Mutual Interdependence Research Articles

Laser ablation in liquid

Laser ablation in a liquid (LAL) is an important and perspective way to create nanoparticles (NPs) necessary for modern technologies. LAL is not fully understood. Deep understanding is necessary to optimize processes and decrease high price of the LAL NPs. Today there are two groups of studies: in one of them scientists go from analyzing of bubble dynamics (thus they proceed from the late stages), while in another one, scientists investigate early stages of ablation. In the present paper we consider the process as whole: from ablation and up to formation of a bubble and its inflation. Thus we cover extremely wide range of spatiotemporal scales. We consider a role of absorbed energy and duration of pulse (femtosecond, multi-picosecond, nanosecond). Importance of supercritical states is emphasized. Diffusive atomic and hydrodynamic mixing due to Rayleigh–Taylor instability and their mutual interdependence are described. Liquid near contact with metal is heated by dissipation in strong shock and due to small but finite heat conduction in liquid; metal absorbing laser energy is hot and thus it serves as a heater for liquid. Spatial expansion and cooling of atomically mixed liquid and metal causes condensation of metal into NPs when pressure drops below critical pressure for metal. Development of bubble takes place during the next stages of decrease of pressure below critical parameters for liquid and below ambient pressure in liquid. Thin hot layer of liquid near contact expands in volume to many orders of magnitude filling the inflating bubble.

Modeling the barriers toward the growth of higher education institutions

PurposeIn recent years, sustainable issues have gained increasing importance in the higher education sector across the country. To remain competitive, higher education institutions (HEIs) have to engage themselves in providing world-class opportunities for higher education and research so that the beneficiaries may not be at a disadvantage in the international level. However, many HEIs still encounter barriers that can affect their growth. The purpose of this study is to identify and interpret the most significant barriers affecting the growth of HEIs in India and understand the mutual interactions and interdependence among them.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, 12 barriers affecting the growth of HEIs in India were identified and sorted by literature review, and these were validated through discussion with experts. Contextual relationships were drawn between them during brainstorming sessions. A hierarchical, seven-level structural model of these barriers affecting the growth of HEIs was developed by utilizing the total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) approach.FindingsThe results of this study showed “lack of climate change research” as the topmost outcome of the model having the highest dependence and lowest driving power. “Facilitator domination over academic experts” occupied the bottom-level input, compared to other barriers of the model, with highest driving power and lowest dependence. Further, Matrice d'Impacts Croisés – Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis was also performed to categorize the identified barriers for better understanding. Under MICMAC analysis, five barriers were categorized as driver barriers, four barriers as dependent barriers and the rest as linkage barriers, while none as autonomous. A TISM-based model that partitioned the barriers into different levels was developed, showcasing direct and important transitive relations.Practical implicationsThe TISM-based model developed in this study may provide a more realistic approach to the problems faced by decision-makers, academicians and top managers in the growth of HEIs in India. Thus, it will provide a roadmap to focus on the most influential barriers and reduce or eliminate them.Originality/valueThe present study identified major barriers that when dealt with can help overcome the effect of other barriers preventing the growth of HEIs in India. It also introduces a model to identify and manage the barriers by understanding the effectiveness of each barrier and minimizing the overall effect in Indian HEIs. Moreover, the analysis of interdependence and interactions studied among these barriers may also help decision-makers, academicians and top managers to find deeper insights, prioritize and rectify them, to re-establish the growth of HEIs and gain a competitive advantage.

Place of Causativity in the Language System of the Azerbaijani and English languages

“The English-Azerbaijani Dictionary” gives the following definitions for the words “causative” and “causation” in Azerbaijani: 1) Səbəbiyyət (act of causing); 2) Səbəblik (causation); 3) Hadisələr arasında səbəb əlaqəsi (causative relations among the events) [The English-Azerbaijani Dictionary, 2003]. Thus, by causativity or causation the linguistics mean the relations of cause and consequence. The category of cause and consequence has been attracting the attention of philosophers, textual critics and linguists since the antiquity. Bunge, who studied this category particularly, notes that the category of causation functions as a special type of mutual actions or mutual interdependence. The relation of cause and consequence as a philosophical category complete each other. As the human language reflects the realities, the relation of cause plays an important role as the category of time in the syntax of the sentence (Bunge, 1962).

