Deep Structural Changes Research Articles

Eutrophicated: Tracking colonial histories of phosphate matter and the Plantationocene inheritances of the River Wye

This article examines the River Wye in the southwest UK as a political ecology marked by relations of colonial inheritance. A controversial case of contemporary British river pollution, the Wye is suffering from increasingly dramatic eutrophication events, with nutrient pollution from mineral phosphate fertilisers used in industrial agriculture causing algal blooms that destroy the river's ecology. This paper complicates dominant framings of the Wye's eutrophication as a local event and future crisis, instead arguing that eutrophication is structured by over a century of colonial histories of phosphate. Motivated by recent debates in geography and other cognate disciplines on decolonial ecology and the Plantationocene that point to the colonial origins of ecological crisis, this paper develops a theoretical framework of inheritance/transmission to articulate the situated histories of violence and dispossession shaping phosphate matter. It then empirically tracks the phosphate inheritances of the Wye by analysing the archives of the British Phosphate Commissioners (1873–1983), a 20th century governmental company that procured fertiliser for the British Empire by intensively mining phosphates on the Pacific Islands of Nauru and Banaba. Through this archive emerges a history in which, on a national and local level, the Wye is connected to the people, corporations, and institutions responsible for the emergence of the mineral phosphates industry that has spread ecological devastation across the globe. Through theoretically and empirically examining the Wye's phosphate inheritances, this paper foregrounds ethical obligations to think systematically and historically about phosphates as a prerequisite for bringing about deep structural changes needed to repair phosphate's harms.

Reforming School Choice Systems to Reduce Segregation in Schools: A Comparative Political Economy Study of Education Reform in Belgium, Chile, and the Netherlands

ABSTRACT This study offers a comparative examination of desegregation policy reforms in Belgium, Chile, and the Netherlands, addressing equity reforms to universal school choice systems. Through an analysis of the reform trajectories, we explore the evolution of policies, the causal mechanisms of change, efforts to institutionalize policies, and the sources of resistance to reform. We then undertake a cross-national comparison to discern trends and confirm or disconfirm theorized causes. Policy strategies from each context included nondiscrimination policies, fiscal incentives, and eventually reform of admissions procedures. Causal mechanisms facilitating equity reforms included shifts in political context, grassroots mobilization, generated focusing events through scholarly work and reports of civil society and transnational actors, and effective framing. Oppositional forces from non-state school networks and middle-class/white parents emerged in each context, affecting reform design and the path to institutionalization, but were unable to block reforms. The resulting reforms in each context were the products of compromise that retreated from deeper structural changes, likely mitigating the effects of reforms on school-based segregation.

State of the Art of Brain Function Detection Technologies in Robot-Assisted Lower Limb Rehabilitation.

Background: With an aging population, the prevalence of neurological disorders is increasing, leading to a rise in lower limb movement disorders and, in turn, a growing need for rehabilitation training. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown a growing scientific interest in the study of brain mechanisms in robot-assisted lower limb rehabilitation (RALLR). Objective: This review aimed to determine differences in neural activity patterns during different RALLR tasks and the impact on neurofunctional plasticity. Methods: Sixty-five articles in the field of RALLR were selected and tested using three brain function detection technologies. Results: Most studies have focused on changes in activity in various regions of the cerebral cortex during different lower limb rehabilitation tasks but have also increasingly focused on functional changes in other cortical and deep subcortical structures. Our analysis also revealed a neglect of certain task types. Conclusion: We identify and discuss future research directions that may contribute to a clear understanding of neural functional plasticity under different RALLR tasks. Impact Statement The evaluation of robot-assisted lower limb rehabilitation based on brain function detection technology can assess the neurological changes of patients in the rehabilitation process by monitoring brain activities and can also provide more accurate guidance for robot-assisted lower limb rehabilitation. By monitoring the patient's brain activity, the robot can adjust according to the real-time status of the patient to achieve more effective rehabilitation training. This has potential impact on improving the rehabilitation effect and speeding up the rehabilitation process of patients.

