Historical Perspective Research Articles

Hard and soft governance mechanisms for large projects. A historical perspective

Purpose Drawing motivation from the greater exposure to uncertainty and condition changes that affect large projects due to their long lifecycle, this paper aims to investigate how the time factor affects the use of governance mechanisms to pursue the success of these projects. Design/methodology/approach To pursue its aim, the article applies the dichotomization between the hard and soft mechanisms of project governance to the analysis of a historical case study, whose findings are organized over the short, medium and long periods. The case selected is referred to the peculiar water system, made up of tunnels named “bottini,” that was in use in Siena (Italy) as the old aqueduct. Specifically, the study focuses on the project of expansion of this water system that was realized during the 14th century for the construction of the “Bottino maestro di Fontegaia.” Findings This article highlights the different relevance that, during the lifecycle of large projects, is assumed by hard and soft governance mechanisms, with the former having main relevance in a short and medium period, and the latter usually emerging in the medium period and, subsequently, playing a growing role for the project success in the long period. Originality/value The article contributes to the literature on large projects by providing novel insights about how the time factor impacts the governance of these projects. Furthermore, the case study, with its unique history, highlights the relevance of combining effectively the hard and the soft dimensions of project governance to pursue success.

Human centered digital transformation in travel: a horizon 2050 paper

Purpose The impact of digital technology in the wider travel field has been substantial and significant, changing both the competitive landscape of businesses and the behavior of travelers. However, we are now on the cusp of new digital developments encompassing cloud computing, blockchain, internet of things (IoT) and above all, artificial intelligence (AI), which are predicted to disrupt the business and consumer sides of several industries – travel included. This study aims to frame this upcoming digital transformation in travel within a human-centered approach where the critical understanding of digital humanism principles will enrich social scientists’ research agenda in the coming years. Design/methodology/approach The viewpoint follows a structure based on (i) setting the scene for the rise of digital transformation, (ii) the historical perspective on digital transformation in travel, (iii) the pandemic’s impact and (iv) future development and research agenda. Findings It is only by fostering a human-centered digital transformation perspective that social science researchers in travel can realize the “high-tech for high-touch” promise of fostering a human-to-human encounter empowered and possibly hampered, by digital technologies. This work proposes to start from the concepts of digital technology control, participation, education and ethics to design a research agenda with a 2050 horizon. Originality/value This work has been designed to shift the attention of researchers toward a human-centered digital transformation approach to reflect on the human-machine relationship for a better society. Due to its inner characteristics the travel field can foster a reflection on this topic by reaffirming the centrality of human beings and their authorship in the travel product creation.

Is Conduction System Pacing a Valuable Alternative to Biventricular Pacing for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy?

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) significantly improves clinical outcomes in patients with ventricular systolic dysfunction and dyssynchrony. Biventricular pacing (BVP) has a class IA recommendation for patients with symptomatic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and left bundle branch block (LBBB). However, approximately 30% of patients have a poor therapeutic response and do not achieve real clinical benefit. Pre-implant imaging, together with tailored programming and dedicated device algorithms, have been proposed as possible tools to improve success rate but have shown inconsistent results. Over the last few years, conduction system pacing (CSP) is becoming a real and attractive alternative to standard BVP as it can restore narrow QRS in patients with bundle branch block (BBB) by stimulating and recruiting the cardiac conduction system, thus ensuring true resynchronization. It includes His bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP). Preliminary data coming from small single-center experiences are very promising and have laid the basis for currently ongoing randomized controlled trials comparing CSP with BVP. The purpose of this review is to delve into the emerging role of CSP as an alternative method of achieving CRT. After framing CSP in a historical perspective, the pathophysiological rationale and available clinical evidence will be examined, and crucial technical aspects will be discussed. Finally, evidence gaps and future perspectives on CSP as a technique of choice to deliver CRT will be summarized.

Креативные взгляды на вызовы российскому бизнесу в условиях турбулентности мирового порядка

The article examines the issues of opening up opportunities for Russian business in the context of geopolitical turbulence in a historical perspective. Approaches to the assessment of the main indicators characterizing the world hegemony are considered. The trend of changes in the GDP of the most influential countries from the historical position of the world order, as well as the dynamics of changes in the quality of life of the population of successful modern countries, in order to find the causes of the turbulence of the world order and analyze modern events, is studied. The analysis of the economic situation for entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation and Belarus, based on official statistical data, is carried out. The actions of the public sector are analyzed and creative approaches and tools are proposed, the use of which will contribute to the development of business structures, which will serve as a basis for creating new jobs and organizing modern production processes. The provisions of Russia’s economic security in the new system of a multipolar world are formulated.

