Radical Change Research Articles

Globalization and its Effect on the National Economy: The Albanian Case

Globalization is a widely discussed phenomenon that involves the free flow of goods, services, capital, and people across the world. It is mainly focused on economic and cultural aspects, among others. Globalization can be considered as a trend towards increasing of the interdependence and integration among the countries and regions of the globe. Globalization affects us all and leads a radical change in the human’s lives all over the planet, in the relations between them as well as in culture and other aspects related to institutions. So globalization increases incomes but simultaneously increases social inequalities, leaving some countries and groups of people behind. To put it simply, globalization can rapidly enrich a small group of capable individuals while impoverishing the larger population. This ultimately leads to a decline in living standards across the world. Globalization has both positive and negative sides, globalization also produces winners and losers, both between countries and within them, so there are losses and the lost, but the supporters of globalization do not accept this fact. In conditions when the economies are converging and that this phenomenon is generally acceptable, national governments should look forward to pay attention to the growth of domestic capital the pursuit of international financial reforms with the aim of making it possible to find solutions to help losses and the lost. National governments should have social protection policies on the top of their agenda as well as programs that will help as much as possible in the correcting of the unequal distribution, to help different groups in need. Labor migration is a negative phenomenon that caused by the globalization and damages the economy of small countries in transition as people capable of working move to developed countries for a better life than what they leave in their country of origin. The main indicators of the globalization of the national economy are producing for world markets, being part of the global financial markets, as well as foreign direct investments. Globalization is inevitable, under these conditions the duty of the national governments is to face of the pressure that leads to the subordination of the local economy to the global one. Globalization facilitates the connection of different parts of the world, reducing borders and allowing national economies to cater to global tastes. The decreased transportation costs also contribute to the intermingling of the global and local aspects, ultimately leading to the unification of regions. About globalism, there are currents for and against, while the opponents of globalism as well as those who call globalization the cause of poverty and inequality have not drawn up any alternative model for economic growth and development throughout the globe. Small countries like Albania require large international corporations or companies to invest in them to achieve comprehensive economic development, reduce unemployment, and increase well-being. Financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund also play a crucial role in this process. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Political action in planetary times: Extinction activism, Anthropocene ontopolitics, indigenous complexities

This paper brings the narratives of the environmental activist groups Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and Fridays for Future into conversation with Critical Anthropocene Theory and Indigenous environmentalism to interrogate pathways for and limits of environmental political action under planetary conditions marked by nonhuman shaping power. Critical Anthropocene Theory, the paper argues, can problematise the simplistic positivism and managerialism of the new ‘extinction activism’. However, the conversation with Indigenous environmental practices, which flexibly manage tensions within human-nonhuman relations and centre radical social impact, reveals the political limitations of both extinction activism and critical Anthropocene thinking. The paper distinguishes the logic of fast change within existing socio-political parameters, which drives extinction activism, from Critical Anthropocene Theory's focus on ontological change as a precondition for a non-exploitative environmental politics, which deprioritises activist practice. Different from both, the paper argues that Indigenous environmental activism is marked by a yet different pragmatic approach, where both modern and non-modern political means are mobilised towards radical change. Indigenous environmentalism is marked by the dynamic co-evolution of cosmology and politics and moves flexibly between modern/nonmodern boundaries, highlighting new pathways for political action in the relational Anthropocene.

Imperialism and social movement unionism in South African responses to the Just Transition

In November 2021, South Africa signed the first international Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). This unlocked 8.5 billion USD in donor funding (primarily loans) to decarbonise its economy. The processes and substance of this decarbonisation have been criticised by unions and by civil society. This article traces the stakeholder consultation process through which civil society encouraged marginal improvements while broadly legitimising the JETP, and it details the causes and implications of South African unions’ decreased engagement with the Just Transition. The article argues that the specifics of civil society’s engagement with multistakeholder consultations, and organised labour’s disengagement, work towards legitimising a donor- and market-led transition. In partially explaining why a powerful civil society and the labour movement have not demanded more radical change, the article highlights tensions between the ‘professional class’ that dominates responses to climate change and a workers’ movement where political power is deeply tied to identarian mobilisation.

