Partial Insight Research Articles

Towards Transformative Supply Chain Research and Practice: A Critical Systems Perspective

ABSTRACTThe argument that the supply chain discipline needed to make an epistemological break with functionalism in favour of a systems approach was made by Mears‐Young and Jackson (1997) but it has largely been overlooked. This paper seeks to address this oversight by demonstrating what a systems (multiparadigm, multimethodological) approach involves and means for supply chain theory and practice: the adoption of a broad range of paradigmatic perspectives, the juxtaposition and interplay of different perspectives and the creation of opportunities for understanding and action that offer the potential for transformational insight and change. Such a systems approach is demonstrated through the employment of three contrasting perspectives (objective‐positivist, subjective‐interpretivist and radical‐critical) to the case study of the supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United Kingdom during the first year of the Covid pandemic. This case study is complex and multifaceted and demonstrates well the urgent practical need for a systems approach to supply chain theory and practice as each supply chain perspective offers only partial insight and understanding. In summary, this paper seeks to advance supply chain theory and practice by articulating what a systems approach to it involves.

In vivo assessment of pediatric kidney function using multi-parametric and multi-nuclear functional magnetic resonance imaging: challenges, perspectives, and clinical applications

AbstractThe conventional methods for assessing kidney function, such as glomerular filtration rate and microalbuminuria, provide only partial insight into kidney function. Multi-parametric and multi-nuclear functional resonance magnetic imaging (MRI) techniques are innovative approaches to unraveling kidney physiology. Multi-parametric MRI includes various sequences to evaluate kidney perfusion, tissue oxygenation, and microstructure characterization, including fibrosis—a key pathological event in acute and chronic kidney disease and in transplant patients—without the need for invasive kidney biopsy. Multi-nuclear MRI detects nuclei other than protons. 23Na MRI enables visualization of the corticomedullary gradient and assessment of tissue sodium storage, which can be particularly relevant for personalized medicine in salt-wasting tubular disorders. Meanwhile, 31P-MRS measures intracellular phosphate and ATP variations, providing insights into oxidative metabolism in the muscle during exercise and recovery. This technique can be useful for detecting subclinical ischemia in chronic kidney disease and in tubulopathies with kidney phosphate wasting. These techniques are non-invasive and do not involve radiation exposure, making them especially suitable for longitudinal and serial assessments. They enable in vivo evaluation of kidney function on a whole-organ basis within a short acquisition time and with the ability to distinguish between medullary and cortical compartments. Therefore, they offer considerable potential for pediatric patients. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the main imaging techniques, summarize available literature data on both adult and pediatric populations, and examine the perspectives and challenges associated with multi-parametric and multi-nuclear MRI. Graphical Abstract

Behavioral addictions and psychosis

M.K* is a 27-year-old, single, unemployed male that was driven to the Emergency Department by his foster father, four weeks ago with first episode of psychiatric symptoms of tactile hallucinations, auditory hallucinations of male and female voices making inappropriate sexual comments about him, persecutory delusions and delusions of control for the past five days. M.K is a daily cannabis user of 0.5-1g use for the past 2 years and has 5.5 pack year smoking history. M.K also reports having a pornography and masturbation addiction for 2 years with marked intrusive thoughts of sexual nature the past week. M.K has no medical or psychiatric history. Recent stressor was moving out of foster father’s house 8 days ago. The symptoms led to significant impact at work which he has quit since then. On presentation, M. K showed partial insight into his third person running commentary hallucinations but believed adamantly that he was being watched, followed and controlled. He reported hearing his female neighbour stating that he has sexual interest in animals and later heard his manager making pedophilic allegations on him. M.K was so distressed, he quit work and isolated himself in his room. He reported poor concentration and lack of appetite for the past week. M.K describes his baseline mood to have “always been not the greatest” and denied anhedonia, fatigue, or sleep changes. He denied thoughts of self- harm, harm to others or suicidal ideation. Four weeks following inpatient, referral to HBCT and cannabis abstinence has shown improvement in psychiatric symptoms with absence of hallucinations, however, there has been increased symptoms of anxiety with “panic attacks”. M.K’s biological mother is reported to have history of substance misuse and sister with depressive symptoms. He continues to withdraw from society with increased time spent indoors gaming and shows emotional dependence on foster father.