Inflammatory Mechanisms of HCC Development

HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with several etiologic causes, mostly inflammation-associated. Different inflammatory responses in the liver can be triggered by different etiological agents. The inflammatory process can be resolved or be persistent, depending on the etiology and multiple other factors. Chronic inflammation, tissue remodeling, genetic alterations, and modifications in cellular signaling are considered to be key processes promoting immunosuppression. The progressive immunosuppression leads to the inactivation of anti-tumor immunity involved in HCC carcinogenesis and progression. Tumor cellular processes including DNA damage, necrosis, and ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress can affect both immune-surveillance and cancer-promoting inflammation, supporting a mutual interdependence. Here, we review the current understanding of how chronic liver injury and inflammation is triggered and sustained, and how inflammation is linked to HCC. The identification of many hepatic microenvironmental inflammatory processes and their effector molecules, has resulted in extensive translational work and promising clinical trials of new immunomodulatory agents.

Applying collaborative cognitive load theory to computer-supported collaborative learning: towards a research agenda

Research on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) has traditionally investigated how student-, group-, task-, and technological characteristics affect the processes and outcomes of collaboration. On the other hand, cognitive load theory has traditionally been used to study individual learning processes and to investigate instructional effects that are present during individual learning (e.g., expertise reversal effect). In this contribution we will argue that cognitive load theory can be applied to CSCL. By incorporating concepts such as collective working memory (i.e., individuals share the burden of information processing), mutual cognitive interdependence (i.e., individuals learn about each other’s expertise and become dependent on their partners’ expertise), and transaction costs (i.e., the burden placed on individuals working memory capacity when communicating and coordinating collaborative activities), collaborative cognitive load theory (CCLT) can be used to formulate testable hypotheses for pressing issues in CSCL research. The aim of this paper is to develop a research agenda to guide future CSCL research from a CCLT perspective. We highlight how variables associated with student-, group-, task-, and technological characteristics may be investigated using CCLT. We also address important steps CSCL research needs to make with respect to the measurement of variables and the methodologies used to analyze data.

Petrophysical and acoustic characteristics of Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks from Central Lebanon

We conducted several petrophysical and acoustic measurements on 49 core samples collected from the Jurassic and Cretaceous strata exposed at west central Lebanon to evaluate their petrophysical and elastic properties and study the effects of the depositional conditions, sediment composition, and subsequent diagenetic processes on the measured parameters. First, these rocks were petrographically studied to identify their facies, porosity, and the main diagenetic features. In addition, these rocks were investigated under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to identify their mineralogy. The petrophysical measurements were performed on the core samples where porosity, permeability, bulk, and grain densities were first determined, followed by measuring the seismic wave velocities under dry and water-saturation conditions. Both carbonates and siliciclastics are encountered in the studied formations. The SEM and XRD analyses revealed that the main constituting minerals are quartz, calcite and dolomite. The studied rocks have generally low to moderate porosity and very low permeability with averages of 0.05, and 0.31 mD, respectively. The bulk density is moderate to high and varies narrowly between 2.03 and 2.79 with an average of 2.64 g/cm3, whereas the average grain density is 2.77 g/cm3. The average primary and secondary wave velocities (Vp and Vs) are 4263, and 2323 m/s, respectively, with an average Vp/Vs of 1.83. Water-saturation has significantly impacted the elastic properties of the studied rocks. From the obtained measurements, we further calculated the elastic coefficients of the studied rocks and constructed several relationships between the measured properties to investigate their mutual interdependence and evaluate the effects of porosity, rock composition, depositional and diagenetic processes on the rock characteristics. We found that some samples, mainly carbonates, deviate significantly from the expected porosity-velocity and density-velocity trends. Originally present micro- and intercrystalline pores and characteristic diagenetic processes in these carbonate rocks, and possibly coring-induced microcracking in few samples, may account for the observed outliers.