The realistic appearance, cause analysis and diagnosis and treatment path of undergraduate students lying flat from the perspective of subculture

With the deep structural changes in society, a social lying culture characterized by reduced desires has gradually invaded the campus and eroded the spiritual world of undergraduates. Based on the subcultural perspective, it is found that there are three kinds of flatness patterns among undergraduates: those who identify with “long live flatness”, those who shout “flatness is justice” and those who practice “flatness culture”. On this basis, it is found that multiple feelings and multiple objects are important factors leading to undergraduates' lying down. Accordingly, the issue of undergraduate lying flat is addressed at three levels: macro (multi-party collaborative co-education), micro (two-way internal and external growth) and virtual (strengthening media literacy education), with a view to promoting the healthy development of mainstream culture.

The role of electrification and the power sector in U.S. carbon neutrality

The United States has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We examine a series of net-zero CO2 scenarios to investigate the impact of advanced electrification of end-use sectors on the dynamics of America's net-zero transition through 2050. Specifically, we use an integrated assessment model, GCAM-USA, to explore how advanced electrification can influence the evolution of the electricity system in pursuit of net-zero. State-level resolution for end-use demand sectors and energy transformation is a key feature of GCAM-USA that allows for elucidation of the variation in end-use electrification across states. All scenarios in this study are designed to be consistent with the modeling protocol for the Energy Modeling Forum Study 37 model inter-comparison project. Our scenarios show the scale of transformation in the power sector with average annual capacity additions reaching 121-143 GW/year and 172-190 GW/year in 2050 net-zero CO2 scenarios and 2045 net-zero CO2 scenarios, respectively, in the 2040s — approximately three to five times the 2021-2023 average. In 2050 net-zero CO2 scenarios, electrification rates in 2050 range from 15-48 % for transportation, 65-83 % for buildings, and 20-38 % for industry. If net-zero CO2 is achieved in 2045, transportation, buildings, and industry are 27-53 %, 78-84 %, and 41-53 % electrified by 2050, respectively. Advanced electrification of end-use sectors can reduce the magnitude of reliance on negative emissions by driving down residual positive emissions by mid-century. Altogether, our results demonstrate that a net-zero transition in the United States will require deep and rapid structural changes to the energy system.

Repression breeds resistance: A call for a methodology of radical solidarity and love to respond to the prison industrial complex and academia's eugenic tendencies

This collaborative autoethnographic article traces psychology's complicity in systems of oppression while highlighting pathways toward liberation. An expression and embodiment of radical solidarity, this article is the product of a research collaboration between an incarcerated justice advocate and a critical psychologist. Critical autoethnographic methods are leaned on to lift experiences of prison as an oppressive institution and illuminate forms of resistance. We strategically and deliberately co-created this methodological approach to joyfully render prison walls metaphorically porous, to seep through surveillance mechanisms (both within the prison and academia), and to build liberatory worlds through our words. Situating mass incarceration as an extension of colonial displacement and enslavement, we dialogically examine how psychology has upheld white supremacy through the illusion of objectivity and neutrality. Psychological concepts like critical consciousness and resilience are re-theorized to center embodied, collective struggles. Calling for psychology to move beyond apologies toward deep structural change and distributive justice, we advocate for centering the experience of those historically excluded in knowledge construction, resource allocation, and leadership. Imagining a psychology of love and solidarity, we urge dismantling oppressive institutions through pedagogies of radical solidarity. Our collaboration—across prison walls—models methodologies of mutual aid, conscientization, and power sharing to build a liberatory psychology.

Формування концептуальних засад стратегії неоіндустріалізації галузей промисловості

The aim of the article is to form the conceptual foundations of strategizing the development of industries under neo-industrialization with the application of the methodology for identifying strategic goals, objectives and measures and taking into account the system of factors and conditions of the institutional, organizational, and economic environment. The article confirms that the criteria for achieving the targets of neo-industrialization are deep structural changes and institutional reforms in the industrial sector of the economy. The sequence of formation along with the tasks of the strategy of neo-industrialization are allocated. The methodology for identifying the strategic goals, objectives and measures of the strategy of neo-industrialization of various industries is outlined. When analyzing the researchers’ works, it is found that the structure of the neo-industrialization strategy is predominantly standardized and includes such elements as the aim and initial conditions, problems and obstacles, objectives and strategic goals, principles, measures and mechanisms of implementation, organizational, financial and resource support, expected results, methodological support for monitoring and control, as well as the final part. The system of factors, conditions of the institutional and organizational-economic environment of the strategy of neo-industrialization of industries is specified. It is determined that during the formation of an aggregate of institutional, organizational, economic, socio-psychological and other mechanisms and the selection of instruments for implementing the strategy of neo-industrialization, it is necessary to apply an integrated approach, focused not so much on a certain functional and structural specialization as on achieving the aim and strategic goals of policy in this area. Such goals are: the formation and growth of new strategically progressive industries and of the real sector of the economy as a whole on the basis of high-tech industries, nano- and biotechnologies, new energy resources, automation and digitalization of business processes, the implementation of robotics in production and economic processes (the spread of smart industries).

