Theoretical Synergy Research Articles

Digitalization and economic development: lessons from globalized developing countries

Purpose This paper aims to empirically investigate the dynamic interlinkages among globalization, digitalization and economic development in the top 75 most globalized countries from 2000 to 2019. The selection of the 75 most globalized developing countries is based on the overall scores of the KOF Globalization Index (2021). Design/methodology/approach The research design is based on secondary data collected from the World Bank (2021), the International Telecommunication Union (2021) and the KOF Globalization Index (2021). The study uses panel unit root tests followed by the panel cointegration techniques. Further, the estimation uses panel fully modified ordinary least squares and panel dynamic ordinary least squares methods. Findings The empirical results reveal that the effect of globalization on economic development is sensitive to different estimation procedures; in some cases, but not in every case, the effect is positive and significant. However, the positive and significant effect of digitalization on economic development is robust across all estimated models. Long-run equilibrium relationships and bidirectional causalities strongly affirm the nexus among globalization, digitalization and economic development, substantiating the interconnectedness among 75 developing economies. Originality/value The study reinstates that the forces of globalization and digitalization will be instrumental in shaping the selected most globalized economies in the long run. Adopting various econometric methodologies takes care of the time-specific and cross-sectional dynamics, as evident in the panel framework considered in this study. The empirical findings truly ascertain the theoretical synergy among the forces of globalization leading to more digitalization and economic development. This makes the empirical interplay highly conducive to framing long-term policies to expand the information communication network in terms of its access and reach.

Does Africa Need Interdisciplinary Humanities? Editorial

This editorial explores the value and viability of interdisciplinary approaches within African humanities scholarship. It argues that complex contemporary issues require perspectives spanning traditional disciplines. However, African humanities faculties remain largely siloed in colonial-legacy models limiting theoretical synergy. Pursuing meaningful interdisciplinarity has the potential to dismantle ideological constraints, better comprehend multidimensional African realities, restore epistemological cohesion severed through Western knowledge fracturing, and develop contextual, analytical tools. However, the paper cautions against superficial interdisciplinarity lacking methodological rigor or merely signalling trendiness. It stresses retaining a disciplinary base while leveraging scoping reviews to chart relevance for other fields in addressing complex questions. Harnessing interdisciplinarity’s potential requires institutional structures and incentives to facilitate humanities scholars to cross boundaries without abandoning specialisation. This editorial seeks to continue the debate on pursuing deliberate, purposedriven interconnection.

How Many Intersections? Theoretical Synergy as a Rationale for Intersectional Biographical Analysis

This article develops an innovative approach to intersectional biographical interviewing for researchers working with highly diverse, partly unknown populations and focusing on systems of intersecting inequality, rather than “groups” or “lists” of intersections. Drawing on fieldwork with Black and Muslim Italian migrants with different class backgrounds, the article discusses theoretical synergy as a tool to redraw analytical boundaries vis-à-vis emergent knowledge of intersecting inequalities, and to connect different analytical dimensions in biographical analysis. Moreover, I introduce field-specific questions as a technique that captures the contextual effects of intersecting inequalities, minimizing the risk of essentialising minority ethnic participants.

Toward Synergizing Educational Research and Movement Sciences: a Dialogue on Learning as Developing Perception for Action

What could possibly be a meaningful conversation between educational researchers and movement scientists? Curiously, they have much in common. Both groups of researchers increasingly (1) appreciate the human capacity to enact perceptually guided movement as an overarching psychological model of thinking, problem-solving, and learning; (2) theorize the development of perceptual structures, including actual and imaginary percepts, as a key epistemic vehicle for solving motor-control problems; and (3) promote a view of abstract thinking as movement-grounded and movement-oriented perceptual dynamics. Probing toward theoretical synergy between these traditionally disparate fields of research, the present article is built as an interdisciplinary conversation between two researchers—of mathematics education and movement science, respectively—who become aware of their intellectual alignment, garner new insights and inspirations from each other’s work, and speculate on implications of this concordance for their fields. Future exploration into the unity of movement and cognition could enrich dialogue between manifold disciplines, with the overall goal of clarifying, developing, and integrating an interdisciplinary common foundation and framework for the benefit of education.

