Qualitative Shift Research Articles

Bi-stability and critical transitions in mental health care systems: a model-based analysis

BackgroundDelayed initiation and early discontinuation of treatment due to limited availability and accessibility of services may often result in people with mild or moderate mental disorders developing more severe disorders, leading to an increase in demand for specialised care that would be expected to further restrict service availability and accessibility (due to increased waiting times, higher out-of-pocket costs, etc.).MethodsWe developed a simple system dynamics model of the interaction of specialised services capacity and disease progression to examine the impact of service availability and accessibility on the effectiveness and efficiency of mental health care systems.ResultsModel analysis indicates that, under certain conditions, increasing services capacity can precipitate an abrupt, step-like transition from a state of persistently high unmet need for specialised services to an alternative, stable state in which people presenting for care receive immediate and effective treatment. This qualitative shift in services system functioning results from a ‘virtuous cycle’ in which increasing treatment-dependent recovery among patients with mild to moderate disorders reduces the number of severely ill patients requiring intensive and/or prolonged treatment, effectively ‘releasing’ services capacity that can be used to further reduce the disease progression rate. We present an empirical case study of tertiary-level child and adolescent mental health services in the Australian state of South Australia demonstrating that the conditions under which such critical transitions can occur apply in real-world services systems.ConclusionsPolicy and planning decisions aimed at increasing specialised services capacity have the potential to dramatically increase the effectiveness and efficiency of mental health care systems, promoting long-term sustainability and resilience in the face of future threats to population mental health (e.g., economic crises, natural disasters, global pandemics).

SPNE: sample-perturbed network entropy for revealing critical states of complex biological systems.

Complex biological systems do not always develop smoothly but occasionally undergo a sharp transition; i.e. there exists a critical transition or tipping point at which a drastic qualitative shift occurs. Hunting for such a critical transition is important to prevent or delay the occurrence of catastrophic consequences, such as disease deterioration. However, the identification of the critical state for complex biological systems is still a challenging problem when using high-dimensional small sample data, especially where only a certain sample is available, which often leads to the failure of most traditional statistical approaches. In this study, a novel quantitative method, sample-perturbed network entropy (SPNE), is developed based on the sample-perturbed directed network to reveal the critical state of complex biological systems at the single-sample level. Specifically, the SPNE approach effectively quantifies the perturbation effect caused by a specific sample on the directed network in terms of network entropy and thus captures the criticality of biological systems. This model-free method was applied to both bulk and single-cell expression data. Our approach was validated by successfully detecting the early warning signals of the critical states for six real datasets, including four tumor datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and two single-cell datasets of cell differentiation. In addition, the functional analyses of signaling biomarkers demonstrated the effectiveness of the analytical and computational results.

The Original Meanings of the New Terminology of the CCP

The conceptual and terminological innovations of Xi Jinping’s report at the 20th Congress of the CPC in 2022 and the documents and speeches of the PRC leaders that preceded it, presented as a combination of Marxism with the traditional culture of China, caused a heated debate in Russian sinology. S.N. Goncharov considers them an expression of a sophisticated intellectual strategy, and A.V. Lukin — an opportunistic device of political casuistry. The article provides arguments in favor of the first position. 10 quotations from ancient canons expressing the “wisdom of Chinese civilization” were re-translated, more accurately attributed and analyzed in the report of the Chairman of the People's Republic of China and it was established that together they represent a rhymed poem reminiscent of the common anthem of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China. The general meaning of this centone is built on the main categories of Chinese thought: “heaven” 天, “man” 人 and “grace” 德. The most important concepts from these “10 commandments” and neologisms based on traditional vocabulary are considered, such as: “culture” 文化, “civilization” 文明, “order and turmoil, flourishing and decrepitude” 治乱兴衰, “change of predestination / revolution” 革命, “transformation by the central state / sinicization” 中国化, “epochalization” 時代化, “great unity” 大同, “small prosperity” 小康, “one-man management community / justice” 公, “advanced method” 提法, “community with a shared future for mankind / community of common destiny for mankind” 人类命运共同体, etc. The metaphysical meaning of the slogan proclaimed in the PRC about “jumping out of historical cyclicality” is revealed and the controversy surrounding the application of the Western concept of “civilization-state” to China and Russia, interested in different components of this ambivalent structure, is analyzed. A general conclusion is made about a qualitative shift in the development of the political vocabulary of the CCP from Marxism to traditional ideology in Confucian design.