Transformative power production futures: citizen jury deliberations in Saskatchewan, Canada

BackgroundTransforming power production systems to achieve net zero emissions and address climate change will require deep structural changes, partially dependent on community perceptions of the necessary energy transition. The article presents results from 2-day citizen juries held in four communities of Saskatchewan, Canada: Estevan, Swift Current, Regina, and Saskatoon in 2021/22 whose purpose was to determine if place attachment impacts future power production preferences and whether social learning can be achieved. Mixed research methods included a survey before and after the citizen juries and a qualitative analysis of the discussions and outputs.ResultsResearch results confirm that while there are common concerns across communities about unbiased information, transparent decision-making, justice/equity concerns, and people's involvement, community-imagined energy futures can be very divergent. Not only place-based attachment, the existent industry and infrastructure surrounding the community impact preferences but also openness to learning and group dynamics contribute. Focused deliberations on the complex problem of climate change advance social learning.The coal, oil, and gas community of Estevan supported coal, natural gas, and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to a substantially larger extent than other communities, even increasing their preference for coal after the citizen jury. Saskatoon chose Small Modular Reactors (SMR) as their top choice, whereas Swift Current switched from preferring natural gas to solar and SMRs.ConclusionsThe findings from the jury sessions suggest changing attitudes toward SMRs as a potential source of energy, as well as a shift from cost considerations to environmental. Future research implications could include differing methodologies and potentially partnering beyond academia. Jurors all expressed the desire for greater government leadership, urging the government to demonstrate accountability, hold large enterprises accountable, and be more proactive in bringing parties together.

Politökonomische Reaktivierung des Ruhrgebiets durch neue staatliche Institutionen

Abstract The Ruhr area is not only the former heartland of industry in Germany, but still the largest urban agglomeration and now the region with the highest density of universities. Yet, after decades of deep structural change leading away from coal and steel, the region is still marked by ongoing structural weaknesses and chronically high unemployment rates. At the same time, it has relatively poor public institutions. Therefore, it is time to think outside the box. We propose a new approach with ten concrete ideas for regional support by the establishment of new public institutions in the Ruhr area.

FORMATION OF PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR PARTS OF GROUND LAUNCH COMPLEXES WITH ULTRA-DEEP MODIFICATION WITH MICROPARTICLES

Abstract.The rapid development of the latest technologies necessitates the widespread use of metal materials with unique properties. The main factors that determine the competitiveness of manufacturers of structural materials are a number of indicators, such as the creation of new effective technologies for the production of materials with a new set of physico-chemical and mechanical properties, the reduction of energy costs for the production of new materials and protective coatings for parts of the ground launch complex. The research is aimed at studying the impact of microparticles on metal targets using mass spectrometry and metallography. Experiments revealed the formation of new elements, in particular manganese, in metal structures as a result of bombardment with microparticles. Experimental data confirmed the possibility of reactions occurring in metal targets during bombardment with microparticles. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed the synthesis of new elements that are of interest for obtaining protective coatings on parts of rocket technology for ground-based launch complexes. The study shows deep structural changes in metals under the influence of microparticles, accompanied by the destabilization of atoms and the formation of new compounds. The formation of new elements, in particular manganese, on the surface of metals after exposure to microparticles was revealed. It is shown that the processes of penetration are provided by the formation of plasma in the contact of a microparticle with a target, which occurs due to quantum mechanical effects that cause the breaking of interatomic bonds. These results open prospects for improving the operational properties of ground launch complexes. Potential applications are proposed, including the use of the effect of plasma formation in the processes of obtaining protective coatings on parts of launch complexes and the development of the theory of ultra-deep penetration of microparticles into solid partitions. The obtained results not only supplement experimental data, but also lay the foundation for new research in the field of rocket engineering and materials science. This study makes a significant contribution to science, providing a deep understanding of the physical processes involved in the collision of microparticles with metal structures. The obtained results open new horizons for rocket engineering and stimulate further research in the field of creating materials with unique properties and application in technological processes.

