Systems Perspective Research Articles

Showcasing Studies of Conversational Motifs Within a Dynamic Dyadic Systems Perspective on Interpersonal Communication

This essay reports three projects that integrate linguistic features of speaking turns into the identification of conversational motifs, which are multiturn segments of dialog within interpersonal interactions. Study 1 focused on support for bereavement, used Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count data to augment characterizations of speaking turns based on speech act, and identified seven 5-turn conversational motifs. Study 2 examined serial argument conversations, used ratings of features and word count to differentiate speaking turns, and identified four conversational motifs within 1-minute segments of interaction. Study 3 analyzed conversations about public health campaign messages, considered functional and structural features of speaking turns, and identified four 4-turn conversational motifs. By elaborating the library of linguistic elements considered when operationalizing speaking turn types and showcasing alternative strategies for identifying conversation motifs, this essay extends recent advancements in a dynamic dyadic systems perspective on interpersonal communication.

Development of the Team Evaluation and Assessment Measure Quality Improvement (TEAM-QI) and Proof-Of-Concept Testing in Maternity Teams.

Poor teamwork is often implicated in serious healthcare delivery failings, leading to calls for effective team improvement interventions. Taking a complex, adaptive systems perspective, we adapted an oncology team quality improvement program to make it appropriate for other areas of clinical care. Study phases included: (1) meetings with National Health Service, policy and service user representatives (n = 19), a rapid review of existing maternity teamwork interventions, and mapping of the proposed program content to an evidence-based model of team effectiveness; (2) feasibility and acceptability testing of the team questionnaire component, and content analysis of free-text responses with four maternity teams within two NHS Trusts (n = 26). Meetings with representatives highlighted the importance of non-punitive, continuous team-led assessment, and the ability to compare performance to similar teams while enabling adaptability to different team types. Program content mapped well to known components of team effectiveness. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was acceptable (Cronbach alpha = 0.79-0.92). Most team members (76.9%) reported benefits in identifying priorities for improvement. Preliminary proof of concept was supported but larger-scale evaluation including testing in other clinical areas is warranted.

System Dynamics-Based Integrated Benefit Analysis of Low-Carbon Management Process of Municipal Solid Waste

With rapid economic development, the amount of the municipal solid waste (MSW) generated has increased dramatically. To improve the socio-economic benefits and environmental impacts of the low-carbon management of MSW, it is crucial to identify the drivers of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from MSW treatment and assess their systematic and comprehensive benefits. The factor decomposition method is one of the most commonly used methods focused on identifying GHG emission-influencing factors, while the system dynamics (SD) method is commonly used to analyze the causal relationships between linear and nonlinear variables in complex dynamic systems. Unlike existing studies that account for and evaluate MSW from a static perspective, this paper innovatively combines the LMDI-SD model to identify and quantify the GHG emission drivers of MSW and evaluate the benefits of decarbonizing the MSW management in China from a comprehensive and systematic perspective. The results show that the dominant factor driving MSW GHG emissions from 2010 to 2022 is the economic development factor, ∆EED, while the intensity of MSW generation ∆EGI and the structure of MSW treatment ∆ETS play a stronger inhibiting role. Based on this, the SD model is constructed to simulate different scenarios, and the analysis shows that increasing the waste separation rate (S3) is the most effective measure to improve the socio-economic benefits and environmental impacts of the system. Compared with the base scenario, the socio-economic benefits and environmental impacts in 2050, for example, are increased by 82.8% and 43.4%, respectively. Improving the utilization rate of landfill gas (S1), reducing the per capita amount of MSW generated (S4) and increasing the incineration rate of MSW (S2) also have significant advantages for the improvement of benefits. Finally, some policy recommendations for the improvement of the comprehensive benefits of low-carbon MSW management systems are proposed to help policymakers make appropriate decisions.

Health Economic Evaluations of Obesity Interventions: Expert Views on How We Can Identify, Interpret, Analyse and Translate Effects.