Considerations in developing a financial model for an academic statistical consulting centre

In operating an academic statistical consulting centre, it is essential to develop a strategy for covering the anticipated costs incurred, such as personnel, facilities, third‐party data, professional development and marketing, and for handling the revenues generated from sources such as university commitments, extramural grants, fees for service, internal memorandums of understanding and consulting courses. As such, this article describes each of these costs and revenue sources in turn, discusses how they vary over phases of a project and life cycles of a centre, provides a review of both historical and modern perspectives in the literature and includes illustrative examples of financial models from three different institutions. These points of consideration are meant to inform consulting groups who are interested in becoming either more or less centrally structured.

Checklist of Water mites in Mexico. Historical background and DNA barcoding perspectives

Water mites are the most ubiquitous, abundant, diverse, and ecologically important group of arachnids in all freshwater environments. In Mexico, despite being a megadiverse country, only 271 species have been recorded so far since 1873. This is probably due to the scarcity of taxonomists in the country or the inherent complex morphology of this group, which challenges its systematics and its integration into other research studies. Molecular identification has been highly useful for practical applications of these organisms, while taxonomic identification work continues. Until now, a species checklist and reference information about water mites diversity and distribution in Mexico is lacking. In this work, we compiled species described or recorded in Mexico and provided preliminary data for a COI barcode library of the water mites in the country. This checklist includes 271 species from 25 families and 61 genera. In addition, the COI barcode library is supplied in a public dataset from the BOLD database (boldsystems.org); it contains 794 sequences corresponding to 103 BINs or putative species, of which only five of them have been identified to the species. We predict that the discovery of hidden diversity of mites will continue and improve after the use of integrative taxonomy tools. Also, their value as indicators of water quality will be re-evaluated, helping in the conservation of freshwater environments and the evaluation of the global warming impact.

Public administration and development in (historical) perspective

AbstractSince 1949, the journal Public Administration and Development has gone through changes in name and scope, in author demographics and background, and in readership and the topics covered. The professional‐oriented articles in the first years of the journal have evolved to become more academic theory‐oriented articles in recent years. Drawing on mixed methods, the authors conducted in‐depth analyses using data from the journal to highlight changes in research themes and geographic foci. The study provides insights into the historical development of public administration in developing contexts, the journal's contributions to the field, and maps out potential future research trends.

Some Historical and Economic Facts behind the Geometry of Circles and Squares

Abstract The two popular geometrical shapes – circle and square – have long attracted the attention of scholars in mathematics, philosophy, religion, architecture, art and traditions of the human society. Following is a brief review of the use of these two images in historical perspective.

The genitourinary system in ancient Greece: a historical perspective.

The Ancient Greeks were great innovators in all academic fields, including medicine. Hippocrates of Kos, the Father of Medicine, established many terms for the genitourinary (GU) system, such as nephros, urethra, urogenital, and adenocarcinoma. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was born off the coast of Kythera, from the foam produced by Uranus's genitals, after his son Cronus had thrown them into to the sea. In this review, we present the etymology of the GU vocabulary, review the Ancient Greeks' understanding of the GU system and the origins of Greek myths related to the male genitals.

The twelfth Accounting History International Conference “Accounting for arts, culture and heritage in historical perspectives”

The twelfth <i>Accounting History</i> International Conference “Accounting for arts, culture and heritage in historical perspectives”

Experimental Poetry in Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Literary Spaces: Socialism, War Transition, and Beyond

Abstract From historical perspectives, this article points to the interactions between official politics, official literary culture, and radical poetry in socialist Yugoslavia and postsocialist post-Yugoslav cultures. The complexity of parallel political and poetically antagonistically opposed poetry formations and the role of feminism are discussed within this constantly changing social and political environment. At the same time, connections and interactions between different parts of this cultural spaces are revealed, which are concealed within the dominant methodological nationalism approach to poetry studies. The focus is put on the intensive relation between radical poetry and radical art practice connected with transnational flows in Yugoslav socialism from the late 1960s and 1970s, and later its reappearance in 1990s during the war in Yugoslavia. At the end, the article discusses the function of translation of American poetry in articulation of radical postsocialist poetry in Serbia, and the role of feminism as a political frame for this kind of work.

