Greater Power Research Articles

ASEAN and European Union addressing the challenges of the 21st century

Abstract Subject and purpose of work The European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are trade partners and believe in rules-based multilateralism. They have developed strong ties despite starting from different starting points and having different standards. The EU is a mature regional cooperation scheme(union) with a highly institutionalized and legalized architecture. At the same time, ASEAN is an intergovernmental association with low institutionalization and legalization in which decisions are made by consensus. After almost fifty years of establishing a diplomatic dialogue between the EU and ASEAN, their cooperation has been of essential importance in maintaining peace and balancing great power rivalries. Materials and methods Bibliography in books and articles. Results The EU and ASEAN are among the world’s largest economies in terms of gross domestic product. The EU is already the world’s second-largest economy, and ASEAN could become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030. The EU looks forward to strengthening its economic cooperation with ASEAN to maintain its competitive position in the dynamically developing region of the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN is a crucial hub for transporting European goods and is essential in regional supply chains. Closer trade and investment relations could also help the EU achieve its goal of a strategic partnership between the two regional blocks encompassing political and economic cooperation. It would be desirable if the EU and ASEAN continue to connect Europe and Asia by acting as balancers and reducing tensions between the major international players. Conclusions In the 21st century, the rise of China, India, and other regional powers is consolidating a multipolar system and new geopolitical balances. In this new era, the EU and ASEAN can continue to connect Europe and Asia by acting as balancers and reducing tensions between the major international players.

Urban Competitiveness Assessment Using the Integration of the Global Power City Index and Multicriteria Decision-Making Methods

Urban Competitiveness Assessment Using the Integration of the Global Power City Index and Multicriteria Decision-Making Methods

THE CONFLICT OF INTERESTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE ROLE OF THE USA, RUSSIA AND CHINA

With its vast energy reserves, strategic location, and complex socio-political landscape, the Middle East has been a central arena of global power struggle for centuries, attracting the attention of international powers. Today, the region is witnessing significant geopolitical competition between the United States, Russia, and China, each vying for influence and seeking to shape the future of the Middle East according to their strategic interests. The roles and interests of these three countries in the Middle East are manifested in the following directions.

Analysis of the Foreign Policies of Major Powers in Dealing with Climate Change: A Comparative Approach

Analysis of the Foreign Policies of Major Powers in Dealing with Climate Change: A Comparative Approach

Resting-state EEG predicts cognitive decline in a neuropathologically diagnosed longitudinal community autopsied cohort

ObjectiveTo assess correlative strengths of quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) and visual rating scale EEG features on cognitive outcomes in only autopsied cases from the Arizona Study of Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND). We hypothesized that autopsy proven Parkinson Disease will show distinct EEG features from Alzheimer's Disease prior to dementia (mild cognitive impairment). BackgroundCognitive decline is debilitating across neurodegenerative diseases. Resting-state EEG analysis, including spectral power across frequency bins (qEEG), has shown significant associations with neurodegenerative disease classification and cognitive status, with autopsy confirmed diagnosis relatively lacking. MethodsBiannual EEG was analyzed from autopsied cases in AZSAND who had at least one rsEEG (>1 min eyes closed±eyes open). Analysis included global relative spectral power and a previously described visual rating scale (VRS). Linear mixed regression was performed for neuropsychological assessment and testing within 2 years of death (n = 236, 594 EEG exams) in a mixed linear regression model. ResultsThe cohort included cases with final clinicopathologic diagnoses of Parkinson's disease (n = 73), Alzheimer disease (n = 65), and tauopathy not otherwise specified (n = 56). A VRS score of 3 diffuse or frequent generalized slowing) over the study duration was associated with an increase in consensus diagnosis cognitive worsening at 4.9 (3.1) years (HR 2.02, CI 1.05–3.87). Increases in global theta power% and VRS were the most consistently associated with large regression coefficients inversely with cognitive performance measures. ConclusionResting-state EEG analysis was meaningfully related to cognitive performance measures in a community-based autopsy cohort. EEG deserves further study and use as a cognitive biomarker.

