Transformational Change Research Articles

Sustaining transformative change in public health in Africa to achieve health development goals.

Sustaining transformative change in public health in Africa to achieve health development goals.

“Let’s Lift You Up Rather Than Just Getting You Off the Ground”: A Transformative Qualitative Study of Community College Student Mental Health and Success

Background or Context: Mental health has become an increasingly significant priority for postsecondary education institutions, including community colleges that enroll a higher proportion of students of color, low-income students, older students, and those who work while attending college, all of whom may experience greater mental health challenges. Despite a growing body of work around this topic, much of the focus is on the issue’s prevalence and emergent initiatives. There is a pressing need for more holistic and asset-based empirical research that explores students’ knowledge and experiences in identifying the types of support necessary for their well-being and educational success. Purpose, Objective, Research Question, or Focus of Study: The study is aimed at elevating students’ strengths and knowledge in addressing social forces, barriers, and inequities toward enacting transformative change in supporting students’ educational journey and well-being. Engaging and collaborating with students from a Midwestern community college, we sought to capture their insights and experiences with various services and supports for mental health. Our research is guided by the following question: How do community college students’ knowledge and experiences illuminate ways to dismantle institutional barriers and build forward momentum for mental health and college success? Research Design: Grounded in a larger, transformative mixed methods project, our qualitative study drew on semistructured individual and focus group interviews with a total of 27 students from the research site. These interviews delved into student experiences, institutional structures and policies, and additional factors that intersect with mental health to identify what types of services and practices would best support students and their forward momentum. We use the model of momentum for community college student success to bring attention to mental health within holistic, intersecting contexts and domains underlying students’ educational journeys and success, along with the sociohistorical trauma-reducing framework to engage and collaborate with students’ experiences and agency toward healing and transformative change. These complementary frameworks allowed us to undertake our study with nuance and care, and in ways that center students’ knowledge and strengths throughout the research process. Conclusions or Recommendations: Our study reveals two major findings: First, the current college mental health resources, although helpful with minor challenges or crises, were largely surface level, limited in their potential to provide broad access and holistic support services for addressing the wide and deep range of students’ contexts and needs. Second, the larger institutional environment has not yet translated into educational spaces that are truly embracive of mental health in light of students’ backgrounds and beliefs that fuel hesitation. Institutions must continue the work they have started by recognizing and approaching mental health as an inseparable part of a whole that shapes students’ momentum and pathways within and beyond community college. In doing so, they can assess, address, and transform structures to ensure that students receive the critical empathy, care, and support needed to move forward and succeed.

Impact of Technical and Vocational Education and Training on ABCD Approach in Nepal

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) aims to equip individuals with skills that are in demand and likely to remain relevant in the long term, promoting economic sustainability. Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) seeks to build on local assets and capacities, creating solutions that are sustainable because they are rooted in the community itself. TEVT and ABCD both support holistic development connecting effective framework, paying particular attention to social cohesion, economic resilience, and community empowerment. The findings underscore the pivotal role of TVET courses in equipping individuals with employable skills and talents, enabling them to actively drive transformative changes within their communities. By fostering entrepreneurship, expanding livelihood opportunities, and strengthening social networks, TVET programs significantly contribute to inclusive development outcomes, spur economic growth, and facilitate poverty reduction. However, the integration of TVET into the ABCD framework faces substantial challenges, including limited funding, socioeconomic disparities, and legal restrictions, which hinder its effective implementation. Despite these obstacles, there remains significant potential for innovation, collaboration, and legislative enhancement to address these issues and optimize the benefits of TVET for community development. In essence, this article examines into the intricate ways in which Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is woven into Nepal's Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) paradigm. This includes integration of TVET within the ABCD paradigm holding the considerable promise for fostering community.

Insights into language management in the health sector: Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa

This article explores language management issues in South Africa’s multilingual context during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the critical role of language as both an enabler of and impediment to access to health care is important for health care systems and governments that are characterised by linguistically and culturally diverse populations as in South Africa. A significant concern during the pandemic was the inadequate use of indigenous African languages for disseminating crucial health care information. During this period, English was predominantly used for health care communication. For example, the president’s addresses to the nation and the Corona Virus Command Council announcements were done in English, thus disadvantaging most African language speakers who may not be fully proficient in English. This happened even though African languages are spoken by over 80% of the South African population. The article draws from the language management approach to argue that the sociolinguistic and cultural dynamics that affect language use in the health sector should be addressed through effective macro- and micro-level language management to achieve language management goals. In conclusion, although the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented, it presented an essential opportunity for transformative and adaptive changes, offering valuable insights into language management in the health sector.