Utilization of High-Performance Concrete Mixtures for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies

The presented experimental program focuses on the design of high-performance dry concrete mixtures, which could find application in advanced manufacturing technologies, for example, additive solutions. The combination of high-performance concrete (HPC) with advanced or additive technologies provides new possibilities for constructing architecturally attractive buildings with high material requirements. The purpose of this study was to develop a dry mixture made from high-performance concrete that could be distributed directly in advanced or additive technologies of solutions in pre-prepared condition with all input materials (except for water) in order to reduce both financial and labor costs. This research specifically aimed to improve the basic strength characteristics—including mechanical (assessed using compressive strength, tensile splitting strength, and flexural strength tests) and durability properties (assessed using tests of resistance to frost, water, and defrosting chemicals)—of hardened mixtures, with partial insight into the rheology of fresh mixtures (consistency as assessed using the slump-flow test). Additionally, the load-bearing capacity of the selected mixtures in the form of specimens with concrete reinforcement was tested using a three-point bending test. A reference mixture with two liquid plasticizers—the first based on polycarboxylate and polyphosphonate and the second based on polyether carboxylate—was modified using a powdered plasticizer based on the polymerization product Glycol to create a dry mixture; the reference mixture was compared with the developed mixtures with respect to the above-mentioned properties. In general, the results show that the replacement of the aforementioned liquid plasticizers by a powdered plasticizer based on the polymerization product Glycol in the given mixtures is effective up to 5% (of the cement content) with regard to the mechanical and durability properties. The presented work provides an overview of the compared characteristics, which will serve as a basis for future research into the development of additive manufacturing technologies in the conditions of the Czech Republic while respecting the principles of sustainable construction.

<i>Ženski list</i>

Objective. The aim of this paper is to explore the development and changes in the publishing policy of the women's magazine Ženski list, whose chief editor was Marija Jurić Zagorka. The magazine was published during the interwar period and significantly influenced the residents of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and emigrants abroad with its content. Approach/Methodology. The analysis of the magazine was conducted based on the most visually striking and/or important issues from each year of publication, totaling 14 issues. The analysis included the number of pages, quantity of illustrations and advertisements, citation of responsibility data, and graphic and thematic changes in the magazine design. Sources from the Stare novine portal and the Center for Women's Studies were used. Results. The paper provides a brief historical overview of women's magazines worldwide, in Europe, and in the Kingdom of SHS/Yugoslavia. Furthermore, Marija Jurić Zagorka is highlighted as the journalist, and editor, followed by an analysis of the magazine issues. The uniqueness of this magazine lies in achieving high circulation and reaching readers from all social circles. Despite financial difficulties due to the non-receipt of subscriptions and economic crises, the magazine, in its 14 years of publication, kept up with innovations in the layout of visual and textual contributions. A significant increase in illustrations and advertisements is noted, indicating the magazine's close connection to its social environment, especially businesses and shops in Zagreb. There is also an observed increase in attributing authors to texts and photos or indicating the source from which the content was taken, demonstrating the editorial understanding of the concept of intelectual property. Originality/Value. This paper provides an overview of publishing and editorial practices. In addition to technical characteristics, the paper offers a partial insight into the magazine's content, placing it in the context of publishing for women, by women, in the 1920s and 1930s.

Gaussian process kernels for partial physical insight

Fusing known physics into data-driven learners allows modelling practitioners to combine the expressive power of traditional machine learning with known mechanistic laws, where the objective is to enhance predictive performance, interpretability, and model generalisation. A core consideration that must be made when implementing a physics-informed learning architecture is how relevant knowledge will be embedded into the model structure, which, generally, is informed by the type of physics that is available. Frequently this knowledge may not be complete, with only a partial understanding of the governing physics available. In this work, possible paths for deriving Gaussian process kernels that are representative of partial knowledge will be considered. How the type of knowledge that is possessed influences the derivation will be explored, particularly when there is the potential for some aspect of misspecified physics. An example of deriving partially structured kernels will be investigated for modelling the decoupled response of a GARTEUR laboratory aircraft structure, where the derived kernels are used to decompose the dynamics of the aircraft into modal contributions.