China’s Security Presence and BRI in African Countries

China’s security presence has been growing steadily in proportion to the progress of the Belt and Road Initiative, reflected in a larger military footprint in Africa in the form of logistical and resupply bases. The BRI/military nexus has allowed Beijing to play a larger role in African affairs more recently, raising alarms in the United States and the European Union. Despite growing speculation and skepticism in some quarters, African societies still welcome Beijing’s increasing investment and deeper involvement in regional security matters. After Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea is the most likely nation to host the next Chinese military base. But at the same time, the West’s scrutiny of Beijing’s rising profile and deeper security involvement in Africa will also grow as China continues to chip away at the West’s influence on the continent. A steadier security footing for China would change great power dynamics in the region even as competition between Beijing on the one hand and Washington and Brussels on the other will still be limited to the economic and financial domains.

오키나와의 기지화 과정과 제주4·3, 여수·순천10·19

This study provides an overview of the incidents of April 3 and October 19 and their impact on the U.S. fortification of Okinawa. During World War II, the Japanese militarized Okinawa and Jeju, while U.S. forces invaded Okinawa. Although they didn’t invade Jeju, the presence of Japanese troops and the geographical location delayed the arrival of U.S. troops, while the People's Committee gained great power. Even in the left-leaning Suncheon area, residents became increasingly dissatisfied with the US occupation, which inherited the police system of the Japanese occupation and favored the pro-Japanese right. Meanwhile, the United States initially considered a long-term presence of U.S. troops with the primary goal of preventing Soviet domination of South Korea. However, some military personnel in the US government considered the occupation as a burden and raised the idea of troop withdrawal. In November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly resolved the withdrawal of occupation forces after general elections and establishment of new government. Under these circumstances, the April 3 Incident occurred against the backlash against the US occupation, and the October 19 Incident, which occurred to reject the suppression of Jeju, considered as “communist riots” and were subject to suppression. While these events delayed the withdrawal of US troops, the United States, which wanted to balance power in East Asia, decided to militarize Okinawa and hold it for a long time. With the end of the US occupation in Korea, military personnel with experience in Korea became involved in the military government of Okinawa.

Navigating the labyrinth: how political traditions and geostrategic interests shape U.S. intervention in the civil-military relations of developing countries

ABSTRACT This research examines patterns and factors influencing U.S. civil-military relations interventions in developing countries. Drawing on theories of new clientelism and geopolitics, it proposes developing states’ political traditions and U.S. geostrategic interests jointly shape U.S. intervention policies through an interactive effect. Quantitative analysis of U.S. military assistance and engagement data across 97 developing countries (1990–2020) supports key hypotheses: U.S. civil-military intervention is higher in military-dominated polities and states of major geostrategic interest, with military political traditions amplifying geostrategic factors. Case studies of Egypt and India further reveal differentiated pathways of U.S. military influence across varying political systems. The findings provide new explanations of U.S. foreign military behavior, analytical perspectives on Third World military diplomacy, and insights for developing countries in responding to great power military pressures while preserving sovereignty and security.

Critically Interrogating the Decolonization of Development: Possibilities and Pitfalls

This essay delves deep into the intricate issues pertaining to the concept of "decolonization" within the realm of international development. The study is grounded in the profound understanding that the legacy of colonialism continues to cast a long shadow over contemporary development, giving rise to pervasive inequalities and marginalization in various parts of the world. The central theme of the research revolves around critically examining the potential avenues and potential pitfalls associated with the process of decolonization. Through a meticulous analysis of relevant theories and a close examination of real-world cases, the study seeks to unravel the multifaceted dimensions of the definition, possibilities, and the formidable challenges encountered in the implementation of decolonization in the development context. The findings of the research suggest that while decolonization holds the promise of steering development towards more equitable and sustainable trajectories, it also confronts a multitude of challenges, including the stubborn inertia ingrained within institutional frameworks and the resistance posed by the entrenched global power structures. The conclusions drawn emphasize the imperative need for further in-depth research to propel the process of decolonization forward and to strive towards the realization of a just and equitable global society.