Moho Inversion by Gravity Anomalies in the South China Sea: Updates and Improved Iteration of the Parker‐Oldenburg Algorithm

AbstractThe Moho is the interface between crust and mantle, and accurate location of the Moho is important for both resource exploration and deep earth condition and structural change investigations. The theory of the traditional Parker‐Oldenburg (P‐O) method is quite simple and it is widely applied in the frequency domain of Moho depth inversion. However, Moho fluctuation simulations using the P‐O method are not reliable because of the lack of field geographic data constraints during the inversion process and the excessively smoothing of data details caused by using filters to correct the source data signals. To solve those problems, we propose an improved iteration P‐O method with a variable density contrast model, the iterative process is constrained by geological data in the inversion parameters, and the variable depth of the gravity interface is iterated using an equivalent form of upward continuation in the Fourier domain, which is more stable and convergent than downward continuation term in original P‐O method. Synthetic experiments indicate that improved method has the better consistency among the simulations than original method, and our improved method has the smallest root mean square (RMS) of 0.59 km. In a real case, we employed the improved method to invert for the Moho depth of the South China Sea (SCS), and the RMS between our Moho depth model and the seismological data is the smallest value of 2.27 km. The synthetic experiments and application of the model to the SCS further prove that our method is practical and efficient.

Spatial Morphological Characteristics and Evolution of Traditional Villages in the Mountainous Area of Southwest Zhejiang

National-level traditional villages in Liandu District and Qingyuan County, Lishui City, in the southwestern mountainous area of Zhejiang Province serve as research objects in our exploration of the external representation and deep spatial structure changes in traditional village spatial forms from a synchronic and diachronic perspective. We use morphological indices, space syntax, city image surveys, and other analysis methods to reveal the formation and evolution of these forms. We find that: (1) Traditional village boundaries in the mountainous area of southwest Zhejiang are mainly clusters and bands, which are restricted by geographical conditions and tend to expand in the direction of rivers and roads. (2) The original spatial forms of settlements effectively organize the travel activities of local residents and external visitors, while the corresponding two fabric centers basically coincide. However, with the continuous evolution of settlements and the intervention of modern construction projects, the centers have shifted slightly. (3) Factors such as the natural environment, clan consanguinity, and economic and technological conditions jointly act on spatial forms manifesting as “stability maintenance” and “sudden change” games; thus, the forms show overlapping and integration across multiple temporal and spatial points.

The liberal limits to transformation in the Green Climate Fund

ABSTRACT International climate finance institutions increasingly articulate their goals as catalyzing transformation, but can these institutions bring about deep structural change when they reflect the same liberal logics that arguably created the challenges they are designed to address? In this analysis, we use a virtual ethnography of Green Climate Fund (GCF) board meetings. We ask: how does the GCF navigate the tensions between different conceptualizations of transformation? Our sample included deliberations on 181 projects, and over 42 h of board meetings. Discussions were thematically coded to reveal concerns raised by board members and observers, followed by a structured content analysis. We found that while the transformational potential of proposals featured prominently in deliberations, there was no unified vision or clear definition of transformation. However, approaches that emphasized economic efficiency, technology and infrastructure, and market mechanisms and the private sector aligned with the liberal logic of the fund, while proposals that framed transformation in other ways faced more scrutiny. Board members and observers also raised concerns that proposals had the potential to increase vulnerability or cause harm. Despite this, almost all projects in our sample were approved, suggesting that more work is needed to expand beyond liberal understandings of transformation.