Economic evaluations of obesity interventions are critical to informing policymakers and clinical practitioners about best-value prevention and treatment interventions. However, existing studies often fail to measure appropriate outcomes over sufficient time periods and to adequately address the complexity of data, environments and outcomes. An international, multidisciplinary workshop in Ireland (May 2023) addressed these issues through scientific presentations on obesity modelling, group discussions and interactive small-group exercises. Nineteen presenters and participants co-created a list of research needs, priorities and strategies for the long-term study of obesity and its complications. To support availability of relevant outcome and cost data for health economic analyses, participants highlighted a need to define standards for data collection, data sharing, modelling, and integrating a systems perspective. For example, regarding data collection, careful consideration must be given to selecting valid and relevant health-related outcomes for determining future health risk. Although these issues have been previously highlighted, they remain critical barriers to comprehensive economic obesity studies. To identify best-value obesity interventions, researchers should prioritise strategies to overcome these barriers. This includes early engagement with multidisciplinary stakeholders to integrate diverse perspectives. Developing infrastructure to support international collaborations between researchers, policymakers and patient representatives was also recommended. Additionally, establishing best-practice guidelines could help researchers navigate the complexities of obesity data, environments and outcomes, particularly in data-scarce research environments. The creation of a core outcomes set for obesity would standardise measures for economic evaluations, thereby facilitating more robust cross-country comparisons of intervention effects and improving the evidence base and overall quality of future obesity research.

Exploring Developmental Connections: Sleep Patterns, Self-Locomotion, and Vocabulary Growth in Early Childhood.

Current research indicates likely developmental connections between the evolution of sleep patterns, motor skills progression, and the expansion of vocabulary. These connections are grounded in the well-established role of sleep in memory and learning, as well as in the cascading effects on language development of the acquisition of new motor skills. However, no study has so far undertaken a comprehensive and systematic examination of these connections or explored their developmental trajectory over time. Yet understanding vocabulary development depends on considering development in the sleep regulation and motor domains, to provide a biologically grounded explanation of how early lexicons are built and strengthened. This study investigates the links between vocabulary growth and two significant changes occurring over the first 2years of life: self-initiated locomotion and the consolidation of overnight sleep. Our results reveal mutual associations between these domains, which tend to emerge during periods of marked developmental change in language, motor skills, and sleep patterns regulation. Moreover, these associations were observed to change over time, suggesting dynamic interconnections between these developmental domains. Our findings point toward the importance of investigating vocabulary development from a dynamic systems perspective, as the product of continuous interactions between cognition, the body and the environment.

Perspectives of Genome Editing Mediated Haploid Inducer Systems in Legumes

Genome editing-mediated haploid inducer systems (HISs) present a promising strategy for enhancing breeding efficiency in legume crops, which are vital for sustainable agriculture due to their nutritional benefits and ability to fix nitrogen. Traditional legume breeding is often slow and complicated by the complexity of legumes’ genomes and the challenges associated with tissue culture. Recent advancements have broadened the applicability of HISs in legume crops, facilitating a reduction in the duration of the breeding cycle. By integrating genome editing technology with haploid breeding systems, researchers can achieve precise genetic modifications and rapidly produce homozygous lines, thereby significantly accelerating the development of desired traits. This review explores the current status and future prospects of genome editing-mediated HISs in legumes, emphasizing the mechanisms of haploid induction; recent breakthroughs; and existing technical challenges. Furthermore, we highlight the necessity for additional research to optimize these systems across various legume species, which has the potential to greatly enhance breeding efficiency and contribute to the sustainability of legume production.