Etički i pravni aspekti odnosa s javnošću

Public Relations (PR), a significant component of the media industry, also represents a management function that helps establish and maintain beneficial connections between the organization and various stakeholders. The evolution of the public relations profession is commonly perceived as a qualitative shift from the unethical practices that dominated several decades since the 1920s to strategically and ethically conducted campaigns in contemporary business. However, when considering the practice of PR in the first decades of the 21st century, numerous concerns arise regarding ethical dilemmas, conflicts, and, consequently, the ethical decision-making process. The main objective of this paper is to offer an overview of ethics and its development in PR. The application of ethical principles based on utilitarian, deontological, situational and virtue approaches is discussed. This study also analyzes the most frequently encountered ethical problems in contemporary PR practice. Finally, the paper delves into some models of the ethical decision-making process and discusses the legal consequences of PR.

Оценка степени инновационной готовности системной трансформации менеджмента в условиях перехода к шестому технологическому укладу

The relevance of the study is due to the need for Russia to actively enter the new post-industrial technological paradigm of the sixth generation, which requires not only an infrastructural basis, but also a scientific and managerial potential. These circumstances, characterized by high rates of change, actualize the tasks of rethinking the value orientations of the management of industrial enterprises, especially in terms of technologies, methods and management tools, focused on the priorities of innovative development, which are reasonably considered as the managerial basis for technological modernization of the economy based on innovative solutions. The purpose of the work is to assess the degree of readiness for the transformation of management systems in the context of the transition to the sixth technological paradigm in the context of studying the innovative activity of industrial entities in the field of developed production technologies, including integrated management and control (advanced methods of organization and production management). The article examines dynamic, structural, trend qualitative variations of the developed advanced production technologies in the Russian Federation for 2000–2021 based on a significant amount of statistical data. The authors concluded that there are positive growth dynamics of developed advanced production technologies, qualitative structural shifts towards Russian developments.

РАЗРАБОТКА МЕТОДИКИ ОЦЕНКИ КОНКУРЕНТОСПОСОБНОСТИ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯ С ПОМОЩЬЮ ФИНАНСОВЫХ ИНДИКАТОРОВ

The socio-economic development of Russia during the period of overcoming the state of the financial and economic crisis in the conditions of market relations was accompanied by qualitative structural shifts towards the intensification of production. To achieve the successful development of any company in such conditions, the leading factor is the predominance of profits over losses of the company. The further activity of the enterprise, its ability to withstand competition directly depends on income. Identification of the advantages of the company in the field of its competitive abilities determines its stable position in the market. The need to develop a clear development strategy is due to the difficult situation in the relationship of the company with the external and internal environment. Many financial analysts suggest that the key problem in most organizations is the low level of knowledge and experience in the field of correctly creating a competitive strategy. This factor determines the relevance of the topic under study, since in order to achieve a stable position in the market and level various threats to the functioning of many companies, a detailed study of their competitive advantages is necessary. In this article, a model for diagnosing the financial component of the company’s competitiveness is developed and substantiated.

Towards Industry 4.0: impact on production strategies

The main purpose of this research consists of analyzing new technologies evolution impact on the manufacturing strategies, taking as a reference Hayes’ matrix product-process (PPM) and its further transformation from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0. An empirical study on the efficiency of production processes has been done on a sample of 1426 manufacturing companies in the environment of Industry 3.0. The main contribution of this work is the proposal of a third axis on the PPM, which has been built based on the presence of advanced manufacturing technologies and flexible manufacturing systems. The appearance of the new leading technologies in Industry 4.0 represents a qualitative shift in production strategies, enabling companies to produce both, customized and personalized products. This implies an evolution of the productive strategies collected in the Hayes’ PPM. Therefore, this is the first article presenting a specific PPM for Industry 3.0., supported by empirical evidence and classifying firms according to technology, products and processes. Additionally, a new model of this matrix in the context of Industry 4.0 has been depicted to represent new alternative manufacturing strategies within the framework of the digital era.

