Interdependent Nature Research Articles

Integration of macroeconomic fundamentals in the West African Monetary Zone: A multi scale perspective

A recently developed wavelet multiple correlations and cross correlations based on the maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform by Fernández-Macho is employed to analyse the interdependence of macroeconomic fundamentals among countries within the West African Monetary Zone for data from January 2000 to December 2018. We establish that the nature of interdependence among exchange rates, inflation, and interest rates vary across the countries. We document that the overall correlations of the three macroeconomic variables are weak in the short term, medium term, and long term. There is evidence of weaker integration at all frequencies for exchange rates, inflation, and interest rates.However, Ghana has the maximum wavelet multiple correlations at these times. The overall correlation of macroeconomic variables shows inconsistencies and may be accounted for by varying factors which often exert influence on market linkages over time. It is clear from the empirical evidence that the ex-ante conditionality for the introduction of the single currency in West African Monetary Zone will be difficult to achieve.

Microfoundations and dynamics of do-it-yourself ecosystems

Small-scale do-it-yourself (DIY) practices have driven emerging user communities and global movements. As research on ecosystems has proliferated, limited insights have been generated on the interdependent and dynamic nature of DIY ecosystems. Drawing on observations of a locally established space for DIY activities (“makerspace”) with international networks, a flexible pattern matching approach was adopted in explaining how disparate projects played a primary role in the formation of a self-sustaining DIY ecosystem with interdependent start-up actors, or “makers”. Two patterns were drawn from the literature on DIY ecosystems to discover matches and mismatches in longitudinal data that were drawn from a coworking-space in Shenzhen, China. The findings suggest two emergent dimensions: internal alignment, and connection with, and resilience to, the ecosystem's external environment. We explain how these dimensions advance understanding of DIY ecosystems by illuminating their interdependent and self-sustaining nature. Policy recommendations are also offered in supporting the development particularly of user communities in makerspaces.

GEOGRAPHICAL DETERMINATION OF NATURE MANAGEMENT AND BIOCLIMATIC POTENTIAL OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT : PROBLEMS, PROGRESSIVE TRENDS

In the article evolutional character of mutual relations of man is examined with nature, geographical problems and forms of cooperation and interdependence at the different types of nature management in different geographical terms at the different levels of development of society, going near the estimation of the productivity of the landed resources.

An Integrated Health Belief Model: Predicting Uptake of the First COVID-19 Booster Vaccine

ABSTRACT Public health campaigns have turned to the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a guiding framework for the past six decades. Carpenter’s 2010 HBM meta-analysis revealed important shortcomings as well as a path forward that has largely been ignored by recent COVID-19 research using this framework. Consistent with Carpenter’s recommendations, this study on the uptake of the first COVID-19 booster vaccine focused on the overlooked interactional processes of the original HBM founders. Our study used SEM and Hayes’s PROCESS 4.1 to explore the possibilities of the interdependent nature of the core three beliefs to form a model that is integrated. The study indicated that the core variables of the original HBM were significant predictors of the intent to take the first COVID-19 booster vaccine when considered in an interactional process framework. Our study results have implications for those designing public health advocacy campaigns regarding COVID-19 as it enters an endemic stage with future vaccines and medications.

The Ideal Review Process Is a Three-Way Street

In response to the increasing difficulty of obtaining high quality peer reviews, our invited paper describes the concept of review avoidance and why this phenomenon occurs. In reaffirming the professional responsibilities and potential benefits of reviewing, we also emphasize the interdependent nature of the ideal peer review process. We suggest that the review process is a three-way street where the respective roles and responsibilities of authors, editors and editorial teams, and reviewers are inextricably linked. We present thematic illustrations of undesirable reviewer comments, and a brief synthesis of broad themes in the literature on high-quality reviewing. The synthesis is complemented by a master reviewer’s fine-grained perspective on crafting high quality reviews. A final Appendix presents additional sources that may be informative for prospective reviewers, submitting authors, and those mentors and colleagues who may wish to provide guidance and training to them.