Understanding Rangeland Desertification at the Village Level: A Comparative Study with a Social-Ecological Systems Perspective in Namibia

Abstract Desertification poses significant environmental and socio-economic threats to pastoral systems within the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa. However, there remains a paucity of interdisciplinary studies delving into the anthropogenic drivers of desertification at the local level of social-ecological systems, resulting in an inadequate understanding of its human-induced causes. This research aims to bridge this gap by presenting three case studies from Namibia’s eastern communal areas. Through an integrated approach drawing from rangeland ecology and anthropology, we offer a comparative analysis revealing nuanced differences among individual pastoral settlements, shaped by their distinct social contexts. Our findings elucidate the social determinants influencing varying degrees of desertification at the village level, highlighting local factors that mitigate the adverse impacts of grazing pressure and aridity on perennial grass populations. Notably, the study identifies the role of social institutions in managing critical environmental conditions and physical infrastructures, such as extensive pastures and cattle posts, which contribute to maintaining grassland resilience. Despite observable signs of desertification, the presence of perennial grasses both aboveground and in the soil seed bank across all settlements suggests that a tipping point has not yet been reached, emphasizing the window of opportunity for intervention. The discussion extends to the potential transferability of these findings to other Namibian communities within the existing socio-ecological framework, aiming to avert impending tipping points. Ultimately, the study challenges the notion of desertification in pastoral social-ecological systems as solely a tragedy of the commons, emphasizing the imperative of developing and implementing suitable social institutions within colonial and post-colonial contexts.

Water security reframed using Water System Justice and Earth system boundaries, foundations, and corridor

In the Anthropocene, when human activity, including the overuse and over-pollution of water, is leading to the destabilization of the global hydrological cycle, the concept of water security represents both a threat to and opportunity for international cooperation on water issues. Hence, this paper asks: How does Water System Justice redefine the content of water security in the Anthropocene? In this perspective paper we argue that water security, when narrowly understood by states and multinationals as the need for control over water, can justify the securitization and commodification of water. This in turn can lead to practices such as water grabbing creating and perpetuating injustices for the poor and marginalized. To counter this, we propose to conceptually link water security to water justice through an operationalized framework for Water System Justice (WSJ). This framework includes ideal, recognition, and epistemic justice, as well as integrating the 3I’s (Interspecies, Intergenerational and Intragenerational justice), and procedural and substantive justice. Applied quantitatively, this framework provides safe and just quantitative boundaries to water use (climate change and nutrients), and quantifies what is necessary to meet the minimum human rights of people worldwide for water (for WASH, food, energy, infrastructure) and translates this into pressures on the water system using the same units—thereby delineating a corridor of water that can be equitably shared by people. Adding our Water System Justice framework enriches water security by providing a systemic perspective of interdependence from the local to the global level.

A Systematic Review of the Literature on Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence From 2012 to 2023

The increasing body of studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) and its’ high prevalence worldwide signify heightened scholarly and societal interest. This is especially pertinent as IPV has recently penetrated broader contexts, including the digital world, and manifested in more diverse and complex forms. Building on Capaldi et al. (2012), this review aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of emerging IPV risk factors by reviewing studies published from 2012 to 2023. We systematically reviewed 156 peer-reviewed articles published in English-speaking Western countries, utilizing a dynamic developmental systems perspective. The risk factors of IPV were organized into three domains: (a) contextual and demographic factors, such as age, gender, SES, and community contexts; (b) developmental characteristics, including family risk factors, history of IPV, peer-related factors, school- and work-related factors, psychological and behavioral factors, and cognition; and (c) relational characteristics, including relationship discord, conflict, and interactional patterns. This review expands on Capaldi et al.’s (2012) previous work by adopting more inclusive approaches, examining both perpetration and victimization, including sexual minority participants, incorporating technological forms of IPV, and utilizing comprehensive measures to provide a more thorough understanding of IPV. Furthermore, this review provides recommendations and future directions for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers working to address IPV.