Main Directions of Modern Transformation and Modernization of Russian Society, Ways to Overcome the Systemic Crisis in the Context of Technological Revolution: Alternative Strategic Development Models

At the present stage of Russia’s development in the prevailing historical conditions, a period of deep conceptual transformations has begun, measures are being taken to free it from its continued dependence on crisis global processes, from the globalism policy of developed imperialist countries. Today, after three periods of permanent systemic crisis, through which Russia went from the early 80s to the early 2000s, the country is emerging from this dependence, returning to its mental ideological and cultural foundations, to state-political, economic, scientific, technical and technological sovereignty, to the status of a world power, renewed civilization, towards the consolidation of society. This period is characterized as a period of transformation and new modernization of society. The article, based on new approaches and methods of a comprehensive historical, sociological and formational-civilizational analysis of the problems of society’s development, examines the issues of the new modernization of society that has begun, analyzes and evaluates the persistent manifestations of the systemic crisis, issues of implementing an innovative anti-crisis management strategy, strategic planning and strategic management. Possible forecasts and alternatives for social development are considered. These processes require a clear, meaningful choice and implementation of a long-term strategy for the dynamic, innovative development of knowledge-intensive sectors of the economy, labor productivity growth, production recovery based on new reindustrialization and the industrial revolution, the development and implementation of achievements of the fifth technological order, scientific, technical, technological, information revolution, the formation of new scientific, human resources, including in the areas of governance of society and the state, ensuring comprehensive security and sovereignty of society and the state, regulatory support for these processes. This implies the choice of a new socio-economic, formational and civilizational model for further progressive development, taking into account positive domestic and foreign experience, and the corresponding ideological basis for these transformations. All this is becoming an urgent issue for the entire spectrum of social and social sciences, for educational practices.

The moral and strategic clarity of supporting Ukraine’s self-defense: Why accepting Russian colonialism should remain a taboo

In response to Toal’s article “The Territorial Taboo: Explaining the Public Aversion to Negotiations in the Ukraine War Support Coalition”, I argue that the alleged silencing of those who push for Ukraine’s territorial concessions to Russia is an exaggerated problem. The reason why such voices are not gaining traction is because, as of summer 2024, neither Ukraine nor key European states had a majority in favor of territorial concessions. This is reassuring: it means that there is little appetite for endorsing Russian colonialism and abandoning Ukrainians on the occupied territories to Russian terror in the hope of an illusory “peace”. In contrast to the majority opinion, Toal calls for sacrificing (a part of) Ukraine in order to freeze the conflict and reduce great power tensions. To make such a colonial proposition seem palatable, Toal tries to shift the blame for the continuation of the war from Russia, the aggressor, to Ukraine, the victim. In reality, Ukrainians want peace, just not on Russia’s terms. Any settlement that does not involve the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity is unjust and likely unsustainable. It would give Russia an opportunity to re-arm, extracting resources from the newly occupied Ukrainian territories. Russian officials showed no intention of abiding by any potential agreements with Ukraine, reiterating their goal of destroying the Ukrainian nation and state. Since aggression against Ukraine did not attract widespread opposition within Russia and garnered quite a few enthusiastic supporters, a change in Russian policy seemed improbable as of summer 2024. The continuation of armed resistance against the Russian invasion is Ukraine’s only choice.

Sparse item testing of clinical scales in neurology trials to alleviate burden to patients.

Neurology trials typically rely on composite scales for measuring symptom severity. Completing all items in a long scale can be burdensome for patients, caregivers, and trial personnel. To test the hypothesis that sparse item testing, aided by item-response modelling, can preserve the power for detecting treatment effect in a controlled trial. UPDRS (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) Part III (motor examinations) data from a placebo-controlled trial (N = 391) of ropinirole were analysed with a longitudinal item-response model. Symptom severity was estimated directly from item scores as a latent variable, without needing the total score. This enabled sparse item testing. With the symptom severity as a clinical endpoint, the potential power loss for detecting treatment effect due to the sparse testing was assessed by simulation. When each patient took 18 of all 27 tests in UPDRS Part III at each study visit, there was no appreciable power loss. Reducing four visits to three also had negligible effects on power. A threefold reduction of the total tests that each patient needed to do throughout the trial, from 108 to 27, only compromised power slightly, e.g., from 92 to 87% at N = 160. These findings show that using the symptom severity derived from item scores as the endpoint allows sparse testing to drastically reduce trial burden without incurring major power loss. This benefit would multiply for indications like Alzheimer's disease where modern trials often require patients to be tested on multiple scales at several times.