Assessing the kid's behaviour with factors of social media advertising: DEMATEL application

PurposeKids get exposed to advertising on social media platforms when they visit them to perform various goals. The purpose of this study is to find out the factors which affect kids' behaviour when the kids encounter advertising on social media and also to establish causal relationships amongst the factors of social media advertising (SMA).Design/methodology/approachA total of 11 factors of SMA have been identified with the help of experts and the causal relationships amongst the SMA factors have been constructed by the implementation of decision-making trail and laboratory evaluation (DEMATEL). Based on the established relationships, a causal diagram has been also developed to understand the structural nature of interdependence amongst the factors.FindingsDEMATEL technique is based on logical steps, which have assisted in categorising the identified factors into two groups: cause group and effect group. Cause group factors are the reasons for the effect group factors to occur. Customisation, entertainment, information and interactivity have been observed as cause factors whereas, relevance, engagement with SMA, purchase intention, product involvement, advertising value, attitude towards SMA and irritation have been observed as effect factors. Product involvement is found to have the highest level of interaction with all other factors. Information and interactivity are observed to influence all other factors.Research limitations/implicationsKids possess a limited understanding of the selling intent of advertisers which makes kids vulnerable to advertising. This study supports that the content of the advertisement should be kept in accordance with the need of kids and also suggests that marketers should emphasise cause group factors which derive subsequent consequences on effect group factors. The foremost limitation of this study lies in the process of identifying the factors through expert opinions. The sets of contextual relationships may vary when different experts are considered.Originality/valueThis study strives to identify the factors which affect kids' understanding of SMA and also establishes causal relationships amongst them. This kind of study is unique in state of the art and to the authors' knowledge no significant research has been conducted in India which involves establishment of inter-relationships amongst SMA factors that affect kids' behaviour.

Understanding student teachers’ reflective thinking using epistemic network analysis and fine-grained trace data

In teacher education, it is important to design activities for enabling student teachers to deal with teaching problems and cultivate their reflective thinking. Because of the dynamic, interdependent, and temporal nature of reflective thinking, uncovering the reflective thinking process comprehensively via a sophisticated learning analysis approach can help to inform the pedagogical design and learning environment design. In this study, based on the discourse trace data drawn from 40 student teachers in an eight-week course, content analysis, statistical analysis, and epistemic network analysis were adopted to explore student teachers’ reflective thinking process. The results showed that student teachers paid more attention to the content and premise aspects of reflection, but less attention to the process aspect of reflection. In terms of the stage of reflection, student teachers were in a lower stage of reflection and lack of deep reflection. Differences in reflective thinking between the high- and low-score groups were compared, and the result illustrated that in-depth understanding and analysis of learning tasks could be observed in the early stage of collaboration, reflection on the problem-solving process took place in the middle stage of collaboration. Combined with previous experience, timely self-reflection and evaluation in the late stage of collaboration were more conducive to good collaborative performance. In addition, this study revealed how group members changed their behavior to better promote self-reflection during online collaborative learning activities. Finally, the limitations, implications, and future research direction of this study are discussed.

Ontology as ideology: A critique of Butler's theory of precariousness

Ontology as ideology: A critique of Butler's theory of precariousness

Spatial representation through graphic narrative: a practical approach

Narrative is a form of production that incorporate elements such as characters, time, and space. These elements work together to convey subject actions in a temporal context, and can be communicated through verbal, written, and visual forms. The spatial information in different narrative forms is represented using a variety of tools and methods. Bakhtin's concept of "chronotope" highlights the interdependent nature of time and space in textual narratives and can be applied to visual narratives. The potential of graphic narrative as a medium to visualize time through sequential frames makes it a valuable tool to explore spatial knowledge and representation in architectural education. This paper explores the spatial representation capabilities of graphic narratives using the concept of chronotope, and presents a practical exercise called "Narrative of Space" that can be used to promote spatial thinking and representation in first-year architectural education.