Emotions in a Time of Radical Change: Untangling Narratives of Pride and Achievements in Post-1989/1991 Lithuania and East Germany

Emotions in a Time of Radical Change: Untangling Narratives of Pride and Achievements in Post-1989/1991 Lithuania and East Germany

Business model innovation and internationalization: investigating the relationship through the dynamic states approach

PurposeThis empirical paper investigates how entrepreneurial firms change their business models in the context of internationalization by identifying different forms of business model innovation (BMI) and exploring the interrelationship between BMI and internationalization.Design/methodology/approachBased on the dynamic states approach of entrepreneurship (Levie and Lichtenstein, 2010), this paper analyses primary and secondary data from nine European firms following a multiple case study approach.FindingsThis paper presents four patterns of radical change and eight types of incremental adaption with-in business models in the context of internationalization. We describe these BMI patterns and types, and we also show how they contribute to increasing involvement in international business activities and the internationalization-related triggers that might cause them.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to a better understanding of the BMI process in the course of internationalization. It also highlights the complex interrelationship between BMI and internationalization by building on a progressive theoretical approach.

Research on Wireless Multimedia Big Data Transmission Model Based on Non-linear Algebraic Equation with the Adaptive Scheduling Algorithm

With the rapid development of computer technology, image processing and automatic book recognition has become a very important and practical field, and this discipline has a broad prospect and great potential. The digital vision system is a multi-plane information analysis method based on the human brain, which is applied to library identification problems by studying several regular changes in the distribution of objects themselves in two-dimensional space and three-dimensional position, in order to improve book quality and reduce costs. In addition, digital reading devices have become an essential part of people's daily learning life, and multimedia retrieval methods have also undergone radical changes, image processing is becoming more and more complex, and algorithms must become more efficient and reliable as the amount of computing increases to a certain level, so as to adapt to this fast and powerful data storage and query needs. Therefore, the trend is to improve the speed and reliability of computer systems. In this research, we provide a nonlinear model of optimal allocation employing an ant colony management strategy, a genetic operator, and an adaptive scheduling algorithm based on topology (dB) to discover the best scheduling scheme and test its feasibility via simulation. It proposes a viable idea for tackling the practical wireless multimedia massive data transmission model problem by applying the method to the real-time processing process in other sectors with high importance and resilience.

Relations Between the Soviet Union and the Vatican, According to Soviet Documents

If Stalin’s religious policy underwent radical changes after 1943, when the Moscow Patriarchate was re-established, in the context of post- war international relations and the configuration of spheres of influence, Nikita Khrushchev returns to the attitude of persecuting the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union since year 1958, the reasons being completely different from those of Stalin. But, towards the middle of the 1960s, a change in the anti-religious attitude took shape in Khrushchevs case as well. An example in this sense are two documents from the Soviet archives, which show Khrushchevs position towards the establishment of relations between the Vatican and the Soviet Union, reflected in the instructions sent by the Soviet leader to the USSR ambassador in Cuba and the meeting with the American journalist Norman Cousins, on which occasion he the issue of the release of the Greek-Catholic archbishop Slipyi was addressed in particular.

Substrate Conformational Switch Enables the Stereoselective Dimerization in P450 NascB: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Calculations.

P450 NascB catalyzes the coupling of cyclo-(l-tryptophan-l-proline) (1) to generate (-)-naseseazine C (2) through intramolecular C-N bond formation and intermolecular C-C coupling. A thorough understanding of its catalytic mechanism is crucial for the engineering or design of P450-catalyzed C-N dimerization reactions. By employing MD simulations, QM/MM calculations, and enhanced sampling, we assessed various mechanisms from recent works. Our study demonstrates that the most favorable pathway entails the transfer of a hydrogen atom from N7-H to Cpd I. Subsequently, there is a conformational change in the substrate radical, shifting it from the Re-face to the Si-face of N7 in Substrate 1. The Si-face conformation of Substrate 1 is stabilized by the protein environment and the π-π stacking interaction between the indole ring and heme porphyrin. The subsequent intermolecular C3-C6' bond formation between Substrate 1 radical and Substrate 2 occurs via a radical attack mechanism. The conformational switch of the Substrate 1 radical not only lowers the barrier of the intermolecular C3-C6' bond formation but also yields the correct stereoselectivity observed in experiments. In addition, we evaluated the reactivity of the ferric-superoxide species, showing it is not reactive enough to initiate the hydrogen atom abstraction from the indole NH group of the substrate. Our simulation provides a comprehensive mechanistic insight into how the P450 enzyme precisely controls both the intramolecular C-N cyclization and intermolecular C-C coupling. The current findings align with the available experimental data, emphasizing the pivotal role of substrate dynamics in governing P450 catalysis.

