Complex Adaptive Systems Research Articles

Opioid-specific harm reduction in the emergency department: how staff provide harm reduction and contextual factors that impact their capacity to engage in harm reduction practice

BackgroundEmergency Departments (ED) staff, including nurses and physicians, are most directly involved in the care of people who use unregulated substances, and are ideally positioned to provide harm reduction interventions. Conceptualizing the ED as a complex adaptive system, this paper examines how ED staff experience opioid-specific harm reduction provision and engage in harm reduction practice, including potential facilitators and barriers to engagement.MethodsUsing a mixed methods approach, ED nurses and physicians completed a self-administered staff survey (n = 99) and one-on-one semi-structured interviews (n = 15). Five additional interviews were completed with clinical leaders. Survey data were analyzed to generate descriptive statistics and to compute scale scores. De-identified interview data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach, which was informed by the theory of complex adaptive systems, as well as understandings of harm reduction as both a technical solution and a contextualized social practice. The final analysis involved mixed analysis through integrating both quantitative and qualitative data to generate overarching analytical themes.ResultsStudy findings illustrated that, within the context of the ED as a complex adaptive system, three interrelated contextual factors shape the capacity of staff to engage in harm reduction practice, and to implement the full range of opioid-specific harm reduction interventions available. These factors include opportunities to leverage benefits afforded by working collaboratively with colleagues, adequate preparation through receiving the necessary education and training, and support in helping patients establish connections for ongoing care.ConclusionsThere is a need for harm reduction provision across all health and social care settings where people who use unregulated opioids access public sector services. In the context of the ED, attention to contextual factors including teamwork, preparedness, and connections is warranted to support that ED staff engage in harm reduction practice.

Unraveling Complexity: Exploring Agricultural Systems as Complex Adaptive System with a Focus on the Konya Closed Basin

The study of complex adaptive systems (CAS) has garnered significant attention across interdisciplinary research, particularly within the realms of social and natural sciences. This paper delves into the multifaceted nature of CAS, exploring its definitions, components, and properties, drawing from various scholarly perspectives. It examines the agricultural sector as a prime example of a CAS, highlighting the interactions, adaptations, and emergent behaviors within farming communities. Using the Konya Closed Basin in Türkiye as a case study, the paper elucidates how agricultural landscapes exemplify the complexities inherent in CAS, underscoring the intricate interplay between human activities, environmental dynamics, and socio-economic factors. By recognizing these interactions, decision-makers can create more efficient and resilient strategies for managing water resources, enhancing crop production, and reducing the effects of climate variability. This comprehensive approach emphasizes the role of adaptation, self-organization, and emergent behaviors in promoting sustainable farming practices and maintaining ecological balance over the long term. Through this analysis, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of CAS and its implications for sustainable agricultural development and resource management.

Unveiling the intellectual nexus between Peirce’s synechism and Goldratt’s theory of constraints: insights for management and organization studies

Purpose Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914), recognized as the father of philosophical pragmatism, has been described as a philosopher’s philosopher. Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt (1947–2011), considered the father of the management philosophy theory of constraints (TOC), has been described as being, first and foremost, a philosopher. The TOC body of knowledge is mainly preserved as concrete methodologies used in the management discipline. By examining the foundational elements of synechism and the TOC, the purpose of this study is to investigate the intellectual connections between the arguments and legacies of Goldratt and Peirce. Although this connection is worthy of much further investigation, the research emphasizes the possible implications from a management philosophy perspective. Design/methodology/approach Based on a “review with an attitude,” the authors first examined the foundations of Goldratt’s TOC through the lens of Peirce’s synechism. Next, the authors then examined how the study of Peirce combined with a selection of contemporary research in the management and organizational studies domain could point out a direction toward completing Goldratt’s unfinished intellectual work to establish a unified science management while addressing some of the current gaps in the TOC body of knowledge. Findings Major findings show that synechism’s growth may extend TOC knowledge, improving managerial practice in organizations. Findings on the convergent ideas of both also reveal that Goldratt valued all synechism categories, emphasizing the importance of not overlooking Firstness. Furthermore, the study analyzes the abductive inference demonstrated in the two use cases, introducing an additional metaphor to the management of organizational systems inspired by Peirce’s philosophical concepts. The research concludes that incorporating TOC and synechism principles can enhance management and organizational practices and enrich management philosophy and theories. Research limitations/implications This pioneering research opens promising opportunities to draw parallels between Peirce and Goldratt. Interdisciplinary collaboration will enhance the rigor and validity of integrating synechism and TOC. Experts in organizational behavior, systems theory and complexity science can provide valuable insights into this debate, while practitioners and consultants could help identify barriers and opportunities for integrating synechistic principles. Practical implications The study proposes a novel abductive approach using Peirce’s cable metaphor as an initial framework to build a unified science of management based on evolutionary stages: TOC, common sense and connectedness. Originality/value This research reinforces the argument that contemporary management practices need philosophical thinking. The authors argue that re-evaluating the foundations of management thought enriches the decision-making process in organizations and the understanding of contemporary theories in management and organizational studies.

