the LBK are hard to harmonise with each other. An approach that estimates the beginning of the process around 5500 cal BC at the latest gains support from a west-central European perspective. In contrast, recent radiocarbon dating programmes with formal modelling of AMS series within a Bayesian framework estimate the appearance of the LBK west of the Carpathian basin hardly before 5350–5300 cal BC. The latter view provides the potential of harmonising the Neolithisation of central Europe with the emergence of the Vinča culture, at least in its northernmost region. Beyond this debate, ancient DNA analyses have enriched the discussions on migration, demic diffusion and the scale of hunter-gatherer contribution to the process with fresh arguments.

Structural view of the yeast Dam1 complex, a ring-shaped molecular coupler for the dynamic microtubule end.

In a dividing eukaryotic cell, proper chromosome segregation requires the dynamic yet persistent attachment of kinetochores to spindle microtubules. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this function is especially crucial because each kinetochore is attached to a single microtubule; consequently, loss of attachment could lead to unrecoverable chromosome loss. The highly specialized heterodecameric Dam1 protein complex achieves this coupling by assembling into a microtubule-encircling ring that glides near the end of the dynamic microtubule to mediate chromosome motion. In recent years, we have learned a great deal about the structural properties of the Dam1 heterodecamer, its mechanism of self-assembly into rings, and its tethering to the kinetochore by the elongated Ndc80 complex. The most remarkable progress has resulted from defining the fine structures of helical bundles within Dam1 heterodecamer. In this review, we critically analyze structural observations collected by diverse approaches with the goal of obtaining a unified view of Dam1 ring architecture. A considerable consistency between different studies supports a coherent model of the circular core of the Dam1 ring. However, there are persistent uncertainties about the composition of ring protrusions and flexible extensions, as well as their roles in mediating ring core assembly and interactions with the Ndc80 complex and microtubule.

Parameterized algorithms and complexity for the traveling purchaser problem and its variants

The traveling purchaser problem (TPP), a generalization of the traveling salesman problem, is to determine a tour of suppliers and purchase needed products from suppliers while minimizing the traveling and purchasing cost. This problem finds applications in the routing and scheduling contexts and its variants with different constraints have been widely studied. Motivated by the phenomenon that most real-world instances of TPP have a small parameter (such as the number of suppliers, the number of products to purchase, and others), we study TPP and its variants from the view of parameterized complexity. We show that TPP and some variants are fixed-parameter tractable by taking the number k of products or the number m of suppliers as the parameter, and W[2]-hard by taking the number q of visited suppliers as the parameter. Furthermore, we implement some of our fixed-parameter tractable algorithms to show that they are practically effective when the parameters are not very large.

The development of a scoring and ranking strategy for a patient-tailored adverse drug reaction prediction in polypharmacy

Only few applications are currently dealing with personalized adverse drug reactions (ADRs) prediction in case of polypharmacy. The study aimed to develop a patient-tailored ADR web application, considering characteristics from 734 drugs and relevant patient related factors. The application was designed in Python using a scoring and ranking system based on frequency and severity, computed for each ADR and expressed through an online platform. A neural networks algorithm was used for predicting the severity of ADRs. The application inputs are: age, gender, drugs, relevant pathologies. The outputs are: an overall severity profile (hospitalization and mortality risk), a stratified risk on specific ADR groups and a sorted list of the most important ADRs depending on frequency and severity. The Severity prediction model validation resulted in 79.7–85.1% Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Score, which lies in the good cut-off of 75–90%. The program offers a complex view regarding the ADR profile of a given patient and could be used by the physician and clinical pharmacist during patient safety monitoring, for a coherent therapy choice or medication adjustment, due to the good therapy coverage and the inclusion of relevant patient comorbidities.