The new trends of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in public administration

Digital transformation and artificial intelligence are major challenges for a diversity of fields. The central and local administrations of the states need major and deep structural changes to reduce bureaucracy and public expenses, but also to significantly improve the quality of services, productivity, accessibility, and transparency of public institutions. Digitization and artificial intelligence are gradually integrated into state administrations and the governance process, and the results obtained confirm a visible increase in managerial, economic, and social efficiency. These aspects determine state governments to progressively design and implement strategies for digitalization and artificial intelligence within public services. Public investments needed for these changes are necessary for the sustainable development of the public sector. EU states are encouraged to make massive public investments to integrate artificial intelligence applications in public services and to operationalize digital transformations necessary for efficient and intelligent public administrations.

Modernism in graphic design

Given that graphic design is part of this movement as a renewed art based on ((returning to the logic of old artistic methods and trends, neither at the level of form nor at the level of technology with all its rich legacy of all standards)) (Moataz, 2020, p. 102) and because modernity has legislated for the art of graphic design new data on the intellectual, material and technical level, as it cannot be counted because it is not limited to time or place. Modernism ((is a reference to a neutral view of art as an expression or as a method of using language and a degree of ambiguity that exceeds the expectations and feelings of the ordinary reader)) (Brooker, 1995, p. 20). The concept of modernity is ((a deep structural change in the individual and society in thought, system, and civilization)) (Sharabi, 1993, p. 30), and it means that modernity transcends all restrictions and borders and is considered a comprehensive movement that is multiple and contradictory at the same time, because it deals with ((The designer's relationship with himself, and on the other hand, the designer's relationship with the outside world, and then all the social, psychological, economic and political transformations cast a shadow on the nature of the relationship between the designer and his work)). (Al-Qara Ghuli, 2006, pg. 9).

Evaluation of the implementation progress through key performance indicators in a new multimorbidity patient-centered care model in Chile

BackgroundComplex health interventions involve deep organizational, structural, and cultural changes that challenge health teams and decision-makers. The explosion of chronic diseases has made the multimorbidity approach a global priority. The Centro de Innovación en Salud ANCORA UC implemented a Multimorbidity Patient-Centered Care Model in the Chilean public health system.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the progress of the implementation of the Multimorbidity Patient-Centered Care Model in seven primary care centers through key performance indicators.Methodsa set of indicators was designed to evaluate change management, operations, installation of new roles, and services and activities of the intervention strategy of the model. Key performance indicators were identified to monitor the implementation progress on minimal components for the model’s sustainability. Each item was assigned against an expected minimum score of 67% of progress from the overall score. They were monitored twice in seven primary health centers in 2019 and 2020, which intervened 22,642 patients with the intervention.ResultsThe results showed that six of the seven primary care centers reached the minimum implementation threshold. The main advances were in operational conditions, and those with minor progress in implementation were the clinical services. Population size, organization, coordination of the health care teams, additional training, and decision-makers support were key factors that determined the degree of progress in a complex intervention.ConclusionIt was possible to measure the progression of the implementation of a complex intervention through key performance indicators delivering relevant information for decision-makers that pursue a successful and faithful implementation. This study provides a valuable tool for the national scale-up of a similar model started in Chile by the Ministry of Health and other countries.

Nature Connection: Providing a Pathway from Personal to Planetary Health

The vast and growing challenges for human health and all life on Earth require urgent and deep structural changes to the way in which we live. Broken relationships with nature are at the core of both the modern health crisis and the erosion of planetary health. A declining connection to nature has been implicated in the exploitative attitudes that underpin the degradation of both physical and social environments and almost all aspects of personal physical, mental, and spiritual health. It is increasingly clear that the entwined challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and human health cannot be addressed without addressing selfishness, greed, apathy, and the value systems that created these global problems. Calls for a spiritual and cultural transformation recognize that “inner” development is important and necessary for meaningful “outward” transitions with a shared purpose for wiser, more sustainable societies. Many of these emotional and spiritual assets appear to be facilitated by a connection to nature, which is also strongly associated with community cohesion, prosocial attitudes, and pro-environmental actions. Restoring the human connection to nature may therefore provide a critical common pathway to promote the physical and spiritual wellbeing of individuals and communities as well as personal and social environmental responsibility. In this paper, we summarize and reflect on the discussions of the Nova Network planetary health community with respect to nature-based solutions as pathways to promote both personal and planetary health with a more mutualistic mindset. These discussions spanned biological to psychological interactions with nature—including the critical relationships with environmental microbes that influence the physical, emotional, and behavioral aspects of health. We consider the ways in which stronger relationships with nature promote “inner assets” to support “outward actions” for personal and planetary health.