Transformative Influence? The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Sustainabilities of Social Media Influencers

ABSTRACT Amid a global context of intensifying climate-and-ecological crisis, academics, NGOs, and governments alike have called on social media influencers to support sociocultural change for sustainability by promoting more sustainable ways of living. Yet, given that influencers depend on social network sites that profit from existing sociopolitical structures and systems of consumption, it is unclear whether their portrayals of sustainable lifestyles involve political efforts to change systems, actions that signal anti-consumerist values, or only incremental changes in the private actions of individuals. This research asked: what elements of sustainable lifestyles do influencers promote, and how do they portray the desirability of these lifestyles to their audiences? Through a qualitative study that draws on conceptions of transformative change for sustainability, pro-sustainability values, and subjective wellbeing, we found that some influencers are promoting private pro-sustainability actions in ways that signal both pleasure-based (hedonic) and principle-based (eudaimonic) values. However, features of social network sites such as online hate and shadowbanning pose barriers to influencers promoting civic and political practices that are integral to sustainable lifestyles. Addressing these barriers will be key to enabling influencers’ support of the widespread action necessary to advance transformative change for sustainability.

Key attributes of health and environmental risk decision-making: A scoping review.

Government agencies, international institutions, and independent experts have published approaches for the assessment and management of health and environmental risks. This includes evidence-based strategies and publications supporting risk decision-making frameworks reflecting contemporary practices, the overarching context, and governance structures for addressing known and emerging risk issues. This scoping review surveys the literature, over the last five decades, to identify key attributes of health and environmental risk decision-making and how these inherent characteristics are related to the overarching regulatory decision-making context. The findings provide insights on how these publications accounted for the circumstances and triggers at that time. This includes incorporating factors reflecting advances in science and technology, a better understanding of underlying values (e.g., societal), and an expansion in the scope and complexity required for conducting different evaluations relevant to health and environmental risks. Consequently, the evolution from linear to more expanded and holistic decision-making frameworks incorporates foundational elements, such as the well-established steps for assessing risks, while adding aspects reflecting transformative changes and paradigm shifts (e.g., the use of non-animal testing strategies for evaluating human safety). Our analysis also resulted in the generation of a consolidated listing of ten attributes: trigger/issue, regulatory context, regulatory factors, core values, risk decision-making principles, cross-cutting attributes, design (scope and steps), structure, decision-making pathway, and evidence-knowledge requirements for risk decision-making. A better understanding of this evolution in risk decision-making and the listing of key attributes will be used in future work aimed at developing considerations for next generation decision-making approaches for health and environmental risks.

How AI and Microsoft Enhance Efficiency in Nonprofit Organizations

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in transformative changes across sectors, including the nonprofit domain, where data-driven insights and operational efficiency are critical to achieving social impact. This paper explores the pivotal role of AI in revolutionizing nonprofit operations, with a particular focus on Microsoft's AI-driven solutions. Leveraging platforms like Azure, Microsoft 365, and Power BI, Microsoft has enabled nonprofits to enhance donor engagement, optimize resource allocation, and achieve greater transparency in impact measurement. Through a comparative analysis with competitors such as Salesforce and Google, the research highlights the unique contributions of Microsoft’s tools in addressing scalability challenges, ensuring inclusivity, and advancing equity in technology adoption. The findings reveal that Microsoft's AI ecosystem offers distinct advantages, including advanced real-time analytics, seamless integration with existing infrastructure, and emerging trends like generative AI for personalized donor outreach and dynamic decision-making. These innovations are not only scalable for global nonprofits but also adaptable to grassroots organizations facing infrastructural and equity barriers. The study underscores the importance of ethical AI deployment in the nonprofit sector, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and accessibility. Looking ahead, AI’s potential to reshape the nonprofit sector is boundless, particularly in areas like predictive analytics, automated operations, and localized problem-solving. As technology evolves, partnerships with tech giants like Microsoft will play a critical role in building resilient, data-informed nonprofits capable of addressing complex social challenges at scale.

Dysregulation of mRNA expression by hsa-miR-186 overexpression in arsenic-induced skin carcinogenesis.