Hope Has Augmented Reality Applications in Science Education Improved Academic Achievement? An Experimental Study

This research was conducted using the random pretest-posttest control group pattern of real experimental design, which is a subset of experimental research designs in the field of quantitative research. The study group consisted of students aged thirteen and fourteen in the eighth grades of private secondary schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Turkey. Twenty students were selected for the experimental group, and twenty students were selected for the control group in an unbiased manner. However, in order to form homogeneous groups, the past academic records of the students of both experimental and control groups were examined before the students were randomly selected. Then, the random selection phase was started. An achievement test was developed for both the control and experimental groups to be used in the research. Additionally, augmented reality flashcards developed by FenAR related to solid, gas, and liquid pressures were used in the experimental group. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 25 package program. At the beginning of the study, it was determined that students' academic achievements were similar. Significant achievement was obtained in the experimental group, where augmented reality was used, compared to the class taught with a constructivist approach. Augmented reality, used as an educational tool, provided students with the opportunity to make abstract concepts more concrete and visually experience them. It can be concluded that especially complex science topics, when taught with augmented reality, become more understandable through 3D modeling and interactive simulations.

A need for systems thinking and the appliance of (complexity) science in healthcare

Hospitals represent complex adaptive systems where interactions and relationships of different components both affect and shape the way they work simultaneously. Pressures on hospitals determine how they behave and many of the problems seen in the NHS and indeed other health services can be viewed through the lens of complexity science and systems thinking. ‘Flow’ of patients through the hospital can be seen as an indicator of how well the hospital ‘system’ is working. The better flow is, the more patients can be treated and the less time is spent waiting in the various queues that accrue around the hospital,In this article, we explore the impact of these disciplines on patient flow and examine how short-term and overly simple solutions can exacerbate problems in the health service, despite the best intentions of those working in it. Many of today’s problems can be described in terms of ‘system archetypes’ and ‘game theory’. Understanding this may lead to improvement in how services are redesigned to solve these problems.

Unraveling the Hemolytic Toxicity Tapestry of Peptides using Chemical Space Complex Networks.

Peptides have emerged as promising therapeutic agents. However, their potential is hindered by hemotoxicity. Understanding the hemotoxicity of peptides is crucial for developing safe and effective peptide-based therapeutics. Here, we employed chemical space complex networks (CSNs) to unravel the hemotoxicity tapestry of peptides. CSNs are powerful tools for visualizing and analyzing the relationships between peptides based on their physicochemical properties and structural features. We constructed CSNs from the StarPepDB database, encompassing 2004 hemolytic peptides, and explored the impact of seven different (dis)similarity measures on network topology and cluster (communities) distribution. Our findings revealed that each CSN extracts orthogonal information, enhancing the motif discovery and enrichment process. We identified 12 consensus hemolytic motifs, whose amino acid composition unveiled a high abundance of lysine, leucine, and valine residues, while aspartic acid, methionine, histidine, asparagine and glutamine were depleted. Additionally, physicochemical properties were used to characterize clusters/communities of hemolytic peptides. To predict hemolytic activity directly from peptide sequences, we constructed multi-query similarity searching models (MQSSMs), which outperformed cutting-edge machine learning (ML)-based models, demonstrating robust hemotoxicity prediction capabilities. Overall, this novel in silico approach uses complex network science as its central strategy to develop robust model classifiers, to characterize the chemical space and to discover new motifs from hemolytic peptides. This will help to enhance the design/selection of peptides with potential therapeutic activity and low toxicity.