The Problems with Genetic Essentialism, Determinism, and Reductionism

In this article, we address misunderstandings about genetic essentialism, genetic determinism, and genetic reductionism. There are good reasons to carefully consider the meanings and relationships that characterize genetic essentialism, genetic determinism, and genetic reductionism; these are different (if related) concepts, despite their superficial resemblances. Although a recent Nature Reviews Genetics article addressed these issues, problems intrinsic to them remained unexplored, problems that we address here by adopting a developmental systems perspective. Discussions of these concepts should explicitly communicate that genetic essentialism fails because individuals are as they are in part due to the contexts in which they develop, that genetic determinism fails because all phenotypes depend on co-acting genomic and non-genomic factors for their development, and that genetic reductionism fails because emergent properties above the level of the genome can feed back and influence the subsequent functioning of that genome. Elucidating the meaning of these concepts without providing arguments for rejecting them is problematic. Developmental science offers the required arguments.

An ecosystem approach to the evaluation and impact analysis of heterogeneous preventive and/or early interventions projects for veterans and first responders in seven countries.

Cumulative exposure to critical incidents and life-threatening events leads to significant risk for Veterans and First Responders (VFRs) developing mental ill health and disorders. Philanthropic organisations, Movember and Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, funded 15 organisations to conduct early intervention Projects across seven countries. The Projects aim to improve the mental health and wellbeing of VFRs, their families/significant others. This paper describes the novel external evaluation and impact analysis methods to identify effective Projects having positive impact on VFRs and their families, provide return on investment and the overall Grant Program. We take an ecosystem real-world approach, which recognises the context and aims to manage the complexities involved, uses a complexity and systems perspective, multi-step mixed methods and approaches. The evaluation is from three perspectives of: Projects; Project comparisons; Grant program. Embedded in the evaluation design are methods, knowledge sharing and organisational learning activities for all stakeholders. Data is collected by the Projects and evaluation team on input, throughputs, and output indicators. Analysis tools include Global Impact Analytics Framework, multi-layered statistical analysis, performance evaluation using an efficient decision support approach, Project and Grant program social return on investment, visual linking and data connection platform and assessment of gendered lens approaches. The complexity and heterogeneity of Projects implemented in the real world continues to present significant evaluation challenges and limitations for project leads, stakeholders, researchers and evaluators. Our ecosystem approach and novel evaluation methodology will reduce the uncertainty around real world implementation, provide key learnings for project stakeholders and more broadly implementation researchers.

An integrative taxonomic assessment leads to the synonymy of the Waccamaw Crayfish Procambarus braswelli Cooper 1998 with the Cedar Creek Crayfish Procambarus chacei Hobbs 1958 (Decapoda: Cambaridae)

The southeastern United States (U.S.) is a global hotspot for crayfish diversity, with the majority of the >350 species known in the U.S. occurring here. Crayfishes in the genus Procambarus are common in lower gradient lotic and lentic systems of the southeast, but from both a taxonomic and systematic perspective, this genus is largely neglected in comparison to other crayfish genera. The aim of this study is to clarify the taxonomic status of two conservation priority crayfishes from the southeastern U.S. by testing the hypothesis that Procambarus braswelli Cooper, 1998 and Procambarus chacei Hobbs, 1958 are distinct species. We conducted a geometric morphometric analysis of these species, including 16 morphological metrics across 51 specimens throughout the ranges of these species in North Carolina and South Carolina. We then isolated, extracted, and sequenced a fragment of the COI gene and used maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis to determine genetic distinctness. Results of multivariate analyses show overlapping morphologies between species and genetic structure that does not co-vary with original species determinations. Together, the available morphological and genetic information indicates that P. chacei and P. braswelli be synonymized. Additional taxonomic, life history, and ecological work is sorely needed for Procambarus crayfishes of the species-rich southeastern U.S.

Sleep, coparenting, and parenting among mothers and fathers prior to kindergarten transition.