The exposure routes of micro- and nanoplastics and their potential toxic effects on human health

This article discusses the classification of micro- and nanoplastics (MNP), the routes of their exposure and the effects of MNP on the reproductive, respiratory, digestive and immune systems based on in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as available epidemiological data. The MNP can enter our body through inhalation, food or skin. The presence of microplastics (MP) in tap, bottled and deep sea water, as well as in sea salt, fruit and vegetables has been demonstrated. Due to their small size, MNP can be absorbed and easily distributed through the blood and lymphatic vessel system to tissues and organs. Recent studies have provided evidence of the accumulation of MNP in human lungs and even in the placenta. The accumulation of MNP in the body may have long-term effects and lead to health problems in humans, such as bronchitis, development of asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, inflammation and cancer. The information included in the article gives partial insight into how MNP may affect the human body. However, to fully assess the toxicity of MNP, comprehensive research is necessary, including standardization of MNP detection techniques and determination of the MNP content in food and water. It is also advisable to assess toxicokinetic parameters, as well as to determine the daily dose of exposure and interaction of MNP with various cells. Insufficient data on direct exposure to MNP in the work environment, as well as in other public places, constitutes a factor hindering the establishment of appropriate legal standards. In 2024, work on establishing the first act of EU law enabling the monitoring of MP in drinking water should be completed, which raises great hopes that in the future limit values for MNP in water and food and in workplaces will also be established. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(1):81-96.

Mechanistic Review on the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Pathology of Cardiovascular Diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which stand as the primary contributors to illness and death on a global scale, include vital risk factors like hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking, to name a few. However, conventional cardiovascular risk factors offer only partial insight into the complexity of CVDs. Lately, a growing body of research has illuminated that the gut microbiome and its by-products are also of paramount importance in the initiation and progression of CVDs. The gastrointestinal tract houses trillions of microorganisms, commonly known as gut microbiota, that metabolize nutrients, yielding substances like trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), bile acids (BAs), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and so on. Strategies aimed at addressing these microbes and their correlated biological pathways have shown promise in the management and diagnosis of CVDs. This review offers a comprehensive examination of how the gut microbiota contributes to the pathogenesis of CVDs, particularly atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation (AF), explores potential underlying mechanisms, and highlights emerging therapeutic prospects in this dynamic domain.

First palynological results from Spila nad Procjepom cave, Mljet island (Croatia)

This paper presents the first results of palynological research from the Spila nad Procjepom cave, situated in the Mljet National Park, Croatia. The palynological data obtained, enables a partial insight into the local vegetation cover, temporal changes in the vegetation during the accumulation of studied deposits (at ca. 3500 cal years BP), and post-depositional processes that influenced the palynomorph assemblage. Results of palynofacies analysis indicate changes from fluvial (channel deposits), through palustrine to terrestrial environments. Although the interpretation of changes in plant cover, due to the lack of statistical significance, should be taken with caution, preserved pollen types confirm the dominance of the Mediterranean evergreen forest vegetation on Mljet island. Moreover, a high proportion of non-arboreal pollen (NAP) indicates some level of forest degradation, ranging from Mediterranean open forest to degraded maquis. Abundant charcoal additionaly confirms that the cave was inhabited by humans.

Research on Black Women and Breastfeeding: Assessing Publication Trends (1980-2020).