Generational persona and entrepreneurial behavior among millennial entrepreneurs: the mediating role of adaptability tendencies

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between generational persona, adaptability tendencies and entrepreneurial behavior. The paper also aims at testing the mediating role of adaptability tendencies in the relationship between generational persona and entrepreneurial behavior among millennial entrepreneurs in an African setting.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a quantitative methodological approach with a cross-sectional, questionnaire survey and correlational design where hypotheses were statistically tested using Structural Equation Modelling based on survey data (n = 382) from millennial entrepreneurs in Kampala Uganda.FindingsDrawing on the sample of 382 millennial entrepreneurs in Kampala, findings show that both generational persona and adaptability tendencies are positively and significantly associated with entrepreneurial behavior. Results further indicate that adaptability tendencies partially mediates the relationship between generational persona and entrepreneurial behavior among millennial entrepreneurs.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focused only on millennial entrepreneurs in Kampala Uganda ignoring other equally important groups of entrepreneurs like the baby boomers, generation Xers, generation Y and others. As such, the findings of this research do not entirely apply to all entrepreneurs in the country and this may have affected the generalizability of the results. Therefore, future studies can be done on the entrepreneurial behavior focusing on all entrepreneurs from all generations. Also, the study used a quantitative approach, future studies should consider a mixed methodology, which may give a more holistic understanding of entrepreneurial behavior.Practical implicationsIn practice, millennial entrepreneurs may use the results of the study to see how they can improve their performance for their businesses to benefit. Specifically, they ought to focus on adaptability, and generational persona to exhibit those entrepreneurial behaviors which will generally lead to the improvement of their businesses.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this study provides a shred of initial empirical evidence on the relationship between generational persona, adaptability tendencies and entrepreneurial behavior using evidence from a low developed African country Uganda. Mostly, this study provides initial evidence of the mediating role of adaptability tendencies in the relationship between generational persona and entrepreneurial behavior. This study incorporates the Generational Cohort Theory and the Complex Adaptive Systems Theory into an applied theoretical framework that explains entrepreneurial behavior. More still, this study answers the call for more empirical studies on entrepreneurial behavior.

Self-organization in computation and chemistry: Return to AlChemy.

How do complex adaptive systems, such as life, emerge from simple constituent parts? In the 1990s, Walter Fontana and Leo Buss proposed a novel modeling approach to this question, based on a formal model of computation known as the λ calculus. The model demonstrated how simple rules, embedded in a combinatorially large space of possibilities, could yield complex, dynamically stable organizations, reminiscent of biochemical reaction networks. Here, we revisit this classic model, called AlChemy, which has been understudied over the past 30 years. We reproduce the original results and study the robustness of those results using the greater computing resources available today. Our analysis reveals several unanticipated features of the system, demonstrating a surprising mix of dynamical robustness and fragility. Specifically, we find that complex, stable organizations emerge more frequently than previously expected, that these organizations are robust against collapse into trivial fixed points, but that these stable organizations cannot be easily combined into higher order entities. We also study the role played by the random generators used in the model, characterizing the initial distribution of objects produced by two random expression generators, and their consequences on the results. Finally, we provide a constructive proof that shows how an extension of the model, based on the typed λ calculus, could simulate transitions between arbitrary states in any possible chemical reaction network, thus indicating a concrete connection between AlChemy and chemical reaction networks. We conclude with a discussion of possible applications of AlChemy to self-organization in modern programming languages and quantitative approaches to the origin of life.

Can large language models help predict results from a complex behavioural science study?