Analysis of interactive impact and student behavior of teaching online courses based on gamified learning

The potential of gamified learning as an emerging force for educational change has been widely recognized, to address the design deficiencies in the automatic recognition methods in traditional gamified learning models and the low accuracy of learning behavior recognition. Based on the improved gamified learning model, this paper jointly proposes an optimal design and recognition model of learning mode based on a deformable convolutional type network. Based on the gamified machine learning theory and interactive feedback theory, it comprehensively analyzes the procedural improvement of the gamified interactive intelligence model to provide a theoretical and practical basis for carrying out the analysis of the interactive impact and student behavior of teaching online courses based on gamified learning. The research results show that: (1) with the increase of the number of gamified learning samples, the value of iterative loss function decreases, the accuracy of recognition improves, and gradually converges and tends to be stable when the number of training times is 500; the 800 training samples setting can fully meet the network training requirements. (2) The deformable convolutional neural learning network constructed with the proposed joint algorithm reduces the network error during the training process and introduces the radical change function to improve the data processing capability. This improved gamified learning model is not only superior in recognition accuracy but also shows great advantages in recognition time.

The struggle for industrial democracy in Sweden: A sociological macro-meso analysis 1960–2020

Sweden has the reputation of being one of the most progressive countries in the world concerning work-life development and industrial democracy. In this article, an analytical overview of the development in these areas is provided, which includes the antecedents, major events, actor positioning and also the broad-term outcomes. Two major reform movements are described: one aiming to create a radically different work-life where workers control their own work with a power balance between labour and capital, and one a reformist movement aiming to create a degree of co-determination and a more engaging work-life without any major changes in power relations. The case shows that the radical movement was not able to generate radical change and that the reformistic movement achieved only partial success. The outcome over time has been a decreased interest in work-life development where co-determination practices are heavily institutionalized but perhaps do not provide better conditions for workers than in many other advanced industrial countries with a lesser degree of formal co-determination.

Nanoscale detection and real-time monitoring of free radicals in a single living cell under the stimulation of targeting moieties using a nanodiamond quantum sensor

Intracellular radicals play important roles in cell signaling and regulation of growth factors, cytokines, transcription, apoptosis, and immunomodulation, among others. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of their biological functions from a spatio-temporal pers­pective, there is a great need for nanoscale sensitive tools that allow real-time detection of these reactive species. Currently, intracellular radical probes are based on chemical reactions that could significantly alter radical levels during detection. Due to the excellent bio­compatibility and favorable photophysical properties of nitrogen-vacancy (NV–) centers in fluorescent nanodiamonds (fNDs), the fNDs can serve as a powerful and chemically inert nanotool for intracellular radical detection. In this study, a positively charged nanogel (NG) coating was prepared to prevent the precipitation of fNDs and promote cellular internalization. After internalization of nanodiamond-nanogels (fND-NGs), different stimulators, namely somatostatin (SST), triphenylphosphonium (TPP), and trans-activator of transcription (TAT) peptide, which are widely used cell- or organelle-targeting ligands in medicine, drug delivery, and diagnostics, were applied to stimulate the cells. In parallel, the intracellular radical changes under stimulation of SST, TPP, and TAT ligands were monitored by fND-NGs in a home-built optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) microscope. Our method allows for detecting intracellular radicals in-situ and monitoring their real-time changes during incubation with the targeting ligands in a single living cell. We believe that our method will provide insights into the generation of radical stress in cells, which could improve our fundamental understanding of the pharmacology and signaling pathways of widely used cell- and organelle-targeting ligands associated with free radicals.

Aquinas on Separated Souls’ Natural Cognition

Abstract The debate concerning whether Aquinas changed his view on the perfection of the separated soul’s natural cognition, i.e., the cognition not elevated by God’s supernatural grace, remains to be settled. Anton Pegis has argued that according to Aquinas’s earlier view, a separated soul ‘will function perfectly as a separate substance’. However, according to Aquinas’s mature view, it ‘does not have the intellectual power to function properly as a separate substance’, so Aquinas changed his view. In contrast, John Wippel has denied that Pegis showed any radical change in Aquinas’s works on this issue. In this paper, I intend to advance this debate by arguing that, in his Commentary on Sentences IV (1252–56) d. 49, q. 1, a. 4, qc1, Aquinas expounded a view on the perfection of the separated soul’s natural cognition that is incompatible with his view in Summa Theologiae I (1265–68), q. 89, a. 1, co. I will also identify two markedly different views on the implication of the human soul-body union for the perfection of the separated soul’s cognition in these two texts. I contend that the incompatibility between the views in these two texts suggests that Aquinas changed his view.