The identification of family-level and modifiable factors that are influential determinants of parenting is of critical importance. The present study of mothers and fathers investigated within- and across-parent linkages between sleep duration and variability, the coparenting relationship, and parenting quality, as well as the moderating effect of coparenting in a sample of families with children making the transition to kindergarten using a family systems perspective. Mothers and fathers from 225 families participated in the late summer before their child started kindergarten. Parents wore actigraphs for a week to derive average and variability in sleep duration and reported their positive and negative perceptions of coparenting. Observations of parenting at child bedtime were used to assess mothers' and fathers' emotional availability (EA) with their children. Direct and crossover effects of sleep and coparenting, as well as their interaction effects on parenting, were examined using actor-partner interdependence models. Results indicated direct effects where greater sleep variability (but not sleep duration) and coparenting predicted lower EA, most robustly for mothers. Crossover effects were most prominent for fathers where mothers' negative coparenting and sleep predicted fathers' EA. Negative coparenting also moderated associations between sleep and parenting only for fathers. Sleep duration did not directly predict parenting for mothers or fathers, but mothers' sleep duration interacted with mothers' negative coparenting perceptions to predict fathers' EA, supporting a crossover effect. Findings highlight the need to promote parent sleep and the coparenting relationship among interventions targeting parenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Resilience and Adaptability in Paracetamol Supply Chains: A Systems Perspective on COVID-19 Challenges and Responses in Ethiopia

Resilience and Adaptability in Paracetamol Supply Chains: A Systems Perspective on COVID-19 Challenges and Responses in Ethiopia

Dysfunctional Studies: Family Business New School of Thought

Purpose: To explore and connect the potential elements identified as dysfunctional in family businesses (DYSFB), where productive, unproductive, and destructive aspects are underscored. Methodological design: A documentary review focused on identifying relevant scholars and academic works that address this dysfunctional dimension. Results: The "dysfunctional side" analysis provides a significant and novel contribution to family business (FB) studies. It establishes a framework for future theoretical and empirical research on deviations from ideal conditions within such organizations. Research limitations: A notable limitation is the need for further empirical research to substantiate the proposed theoretical model, which may lead to a more precise definition of the construct, as well as a clearer understanding of the factors or forces that drive DYSFB from a systemic perspective Findings: The viability of advancing a new school of thought devoted to studying dysfunctionality in family businesses (DYSFB). The theoretical model posited here lays a foundation for future research and holds considerable potential to inform public policy, shape the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and influence entrepreneurship education.

European agrifood and forestry education for a sustainable future - Gap analysis from an informatics approach

Background The NextFood Project (www.nextfood-project.eu) started work in 2018 to identify ‘Categories of Skills’ that students should be equipped with to address the upcoming global challenges within agrifood and forestry disciplines. The skill groups are Innovative Mindset, Life-Long Learning, Network-Building, Strategic Management, Sustainability, Systems Perspective, Technological Knowledge and Versatility. This study is based on the initial skills and competencies mapping, but takes a different methodological approach. Instead of investigating what the research literature and professionals think are important skills for the future, this study asks how existing education programmes include or exclude these skills in the description of their programs. Methods Python-based web-scraping scripts were used to collect texts from a selection of European Masters program websites, which were then analysed using statistical tools including Partial Least Squares regression and network analysis. A total of 14 countries, 27 universities, 1303 European Masters programs, 3305 web-pages and almost two million words were studied using this approach. Results While agrifood and forestry Masters programs were aligned with the NextFood Project ‘Categories of Skills’ equal to or more often than unrelated Masters programs, we found evidence for the relative underuse of words associated with networking skills, such as collaboration, communication and eamwork. Agriculture-related programs used these words the least among the agrifood Masters programs. In contrast, agrifood programs used words associated with sustainability and system thinking more than the non-agrifood Masters programs. Conclusions The informatics approach provides evidence that many European agrifood and forestry Masters programs are following the educational paths for meeting future challenges as outlined by the NextFood Project, with the possible exception of networking skills. This approach allows a complementary and time-efficient overview of the current state of education in the agrifood system in Europe.