We tested whether large language models (LLMs) can help predict results from a complex behavioural science experiment. In study 1, we investigated the performance of the widely used LLMs GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 in forecasting the empirical findings of a large-scale experimental study of emotions, gender, and social perceptions. We found that GPT-4, but not GPT-3.5, matched the performance of a cohort of 119 human experts, with correlations of 0.89 (GPT-4), 0.07 (GPT-3.5) and 0.87 (human experts) between aggregated forecasts and realized effect sizes. In study 2, providing participants from a university subject pool the opportunity to query a GPT-4 powered chatbot significantly increased the accuracy of their forecasts. Results indicate promise for artificial intelligence (AI) to help anticipate-at scale and minimal cost-which claims about human behaviour will find empirical support and which ones will not. Our discussion focuses on avenues for human-AI collaboration in science.

Cognitive microfoundations and social interaction dynamics. The implications of complexity for institutional theory

AbstractThis paper investigates the intersection of cognitive sciences and social network theory and its counterpart, the complexity sciences, aiming to shed light on the compatibility and potential integration of these frameworks into institutional theory. Institutional scholars have for long selectively adopted notions linked with the cognitive sciences and complexity sciences, such as the notion of path dependence, without exploring the broader implications of systematically integrating such perspectives into institutionalism. This paper aims to advance such a comprehensive theoretical integration, by investigating the effective combination of these approaches and their significant implications. It shows how the complexity sciences contribute to dissolving the barriers between the cognitive and social realms and illustrates how this impacts notions of human agency and reflexivity. Theoretical integration also involves acknowledging considerable diversity in individual human agency, which in turn prompts a reconsideration of how notions of institutional stability, change, diffusion and adaptation are understood. Furthermore, the paper addresses the epistemological challenge presented by the complexity sciences, before it highlights the general relevance of institutional theory in analyzing complex social phenomena. Finally, the paper explores implications for research methodology, proposing that a fusion of institutional theory and the complexity sciences provides a metatheoretical framework for assessing the contextual suitability of different theoretical and methodological approaches.

Circular supply chains as complex adaptive ecosystems: A simulation-based approach

Circular Supply Chains (CSCs) are self-sustained ecosystems designed to pursue Circular Economy principles. Compared to linear supply chains, they involve new classes of stakeholders performing circular activities and multiple resource streams (e.g. virgin materials, by-products, end-of-life products, waste) moving forward and back the original and different supply chains. Therefore, CSCs are characterized by increasing complexity that call for proper coordination mechanisms. In this regard, we propose a theoretical framework, based on the theory of Complex Adaptive Systems, capturing the static and dynamic dimensions of CSC complexity which characterize the archetype of a CSC and then we develop a novel agent-based model to simulate the effect of competition and collaboration mechanisms on CSC performance across different CSC archetypes. The results of numerical simulations suggest which mechanism to adopt for the coordination of certain CSC archetypes: while competition is always detrimental, local collaboration is effective for CSCs with closed loop structures, and global collaboration is instead required in presence of open and hybrid loop structures.

The rapid prosperity of China’s Pearl River Delta from the perspective of social–ecological coupling: implications for sustainable management

Systems theory and complex science, especially knowledge of social–ecological interdependencies, are urgently needed in planning and decision-making on sustainable urban development due to the intensification of the contradiction between human development and nature conservation. Here, we present an analytical framework, the “social–ecological coupling trajectory”, that integrates the social–ecological coupling, multi-stability, causal feedbacks and sustainable management through understanding the evolution of the urban social–ecological system (SES). This framework is applied to a typical urban SES, i.e., China’s rapidly prosperous Pearl River Delta (PRD). Our results indicate that the SES evolution in the PRD is a phased process, which is accompanied by a continuous decline in major ecosystem services (ESs) and the disproportionate decline of ecological management performance. Further analysis shows that social and economic policies have a decisive role in driving the evolution of SES and the cumulative effect of sustained human interference is directly linked to the disproportionate increase in sustainability challenges. The findings of critical slowing down and evolution patterns of SES in the PRD may provide evidence for the threshold recognition and regime shift prediction in SES. In sum, this study expands the theoretical framework and empirical knowledge of SES evolution and provides a pathway for sustainable development of regions seeking prosperity from the social–ecological coupling perspective.