Biogas upgrading methods: recent advancements and emerging technologies

Biogas is a valuable product of the anaerobic digestion process, which is used for the generation of renewable energy. The main component of biogas is methane together with impurities like carbon dioxide water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, siloxanes, hydrocarbons, ammonia, oxygen, carbon monoxide and nitrogen. Their presence is undesired, reducing the calorific value of biogas and creating various operational problems on machines. Therefore, multi-stage technologies for their removal are used during the process of transformation of biogas to biomethane. This paper presents the most used physicochemical technologies for biogas upgrading and CO2 removal with the addition of novel findings and further possibilities of their improvements. Compared are their costs, energy requirements, removal efficiency and other parameters to give the reader a more complex view on their competitiveness. The review also includes a comprehensive description of chemotrophic as well as phototrophic methods of hydrogen sulphide treatment with a focus on biological means. Although these methods are not always feasible when compared with physicochemical counterparts, they offer attractive advantages, including lower cost and more environmentally friendly operation with greater possibilities of improvement.

Policy Priority Inference: A Computational Method for the Analysis of Sustainable Development

We develop a computational framework to support the planning and evaluation of development strategies towards the 2030 Agenda. The methodology takes into account the complexities of the political economy underpinning the policymaking process, for example, the multidimensionality of development, the interlinkages between these dimensions, the inefficiencies of implementing policy interventions, as well as the institutional factors that promote or disencourage these inefficiencies. The framework is scalable and usable with publicly-available development-indicator data, and it can be further refined as more data becomes available, for example, on public expenditure. We demonstrate its usage through an application for the Mexican federal government. For this, we infer historical policy priorities, i.e. non-observable allocations of transformative resources that generate changes in development indicators. We also show how to use the tool to assess the feasibility of development goals, to measure policy coherence, and to identify accelerators. Overall, the tool provides a systemic framework that allows policymakers and other stakeholders to embrace a complexity view to tackle the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Comparative Analysis of Pterional, Supraorbital, Extended Supraorbital, and Transtubercular-Transplanum Approaches for Exposing the Anterior Communicating Artery Complex: A Cadaveric Study

We aimed to quantify and compare surgical exposure and freedom at the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) complex using pterional (PT), supraorbital (SO), extended supraorbital withorbital osteotomy (SOO), and endonasal endoscopic transtubercular-transplanum (EEATT) approaches. Right-sided PT, SO, SOO, and EEATT approaches were performed using 10 cadaveric heads. Surgical exposure and freedom (horizontal and vertical attack angle) at the ACoA complex were measured. The farthest clipping distance from ACoA to A1 (precommunicating segment of the anterior cerebral artery)/A2 (postcommunicating segment of the anterior cerebral artery) was also quantified. There was a significantly greater exposure length of right A1 in the PT approach (12.20 ± 2.48 mm) compared with the EEATT approach (9.52 ± 2.09 mm; P= 0.029). Among the 4 approaches, EEATT provided the shortest clipping distance for right A1 (6.56 ± 1.33 mm; P= 0.001) and the longest clipping distance for right A2 (3.36 ± 1.24 mm; P= 0.003). SO, SOO, and PT approaches (2.9 ± 0.9) had more observations on perforators from ACoA than did the EEATT approach (2.0 ± 0.66; P= 0.029). The EEATT approach (50.90 ± 17.45 mm2) provided better exposure of the superior part of the ACoA complex compared with the SO approach (29.37 ± 17.27 mm2; P= 0.05). PT and SOO approaches provided the greatest horizontal (36.88° ± 5.85°) and vertical (19.37° ± 4.70°) attack angle, respectively. The SO, SOO, and PT approaches provided a better hemilateral view of the ACoA complex and similar surgical exposure, whereas the EEATT approach offered greater exposure in the upper part of the ACoA complex, with relatively limited exposure of perforators from ACoA and surgical freedom. The EEATT approach can play a role in exposure of lesion involving the ACoA complex.

La ciudad desbordada. Experiencias artísticas colectivas después de la inundación

La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina) suffered on April 2, 2013 its worst flood. During and after the disaster, forms of solidarity and social practices, including artistic ones, were deployed. As a result of the disaster, a local visual arts scene was created after the flood -of artistic and textual production and generation of social relations. Thus, there were multiple interventions, both in institutional spaces and in the public space, which related the flooding from different artistic formats. They also generated a disruption in space, building other possible accounts of what happened and questioning its causes and consequences. We will give an account of this scene from a qualitative and transdisciplinary methodology, which implies a complex view of the relationship between the social political process and artistic productions.