Multi-dimensional framework as a new way to study the management of Olympic volunteering

ABSTRACT Research question: This paper presents a new comprehensive framework that brings together a wide range of themes and issues pertaining to the management of Olympic volunteering lacking in the literature. It helps answer the following research question: how and for whom volunteer programmes work, in what circumstances, to what effect and over what duration. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the theoretical and practical value of combining the Volunteer Process Model (VPM) (Omoto & Snyder, 2002), Human Resource Management (HRM) Model (Cuskelly et al., 2006) and Legacy Cube (Preuss, 2007). This theoretical synergy helps unpack ‘what’ we study, while the premises of critical realist evaluation (Pawson, 2013) ‘Context + Mechanism = Outcome’ (CMO) aid in answering ‘why’ and ‘how’ we study it. Research methods: The London 2012 Olympic Games volunteer (Games Maker or GM) programme was the primary case for this research. Data was gathered before, during and 14 months after the Games in the UK via a mixed methods approach. Survey data from volunteers was complemented with semi-structured interviews with volunteers and managers, the author’s participant observations and documentary analysis. Results and findings: The proposed framework helped identify and evaluate the systems, mechanisms, and processes of developing and managing the GM programme. It became evident that unless key event stakeholders acknowledge the complex nature of Olympic volunteering and put adequate structures, resources and practices in place, the volunteer programmes are ineffective in managing volunteers and attaining a sustainable volunteering legacy. Implications: This paper offers valuable insights into the organisation and management of Olympic volunteering to achieve various programme results. It answers a call for a holistic approach to the phenomenon under study and features new directions for continued academic research in this critical area.

E pluribus unum Shrugged: Ayn Rand Against American Conservatism and Libertarianism

The past decade has witnessed a renewed interest in the works of twentieth-century Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand. Political events ranging from the rise of the Tea Party to the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump have only helped to spur this resurgence, further evident in film adaptations and reissues of her popular literary novels. Political pundits abound have, in turn, deemed the return of Ayn Rand as a victory for libertarian thought and the Republican Party, more broadly. However, in this paper I contest such a theoretical synergy and complicate the Rand/Republican Party interplay by suggesting that it rests on false grounds. Drawing from Rand’s Objectivism, I argue that modern-day Republican Party politics, specifically conservative and libertarian strains of thought, fail on epistemological grounds. The philosophical writings of the Russian-born, turned-American philosopher therefore are not only incompatible, but function as a forceful critique against the governing platform of the Republican Party in preparation for the 2022 midterm elections.

Efektivitas Dakwah Hadis dalam Media Sosial: Analisis atas Teori Framing Robert N. Entman

Hadis preaching is now meeting new challenges in its succession of implementation, one of which is its touch with courage-based social media. Apart from optimizing the propagation material that is disseminated, it has also become an interesting topic in discussions of the development of modern dakwah. In this case, content framing (framing) is deemed appropriate to package the dakwah content offered to the people in order to have authority on social media. However, the question that can be offered is how can the theoretical application of the framing concept work on da'wah content on social media? Departing from this formula, the author will elaborate the dakwah paradigm through content from several accounts on Instagram, based on the hadith as the preaching material. The author provides segmentation of the @hadispedia and @pusatkajianhadis accounts as research objects using the theoretical synergy of Robert N. Entman's framing. This research is built on qualitative methods that are oriented towards the context of reality and data analysis of digital literature. The author will examine the focus of the problem with a descriptive-explorative orientation in order to obtain an optimal and comprehensive understanding. The argument from this research is that the concept of framing actualized on the preaching of hadith content, especially on @hadispedia and @pusatkajianhadis accounts, can increase the effectiveness of the implementation of da'wah on social media.

ROBUST WHITE MATTER HYPERINTENSITY SEGMENTATION ON UNSEEN DOMAIN.