Competence Modelling From the Perspective of Complex Systems Theories: A Systematic Literature Review

This article aims to investigate how the notion of competence is conceptualised and modelled from the point of view of complex systems theories. Although the importance of competences and competency-based education is widely acknowledged, the concept of competence keeps evolving and it remains difficult to define it in today's constantly changing and uncertain VUCA world. Therefore, this study explores how the approach of complex systems, which is increasingly more often applied in educational research, can contribute to the definition of competence. The article presents a systematic review of 21 articles published in various databases in 2000-2023, revealing that from the perspective of complex systems, competence can be conceptualised both at the individual level and at the level of the whole system or organisation; it can follow a functionalist or contextual approach. Based on the research findings, it is assumed that in certain cases competence can be treated as emergence or even as an entire complex system, characterised by such properties as non-linearity, chaos, emergence, feedback loops, etc. Finally, this article reviews the variety of complexity-informed mathematical/computational and theoretical models utilised in the reviewed studies, the application of which opens up new avenues in overall educational research.

Incorporating circularity, sustainability, and systems thinking into an assessment framework for transformative food system innovation

The transition towards a circular economy in the food system is posited as way to harmonize the provision safe, ample and accessible food to a growing population with the reduction the food system’s widespread impact on natural resources, the environment, and human health. Within the context of circular food innovation, there is an abundance of assessment approaches allowing researchers to evaluate and guide new technologies, applications, and products. However, specialist circularity tools are underutilized. This research draws from wider circular economy discourse, sustainability assessment methods, and systems-transitions theory to propose a novel framework to appraise and guide circular food innovation. Through a systematic literature review and critical analysis, this work highlights the limitations of existing methods based on a multi-disciplinary lens. In lieu of robust circularity metrics, elaborations within the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology provide a comprehensive sustainability and circularity assessment, while cross-disciplinary approaches inform the development of technological trajectories in line with system-transitions theories. The proposed framework aims to bridge this gap by providing a holistic approach that incorporates systems perspectives and considers the wider dynamics of sustainability and circular economy via future scenario modelling. By integrating these perspectives, the framework facilitates earlier intervention and broader stakeholder engagement in the sustainability assessment process. Examined primarily within the context of food manufacturing, this work provides new tools for academic research and industrial practitioners, driving transformative change towards a more sustainable and circular food system.

Voltage Control of Exchange Bias via Magneto-Ionic Approaches

The exchange bias (EB) effect denotes a magnetic bias phenomenon originating from the interfacial exchange coupling at the ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic materials, which plays an indispensable role in the functionality of various devices, such as magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) and sensors. Voltage control of exchange bias offers a promising pathway to significantly reduce device power consumption, effectively fostering the evolution of low-energy spintronic devices. The “magneto-ionic” mechanism, characterized by its operational efficiency, low energy consumption, reversibility, and non-volatility, provides innovative approaches for voltage control of exchange bias and has led to a series of significant advancements. This review systematically synthesizes the research progress on voltage control of exchange bias based on the magneto-ionic mechanism from the perspectives of ionic species, material systems, underlying mechanisms, and performance parameters. Furthermore, it undertakes a comparative evaluation of the voltage-controlled exchange bias by different ions, ultimately providing a forward-looking perspective on the future trajectory of this research domain.

Unveiling sectoral coupling for resilient electrification of the transportation sector

Electrifying the transportation sector is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and offers numerous benefits including increased energy efficiency, lower total ownership costs, enhanced national energy security, and improved air quality. Despite the availability of necessary technologies, fully integrating the transportation and electricity sectors presents challenges in understanding all benefits and risks. Previous studies have not highlighted the role of coupling between these sectors. To better understand this coupling, this work reviews the structure of the current fossil-fuel-based transportation sector (including its dependence on the electricity sector) and case studies of its vulnerabilities to key risks. By adopting a systemic perspective, we uncover the indispensable interplay between the transportation and electricity sectors, shedding light on previously neglected dynamics. Leveraging the principles of grid architecture (GA), we introduce a hierarchical approach to assess vulnerabilities within the prevailing fuel-based transportation system and elucidate pathways for enhancement through electrification.