Psychological Research in the Multidisciplinary Discourse of Agency: Problems and Prospects

It is shown that the cause of the systemic difficulties experienced by the international mainstream of psychology in developing the problem of agency as a human ability to initiate a change in the environment is that the latter is a phenomenon that has not previously been the focus of attention for international psychology, and thus, for the analysis of which the old methodological optics of the Western-centric mainstream, which took shape in the second half of the 20th century and which is based on the theoretical model of the “universal” human, endowed with “universal” human qualities, is not applicable. In the light of the theory of de-structuration (neo-structuration), focusing on qualitative and radical changes in the social world over the past decades, more promising approaches to understanding contemporary human personality are those grounding on considering personality as a culturally dependent and changeable entity, primarily the subjekt-activity approach which is developing in the Russian discourse and in the international science is not enough known. We consider the subjekt-activity approach not as one of those constituting the global mainstream, but as an alternative to the mainstream for theoretical and methodological grounds. The prospects of developing the problem of agency from the standpoint of the subjekt-activity approach, both in terms of the theory and methodology of psychology, and in terms of practical applications, are substantiated. The relevance of practical applications of the subjekt-activity approach in the field of education is determined by the logic of social macro-processes. As a constructive approach to the development of the problem of agency in psychology, we propose to abandon the two dispositions that dominate in the mainstream: a) the search for the “center of agency” as a separate component and substructure of the psyche, which implements certain functions, skills, etc., - shifting to considering agency as a systemic and integral attribute of the individual, individually specific and developing during the lifetime (a “higher” psychic function); b) the search for the foundations of agency in the sphere of cognition and reflection - changing the focus of research to motivational and volitional sphere.

Demystifying tourists’ intentional readiness for net zero transformation through environmental knowledge, conspicuous altruism, and greenwashing perceptions

ABSTRACT Global nations strategically aim to embrace net-zero transformations that warrant active involvement from tourists to drive radical change (i.e. readiness for net-zero tourism) at host destinations. The present study aimed to clarify tourists' intentional readiness for net-zero tourism by using the costly-signaling theory and the knowledge-attitude-behavior model. The findings based on a representative sample (N = 430) of tourists in Turkiye demonstrated that subjective environmental knowledge and eco-literacy significantly boost intentional readiness for net-zero tourism. This effect intensifies when net-zero practices are perceived as conspicuous. Interestingly, greenwashing perception negatively moderated the influence of subjective environmental knowledge on intentional readiness for net-zero tourism.

The Necessity of System Change

In a world of convergent crises, leading voices have called for radical changes to food, financial, and energy systems. However, these fail to account for a deeper systemic crisis: unfettered and accelerating of capital accumulation. In this article, M. Graziano Ceddia and Jacopo Nicola Bergamo provide a more comprehensive narrative, one which emphasizes capital as a social relation—and the potential of the environmental proletariat to dismantle its dominance.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EASTERN AND WESTERN PEDAGOGY IN THE FORMATION OF EASTERN SPIRITUAL AND MORAL VIEWS OF TEENAGE GIRLS

The radical changes taking place in theeducational system, the content of teaching is increasingly enriched with new ideas and views, the creation of new technologies that serve to increase the potential of the younger generation intellektual, the spiritual maturity of educators is also a process that depends on the formation of qualities.

A tale of multiple crises: Populist and non-populist narratives in European institutions from the Great Recession to the 2024 European elections

In the past decade, the strength of populist forces, especially those of the far right, has grown considerably in Europe, influencing European politics and modifying the composition of European institutions, and in particular the European Parliament. This essay posits that populist and non-populist narratives in EU institutions have evolved through the dynamics of polarization and reciprocal influence across multiple crises, from the start of the Great Recession in 2007 to the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022. Depending on the results of the upcoming 2024 European elections, and especially in the case of a successful outcome of far-right populist parties, there might be more radical changes in the dominant forces and discourses of EU institutions.