Revisiting the potential security threats linked with the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

ABSTRACTThis study confirms the proposed positive outcomes associated with the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) due to Gwadar Port development in Pakistan. In addition, the study provides an insight into the challenges and threats regarding the CPEC and proposes policy implications to improve the situation in Pakistan. The CPEC is a comprehensive development agreement that not only establishes economic and strategic connectivity between China and Pakistan but also has the potential of integrating other subregions of Asia that could play a key role in improving the area’s economic and strategic environment. This article highlights the future scenario of energy transactions for both China and Pakistan and looks at how Gwadar Port can revive the economy of Pakistan under the fast-growing mutual interdependence between the two countries. This connectivity will greatly impact the economy of Pakistan as China invests huge sums of capital in terms of investment and transfer of technology in building mega projects over a long period of time. Based on the literature review, the article also investigates the vital role that Gwadar Port is expected to play in the regional economic integration of South and Central Asia.

Advanced exergy analysis of a jet ejector refrigeration cycle used to cool down the intake air in an internal combustion engine

This paper describes a jet ejection cycle coupled to a 1.5 L diesel engine to reduce the intake air temperature using the waste heat of the exhaust gases. This cycle is evaluated by means of conventional and advanced exergy analysis. The conventional analysis allows to determine the origin and magnitude of the irreversibilities, whereas the advanced analysis sheds light on the mutual interdependencies between components and the real improvement potential considering technological limitations. From the conventional exergy analysis it is inferred that more than a half of exergy destruction is due to generator followed by ejector (one third part) and condenser. However, the advanced exergy analysis suggests that the ejector plays a prominent role because the avoidable endogenous part corresponds to 42% of total exergy destruction in that component whereas the avoidable part of exergy destruction in the generator is mostly exogenous (83%). Hence, exergy destruction could be significantly reduced if improvement efforts are focused on the ejector instead of other components like the generator.

Agile Requirements Prioritization in Practice: Results of an Industrial Survey

Abstract Agile software development stresses the importance of providing the customer with a product of a maximized business value. To achieve that, requirements prioritization is used. Agile development methods like Scrum define guidelines for prioritization, however practitioners do not necessarily have to follow them. Our goal was to investigate the industry practice related to requirements prioritization process, including its timing, participants, criteria used and prioritization techniques applied. We designed an on-line questionnaire (based on literature review) and conducted a survey involving practitioners from Polish IT industry. We received 69 valid responses indicating requirements prioritization practices in industrial Agile projects. We found out that despite the fact that business value is the most common criterion used to prioritize requirements, other criteria like complexity, stability and mutual interdependencies are considered as well. Other findings indicate that consideration of such multiple criteria requires different viewpoints, thus making requirements prioritization a process that has to involve many participants of different roles and competencies.

Advanced exergy analysis of a jet ejector refrigeration cycle used to cool down the intake air in an internal combustion engine

This paper describes a jet ejection cycle coupled to a 1.5 L diesel engine to reduce the intake air temperature using the waste heat of the exhaust gases. This cycle is evaluated by means of conventional and advanced exergy analysis. The conventional analysis allows to determine the origin and magnitude of the irreversibilities, whereas the advanced analysis sheds light on the mutual interdependencies between components and the real improvement potential considering technological limitations. From the conventional exergy analysis it is inferred that more than a half of exergy destruction is due to generator followed by ejector (one third part) and condenser. However, the advanced exergy analysis suggests that the ejector plays a prominent role because the avoidable endogenous part corresponds to 42% of total exergy destruction in that component whereas the avoidable part of exergy destruction in the generator is mostly exogenous (83%). Hence, exergy destruction could be significantly reduced if improvement efforts are focused on the ejector instead of other components like the generator.