Typical machine learning frameworks heavily rely on an underlying assumption that training and test data follow the same distribution. In medical imaging which increasingly begun acquiring datasets from multiple sites or scanners, this identical distribution assumption often fails to hold due to systematic variability induced by site or scanner dependent factors. Therefore, we cannot simply expect a model trained on a given dataset to consistently work well, or generalize, on a dataset from another distribution. In this work, we address this problem, investigating the application of machine learning models to unseen medical imaging data. Specifically, we consider the challenging case of Domain Generalization (DG) where we train a model without any knowledge about the testing distribution. That is, we train on samples from a set of distributions (sources) and test on samples from a new, unseen distribution (target). We focus on the task of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) prediction using the multi-site WMH Segmentation Challenge dataset and our local in-house dataset. We identify how two mechanically distinct DG approaches, namely domain adversarial learning and mix-up, have theoretical synergy. Then, we show drastic improvements of WMH prediction on an unseen target domain.

Towards a theoretical synergy: Critical race theory and decolonial thought in Trumpamerica and Brexit Britain

This article argues for a theoretical synergy between critical race theory (CRT) and decolonial thought. The author propounds that while CRT and decolonial thought have different scopes, we can synergize them in analysis. Specifically, decolonial thought’s transnational focus on coloniality complements CRT’s ‘presentist’ focus on national racialized social systems. The author displays the efficacy of this theoretical synergy by discussing Brexit Britain and Trumpamerica. While CRT is helpful for analysing how these political projects built upon contemporary post-racial ideology and racialized emotions, it struggles to deal with the postcolonial melancholia that runs through both political moments. Decolonial thought is thus required to tease out the transnational, historical dynamics of coloniality embodied in Brexit Britain and Trumpamerica. This is particularly apparent in the way both projects involve a desire to return the nation to its imperial glory, and to keep those who are deemed to be opposed to Western civilization – particularly ‘the Muslim’ – outside of the nation’s borders.

Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Current Challenges and Future Prospects.

Despite advances, patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) still have poor long-term survival. Identification of molecular subtypes is important to guide therapy through standard treatment pathways and holds promise for the development of new treatments. Following standard first- and second-line chemotherapy plus targeted agents, many patients retain a reasonable performance status, and thus are seeking further effective treatment to extend life and maintain symptom control. The challenge lies in selecting the most appropriate therapy in the third- and fourth-line settings, from a range of options including the relatively new oral agents TAS-102 and regorafenib, or rechallenge with previous chemotherapy or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (mAB). Beyond this, therapy consists of trials involving novel agents and new combinations of treatments with theoretical synergy and/or non-overlapping toxicity. There is a great focus on enhancing immunogenicity in mCRC, to reflect the impressive results of immunotherapy drugs in the small cohort with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) mCRC. Rare molecular subtypes of mCRC are increasingly being identified, including Her2-positive disease, NTRK fusions and others. Clinical trials exploring the efficacy of immunomodulatory and precision agents are plentiful and will hopefully yield clinically meaningful results that can be rapidly translated into routine care.

Dynamic dielectric recovery performance of serial vacuum and SF6 gaps in HVDC interruption and its regulation method

Vacuum gaps have rapid dynamic dielectric recovery speed while SF6 gaps have high insulation strength. The series-connected vacuum and SF6 gaps are used as the main switch (MS), which combines their advantages. The work aims to verify the feasibility of serial vacuum and SF6 gaps in mechanical HVDC interruption. The test circuit of the dynamic dielectric recovery performance (DDRP) is set up. The DDRP is tested under free recovery condition by the high voltage pulse source. The DDRP of the vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) and SF6 gas circuit breaker (GCB) in DC interruption with active current injection is analyzed and compared. The test results indicate that the dielectric recovery duration of the VCB is below 30 μs while that of the GCB is above 100 μs. In order to achieve the cooperation between the VCB and GCB, a novel hybrid HVDC circuit breaker (CB) based on series-connected vacuum and SF6 gaps is proposed. The ‘voltage-zero’ duration is created by introducing the follow current loop and there more recovery time for the dielectric recovery of the MS. The voltage distribution is controlled by the voltage dividing method so that the VCB undertakes the initial transient recovery voltage (TRV) and the later TRV is took by the GCB. The theoretical synergy characteristic of the novel HVDC CB is obtained. The paper supplies a new method to improve the custom mechanical HVDC CB, which is useful to achieve the HVDC CB with less serial breaks.