Hospice at Home: Historical Perspectives and Their Implications for End-of-Life Care Today

Hospice at Home: Historical Perspectives and Their Implications for End-of-Life Care Today

The Outpatient Endovascular & Interventional Society (OEIS)—The Voice of Advocacy for the OBL: Origins, Principles, and Historical Perspective

The Outpatient Endovascular & Interventional Society (OEIS)—The Voice of Advocacy for the OBL: Origins, Principles, and Historical Perspective

FMEA, monitoring, retrofit and redesign of insulated rail joints

Insulated rail joints (IRJ) are a fundamental component of railway signalling that ensure train protection using “track circuits”. A track circuit is a section of line delimited by rail joints electrically insulated, powered at one end with an electric power supply to establish a different voltage that is checked at the other end with a so-called “track circuit relay”. When the section is short-circuited by an axle the relay drops, and the section is defined as “occupied”. IRJ are subjected to continuous and dangerous failures as they represent a singularity in the rail continuity. Continuous battering produces the classical train impact noise while damage in the rail accumulates until the IRJ fails with extremely unpleasant consequences. The paper discusses the main failure modes of an IRJ starting from a historical perspective, showing how an appropriate failure analysis would have prevented a catastrophic accident that recently occurred in Italy. Several countermeasures are shown and a completely new IRJ potentially completely solving the issue is introduced.

Preface

The only certainty is that conditions always change. Change is necessary for life to exist and to be capable of correctly perceiving changes is essential for adapting to new conditions. In an era of rapid environmental change, resilience has become a critical aspect of a sustainable built environment (Architecture and urban design). Resilience is the key of adaptability to maintain continuity. Sustainability itself must not last forever, but one that can easily adapt to future uncertainty.Architecture and urban design are claimed to play a significant role in the deterioration of environmental quality regarding its resilience and sustainability. High intervention in natural habitats for infrastructure propose, poor energy conservation design, lack of accessibility for a wide range of users, and minimum anticipation of immediate change are the small pieces of many architectural and urban design practices that worsen the environmental quality.Many attempts have been to reduce this global phenomenon by incorporating government top-down policies and practitioner bottom-up strategies. Since 2015, the United Nations, specifically through SDGs 11 and 13, dedicated itself to promoting a more sustainable and resilient future for the environment. Practitioners and academics also contribute to initiating and implementing environment-oriented approaches, both in practice and research. Nevertheless, the engagement and collaboration among practitioners, stakeholders, academics, and the community still need to enhance in providing more comprehensive and impactful benefits. These steps are important because the built environments are the products of human work and become the systems that organize human life itself, thus its design should be the solution when preparing for the uncertainty of what comes in the future.International Conference on Architecture Research and Design (AR+DC) is an annual event organized by the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember. This international event was first initiated in 2009 and has invited academics, researchers, and professionals from a wide range of expertise and fields. For years, AR+DC topics focused on architecture and its related subjects, such as architecture design, architectural theory, history, and criticism, environmental architecture, housing and settlement, and urban design. In 2023 the conference theme is “Architecture and Urban Resilience: Sustainability through Adaptation.” This conference addresses the following themes: Resilient and Liveable Cities, Resilient Architectural Design and Practice, Resilient Housing and Settlement, Theoretical, Historical, and critical perspectives of resilient Architecture and urban design, Resilient Buildings and Technology, and other Topics.To commemorate Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) 63rd Anniversary on November 10th, 2023, this year ARDC 2023 will be held concurrently with the CIVPLAN International Conference (CIC). The CIC, organized by the Faculty of Civil, Planning, and Geo-engineering (CIVPLAN), ITS, focuses on the theme of “Smart Infrastructure for Sustainable Living.” This conference also serves as a platform to bring together seminars from various departments under the Faculty of CIVPLAN, namely: Architecture, Civil engineering, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Engineering, and Geo-Engineering.List of Advisory Board, Scientific Committee, Organizing Committee, Guest Editor and Members are available in this pdf.

Mobilizing social transformation with technology. The shaping of social processes since the development of industrial society and beyond: innovation input and social processes

Technological development is a key factor for shaping social life, transforming the ways in which societies organize their production, mobility and communication processes. Since the beginning of industrialization, the pace of the transformations brought about by technological change has increased dramatically, and has further accelerated since the advent of the new digital technologies. These development processes has also impacts in terms of social, economic and environmental costs, a fact that has been addressed in the past few decades by various social movements as well as theoreticians, becoming a key issue in political and social discussion agendas. In this paper, we outline a historical perspective of these changes and their effects, from pre-industrial, industrial, post-Fordism and network societies, and we focus on the mobilizing potential of technological change. We analyze the role that technological interfaces play today in social transformation, as well as the implications for our present day that our interactions become increasingly intermediated by digital technologies. Finally, we discuss digital technologies and their impacts on social inequity. We argue that a public and democratic agenda comprising both development and technological issues should be put in place for guaranteeing social development processes.