Exploring interventions for improving rural digital governance performance: A simulation study of the data-driven institutional pressure transmission mechanism

Considering the technological and institutional nature, along with the inherent complexity, of the rural digital governance context, a data-driven institutional pressure transmission (D-IPT) mechanism is developed in this study. This mechanism aims to facilitate effective regulation of villagers' behaviours, thereby improving rural digital governance performance. Firstly, we proposed a conceptual model based on complex adaptive systems theory and institutional theory to demonstrate how this mechanism can ensure an improvement of the emergent rural digital governance performance. Subsequently, we translated the conceptual model into a computational representation, thereby constructing a theory-informed simulation model. A behavioural dataset consists of 1,255,206 rural households from 119 villages over a span of 18 months was used to instantiate and validate the simulation model based on a specific scenario. Then, we designed five simulation experiments to investigate interventions aimed at harnessing the D-IPT mechanism more effectively to improve the rural digital governance performance. The results show that interventions targeting interaction efficiency, interaction frequency, and institutional environment configuration significantly affect the role of the D-IPT mechanism in enhancing rural governance performance. Finally, we discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the D-IPT mechanism.

Virtual Reality Immersive Simulations for a Forensic Molecular Biology Course—A Quantitative Comparative Study

Molecular biology is a complex, abstract, subject that can be challenging for higher education students to comprehend. The current manuscript describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of two immersive VR simulations of a DNA lab and a crime scene investigation (CSI) for a forensic molecular biology course in the context of the “TESLA” Erasmus+ project. It illustrates the instructional design and technical aspects of the VR simulations’ development. The experimental study employed a comparative quantitative research design. The guiding research questions examined how instructional modalities (online vs. face-to-face) affect learners’ perceptions of VR-based training in higher education and the key factors influencing learners’ intention for their adoption. Forty-six (n = 46) undergraduate students completed a 17-item questionnaire, which served as the main data collection instrument. Results demonstrate that both online and face-to-face VR-based instruction can effectively convey core concepts, thus challenging the traditional notion that face-to-face interaction is inherently superior. Its implications underscore the potential of VR simulations to supplement or even substitute traditional teaching methods, particularly for complex science subjects.

Ontology, complex adaptive systems and economics

Ontology, complex adaptive systems and economics

Nostalgia for the future of Construction Grammar

Abstract Construction Grammar is a nomadic family of theoretical approaches whose members are constantly moving in various directions. The diversity in construction-based approaches is a clear sign of a thriving and tolerant research community, but it also risks muddying the waters, leading to potential confusion. In this paper, I argue that the main source of confusion about Construction Grammar stems from the community’s gradual evolution from the traditional view of languages as static, idealized entities (the “aggregate” perspective) to the view of language as a complex adaptive system (the “population” perspective). While the aggregate perspective abstracts away as much as possible from variation and language usage, the population perspective greatly emphasizes the dynamics of language and situated communicative interactions. This paper illustrates what it means to perform constructional analyses from the population perspective; and argues that Construction Grammar is particularly well-positioned to lead the way in this new kind of linguistics, indicating that our community has a bright future ahead.

Fundamental equations and hypotheses governing glomerular hemodynamics.