Background: Research on race/ethnicity and breastfeeding has consistently found lower rates for Black mothers compared with other U.S. women, due to various social, cultural, and historical factors. Aggregate analyses illuminate racial/ethnic differences, but they only provide partial insight into the factors contextualizing breastfeeding decisions and rates. We examined articles addressing Black women and breastfeeding (1980-2020) to assess publication trends. Materials and Methods: A targeted literature search in PubMed for research on Black women and breastfeeding (1980-2020). The search used nine different keyword combinations: ("breastfeeding" OR "lactation" OR "infant feeding,") AND ("rac*" OR "African American" OR "Black"). After removing duplicates, non-U.S. research, and irrelevant articles, 221 articles were reviewed. Articles were coded for year, type (quantitative, qualitative, mixed method, conceptual/literature review, commentary/editorial), and journal target audience (e.g., nursing). Results: More than 50% of all articles were published after 2013. The period of 2018-2020 accounts for 25% of all published articles. The research is also mostly quantitative (60.2%). Qualitative studies made up only 16.7% of articles. A few studies used mixed methods (5%). More than half of all qualitative studies were published after 2014. Conclusions: Research on Black women and breastfeeding has slowly increased since 1980, but much of the work has only been done post-2000. Research is also mostly quantitative analyses. Quantitative and qualitative methods rely on different research aims, styles, and objectives. To provide a fuller understanding of Black women's relationship to and experience of breastfeeding, we suggest that scholars cultivate a stronger focus on qualitative and mixed methods for future research.

Higher convergence of human-great ape enteric eukaryotic viromes in central African forest than in a European zoo: a One Health analysis

Human-animal pathogenic transmissions threaten both human and animal health, and the processes catalyzing zoonotic spillover and spillback are complex. Prior field studies offer partial insight into these processes but overlook animal ecologies and human perceptions and practices facilitating human-animal contact. Conducted in Cameroon and a European zoo, this integrative study elucidates these processes, incorporating metagenomic, historical, anthropological and great ape ecological analyses, and real-time evaluation of human-great ape contact types and frequencies. We find more enteric eukaryotic virome sharing between Cameroonian humans and great apes than in the zoo, virome convergence between Cameroonian humans and gorillas, and adenovirus and enterovirus taxa as most frequently shared between Cameroonian humans and great apes. Together with physical contact from hunting, meat handling and fecal exposure, overlapping human cultivation and gorilla pillaging in forest gardens help explain these findings. Our multidisciplinary study identifies environmental co-use as a complementary mechanism for viral sharing.

Persistent chemostatic behaviour of stream solutes in a northern hardwood forest under climatic and atmospheric deposition changes

AbstractConcentration – discharge (C – Q) relationships in streamflow can serve a variety of purposes, including elucidating catchment water sources, quantifying chemical weathering, and estimating solute fluxes. Four main C – Q relationships have been identified: dilution (decreasing C with increasing Q), flushing (increasing C with increasing Q), chemostatic (little or no change in C with increasing Q) and chemostochastic (great variation in C relative to that of Q) behaviour. We used a 40‐year data record for 10 headwater forested catchments in central Ontario, Canada, to examine C – Q relationships for a range of geogenic, exogenic and bioactive solutes. The thin overburden cover of this landscape and general absence of deep groundwater contributions to streamflow suggest that streamflow solute concentrations and their relationship with discharge would be sensitive to pronounced changes in climate and atmospheric deposition chemistry over the monitoring period. We explored the temporal and spatial stability of C – Q relationships in response to these changes at annual and seasonal timescales for relatively wet and dry conditions and for periods with relatively high and low atmospheric deposition. Chemostasis dominated C – Q relationships at the annual and seasonal scales for geogenic (e.g., SiO2) and exogenic (e.g., Cl−) solutes, although bioactive solutes (e.g., NO3−, NH4+) exhibited non‐chemostatic behaviour for some catchments, time periods and wetness conditions. C – Q relationships derived at the annual timescale often masked pronounced seasonal shifts in bioactive solute concentration response to changes in streamflow and provide only partial insight into the production and delivery of such solutes in this forest landscape. Relatively subtle changes in overburden thickness across this landscape appeared to explain some of the deviations from widespread chemostasis. Nevertheless, this general chemostatic behaviour was largely temporally stable across catchments and solutes, highlighting its resilience in the face of such non‐stationary influences as climate conditions and atmospheric deposition.

What can epidemiological studies teach on the pathophysiology of adult-onset isolated dystonia?