Dysregulated miRNA expression contributes to development of arsenic-induced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). hsa-miR-186 (miR-186) is overexpressed in arsenical cSCC tissues as well as in preclinical cell line model of arsenical cSCC. Simultaneous miR-186 overexpression and chronic inorganic trivalent arsenite (iAs; 100nM) exposure transformed human HaCaT cell line preferentially over miR-186 overexpression or iAs exposure alone. Both iAs and miR-186 regulate the expression of wide range of mRNA targets. However, how their interaction impacts the transcriptome-wide mRNA expression landscape ushering in cancer is unknown. We performed longitudinal RNA-seq analysis in passage-matched HaCaT cell clones (±miR-186 overexpression) with simultaneous chronic iAs exposure (0/100nM) at 12 and 29weeks. We determined the impact of each factor and their interaction towards differential gene expression and pathway dysregulation employing two different statistical approaches (t-statistic and 2-factor ANOVA). We show that a core set of pathways are dysregulated deterministically irrespective of the statistical approach chosen, possibly representing necessary changes for transformation. The data suggest that each clonal line could take a unique route to dysregulate this core set of pathways necessary for transformation, highlighting the possible role of stochasticity in cancer development. Evidence is presented to sift the strengths and weaknesses of each statistical methodology in providing biological understanding of events that play crucial roles in carcinogenesis in large datasets with multiple contributing variables.

Musical Literacy in the Historical Development of the Chinese Pipa in Beijing

The pipa, a traditional plucked string instrument with over two millennia of history, embodies China’s cultural heritage and artistic values. This study investigates musical literacy in the historical development of the Chinese pipa in Beijing. As a political and cultural hub in Beijing, the pipa has undergone transformative changes in its pedagogy, performance practices, and cultural significance. Employing a qualitative research design, the study investigates how musical literacy has adapted to societal, political, and technological shifts. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with four expert informants, participant observations of performances and educational practices, and archival analysis of historical documents and music scores. Findings reveal that the pipa’s literacy has expanded from oral traditions to formalized education, cross-cultural collaborations, and technological innovations. Key phases, including the post-1949 reconstruction era, the Reform and Opening-Up period, and the contemporary globalized era, highlight the interplay between tradition and modernity. The research underscores the pipa’s role as a cultural symbol, adapting to changing contexts while preserving its heritage. Suggestions for future research include comparative studies with other instruments, youth engagement strategies, and the use of emerging technologies in pipa education. This study contributes to ethnomusicology and music education by demonstrating the enduring relevance of musical literacy in cultural preservation and innovation.

Transformative change from below? Linking biodiversity governance with the diversity of bottom-up action

Transformative change from below? Linking biodiversity governance with the diversity of bottom-up action

The childhood cancer data initiative: enabling data sharing to drive research advances and transform pediatric cancer diagnosis and treatment.

With growing emphasis on data-driven research in pediatric oncology, particularly in the context of advances in molecular characterization and precision medicine, there is an urgent need for comprehensive data-sharing initiatives. This review explores how the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) addresses this critical need. CCDI plays a key role in enhancing pediatric cancer research by improving data integration, sharing, and collaboration. Its Molecular Characterization Initiative advances the field by leveraging detailed molecular data to inform clinical trials and therapeutic strategies. For small patient populations, such as those with rhabdomyosarcoma, CCDI's efforts in integrating data across institutions are vital for advancing risk-based treatment strategies to achieve meaningful clinical outcomes. CCDI's advancements in data sharing have profound implications for both clinical practice and research. By enabling precise diagnoses, tailoring treatments based on individual genetic profiles, and addressing the challenges associated with small patient populations, CCDI is driving transformative changes in pediatric oncology. Continued support and expansion of such initiatives are crucial to fully realizing their potential in improving outcomes for children with cancer.

State and culture in sustainability transformations: structural power, democracy, and the promise of a Marcusian cultural politics of critical meaning-making

The concept of sustainability transformation highlights the need not merely for new environmental policies but for transformational change of societal systems in response to the ecological crisis, including a profound shift in values, ideas, and cultural meanings. Yet, according to historical-institutionalist state theory, the imperatives of the liberal-capitalist democratic welfare state give rise to a “glass ceiling” of transformation that limits prospects for such systemic change beyond quality-of-life improvements that remain consistent with liberal capitalism. Exploring the potential of cultural meaning-making to break this glass ceiling, I draw on various strands of critical theory to identify the operation of ideological power at the level of both the state and the cultural realm as what creates the glass ceiling of transformation. This makes the cultural realm at once a possible emancipatory force and a site of domination of its own. I suggest that the critical thought of Herbert Marcuse offers an account of a critical-democratic culture that promises to arise precisely out of this ambiguity and that must be understood as a crucial foundation for sustainability transformation.