Israel in the Middle East: A burgeoning “crescent of stability”

The 2020 Abraham Accords normalization agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have ushered in a new era in Israeli-Arab relations, setting in motion novel geopolitical dynamics both within the Middle East and radiating further afield to adjacent regions. This development marks a qualitative shift in the way that Israel’s regional integration is perceived by many within the region, with pragmatic, technology-based collaboration, both bilaterally and multilaterally, replacing the widespread acrimony which prevailed in the past. Irenic diplomacy aside, the agreements have produced tangible results in trade, tourism and collaborative technological projects focused on a host of regional development issues. Given the very strong Israeli-Greek-Cypriot “triangular” partnership, recent diplomatic achievements with Turkey and Azerbaijan and the explicit role played by India in some of the new Israeli-Arab multilateral structures, it is no exaggeration to speak of an emerging “crescent of stability” stretching from the Mediterranean, through the Caucasus, Central Asia and India, enveloping — and in many ways containing — the destabilizing influence of Iran. The research objective of the paper is to reveal Israel’s role in the Middle East region, bringing together the micro and macro levels of analysis and exploring how historical events and current developments contribute to Israel’s regional position.

The Effectiveness of a Bioactive Healing Abutment as a Local Drug Delivery System to Impact Peri-Implant Mucositis: A Prospective Case Series Study.

Modern dental therapy makes use of prosthetic implant reconstructions, which are supported or retained on dental implants. The most frequent, long-term complications associated with these prosthetic implants include mucositis and peri-implantitis. Since mucositis is the initial inflammation of tissues supporting the dental implant, the management of this condition is thus crucial. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of the placement of bioactive healing abutment for 48 h, in patients diagnosed with peri-implant mucositis. Moreover, the quantitative and qualitative shift in the bacterial profile of the biofilm present in the peri-implant pockets, was assessed by means of RT-PCR genotyping. Each patient was examined using a commercially available PET test protocol: the first sample was taken upon diagnosis (after which the bioactive healing abutment, with clindamycin at a dose of 30 mg, was used for 48 h and replaced with the prosthetic superstructure used so far by a patient); the second sample was taken two weeks after removal of the bioactive healing abutment. The effects of the intervention were clinically assessed using the PET test after the two weeks. A significant reduction in mucositis was observed following treatment, as measured by periodontal indices: modified Sulcus Bleeding Index-mBI (p < 0.001), modified Plaque Index-PLI (r = 0.69, Z= -4.43; p < 0.001) and probing depth-PD (Z = -4.61; p < 0.001). Significant differences in the occurrence of periopathogenic bacteria were also observed: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (p < 0.014; Z = -2.45; r = 0.38), Treponema denticola (p < 0.005; Z = -2.83; r = 0.44), Tannerella forsythia (p < 0.001; Z = -4.47; r = 0.69) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (p < 0.132; Z = -1.51).

Target orientations of the development of state policy for the sustainable development of the "green" economy in Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to determine the target guidelines for the state policy of sustainable development of the "green" economy in Ukraine. The article uses general scientific and special research methods, the use of which contributed to the solution of the problem in the process of obtaining theoretical and practical results. When studying literary sources, the monographic method was used. The study of concepts, developments, approaches in order to generalize the results of scientific developments of domestic and foreign researchers to solve the problems of formation and implementation of the state policy for the sustainable development of the "green" economy, the method of systematization was used. The methods of classification, induction and deduction were used to determine the targets to which the state policy of sustainable development of the "green" economy should be directed. The abstract-logical method is used for theoretical generalizations and the formation of conclusions. It is proved that the complexity of the problem of formation and implementation of the state policy for the sustainable development of the "green" economy provides for the use of a long-term strategic approach, which will harmoniously integrate such a policy into the public administration system of Ukraine, which is in the process of reforming and adapting to European legislation, which is supported by a number of international obligations. It has been determined that the goal of state policy is to stabilize and improve the state of the environment of Ukraine in order to create an environmentally friendly natural environment for the life and health of the population, the introduction of an ecologically balanced system of nature management and the conservation of natural ecosystems, which are important for all life on planet Earth. The article proposes the Conceptual provisions for the development of a strategy for the state policy of sustainable development of the "green" economy in Ukraine, providing for a gradual move away from the traditional economy (with its areas of activity that are not energy and resource efficient and pollute the environment) to the "green" economy (which is based on qualitative structural shifts, innovative activities and industries that do not harm the environment, efficient use of natural resources, etc.).