Several demographic and environmental factors may play an important role in determining the risk of developing adult-onset isolated dystonia (AOID) and/or modifying its course. However, epidemiologic studies have provided to date only partial insight on the disease mechanisms that are actively influenced by these factors. The age-related increase in female predominance in both patients diagnosed with AOID and subjects carrying its putative mediational phenotype suggests sexual dimorphism that has been demonstrated for mechanisms related to blepharospasm and cervical dystonia. The opposite relationship that spread and spontaneous remission of AOID have with age suggests age-related decline of compensatory mechanisms that protect from the progression of AOID. Epidemiological studies focusing on environmental risk factors yielded associations only with specific forms of AOID, even for those factors that are not likely to predispose exclusively to specific focal forms (for example, only writing dystonia was found associated with head trauma, and only blepharospasm with coffee intake). Other factors show biological plausibility of their mechanistic role for specific forms, e.g., dry eye syndrome or sunlight exposure for blepharospasm, scoliosis for cervical dystonia, repetitive writing for writing dystonia. Overall, the relationship between environment and AOID remains complex and incompletely defined. Both hypothesis-driven preclinical studies and well-designed cross-sectional or prospective clinical studies are still necessary to decipher this intricate relationship.

Кир Персидский и «Физиология» Льюиса в «Преступлении и наказании»

The article is devoted to the significant presence in Crime and Punishment of George Henry Lewes’ Physiology of Common Life, the only book explicitly mentioned by Marmeladov among what constituted his daughter Sonya’s “education,” and to the paired message that Sonia’s historical education ended with Cyrus of Persia. A suggestion is made as to which history textbook Marmeladov used to tutor Sonya. Physiology of Common Life (as well as the figure of Cyrus of Persia) is examined in terms of what philosophy it may have engendered or reinforced in the minds of the character and the reader. The extended table of contents of the Physiology is also provided, in order to offer a partial insight into the character of the book that differs from the insight that scholars and commentators of Dostoevsky’s novel in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have drawn from reviews of it, published shortly after the translation came out, as well as from reviews of Crime and Punishment that mention Lewes’ book.

Polytheism and Monotheism in Jan Assmann’s Concept of Mosaic Distinction

Assmann’s crucial concept in his theory of cultural memory is »the Mosaic Distinction« (die Mosaische Unterscheidung). It is the starting point of a new revolutionary distinction – between truth and falsehood in religion, and the entire spectrum of consequences as a result thereof – a break with all earlier traditions, and the process of formation of a new type of religion that stands apart from other religions and spheres of culture such as politics, law and economics. This revolutionary monotheism has replaced the ancient polytheistic world in which Assmann found the dynamic and creative system that has contributed in many elements to the rise of a new monotheistic synthesis rooted in Mosaic distinction. The purpose of this article is to offer a partial insight into this rather forgotten, »buried« world that Assmann has vivified with his erudition, presenting some important achievements of Ancient Egypt firmly incorporated into our civilisation.

Exploring Coupled Open Innovation for Digital Servitization in Grocery Retail: From Digital Dynamic Capabilities Perspective

Open innovation and digital servitization have been hot topics in existing research. Moreover, the latest research in entrepreneurship and general management justifies that the performance results of specific innovation strategies are usually influenced by dynamic capabilities. However, there is little empirical research on the linkage of open innovation, digital servitization, and micro-foundations of digital dynamic capabilities that affect alliance performance. The emerging literature on open innovation provides partial insight into the micro-foundations of digital dynamic capabilities. Based on it, from a dynamic capability perspective, this paper constructs a conceptual model of research including coupled open innovation of collaborative partners, alliance’s formation phases, and dynamic digital capabilities and their micro-foundations which impact alliance performance in grocery retail. The paper aims to provide an overarching view of the digital servitization process of grocery retailers and unpack the micro-foundations of the digital transformation of their business models to sustain advantages. Thus, the paper contributes to the research on open innovation, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and dynamic capabilities and provides two theoretical propositions. Then, having employed two illustrative case studies, this paper empirically tests theoretical propositions and justifies the role of coupled open innovation strategies for digital servitization and its micro-foundations.