Interdependencies between Urban Transport, Water, and Solid Waste Infrastructure Systems

Developing integrated, sustainable, and resilient urban systems requires consideration of the different types of interdependencies between their infrastructure systems. The degree and nature of interdependencies among infrastructure systems vary widely. This article identifies and analyzes the interdependencies between urban transport, water, and solid waste. A comprehensive review is conducted, an interdependency matrix for the three systems is developed, and the interdependencies are analyzed qualitatively. The analysis shows that the three systems are highly interdependent, indicating that an integrated approach that considers the mutual impacts, conflicts, and interactions among them at all stages of their life cycles is necessary to promote sustainability and resilience. This article also identifies opportunities for developing new integrated planning and design approaches and emphasizes the need for further research in this area to quantify infrastructure interdependencies. This is particularly important in the context of rapid urbanization and the pressure on cities to adapt to climate change.

The Experiences of Post-ICU COVID-19 Survivors: An Existential Perspective using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

COVID-19 has highlighted the vulnerability of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and the negative sequelae associated with ICU treatment. While the potentially traumatic impact of ICU is well documented, less is known about the ICU survivor's subjective experience and how it influences life post-discharge. Existential psychology addresses the universal concerns of existence, including death, isolation, and meaninglessness, and offers a holistic view of human experience beyond diagnostic categories. An existential psychological understanding of ICU COVID-19 survivorship may therefore provide a rich account of what it means to be among the worst affected by a global existential crisis. This study employed interpretive phenomenological analysis of qualitative interviews with 10 post-ICU COVID-19 survivors (aged 18-78). Interviews were structured on existential psychology's 'Four Worlds' model that explores the physical, social, personal, and spiritual dimensions of human experience. The essential meaning of ICU COVID-19 survival was conceptualised as 'Trying to Reconnect with a Changed Reality' and consisted of four themes. The first, Between Shifting Realities in ICU, described the liminal nature of ICU and the need to ground oneself. The second, What it Means to Care and Be Cared For, captured the emotive nature of personal interdependence and reciprocity. The third, The Self is Different, described survivors' struggle to reconcile old and new selves. The fourth, A New Relationship with Life, outlined how survivors' experiences shaped their new worldviews. Findings evidence the value of holistic, existentially informed psychological support for ICU survivors.

Supportive and collaborative interdependence: Distinguishing residents' contributions within health care teams.

Individual assessments disregard team contributions, while team assessments disregard an individual's contributions. Interdependence has been put forth as a conceptual bridge between our educational traditions of assessing individual performance and our imminent challenge of assessing team-based performance without losing sight of the individual. The purpose of this study was to develop a more refined conceptualisation of interdependence to inform the creation of measures that can assess the interdependence of residents within health care teams. Following a constructivist grounded theory approach, we conducted 49 semi-structured interviews with various members of health care teams (e.g. physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and patients) across two different clinical specialties-Emergency Medicine and Paediatrics-at two separate sites. Data collection and analysis occurred iteratively. Constant comparative inductive analysis was used, and coding consisted of three stages: initial, focused and theoretical. We asked participants to reflect upon interdependence and describe how it exists in their clinical setting. All participants acknowledged the existence of interdependence, but they did not view it as part of a linear spectrum where interdependence becomes independence. Our analysis refined the conceptualisation of interdependence to include two types: supportive and collaborative. Supportive interdependence occurs within health care teams when one member demonstrates insufficient expertise to perform within their scope of practice. Collaborative interdependence, on the other hand, was not triggered by lack of experience/expertise within an individual's scope of practice, but rather recognition that patient care requires contributions from other team members. In order to assess a team's collective performance without losing sight of the individual, we need to capture interdependent performances and characterise the nature of such interdependence. Moving away from a linear trajectory where independence is seen as the end goal can also help support efforts to measure an individual's competence as an interdependent member of a health care team.

An Exploration of Critical Care Professionals' Strategies to Enhance Daily Implementation of the Assess, Prevent, and Manage Pain; Both Spontaneous Awakening and Breathing Trials; Choice of Analgesia and Sedation; Delirium Assess, Prevent, and Manage; Early Mobility and Exercise; and Family Engagement and Empowerment: A Group Concept Mapping Study.