A Schema for Artorius: History, John Heath-Stubbs, and the Last Modernist Epic

Abstract Although John Heath-Stubbs’s long modernist epic Artorius is largely unknown, this ambitious text combines a cyclical vision of history with a linear one on its way to understanding Great Britain’s loss of imperial status. If this point has generally been missed, the complexity of Heath-Stubbs’s multiple symbolic superstructures partly accounts for the text’s unfortunate reception. Accordingly, I present an explanatory schema for Artorius in line with what other modernist texts – most famously Joyce’s Ulysses – have benefitted from. Besides unpacking the symbolic superstructures used by Heath-Stubbs, I also address how the poet, who lived in Egypt during the 1956 Suez crisis, uses them to answer a British nation that can no longer identify as a global power.

Mori Arinori: Japan’s Diplomat in Washington, D.C.

Abstract This article briefly examines the life of Mori Arinori, who in 1871 became Japan’s first resident diplomat in Washington, D.C., with the primary assignment of making preparations for the upcoming Iwakura Mission. Mori’s pedigree of being from a samurai family from Satsuma domain and his unusual background of having already lived in Britain and the United States led senior officials of the new Meiji Imperial government to name Mori to the all-important position of being Japan’s top representative to the United States despite his youth – he was only 23 years old at the time of his appointment. Notwithstanding his occasional impatience with Japanese traditions and the more reserved senior officials of the Iwakura Embassy, Mori’s connections in Washington D.C., his understanding of American society, and his skill at the English language significantly contributed to the institutional, cultural, and economic information that members of the Japanese delegation gathered. Mori’s post-Washington career as an intellectual, diplomat, and top education official in Japan in the late 1870s and 1880s also contributed to his country’s progression from the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate to the cusp of Japan’s international recognition as a major power in a world being transformed by industrialization and imperialism.

Mining educational big data to develop an early alert dynamic model of academically at-risk students: A proof of concept

ABSTRACT Educational big data has great predictive power to identify academically at-risk students. Based on fully mining educational big data, this study developed an early alert dynamic model of academically at-risk students to confirm and extend this proposition. An empirical test was carried out to validate the reliability and validity of the dynamic model by using data analysis methods. The results proved that the developed model could precisely identify academically at-risk students, scientifically assess their academic risk status, and dynamically provide personalised interventions. The overall prediction success rate of the developed model was 80.8%. In addition, application reflections were discussed to shed light on future implementation.

A two‐stage reactive power optimization method for distribution networks based on a hybrid model and data‐driven approach

AbstractThe uncertainty of distributed energy resources (DERs) and loads in distribution networks poses challenges for reactive power optimization and control timeliness. The computational limitations of the traditional algorithms and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) based technologies have promoted the advancement of hybrid model‐data‐driven algorithms. This article proposes a two‐stage reactive power optimization method for distributed networks (DNs) based on a hybrid model‐data‐driven approach. In the first stage, based on the topology and line parameters of the DN, as well as forecasts of loads and renewable energy outputs, a mixed‐integer second‐order cone programming (MISOCP) algorithm is used to control the on‐load tap changer (OLTC) positions on an hourly day‐ahead basis. In the second stage, leveraging deep learning technology, the real‐time reactive power output of photovoltaics (PV) and wind power units is controlled at a 5‐min time scale throughout the day. Specifically, using traditional solvers, the global optimal reactive power output for PV and wind power units is determined first, corresponding to various load and renewable energy output scenarios. Then, neural networks are trained to map node power to the optimal reactive power outputs of renewable energy units, capturing the complex physical relationships. For the second stage, a transformer network framework with a self‐attention mechanism and multi‐head attention for deep learning training is applied to uncover the intrinsic and physical spatial relationships among high‐dimensional features. The proposed method is tested on a modified IEEE 33‐bus system with multiple distributed renewable energy sources. The case study results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid model‐data‐driven algorithm effectively coordinates day‐ahead and real‐time controls of various devices, achieving real‐time model‐free optimization throughout the day. Compared to traditional deep neural networks (DNNs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs), the transformer network provides superior reactive power optimization results.