Ecological integrity and conservation challenges in a rapidly changing Arctic: A call for new approaches in large intact landscapes.

Intactness is a commonly used measure of ecological integrity, especially when evaluating conservation status at the landscape scale. We argue that in the large and relatively unfragmented landscapes of the Arctic and sub-Arctic, intactness provides only partial insight for managers charged with maintaining ecological integrity. A recent landscape assessment suggests that 95% of Alaska shows no measured direct or indirect impacts of human development on the landscape. However, the current exceptionally high levels of intactness in Alaska, and throughout the Arctic and sub-Arctic, do not adequately reflect impacts to the region's ecological integrity caused by indirect stressors, such as a rapidly changing climate and the subsequent loss of the cryosphere. Thus, it can be difficult to measure, and manage, some of the conservation challenges presented by the ecological context of these systems. The dominant drivers of change, and their associated ecological and socioeconomic impacts, vary as systems decline in ecological integrity from very high to high, and to intermediate levels, but this is not well understood in the literature. Arctic and sub-Arctic systems, as well as other large intact areas, provide unique opportunities for conservation planning, but require tools and approaches appropriate to unfragmented landscapes undergoing rapid climate-driven ecological transformation. We conclude with possible directions for developing more appropriate metrics for measuring ecological integrity in these systems.

US Hypocrisy and the End of American Exceptionalism? Narratives of the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol From Illiberal National Media

Despite the United States being the only country in the world that places its former and incoming leader on a stage for millions to see, with the “Peaceful Transition of Power” being the very symbol of American democracy watched around the world, the events on January 6th, 2021, show how such performances of democratic culture are not permanent fixtures. Indeed, whereas US and foreign audiences have become accustomed to watching anti-government protests in illiberal states or underdeveloped democracies, the scenes of thousands of protestors storming the US Capitol has opened the United States itself for critique from the very nations it has admonished in the past. Thus, although the protest paradigm has become the dominant framework for understanding mediated portrayals of anti-government protests, this study argues it provides only partial insight into the January 6th insurrection, eschewing the larger strategic dimensions of non-democratic countries’ media coverage of the event. Rather than focusing on how media framed the event, this study examined 525 news articles from 26 Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and Saudi media outlets’ reporting on the event from January 5th to January 19th through the lens of strategic media narratives. Results show that while elements of the protest paradigm are present in all four countries’ reporting—providing clear condemnation of the event and its participants, with blame placed on President Trump for instigating the attack—two additional overarching plotlines emerge: one shifting the scene away from President Trump to America’s broader polarized politics and failed governance and a second concluding the end of US exceptionalism and characterizations of US hypocrisy. Taken together, these two overarching narratives highlight the significance of storytelling as a potent form of geopolitical contestation in today’s global media environment.

SCAFOLDING DALAM MENYELESAIKAN SOAL EKSPONEN MAHASISWA DITINJAU DARI TEORI BRODIE

The purpose of describing scaffolding in solving student exponential problems in terms of Brodie's theory. Qualitative descriptive method. Data were collected using tests and interviews with first-semester students of the Mathematics Study Program, University of Muhammadiyah Kotabumi. Research subjects 4 of 28 students of mathematics education study program. In classifying the types of errors using Brodie's theory, namely 1) basic error, 2) appropriate error, 3) missing information, and 4) partial insight. Then the way to overcome student errors is given by scaffolding based on Anghileri's theory, namely environmental provisions, (explaining, reviewing, and restructuring), and developing conceptual thinking. The results of study 1) students' errors in solving exponential questions on basic errors, namely misunderstanding the questions, 2) meaningful learning helps students to better understand the questions, 3) scaffolding is carried out based on the three levels of Anghileri scaffolding, and 4) scaffolding is given in the form of directives so that students better understand the problem.

Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on behavioural and psychological symptoms in home-dwelling people with dementia: a prospective cohort study (PAN.DEM)

ObjectivesTo investigate the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).DesignProspective cohort study (PAN.DEM) nested within the halted parent trial (LIVE@Home.Path).SettingHouseholds in Norway immediate before...