К использованию английского языка как средства обучения

The author highlights the global trends observed in the system of higher education: the growth of mutual influence and interdependence of the people of the planet; increased commercialization of life, the emergence of new perspectives. It is shown that the English language takes on new educational functions; new, more attractive places for training and scientific research appear due to changes in status and rating; the diversity of training areas and pedagogical approaches is increasing; new opportunities open up in the study of programs and languages; value guidelines change. Promising opportunities and styles of using the English language as a source of education and learning tool are revealed.

Риски реформирования государственной социальной и экономической политики в современной России

The article presents the results of a study conducted in the framework of the project «Socio-economic inequality in Russia: trends and adaptation of successful foreign practices to overcome poverty» by a group of young scientists. Part of the research is devoted to the problems of reforming the state social and economic policy in Russia, as well as the possibilities of overcoming negative practices. Groups of risk factors proposed in the article are identified and put into a comparative matrix, which allows qualitatively assessing the interconnection and interdependence of social, economic, political, legal, demographic, environmental, information transformations. The scheme compiled by the authors is characterized by analytical synergism and emergence. In conclusion, the authors found out that most risks are in a state of mutual influence and interdependence. In this regard, it is necessary to harmonize and merge socio-economic measures with virtually all areas of government activity.

The dynamics of theories of economic growth: An impact of Unified Growth Theory

The aim of this paper is to examine a complex pattern of mutual interdependence between Unified Growth Theory (subroutine) and the evolution of the entire field of economic growth theories (main routine) from a philosophical and methodological perspective. The analysis utilises the recently introduced concept of research routine (and respectively, subroutine) aimed at an explanation of the evolution of scientific research. The study identifies the influence of the subroutine (and its specific concept of demographic transition) on the core concepts of the main routine: human capital, population growth and learning. The results are based on network analyses of extensive bibliometric evidence from Scopus and the Web of Knowledge.

The Political Globalisation Trilemma Revisited: An Empirical Assessment Across Countries and Over Time

The political hyperglobalisation trilemma asserts that a government cannot simultaneously opt for deep international integration, national sovereignty and democratic politics, but rather is constrained to choosing two of the three at most. This paper presents a new and comprehensive cross-country panel dataset operationalising the multifaceted three vertices of the trilemma. After an explorative data analysis, we employ panel error-correction techniques to uncover the mutual interdependencies among the variables in the system. The econometric evidence supports the existence of a long‐run relationship between economic integration, national sovereignty and democratic politics as postulated in the political globalisation trilemma.

Towards a Micro-Foundation of Organizational Change: Conceptual Requirements for a Micro-Macro Framework of Change

The emerging field of micro-foundations calls for frameworks that explicitly consider interdependencies between the organisational micro and macro levels. Research in change management is also developing such frameworks but few approaches highlight the mutual interdependencies between the organisational macro and micro levels. Analysing these interdependencies suggests that the implementation of changes on the micro level often have both good and bad unintended effects on the firm's output. We present ideas for scholars to develop more profound micro-macro models for a better understanding of the micro-macro interdependencies during organisational change.

Profit, Entry and Changes in Concentration: The Case of the Malaysian Food Manufacturing Sector

One of the major concerns of the body of economic analyses surrounding the theory of the firm is whether the profit behavior of oligopolistic industries differs from that of competitive industries. Theory suggest that where small groups of sellers accounts for a substantial proportion of an industry’s output, the recognition of mutual interdependence will result years significant progress has been made in developing a theoretical model to explain concentrating impact among consumer goods industries, and a number of empirical studies have been carried out to test the hypotheses which have been advanced. The findings however, are not conclusive. The work of Ekelund and Maurice (1969) has shown that concentration has no effect on profitability. Mann, Henning and Meehan (1967) on the other hand contended that the two are intimately connected. Similar findings were recorded in the work of Comanor and Wilson (1967) as well as that of Collins and Preston (1969).