Mixed-methods group concept mapping over 8 months using an online method. Participants provided strategies in response to a prompt about what was needed for successful daily ABCDEF bundle implementation. Responses were summarized into a set of unique statements and then rated on a 5-point scale on degree of necessity (essential) and degree to which currently used. Sixty-eight academic, community, and federal ICUs. A total of 121 ICU professionals consisting of frontline and leadership professionals. None. A final set of 76 strategies (reduced from 188 responses) were suggested: education (16 strategies), collaboration (15 strategies), processes and protocols (13 strategies), feedback (10 strategies), sedation/pain practices (nine strategies), education (eight strategies), and family (five strategies). Nine strategies were rated as very essential but infrequently used: adequate staffing, adequate mobility equipment, attention to (patient's) sleep, open discussion and collaborative problem solving, nonsedation methods to address ventilator dyssynchrony, specific expectations for night and day shifts, education of whole team on interdependent nature of the bundle, and effective sleep protocol. In this concept mapping study, ICU professionals provided strategies that spanned a number of conceptual implementation clusters. Results can be used by ICU leaders for implementation planning to address context-specific interdisciplinary approaches to improve ABCDEF bundle implementation.

A vertically integrated approach to increasing returns and cumulative causation

Focusing on the interindustry aspect of the structural economic dynamics (SED) to yield a non-autarchic perspective on the vertically integrated sectors (VIS), we go a step further in establishing productivity growth at the industry level being transmitted via inter and intra-sectoral pecuniary spillovers. To accomplish this task, we deal with the technical aspects of shifting from inter-industry to vertically integrated analysis. Besides, dimensions of the Kaldor-Verdoorn (KV) law are selectively embedded in Pasinetti's multisectoral model, thus rendering technical change endogenous. With this approach, we take into account both external and internal economies of scale, allowing us to formally reconcile the KV and Smith-Young (SY) views on cumulative causation and increasing returns. We highlight that the interdependent nature of the VIS impacts the capability of spreading pecuniary externalities throughout the economy.

Characteristics of the Board of Directors and Corporate Financial Performance—Empirical Evidence

The objectives of the research are to investigate the characteristics of the Board of Directors on the financial performance of the enterprise using sample data from 52 construction and real estate enterprises listed on the Vietnam stock exchange in the period 2006–2020. Using typical regression methods such as pooled OLS, FEM, REM, and assessing the defects of the research model, the FGLS method is selected. At the same time, due to the existence of endogenous phenomena and the nature of interdependence among enterprises in Vietnam, research using the instrumental variables two-step generalized method of moments (IV-GMM) is conducted in order to correct for cross-sectional dependence, autocorrelation, endogeneity, and heteroskedasticity in the analysis. Research results suggest that board size, female board members, meeting frequency, and board members’ education have a positive influence on financial performance. Moreover, as the independence of the Board of Directors increases, the business efficiency decreases. The research also found a positive relationship of tangible fixed assets, and a negative relationship between capital structure choice, firm size, and corporate financial performance. Finally, we propose some implications for enhancing the financial performance of Vietnamese firms.

Self-regulatory processes within and between diverse goals: The multiple goals regulation framework

As the pursuit of multiple goals is an inescapable reality in everyday life, students are consistently challenged to self-regulate toward achieving an array of academic goals as well as social and well-being goals. Nevertheless, prominent self-regulated learning models are limited in explaining and guiding how students can self-regulate in the context of multiple goals. Hence, we developed the multiple goals regulation framework that reconceptualizes how students establish, pursue, and adapt an array of goals. We illustrate specific processes (e.g., goal prioritizing, goal shielding, goal switching) that students can engage in to self-regulate both within and between goals. The new framework contributes to the literature in three main ways. First, we challenge the traditional conceptualization of effective self-regulated learning that focuses on the persistent pursuit of a single academic goal without considering the interdependent nature of goals. Second, we facilitate a sustainable and adaptive cycle of self-regulatory processes by highlighting the importance of navigating and negotiating between multiple academic and nonacademic goals. Finally, our effort offers a more inclusive understanding of students’ lived experiences by acknowledging a diverse set of goals that are closely attached to their social and cultural identities.