Towards a Common World: Arendt’s Way Beyond Hobbes

ABSTRACT Hobbes’s account of sovereign power can be seen as an impetus to Arendt’s passion for authentic political life. From the Human Condition, we will see how the distinction between labor, work, and action can be read as a response to Hobbes’s accounts of both human nature and the necessity for harsh restrictions on citizens in society. In particular, the need for compelled silence, for Hobbes, appears as a dialectical counterpoint to the role of speech in the space of appearances for Arendt. Hobbes also has a hand in drawing Arendt to her final interest in Kant’s Critique of Judgment. Here, Arendt addresses the problem of imperialism in Hobbes’s account of global power. She sees a way beyond imperialism through the cosmopolitan bond we share around the aesthetic domain. Aesthetic cosmopolitanism is a unique way into Arendt’s fight against tyranny.

Economic Statecraft of Small States in Response to Great Power Strategic Rivalry-Take Malaysia as An Example

The foreign economic statecraft of state actors in International Relations (IRs) have often attracted much attention and discussion among scholars, but most of the existing research focuses on the economic statecraft choices of great or medium-sized powers, and there is a lack of discussion on the economic statecraft of small state actors. From the perspective of International Political Economy (IPE), this paper takes Neoclassical Realism (NCR) as the theoretical basis and adopts case studies and process tracing to analyze how Malaysia has responded to the competition of great powers such as the United States, China and Japan with different economic statecrafts. The results show that small states, like great power, possess the ability to implement different economic statecrafts, and the ability threshold, initiative, and rationality of goals are the conditions that shadow whether small countries can implement economic statecrafts. State favorability at the system level and interest preferences at the unit level jointly shape the three modes of economic statecrafts that small states use to cope with great power competition, including: offensive economic statecraft, defensive economic statecraft, and composite economic statecraft. Depending on their relative relationship and status with great powers, small states flexibly apply different economic statecrafts to realize the goals of foreign economic development and maintain national security.

Innovative solar PV array design: mitigating partial shading for Optimal Performance Index

Photovoltaic arrays are popular for green energy but suffer productivity loss from module faults and partial shading conditions (PSC). These two faults must be distinguished to avoid a permanent shutdown. Hence, this article presents two Novel 4 X 4 array structures with fewer tie-lines to address mismatch power loss under these abnormal conditions. The performances of these novel arrays are compared with Total-Cross-Tied (TCT), Honey-Comb (HC), and Bridge-Link (BL) under three PSC categories, with six cases falling into each category. PSCs are analysed at constant and varying temperatures, along with row and column module faults. Thirteen performance indices, including the Overall Performance Index (OPI), are addressed. The percentage reduction of tie-lines in novel topologies, along with their strengths and limitations, and variation of the performance indices of all the topologies are analysed. The obtained results reveal that the Novel-1 and Novel-2 arrays capture the global maximum power point (GMPP) in 67% and 78% of the analysed situations, respectively, outperforming standard arrangements and decreasing tie-lines. These findings support the efficacy and economic benefits of the novel array configurations, which provide considerable increases in PV system performance and reliability across a variety of environmental circumstances.

MetaFun: unveiling sex-based differences in multiple transcriptomic studies through comprehensive functional meta-analysis

BackgroundWhile sex-based differences in various health scenarios have been thoroughly acknowledged in the literature, we lack sufficient tools and methods that allow for an in-depth analysis of sex as a variable in biomedical research. To fill this knowledge gap, we created MetaFun as an easy-to-use web-based tool to meta-analyze multiple transcriptomic datasets with a sex-based perspective to gain major statistical power and biological soundness.DescriptionMetaFun is a complete suite that allows the analysis of transcriptomics data and the exploration of the results at all levels, performing single-dataset exploratory analysis, differential gene expression, gene set functional enrichment, and finally, combining results in a functional meta-analysis. Which biological processes, molecular functions or cellular components are altered in a common pattern in different transcriptomic studies when comparing male and female patients? This and other biological questions of interest can be answered with the use of MetaFun. This tool is available at https://bioinfo.cipf.es/metafun while additional help can be found at https://gitlab.com/ubb-cipf/metafunweb/-/wikis/Summary.ConclusionsOverall, Metafun is the first open-access web-based tool to identify consensus biological functions across multiple transcriptomic datasets, helping to elucidate sex differences in numerous diseases. Its use will facilitate the generation of novel biological knowledge that can be used in the research and application of Personalized Medicine considering the sex of patients.