Structural change and industrial linkages: a perspective on China’s growth pattern, 1995-2009

ABSTRACT China has presented one of the most noticeable growth experiences in economic history. High growth rates in the post-1978 reform period have been marked by deep structural changes in the Chinese economy. This paper aims to discuss China’s long-term economic growth from a Kaldorian-Structuralist framework that emphasises the importance of a large, diversified and integrated industrial base as a central engine of economic growth that may prevent balance-of-payments constraints. This study applies input-output indicators to reveal key sectoral transformations of the Chinese productive structure and changes in interindustry linkages during the 1990s and 2000s. Results provide evidence that: (i) the Chinese sustained growth pattern has relied on a diversified and increasingly integrated domestic industrial production; and (ii) most sectors have been able to generate through exports enough foreign exchange to pay for import needs.

Dynamic Multi-Graph Convolution based Channel-Weighted Transformer Feature Fusion Network for Epileptic Seizure Prediction.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) based seizure prediction plays an important role in the closed-loop neuromodulation system. However, most existing seizure prediction methods based on graph convolution network only focused on constructing the static graph, ignoring multi-domain dynamic changes in deep graph structure. Moreover, the existing feature fusion strategies generally concatenated coarse-grained epileptic EEG features directly, leading to the suboptimal seizure prediction performance. To address these issues, we propose a novel multi-branch dynamic multi-graph convolution based channel-weighted transformer feature fusion network (MB-dMGC-CWTFFNet) for the patient-specific seizure prediction with the superior performance. Specifically, a multi-branch (MB) feature extractor is first applied to capture the temporal, spatial and spectral representations fromthe epileptic EEG jointly. Then, we design a point-wise dynamic multi-graph convolution network (dMGCN) to dynamically learn deep graph structures, which can effectively extract high-level features from the multi-domain graph. Finally, by integrating the local and global channel-weighted strategies with the multi-head self-attention mechanism, a channel-weighted transformer feature fusion network (CWTFFNet) is adopted to efficiently fuse the multi-domain graph features. The proposed MB-dMGC-CWTFFNet is evaluated on the public CHB-MIT EEG and a private intracranial sEEG datasets, and the experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves outstanding prediction performance compared with the state-of-the-art methods, indicating an effective tool for patient-specific seizure warning. Our code will be available at: https://github.com/Rockingsnow/MB-dMGC-CWTFFNet.

Promoting blue-collar employees’ work ability: A qualitative study on occupational health practitioners’ perspective on feasible interventions

BACKGROUND: Work in the industrial sector underlies deep structural changes triggered by demographic and societal transformations. These developments require tailored measures for maintaining employees’ work ability by reacting to new demands and overcoming barriers in organizational implementation. Previous research lacks in considering practitioners’ perspective in terms of tailoring effective interventions to the workplace conditions of blue-collar employees. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to enrich the understanding of work ability by using the job-demands-resources (JDR)-theory and the work ability house concept as basis and considering aspects of organizational measures’ feasibility. METHODS: Data results from observations of the collaboration between occupational health professionals and supervisors on the shop-floor and n = 18 semi-structured interviews with different occupational health stakeholders. A participatory and qualitative approach characterizes this study. RESULTS: The study participants report on how increasing organizational demands of efficiency and uncertainty affect workability promotion of blue-collar employees. Furthermore, the findings imply aspects regarding feasible interventions. For designing effective interventions, specifically psychosocial aspects such as work intensification, job uncertainty, work-life-conflicts, and inter-personal trust need to be addressed. Measures need to be aligned better to the industrial setting with specific focus on decision-makers’ interests and intra-organizational collaboration. CONCLUSION: Further research should investigate interrelationships between relevant psycho-social job demands and resources. Moreover, additional aspects, which are related to measures implementation in the organizational sphere, need to be identified. Practical implications connect organizational sciences with the workability theory and the job-demands-resources (JDR)-theory by focusing more on psychological work design and intra-organizational collaboration.