Vaginal Hysterectomy and Pelvic Organ Prolapse: History and Recent Developments.

Vaginal hysterectomy (VH) was described as far back as 120 CE. However, it was not till the mid-1900s when reconstructive procedures were introduced to mitigate the risk of, or treat, pelvic organ prolapse in relation to VH. Furthermore, routine hysterectomy, particularly VH, has long been advocated in prolapse surgery. However, this indication is now questionable. Literature review to provide an overview of current evidence and experts' opinion regarding the relationship between VH and pelvic organ prolapse. The review presents a historical perspective on the role of VH in the management of pelvic organ prolapse, the current debate on the usefulness of the procedure in this context, a practical guide on operative techniques used during VH and the impact of recent surgical developments on its use. Vaginal hysterectomy is a well-established technique that is still superior to laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign gynecological disease, although more surgically challenging. However, it is possible that some contemporary techniques, such as vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, may overcome some of these challenges, and hence increase the number of hysterectomies performed via the vaginal route. Although patients should be counselled about uterine-sparing reconstructive surgery, vaginal hysterectomy continues to be a major surgical procedure in reconstructive pelvic floor surgery. Therefore, it is prudent to continue to train residents in vaginal surgical skills to ensure that they continue to provide safe, cost-effective, and comprehensive patient care.

Unveiling the frontiers: Historical expansion and modern implications of agricultural land use in Denmark

This study offers a first-of-its-kind investigation into the spatial and temporal transformation of agricultural land use and expansion in crops and livestock at national scale during the middle and latter half of the 19th century.We introduce an innovative methodological framework that combines historical data with advanced spatial analysis to trace and map the evolution of frontiers of agricultural land use changes, illustrating Denmark's agricultural evolution towards the modern era.Our research uncovers critical shifts in cropland, grazing land, and livestock density offering unprecedented insights into the mechanisms driving agricultural expansion and intensification. The mechanisms driving this expansion and their potential impact on contemporary agroecological challenges linked to land use intensification are explored. Our results point to a significant broadening and shifting of land use frontiers offering a historical perspective on agricultural land use. This sets the stage for promoting the analysis of drivers of change and gaining insights into how landscape development could be steered into an environmentally and societally more desirable and sustainable direction tackling present-day agroecological challenges.

Down to the Wire and Under Pressure: a historical perspective of the development of small vessel myography

Wire and pressure myography are both isolated vessel preparations that developed in the 1970s and '80s to study the microvasculature. These two in vitro methods shaped the possibilities for experimentation on small vessels, including arteries, veins, and lymphatics. In this work, publications and book chapters were used to synthesize a historical record of the emergence and landmark developments of wire and pressure myography. Following the creation of these techniques, vascular physiologists could now obtain either isometric measurements of vessel tension (wire myography) or isobaric measurements of vessel diameter (pressure myography). Further, vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells could be individually assessed using pharmacological agents or following denudation, the process of removing the endothelial cell layer. This work examines the role of wire and pressure myography in furthering our understanding of microvascular physiology, highlights the different values of these two techniques, and acts as a supplement to enrich the current understanding of the standard practice of wire and pressure myography. These techniques left a lasting impact on the field of vascular physiology and, today, benefit researchers across fields, especially when linked to other tools including calcium imaging, electrophysiology, and disease or transgenic animal models. Project supported by NIH Grant R01HL155618. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Cryptocurrency Adoption in Traditional Banking: Challenges and Opportunities

The advent of cryptocurrencies has introduced a paradigm shift in the financial ecosystem, offering a novel approach to traditional banking and financial transactions. This Master's thesis titled "Cryptocurrency Adoption in Traditional Banking: Challenges and Opportunities" provides a comprehensive analysis of the integration process of cryptocurrencies into the traditional banking sector. It scrutinizes the multifaceted challenges banks face in adopting cryptocurrencies while highlighting the unprecedented opportunities this new form of currency presents. The study commences with a detailed overview of the cryptocurrency market, emphasizing its growth, volatility, and the technological underpinnings that distinguish it from conventional banking systems. It delves into the historical perspective of cryptocurrencies, with a specific focus on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other significant players, to understand their evolution, current market dynamics, and potential future trajectories.