How Artificial Intelligence Can be Managed Cultural Industry

Artificial Intelligence (AI), a multifaceted and dynamic phenomenon, has significantly impacted various aspects of human life, particularly in the realm of business and technology. In the context of the cultural industry and International Human Resource Management (IHRM), AI has ushered in transformative changes that have redefined how organizations manage their creative and human capital across borders (Caldas, M. P., Tonelli, M. J., & Lacombe, B. M. B., 2011). This assessment delves into the intricate relationship between AI, the cultural industry, and IHRM, examining the challenges and opportunities that arise from this interplay. Also, the advent of AI has facilitated the seamless integration of advanced technologies into the cultural industry, creating a highly interconnected and innovative landscape. Consequently, organizations within this industry are compelled to adopt cut-ting-edge AI-driven practices to effectively manage a diverse range of cultural products and services (Arslan, A., Cooper, C., Khan, Z., Golgeci, I., & Ali, I., 2022). Artificial intelligence and human workers interaction at team level: a conceptual assessment of the challenges and potential HRM strategies. This analysis aims to critically evaluate the impact of AI on key cultural industry and IHRM functions, including recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, and employee relations (Chew, J., 2004). By exploring the complexities and nuances of AI's influence on the cultural industry and IHRM, this assessment seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI trends shape industry and HR strategies and practices (Gordhan, P., 2007). Further-more, it will highlight the critical competencies required for HR professionals to navigate the challenges posed by AI, ultimately contributing to the success of cultural organizations in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Finally, a particular focus will be placed on Greece as a case study to illustrate the broader impacts of AI on the cultural industry and IHRM (Stavroulakis, D., 2009). Greece, with its strategic geographical location and rich cultural heritage, presents a unique context for examining how global AI trends influence local cultural and HR practices.

New Perspective of the Persistent Gender and Diversity Gap in Nobel Prizes.

Despite significant strides in gender equity, the Nobel Prizes in STEM fields continue to exhibit glaring disparities in the recognition of women's contributions to science. Thirty years ago, only 3% of Nobel laureates in science were women; today, that number has increased marginally to 4%, raising the critical question: Why "still" so few? This opinion piece examines systemic inequities and structural barriers that hinder the equitable acknowledgment of women's and underrepresented groups' contributions to science. Data reveal that while women now comprise a significant proportion of degree recipients and workforce entrants in fields such as biomedical research and chemistry, their representation among Nobel laureates remains disproportionately low. Furthermore, racial inequities exacerbate the lack of diversity, with no Black individuals receiving a Nobel Prize in STEM fields to date. The article advocates for transformative changes in academic and research ecosystems to dismantle the power structures and biases that sustain these inequities. It calls for intentional strategies to support, empower, and recognize women and underrepresented scientists, emphasizing the need for inclusive metrics of success. Drawing on personal experiences and the inspirational achievements of past women laureates, the author underscores the urgency of creating equitable pathways to scientific recognition. The piece concludes with a hopeful vision of a future where diversity and inclusion in Nobel recognitions reflect the rich talent and innovation present across all demographics in STEM.

Drivers and Enablers of Digital Readiness in the Fashion Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

The fashion industry is undertaking transformative changes driven by various digital technologies. However, these changes present challenges, ranging from employee resistance to slow organizational response to digital change, leading to a high rate of failure in digital transformations. Guided by the change readiness theory and Porter's Diamond Model, this study aims to conceptualize fashion digital readiness and systematically understand digital readiness in fashion business organizations, endeavoring to uncover the crucial drivers and enablers from a practical business perspective. Through a systematic review method, 64 peer-reviewed articles from Google Scholar reveals 5 clusters on the current state of literature, identifies 6 main drivers and 21 main enablers, and proposes the Fashion Digital Readiness—Drivers and Enablers (FDR-D, E) framework. The study expands on the advancements in change readiness theory into fashion digital readiness, provides insights into the propositions, theoretical and practical implications, and highlights further research avenues.