Impact of Ukraine War on Global Energy and Food Supply Chains: A Case Study of South Asia

The damaging economic, political, and diplomatic effects of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022 have not been confined to just continental Europe. The highly interconnected and interdependent nature of the global economy means that other regions are similarly, or even more negatively, affected by any outbreak of hostilities in states like Ukraine that prove integral parts of global food and energy supply chains. This is particularly the case with the South Asian region that has a predominance of developing economies already struggling to provide adequate basic services to their citizens, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and other climate change related natural disasters like floods and wildfire. The aim of this paper is to analyse the ongoing economic and geopolitical effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine in South Asia, highlighting how sustained disruptions in global food and energy supply chains exacerbate existing insecurity in developing economies. The corollary to this economic insecurity is increased inter-regional tensions as individual states compete against each other for increasingly scarce and costlier food and energy resources.

Pictures in Conversation

Immediately prior to embarking on her adventures in Wonderland, Alice considers, “Where is the use of a book [. . .] without pictures or conversations?” The extensive history of re-imagining through re-illustration over 150 years of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland demonstrates evident cultural agreement with Alice’s position on the interdependent nature of words and pictures. Through an analysis of a selection of editions of Alice’s story ranging from 1864 to 2015, I argue that this extensive history of re-illustration has resulted in a shared Wonderland iconography that has both built a sense of visual familiarity and made space for book artists to re-engage readers with Wonderland through a disruption of this familiarity. This project examines the trajectory of Alice re-illustration and positions four artists’ books (by Salvador Dalí, Barry Moser, Didier Mutel, and Anna Hellsgård & Christian Gfeller) as materially significant contributions to the ongoing visual history of Carroll’s text.

A review of the foundations of systems, infrastructure and governance

The reliability of infrastructure that is critical to society’s functionality, survival and progression has gained significance for both national security and research because of its large-scale and interdependent nature. However, the theoretical basis of the relatively new research field of critical infrastructure is incomplete and the common parlance about the underlying concepts is ambiguous. This article addresses this issue and presents the results of a substantial review of scientific literature on the concepts of systems, infrastructure and governance. The results demonstrate that the concepts encounter a common challenge in characterising their key elements, structures and processes because of their recursive nature. The multi-level character of critical infrastructure systems provokes governance to systemically address the properties of adaption, emergence and entropy which the complex system-of-systems exhibits. This article contributes with both a conceptual study of the terms system, infrastructure and governance and a detailed review of the state of the art regarding these concepts in the current scientific literature to an enhanced understanding of the theoretical foundations of the associated fields. Subsequent research could interrelate other concepts, such as vulnerability, resilience, sustainability and feedback with the provided state of the art.

Стратегическое партнерство политических партий Румынии и Молдовы в новых политических реалиях

The article examines the features and main directions of interaction between political parties of the Republic of Romania and the Republic of Moldova from the early 1990s to the present day. Analyzing the historical prerequisites for stable ties between political parties of the two countries, the authors draw attention to the fact that they are based on the shared ideas of unionism and formation of a single political and cultural space between Romania and Moldova. The authors also examine conditions for close cooperation between the parties such as Moldova’s choice of the European path of development, strengthening strategic partnership with Romania and the EU countries and ensuring security in the region. This research demonstrates that the high degree of Romania’s involvement in the Moldovan political processes creates special conditions for inter-party interaction, which covers different spheres of real politics. Considering political parties as important actors in the communication process that can influence political decisionmaking, the authors identify several areas of cooperation, including educational projects, youth initiatives, inter-party dialogue at various levels, activities of representative offices of Romanian parties on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, inclusion of Moldovan politicians in the electoral process in Romania. As a result, the research categorizes political parties of Moldova and Romania on the basis of their attitude to the ideas of unionism and main ideological priorities, into three groups. The authors emphasize that in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the agenda of cooperation between Chisinau and Bucharest is reduced to the points of Romania supporting Moldova’s European path and the latter ensuring its own security and sovereignty. Under these circumstances, cooperation between political stakeholders of the two states is intensifying. This kind of interaction mainly covers the right flank of Moldovan parties. The multidimensional nature of political interdependence between the two sides of the Prut demonstrates the high degree of mutual involvement of parties of the two states in each other’s internal affairs. The basic principle in political programs of Romanian and Moldovan parties is the idea of Uniri. This idea of building a single state has become the leitmotif of establishing communication channels between the main actors of the political process in Romania and Moldova, who are committed to a common European future.