Finansijsko upravljanje i kontrola - novi koncept upravljanja u kontekstu javnog sektora Srbije

Bearing in mind the legislation that sets out the principles of sound financial management, a good understanding of the internal control mechanisms and how they work in practice is necessary. The established level of financial management and control among users of public funds is of unequal quality and has not sufficiently contributed to reducing weaknesses in internal control and raising management responsibility to the optimum level. In order to implement modern management concepts, public companies have to have large access to internal control mechanisms or "tools" to assist in management.Integrated management systems with their modern process approach in business organization and comprehensive and fast processing of information on business changes can significantly contribute to the quality of business control. Research on this issue is based on the fact that the introduction of control standards increases the orderliness and documentation of the system, which significantly contributes to the control of business processes. The aim of this paper is to show that the mutual interdependence of integrated management systems through the overall organization structure with the system of financial management and control, as their final outcome, ensure financial integrity and compliance with policies and procedures and promote effective management processes.

African Dimension of the Belt and Road Initiative

The research purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the BRI in China-Africa relations and the mutual interdependence between the BRI and other forms of Chinese presence in Africa. In order to attain this goal, the method of analysis of secondary data will be employed regarding concluded agreements, trade exchange, Official Development Assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI), debt, instruments of soft power and plans for the future. The analysis allows the several conclusions to be drawn. The BRI is so flexible that it can be extended in a relatively simple way and in a short period to other African countries. The BRI is the structuring factor in China’s strategic approach to Africa and can give new impetus to Chinese trade, investment and contracts in Africa. The former institutional co-operation framework that encompassed the whole of Africa was very general and did not result in the identification of such concrete sectoral priorities as is the case with the BRI. The Initiative has exerted influence on China’s policy in Africa. There is no doubt that the Initiative’s core task in Africa is infrastructure connectivity, but one of the tasks proposed for the future is industrial relocation. If this task is accomplished, it may be fundamental for Africa’s development.

Learning and language: towards a reconceptualization of their mutual interdependences in a multilingual science class

ABSTRACT Education for multilingual Physics students in South Africa still has a monolingual bias despite such pedagogy being repeatedly identified as the key factor in students’ academic underachievement in the subject. The paper reports on the pivotal role language plays in the comprehension and subsequent academic performance of students in science education. A mixed-methods approach was used to generate responses from a sample of 40 eleventh-grade students on the role of language in the learning and teaching of Physics in a multilingual South African high school. Data was collected from pre- and post-tests as well as interview responses. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group using Research Randomizer and those in the experimental group were given intervention in the form of lessons and learning materials in their mother tongue. A paired t-test disclosed a statistically significant difference in the academic performance of the two research groups in the post-test. The present research findings are in line with previous research which affirms that the use of students’ mother tongue promotes a deeper understanding of Physics concepts resulting in improved academic performance.

Towards a Theory of Digital Network De/centralization: Platform-Infrastructure Lessons Drawn from Blockchain

Global digital platforms are conquering the world and rely critically on digital infrastructures to function, yet little research has explored the fundamental interrelationship between the two. This working paper argues that understanding centralization and decentralization in digital networks as asymmetry and symmetry in mutual interdependencies between the constitutive elements of a digital network can help us understand the platform-infrastructure relationship more fundamentally (and vice versa). To this end, the paper proposes, as a starting point, the in-depth analytical and literature study of blockchain networks as a particularly revealing type of digital platform/infrastructure duality. The paper proposes an analytical model for characterizing de/centralization in digital networks and maps this onto blockchain networks. Based on this, the paper explores the de/centralization of blockchain, arguing that the extant blockchain literature largely has failed in providing a comprehensive understanding of de/centralization by not considering the complex second-order interdependencies between the different constitutive dimensions of a blockchain: the symbolic, technological and political dimension. Based on this, the paper provides an analysis of the meaning of de/centralization in blockchain networks by studying the interdependencies between its constitutive elements of coin, network technology, and social community.