Evaluación de los primeros 5 años de cribado neonatal de aciduria glutárica tipo 1 en Asturias

IntroductionNeonatal screening of glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA-1) has brought radical changes in the course and outcomes of this disease. This study analyses the outcomes of the first 5 years (2015-2019) of the AGA1 neonatal screening programme in our autonomous community. MaterialWe conducted an observational, descriptive and retrospective study. All neonates born between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019 that participated in the neonatal screening programme were included in the study. The glutarylcarnitine (C5DC) concentration in dry blood spot samples was measured by means of tandem mass spectrometry applying a cut-off point of 0.25μmol/l. ResultsA total of 30 120 newborns underwent screening. We found differences in the C5DC concentration based on gestational age, type of feeding and hours of life at sample collection. These differences were not relevant for screening purposes. There were no differences between neonates with weights smaller and greater than 1500g. Screening identified 2 affected patients and there were 3 false positives. There were no false negatives. The diagnosis was confirmed by genetic testing. Patients have been in treatment since diagnosis and have not developed encephalopathic crises in the first 4 years of life. ConclusionsScreening allowed early diagnosis of two cases of GA-1 in the first 5 years since its introduction in our autonomous community. Although there were differences in C5DC levels based on gestational age, type of feeding and hours of life at blood extraction, they were not relevant for screening.

The forgotten forests: Incorporating temperate peat‐forming wet woodlands as nature‐based solutions into policy and practice

Abstract Peat‐forming wet woodlands (forested wetlands) are naturally occurring carbon‐dense ecosystems that have considerable potential to form an important part of net zero woodland establishment and peatland strategies, as well as provide crucial co‐benefits to restore biodiversity and regulate hydrological systems. Despite their potential, temperate peat‐forming wet woodlands have been widely lost, are critically understudied and are being overlooked in land‐use strategies. Unlike temperate ‘dry’ woodlands, some wet woodlands are peat forming and can store large amounts of carbon below‐ground in peat in addition to the carbon in the tree biomass. The complex structure of these peat‐forming wet woodlands creates high abiotic heterogeneity, resulting in a wide variety of microhabitats to support high levels of biodiversity, and this structural complexity can also increase water storage in the landscape and slow flood flows, providing natural flood protection. Co‐written by experts in academia and UK Government, we highlight critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of peat‐forming wet woodlands that, once addressed, could form the basis for radical changes to their inclusion in net zero and land‐use policies. Policy and practice implications: The significant role that peatland restoration has to play in reaching net zero presents an immediate policy opportunity to consider the full range of ecosystems to achieve net zero targets, while protecting and enhancing socio‐ecological sustainability. In co‐writing this paper, our aim is to stimulate discussion and sharing of knowledge between those involved in research, policy and practice in order to strengthen the evidence base for peat‐forming wet woodland re‐establishment and future management. We call on researchers, policymakers and land managers to take temperate wet woodlands from understudied and overlooked, to integrated ecosystems that hold great promise in the contributions they can make as nature‐based solutions.

STRATEGIC PLANNING OF STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CORPORATE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This article is a comprehensive exploration of the theoretical and methodological principles of strategic planning for structural transformations in the context of corporate organizational development. It breaks down the complex concept of structural changes into simpler terms, defining them as specific alterations in business structure or the architecture of an integrated group of enterprises. The paper proposes a unique perspective on organizational development, viewing it as a process of breaking down the constituent elements of an enterprise, accompanied by changes in how these elements are connected, modifications in relationships between these elements and their external environment, adding new elements into the structure, and removing existing ones or a comprehensive solution involving doing some or all of these changes at the same time. It is demonstrated that the most radical and effective structural changes are associated with changes in how corporate and managerial control is distributed. The components of the mechanisms for accomplishing strategic tasks during organizational transformations that directly impact the structure of capital, resulting in the creation of legally independent entities, are identified. The sequence of stages in the strategic planning process of organizational development includes identifying the need for strategic changes, setting a system of objectives, assessing the appropriateness of modifying the business portfolio and conducting competitive analysis: evaluating the current status of the company, analyzing potential prospective resource zones and business areas; identifying strategic gaps between current and prospective profiles of strategic business units; analyzing the synergy of strategies; assessing constraints; optimizing the prospective business portfolio within a given system of objectives and constraints considering potential synergy; and developing competitive strategies in prospective business sectors. It also outlines the formulation of rules, mechanisms, and plans for managing strategic transformations. The primary constraints encountered during goal-setting in the context of organizational development include the time required to bridge strategic gaps, which are deemed critical due to the unpredictability of external environment behavior, the life cycle of the technology, or demand for products; cost implications and the availability of resources necessary for the strategic reorganization of the enterprise; and the company's ability to procure resources sufficient in volume and quality to undertake strategic restructuring.