Blockchain adoption factors

Blockchain technology is a distributed ledger that promises transformative changes across various sectors, yet its adoption and integrations in small and medium-sized organizations remain limited. This study investigates the factors that influence the adoption of blockchain technology, emphasizing the significance of Trust and Security as key moderators. Using a questionnaire distributed to a diverse group of employees and analyzing responses through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS), we constructed a predictive model of blockchain adoption. Our analysis reveals that Performance Expectancy and Social Influence positively affect the intention to adopt blockchain, indicating that perceived effectiveness and peer support drive adoption. Trust significantly enhances this intention, underscoring the importance of confidence in the technology's reliability and security. Environmental Concerns present a barrier, suggesting sustainability perceptions can deter adoption. This study conclusively demonstrates that promoting trust, addressing environmental sustainability, and leveraging social influence are pivotal for accelerating blockchain adoption in small and medium-sized organizations.

Intertwined narratives of urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans: a feminist analysis

ABSTRACT This article offers a feminist perspective on urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans from the late 19th century to the present. It examines how these intertwined processes have shaped urban landscapes through a continuous negotiation between local traditions and outside influences. Despite their contributions, local women have often been marginalized within these narratives. The analysis combines a historical exploration of urban modernization and Europeanization with a critique of their gendered implications in post-socialist cities. It argues that while modernization has brought transformative changes, it has also reinforced gendered inequities, often to the detriment of women. This study highlights the need for more inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches to urban development in the Balkans.

Biosimilars: A Critical Review of Development, Regulatory Landscape, and Clinical Implications.

The biopharmaceutical industry has witnessed significant growth in the development and approval of biosimilars. These biosimilars aim to provide cost-effective alternatives to expensive originator biosimilars, alleviating financial pressures within healthcare. The manufacturing of biosimilars is a highly complex process that involves several stages, each of which must meet strict regulatory standards to ensure that the final product is highly similar to the reference biologic. To gain regulatory approval, biosimilars must undergo rigorous analytical characterization including in vitro assays, bioanalytical evaluations, and clinical similarity studies like pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD) assessments-to demonstrate safety, efficacy, quality comparability with reference products. Leading regulatory agencies such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) have established stringent guidelines for biosimilar evaluation and post-marketing surveillance. Despite this regulatory clarity, challenges around interchangeability, market exclusivity, and patent protection often delay market access and limit adoption, particularly in regions where automatic substitution is restricted. Case studies of biosimilars such as rituximab, adalimumab, filgrastim, and trastuzab reveal both advancements and ongoing hurdles in achieving broader market integration. The introduction of biosimilars has shown potential to reduce healthcare costs; for example, a recent analysis indicates a 20-30% cost reduction in the U.S. due to biosimilar adoption. As the biosimilar market expands, collaborative efforts among regulatory bodies, industry stakeholders, and healthcare providers are essential to enhance access to biologic therapies. This collaboration is poised to improve patient outcomes and catalyse transformative change in global healthcare systems.

Paulo Freire in ECE: Towards a critical understanding and alternative narratives

This article explores critical understanding and alternative narratives within early childhood education (ECE) by drawing on Paulo Freire's ideas. Building on existing literature on how Freire's work has been interpreted in ECE, we continue the critical discussion on the possibilities and contextualization of Freire's ideas, particularly in the early childhood profession and workforce. We offer a reinterpretation of the pedagogy of hope and its crucial role in supporting a just and sustainable ECE workforce, emphasizing the potential for transformative changes in the field. Through a multi-year, cross-cultural ethnographic study in the US and China, we analyze teachers’ internal voices, counter-narratives, and intersectional dynamics through a Freirean lens, focusing on the well-being of early childhood professionals in culturally diverse communities.

The History and Advancement of Light, Lasers, and Energy-Based Devices in Dermatologic Surgery.

From the theoretical foundations of laser and energy-based applications for the skin to the development of advanced medical devices, the field of dermatologic surgery has undergone transformative changes. To review the scientific and clinical advancement of laser and energy-based therapies within dermatologic surgery. A literature search was conducted to identify important scientific advancements and landmark studies on light, laser, and energy-based devices within the field of dermatologic surgery. Since the introduction of selective photothermolysis principles in the 1980s, numerous laser and energy-based devices have been developed to effectively treat vascular lesions, target pigmentation, remove tattoos, rejuvenate the skin, and remove hair. Beyond aesthetic applications, photodynamic therapy was introduced to treat various neoplastic and inflammatory conditions. Lasers have also been employed to enhance transcutaneous drug delivery, and new lasers continue to emerge for treating common inflammatory conditions, such as acne. These innovations have contributed to a paradigm shift toward safe and effective, but less invasive, procedure-based treatment in addressing medical and aesthetic concerns in dermatology. Dermatologists have consistently led the way in the continuous development and innovative application of laser and energy-based devices to effectively address a variety of skin conditions.