Molecular basis for the affinity and specificity in the binding of five-membered iminocyclitols with glycosidases: an experimental and theoretical synergy

An unusual substituent dictated complementarity in the inhibition of amino-modified five-membered iminocyclitols toward various glycosidases was reported by us. These intriguing results encouraged us to seek a molecular level explanation for the observation that may facilitate the design of specific iminocyclitol inhibitors against glycosidases of choice. We present here a detailed theoretical account that is substantiated with some new experimental investigations on the molecular origins of the differential affinities of iminocyclitols with various glycosidases. The studies involve docking/scoring, molecular dynamics simulations followed by syntheses of a few novel five-membered iminocyclitols and their in vitro binding assays. Directional hydrogen bonds and snug fit of the ligands are implicated as contributory to the observed selectivities. The observed synergy between the computations and experiment is likely to spur further research in the design of novel iminocyclitols with specific inhibitory activities.

The Process Model of Group-Based Emotion

Scholars interested in emotion regulation have documented the different goals and strategies individuals have for regulating their emotions. However, little attention has been paid to the regulation of group-based emotions, which are based on individuals’ self-categorization as a group member and occur in response to situations perceived as relevant for that group. We propose a model for examining group-based emotion regulation that integrates intergroup emotions theory and the process model of emotion regulation. This synergy expands intergroup emotion theory by facilitating further investigation of different goals (i.e., hedonic or instrumental) and strategies (e.g., situation selection and modification strategies) used to regulate group-based emotions. It also expands emotion regulation research by emphasizing the role of self-categorization (e.g., as an individual or a group member) in the emotional process. Finally, we discuss the promise of this theoretical synergy and suggest several directions for future research on group-based emotion regulation.

La synergie des dynamiques qualitatives et quantitatives du crime dans la théorie du processus criminogène

ObjectivesBy taking support on the criminal process theory, we elaborated a theoretical conciliatory reading of the crime for an optimization of the practices. For that purpose, we envisaged a compromise between the current contradictions of the various psycho-criminological approaches, that is between the clinical and behavioral indications, the qualitative and quantitative variables, and the theoretical and practical approaches. The criminal process theory is used as tool of unification of the various practices of crime analysis, by allowing the integration of the crime scene dynamics in the structuring sequenced of the acting out. Patients or materials and methodsOur analyses are on the theoretical approaches and on the practical tools, by trying a synergic modeling of these underlined by schematic illustrations. On the crime scene, several behavioral characteristics can be analyzed, like the degree of crimes planning and the control used by the offender, the overkill of the feelings on the crime scene, the level of risk of the victim and the offender, and the appearance of the crime scene. In a first time, we studied these general characteristics (Modus operandi, Personation, Victimology, Space-time, criminal Trajectory), then in second time, we observed the modern perceptions of the crime in the French judicial services (TAAC and PRACTIS), to propose a practical reflection about the notions involved. ResultsBy working the crime according to its time process, every period of the space-time of the criminal situational action could indicate, under the shape of variables, the following modalities: the quantitative level-headedness of the duration of “criminal periods” (periods emotionally and/or behaviorally invested), the “general signature” (quantitative and qualitative emotional variable), the “behavioral signature” (psycho-criminological syndromes constituted of the operational thematics), the “significant variable” (positive and negative overturning of the crime). According to this congruence of the qualitative and quantitative analyses of the crime, the analyst could more easily structure and motivate his appreciation. ConclusionsThe theoretical synergy of crime analysis, bound to a practical modeling, has for aim the criminological evaluation a posteriori of variables constituting the crime and not the direct therapeutic care. The clinician can however refer to the established customs, in a therapeutic use, by opening up the psycho-criminological variables of the situational act. We pursued the modelisation of the criminal process theory, both in its theoretical and practical modalities, by integrating it in various plans of Profiling analysis. The presented model could be used in the cases of expertise of crime analysis. It will be a question later of tempting an exploratory application, then confirmatory, of the model of crime process analysis and its synergical dynamics.