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the outcome of glomerular hemodynamics, influenced by a series of parameters: renal plasma flow, resistances of afferent arterioles and efferent arterioles (EAs), hydrostatic pressures in the glomerular capillary and Bowman's capsule, and plasma colloid osmotic pressure in the glomerular capillary. Although mathematical models have been proposed to predict the GFR at both the single-nephron level and the two-kidney system level using these parameters, mathematical equations governing glomerular filtration have not been well-established because of two major problems. First, the two-kidney system-level models are simply extended from the equations at the single-nephron level, which is inappropriate in epistemology and methodology. Second, the role of EAs in maintaining the normal GFR is underappreciated. In this article, these two problems are concretely elaborated, which collectively shows the need for a shift in epistemology toward a more holistic and evolving way of thinking, as reflected in the concept of the complex adaptive system (CAS). Then, we illustrate eight fundamental mathematical equations and four hypotheses governing glomerular hemodynamics at both the single-nephron and two-kidney levels as the theoretical foundation of glomerular hemodynamics. This illustration takes two steps. The first step is to modify the existing equations in the literature and establish a new equation within the conventional paradigm of epistemology. The second step is to formulate four hypotheses through logical reasoning from the perspective of the CAS (beyond the conventional paradigm). Finally, we apply the new equation and hypotheses to comprehensively analyze glomerular hemodynamics under different conditions and predict the GFR. By doing so, some concrete issues are eliminated. Unresolved issues are discussed from the perspective of the CAS and a desinger's view. In summary, this article advances the theoretical study of glomerular dynamics by 1) clarifying the necessity of shifting to the CAS paradigm; 2) adding new knowledge/insights into the significant role of EAs in maintaining the normal GFR; 3) bridging the significant gap between research findings and physiology education; and 4) establishing a new and advanced foundation for physiology education.

Unpacking the multilayered nature of entrepreneurial ecosystems: A conceptual complex adaptive system model

The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) is gaining increasing attention from academics, professionals, and policymakers because of its potential as a policy tool for promoting economic growth. However, the theoretical foundation for analyzing EE needs further development to comprehensively capture its systemic, complex, and adaptive nature. Although recent studies have made progress in this area by incorporating complexity theory into this field of literature, the multilayer characteristics of an EE have been overlooked in those conceptualizations. We therefore build upon those papers by introducing an understanding of EE as a multilayer network from the perspective of complexity theory. Building upon this understanding, we provide a representative example to illustrate the practical application of our conceptual model via agent-based modeling while outlining a research agenda that suggests new directions for future studies in this field.

Development of an Inquiry-Based Social Complexity Science Pocketbook to Enhance Elementary Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

This research problem begins with the results of a needs analysis of students. The research aims to produce a product in the form of a science pocket book based on Inquiry Social Complexity that is valid, practical and effective in order to improve students’ critical thinking skills. The type of research used Research and Development (R&D), following the ADDIE model with five stages: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The population of this studied consists of fifth-grade students from SD Rayon II, Sidomulyo District. The sample was determined used Cluster Random Sampling, aligned with the research objectives. Data collection tools included valid and reliable test instruments. The validation results of the Inquiry-Based Social Complexity Science pocketbook, developed by the researchers, theoretically confirmed its feasibility, with an Aiken’s V analysis yielding an average of 0.87, falling into the “Very Valid” category. Science pocket book product based on Inquiry Social Complexity which was developed to be practical in its application in the classroom. The results of the practicality assessment on educators’ responses had a holistic average score of 88.04 with a very practical interpretation and student responses had a holistic average score of 87.77 with a very practical interpretation. The data analysis technique employed an independent t-test. The calculation result was 0.009, which was less than 0.05. It is indicating a significant difference between the pre-test and post-use of the product in the class groups. This shows that the pocket book used is effective in improving students’ critical thinking skills.

Optimizing organizational agility through agile complexity tolerant leadership

The main objective of this paper is to explore how the use of agile complexity can enhance organizational agility and competitive advantage in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) during digital transformation. Additional objectives include addressing knowledge gaps in the leadership attributes needed to drive organizational agility, evaluating the research focus and methods used, and exploring agile complexity leadership as a model to enhance organizational performance. The research method involves a literature review using Google Scholar from 2013 to 2023, using keywords such as complexity, complexity science, leadership complexity, agile, and agile leadership. After initially identifying 81 journal articles, 13 relevant journal articles and four books were selected by reviewing their abstracts to assess their correlation with the role of agile complexity leadership in enhancing organizational agility during digital transformation in SMEs through prism model analysis. The main findings from this observation include a significant knowledge gap regarding the leadership attributes needed to enhance organizational agility, research dominance based on quantitative methods with statistically non-representative samples, and a lack of attention to the concept of complexity leadership as an effective model for improving SME performance. Although this paper provides new insights into the relationship between organizational agility and leadership during digital transformation in SMEs.