The Great Arab Revolt, Palestine and a Phoenicianist Civilizing

After a brief overview of the development of the Mexican Mahjar press during the first three decades of the 20th century, this paper addresses two crucial debates of the migrant transregional public sphere in the 1930’s and 40’s. The first documented diasporic mobilization around the Great Arab Revolt in British Palestine (1936-1938). The political and social crisis that the Revolt articulated in the Mashriq triggered a storm of press coverage in the Mexican Mahjar which effected a qualitative shift in representation. Palestine was radically transformed. Initially cast as a geography of recreation characterized by natural beauty and Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land, it became the axis of a heated debate around ‘the Palestine question’ and its moral geography. In this process, ways of representing Jewish populations also changed. They ceased to be understood through an Ottoman history of coexistence of religious traditions in the Mashriq, resignified as a homogeneous people, vector of the imperialist project of European Zionism. Coverage of the Revolt elicited no echo from the mainstream Mexican press or interlocution from the Phoenicianist Maronite migrant notability. The debate failed to engage the Mexican Mahjar with Palestinian ‘Arab futures’, except perhaps in the modality of spectacle. In contrast, in the economically difficult and politically impoverished climate in the wake of the Great Depression, the second key debate was a decade-long conversation across the migrant community and Mexican ideologues of mestizaje about the desirability, or not, of Mashriqis as permanent residents of Mexico and the limits to their integration into the mestizo nation. Notables mobilized modernist Nahda narratives to appropriate ancient Phoenician colonization of the Mediterranean, situating Arab migrants in Mexico as partners to local Spanish descent (criollo) elites in a common civilizing effort over mestizos and Amerindian populations.

Mapping the Interrelations between Pre-service Teachers’ Beliefs and Knowledge of Learning to Their Principles of Effective Instruction

This mixed-methods study examined the congruence of pre-service teachers’ perceptions about their beliefs and knowledge of learning to their perceived principles of effective instruction, explicitly linking learning and teaching for students and teachers. Participants were 56 pre-service teachers in the college of education at a mid-sized university in the southeastern US. Three measures were employed in this study: firstly, participants were asked to choose a picture that best represented their views on the relationship between beliefs and knowledge and two open-ended questions asked them to define what beliefs and knowledge are. The second measure consisted of twenty-four items asking about their perceptions of their knowledge and beliefs about learning. Finally, the third measure consisted of an open-ended item asking participants to list and briefly describe their five core principles of effective instruction. Results show that beliefs are relatively dynamic and subject to change. Even over the course of a semester, there was a qualitative shift in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of knowledge of learning and less so in terms of perceptions of beliefs about learning. Surprisingly, there was less change in PSTs’ beliefs about learning, which is important since these beliefs may be much more likely to influence their decision-making as both pre-and in-service teachers.

The future of the shale industry in light of the fluctuations in global oil prices

During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the oil industry has been pivotal in influencing all countries’ geopolitical, economic, and human development strategies. Until recently, the debate was about peak oil and what would happen after oil finished. However, due to technological advances and hydraulic fracturing, shale oil formations have become economically viable due to the United States’ desire to achieve energy security to make a qualitative shift in the oil industry and the geopolitics of oil. Therefore, this paper deals with an economic model that illustrates the impact of oil price fluctuations to the shale oil and gas companies by analyzing the main determinants of continuity of shale oil and gas companies in production if global oil prices decline or rise. In addition, the study will investigate the effects of OPEC+ policy and Covid-19 on the future of shale oil industry. The study will discuss some future scenarios for global energy trends and predict what the shale industry will look like in the future. The study concluded the shale industry faces an internal destructive process (within the industry itself) and external (Renewable energy, OPEC and Covid-19). The stability of oil prices is a critical factor that promotes the shale industry's recovery. However, shale industry is expected to continue with low productivity growth rates and continuing government support for it.