Attitudes and Ethics: Evaluating Knowledge and Regulatory Constructs in Planning Enforcement Practice

The departure point for the paper is the need to scrutinize previously unconsidered dimensions which are fundamental to understanding the dynamics of the planning enforcement system. Drawing upon emerging themes in regulation theory the paper fuses these with knowledge constructs. The rationale is that the regulatory regimes must be informed by knowledge imparted from a range of sources and the resultant quality of decision making in pursuit of remedies is inextricably linked to the robustness of the evidence base collated. The theoretical analysis, coupled with radical legislative changes, provides a lens for an empirical investigation which scrutinizes tactics, strategies, operational mechanisms, attitudinal dimensions and ethics with a view to identifying the key factors impacting upon enforcement efficacy. Prizes and pitfalls are identified in the course of the analysis and evaluation, with evidence-based remedies suggested where appropriate. The paper concludes by reflecting on the importance of theoretical synergy and epistemological advancement, taking cognisance of ethical and attitudinal challenges facing the planning profession; and, brings to book those who flagrantly breach the Code of Professional Conduct.

Rethinking Power and Authority: Symbolic Violence and Subjectivity in Nepal's Terai Forests

ABSTRACTRecent work on authority, power and the state has opened up important avenues of inquiry into the practices and contexts through which power is exercised. Why certain forms of authority emerge as more durable and legitimate than others remains a challenge, however. In this article we bring together two bodies of thought to engage this issue, feminist theories of power and subjectivity and Bourdieu's ideas of symbolic violence, in order to explore how power and authority are reproduced and entrenched. Our purpose is to advance theorizing on power and authority in the context of contentious political situations and institutional emergence. This unusual theoretical synergy allows us to illustrate how power is exercised in relation to natural resource management and the ways in which the conflict/post‐conflict context creates institutional forms and spaces which simultaneously challenge and reinforce antecedent forms of authority. To animate our theoretical concerns, we draw on work in community‐based forestry in Nepal, with a focus on some of the conflicts that have arisen in relation to the valuableSalforests of the Terai, or lowland plains.

Adaptive Context: The Fourth Element of Meaning

AbstractThe present article explores the notion of communication from the point of view of the traditions that have considered context as the essential element for the optimal understanding of a message. The article describes the historical evolution of context with special emphasis on the discussion between context-free and context-bound descriptions of interaction, and chooses the Dynamic Model of Meaning as the unifier of these diverging traditions through theoretical synergy. Our approach describes a further step in the understanding of context by incorporating a fourth element in context, i.e., Adaptive Context, that we deem essential to understand cognitive dynamism. In this article we describe the role of Adaptive Management and show how this fourth element of context is basic to describe cognition in communication and to create social rapport.

Diggin' Deeper into the Culture of Revenue Sports

Athletic identity measurement scales have been addressed in the sport psychology (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993) and to a lesser degree in higher education sport research areas (Gaston-Gayles, 2004; Harrison & Lawrence, 2004). The purpose of this research note is to build on the work of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) and Student Athlete Motivation Survey and Questionnaire (SAMSAQ) by examining theories of expectancy-value and self-affirmation with the development and refinement of the Baller Identity Measurement Scale (BIMS) (Rasmussen, 2009). Future research directions and implications with the BIMS are sketched via theoretical and practical synergy for scholars and practitioners that have interest in pre-college, college and professional athlete population.

From Theoretical Synergy to Clinical Supra-Additive Toxicity

From Theoretical Synergy to Clinical Supra-Additive Toxicity

Theoretical Synergy: Evolving Understanding of Organizational Diversity Dynamics

The author discusses the power of cumulative theory generation in which two or more grounded theories are joined utilizing the constant comparative method of analysis. He introduces an example of such theoretical synergy between his theory of weathering change and Gregory's and Thomas' work on diversity dynamics. Initial grounded theory analysis by Gregory and Raffanti indicates that combining relevant aspects of weathering and diversity management has the potential to generate powerful explanatory and operational theories.