Oral Microcosm Biofilms Grown under Conditions Progressing from Peri-Implant Health, Peri-Implant Mucositis, and Peri-Implantitis.

Peri-implantitis is a disease influenced by dysbiotic microbial communities that play a role in the short- and long-term outcomes of its clinical treatment. The ecological triggers that establish the progression from peri-implant mucositis to peri-implantitis remain unknown. This investigation describes the development of a novel in vitro microcosm biofilm model. Biofilms were grown over 30 days over machined titanium discs in a constant depth film fermentor (CDFF), which was inoculated (I) with pooled human saliva. Following longitudinal biofilm sampling across peri-implant health (PH), peri-implant mucositis (PM), and peri-implantitis (PI) conditions, the characterisation of the biofilms was performed. The biofilm analyses included imaging by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), selective and non-selective culture media of viable biofilms, and 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Bacterial qualitative shifts were observed by CLSM and SEM across conditions, which were defined by characteristic phenotypes. A total of 9 phyla, 83 genera, and 156 species were identified throughout the experiment. The phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Actinobacteria showed the highest prevalence in PI conditions. This novel in vitro microcosm model provides a high-throughput alternative for growing microcosm biofilms resembling an in vitro progression from PH-PM-PI conditions.

The shift in media consumption in Russia: overview of trends 2016-2021

The Internet has become omnipresent in Russia due to the mass accessibility of smartphones. Paired with the fact that the representatives of the digital generation are reaching adulthood, the significant changes in media consumption have occurred over the past five years. It can be stated that progressive quantitative transformations have turned into a qualitative digital shift. The use of digital media is growing: the use of messengers in almost all age groups, social networks, search engines, online video services surpasses traditional media. In 2021, digital platforms took the top eight places in the ranking of media platforms by audience in Russia. At the same time, there is a decrease in TV viewing, the fragmentation of the audience is growing, and the YouTube has become the most popular video service in the country. Interest in reading newspapers, magazines, listening to radio is falling. In terms of the importance of news sources and trust in them, the Internet surpasses TV in all audiences. The study provides statistics that have not been published before. A comprehensive analysis of the identified trends in the development of digital media allowed to draw a conceptual conclusion about the qualitative shift in media consumption in Russia between 2016 and 2021: this timeframe is marked for the first time.

The reality of digital media in media institutions Abu Dhabi Media Company as a model

The research aims to identify the truth of digital media in media organizations, specifically Abu Dhabi Media as a model, as this leading media institution was established in 2007 with a large number of employees to take upon itself to identify the modern media reality witnessed by the world, including the Arab world and the United Arab Emirates The United States, which had a real role in this qualitative and distinct shift among the countries of the world in creating an opportunity for development and prosperity in digital media and a qualitative move in the break away from traditional media. The digital media played an active role in changing the quality of the media material in various fields, the policies and measures taken by all various stakeholders that took upon themselves this progress and success in the field of digital media, which is now considered the identity of the state and the people. reserve

The single-sample network module biomarkers (sNMB) method reveals the pre-deterioration stage of disease progression.

The progression of complex diseases generally involves a pre-deterioration stage that occurs during the transition from a healthy state to disease deterioration, at which a drastic and qualitative shift occurs. The development of an effective approach is urgently needed to identify such a pre-deterioration stage or critical state just before disease deterioration, which allows the timely implementation of appropriate measures to prevent a catastrophic transition. However, identifying the pre-deterioration stage is a challenging task in clinical medicine, especially when only a single sample is available for most patients, which is responsible for the failure of most statistical methods. In this study, a novel computational method, called single-sample network module biomarkers (sNMB), is presented to predict the pre-deterioration stage or critical point using only a single sample. Specifically, the proposed single-sample index effectively quantifies the disturbance caused by a single sample against a group of given reference samples. Our method successfully detected the early warning signal of the critical transitions when applied to both a numerical simulation and four real datasets, including acute lung injury, stomach adenocarcinoma, esophageal carcinoma, and rectum adenocarcinoma. In addition, it provides signaling biomarkers for further practical application, which helps to discover prognostic indicators and reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease progression.

Is there a significant long-term shift in phytoplankton in small pelagic fish diets along India's southwest coast?

The two main small pelagic fishes along the southwest coast of India in the eastern Arabian Sea, the Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) and the Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) were studied to see if there was any notable long-term alteration in phytoplankton in their diets. The basic oceanographic features and the long-term sea surface warming in the study region are first examined using satellite data, which reveals clear seasonality in the wind, sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, and chlorophyll-a as well as long-term ocean surface warming. We then considered a recent gut content data set of Indian oil sardine and Indian mackerel from the 2010–2011 period from two landing places along India's southwest coast, which was compared with numerous historical data sets to find out if there was any long-term phytoplankton compositional change in the diet. The recent data revealed the same dominant phytoplankton as those collected decades ago, such as Coscinodiscus, Nitzschia, Pleurosigma, and Thalassiosira in sardines and Coscinodiscus, Thalassiosira, Ceratium, Dinophysis, Protoperidinium, and Pyrophacus in mackerel. This suggests the lack of any significant long-term qualitative shift of phytoplankton in the Indian oil sardine and Indian mackerel over the last several decades. However, several phytoplankton genera found present in the recent data were absent in the historical data, including 10 genera for mackerel and 17 for Indian oil sardine. These recent phytoplankton records are intriguing, and we feel they could be an early sign of long-term phytoplankton compositional or relative abundance shift, although additional research is needed to confirm this.

The Popcorn Illusion.

A popcorn popping is almost magical. And yet, the science of popcorn is safe and clear about the steps until the pop: the components, processes, and results of making popcorn. Nature has its own way to produce surprise in the form of "pops" (i.e., emergence, qualitative shifts). Emergent features spread throughout the life of taxa and individuals. A pop can be sudden and chaotic. And so is creativity. There is no incompatibility between creativity and naturalistic endeavors in science. Creativity is no god given gift blown inside humans. When creativity is defined by originality and spontaneity, it describes a feature with no past or present. I briefly summarize how one can see non-random innovation, no free occurring spontaneity, and non-heuristic effectiveness as features of behaviors that are not necessarily considered creative. Those three features reveal how traditional views of creativity undermine its real determiners and how it can be objectively defined and observed.

An Occupational Safety and Health Perspective on Human in Control and AI.

The continuous and rapid development of AI-based systems comes along with an increase in automation of tasks and, therewith, a qualitative shift in opportunities and challenges for occupational safety and health. A fundamental aspect of humane working conditions is the ability to exert influence over different aspects of one's own work. Consequently, stakeholders contribute to the prospect of maintaining the workers' autonomy albeit increasing automation and summarize this aspiration with the human in control principle. Job control has been part of multiple theories and models within the field of occupational psychology. However, most of the models do not include specific technical considerations nor focus on task but rather on job level. That is, they are possibly not able to fully explain specific changes regarding the digitalization of tasks. According to the results of a large-scale study on German workers (DiWaBe), this seems to be the case to some extend: the influence of varying degrees of automation, moderated by perceived autonomy, on workers' wellbeing was not consistent. However, automation is a double-edged sword: on a high level, it can be reversely related to the workers' job control while highly autonomous and reliable systems can also create opportunities for more flexible, impactful and diverse working tasks. Consequently, automation can foster and decrease the factor of job control. Models about the optimal level of automation aim to give guidelines on how the former can be achieved. The results of the DiWaBe study indicate that automation in occupational practice does not always happen in line with these models. Instead, a substantial part of automation happens at the decision-making level, while executive actions remain with the human. From an occupational safety and health perspective, it is therefore crucial to closely monitor and anticipate the implementation of AI in working systems. Constellations where employees are too controlled by technology and are left with a high degree of demands and very limited resources should be avoided. Instead, it would be favorable to use AI as an assistance tool for the employees, helping them to gather and process information and assisting them in decision-making.