Theory Of Transitions Research Articles

Framing and the Social Construction of Violence in Select Online News Discourse on the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria

Violence undermines the democratic character of elections, and the news discourse is a significant route through which such issue is socially constructed. This study investigates how the Vanguard and Arise News employed transitivity theory as an interpretive schema in framing the violence that marked the 2023 general elections in Nigeria to determine the impact of election violence on voters. Fourteen extracts (7 each from Vanguard and Arise News) as well as responses from 20 participants (5 each from the fields of Journalism, education, accounting and public relations) were purposively selected and analysed using mixed methods comprising descriptive content analysis and in-depth interviews. The findings unveil both news reports’ usage of material, verbal, and relational processes as frames to foreground shades of electoral violence such as the snatching of ballot boxes, disrupting of the voting process, intimidating of voters, disrupting of the collation of results, kidnapping of INEC officials, decimating of innocent citizens, vandalizing of polling units, assaulting of election observers, and carting away of electoral materials. Transitivity processes highlight power relations between groups as well as label certain groups positively and others negatively. The responses from the in-depth interview reveal that electoral violence have a detrimental influence on voters because it produces feelings of dissatisfaction, dread, and dejection in them thereby preventing them from wanting to vote in subsequent elections.

Rhetorical Construct of the Self: An Exploration of Writings of Teacher Education Students with Delayed College Enrollment

Understanding people’s thinking and actions through exploring their word choice in written discourse can provide an objective analysis of their behavioural patterns in responding to life adversities. This study utilising quantitative and qualitative approaches is an attempt to investigate the coping mechanisms as response to the challenges of pursuing a bachelor’s degree of teacher education students who had postponed their college enrollment after graduating from high school. This investigation revolved around analysing students’ written essays for personality type profiling using M. A. K. Halliday’s Transitivity Theory and exploiting their aspired professional identity employing Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The analysis of students’ written essays dealing with life challenges revealed their dominant actor, carrier and senser-personality types that reinforced their self consciousness enabling them to be reflective and strategic in addressing life challenges. Moreover, the conceptual metaphor “Teachers are Heroes”, as disclosed by the metaphorical constructs of their aspired professional identity, helped them develop motivation, as they realised the significant role which professional teachers play in the society. This self-identification derived from their projected personality types and the motivation they gained from realising their aspired professional identity served as a coping mechanism by stimulating their confidence in dealing with the challenges associated with continuing their college education. To enhance self-awareness and promote self-reflection among teacher education students, this study advocates the integration of the theories of transitivity and metaphor into teacher education curricula for professional identity development.

Investigation into the DNA's conformations and their conversions from the phase transition theory

The functions and transformation mechanisms of nucleic acids in their various states are of great importance in physiology and pathology. Based on the Landau model, this study reveals the mechanism of the existence of chirality and the transformation rules between different chiral conformations by studying the Duffing oscillation response of the local gauge potential on the DNA chain. The research results show that normal chiral DNA and DNA configuration transition behaviors exhibit regular nonlinear periodic oscillations. Moreover, the gauge potential value approaches zero at the B-Z junction site, which may add a criterion for detecting Z-forming sites. In addition, external force and damping play a key role in the chiral gauge potential of nucleic acids, and they can influence, regulate and even control the configuration transition of nucleic acids. Finally, we verified the rationality of our theory by combining x-ray crystal diffraction data of multiple configurations of DNA. This study provides new insights into the behavior and function of chiral DNA in organisms, and provides new possibilities for regulating DNA conformational transition in the future.

Technology-based parent school: A randomized controlled trial.

This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the technology-based parent school program. The study was conducted in the well-child care outpatient clinic of a hospital in Turkey. Data were collected between October 31, 2022 and February 17, 2023. The parent school was prepared based on Meleis' transition theory. Forty-eight parents participated in the study. Parents in the intervention group participated in a 10-week parent school program (five website modules, five online interactive group trainings, and counseling). Data were collected before the program, after the program, and 1month after the program. There were increases in the mean scores of the "Parent Skill Assessment Form" and "Skills Assessment Form for the Toddler Development" items in the intervention group compared to the control group. The difference between the groups in the mean scores of the Self-Efficacy for Parenting Task Index Toddler Scale (1-3years) was not statistically significant. However, the difference between the times was statistically significant. It was concluded that the technology-based parent school training program could guide parents with children aged 1-3years on child-rearing. It was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov in May 2022 (NCT05370989).

Is the glassy dynamics same in 2D as in 3D? The Adam Gibbs relation test.

It has been recognized of late that even amorphous, glass-forming materials in two dimensions (2D) are affected by Mermin-Wagner-type long wavelength thermal fluctuation, which is inconsequential in three dimensions (3D). We consider the question of whether the effect of spatial dimension on dynamics is only limited to such fluctuations or if the nature of glassy dynamics is intrinsically different in 2D. To address it, we study the relationship between dynamics and thermodynamics using the Adam-Gibbs (AG) relation and the random first order transition (RFOT) theory. Using two model glass-forming liquids, we find that even after removing the effect of long wavelength fluctuations, the AG relation breaks down in two dimensions. Next, we consider the effect of anharmonicity of vibrational entropy-a second factor that affects the thermodynamics but not dynamics. Using the potential energy landscape formalism, we explicitly compute the configurational entropy, both with and without the anharmonic correction. We show that even with both the corrections, the AG relation still breaks down in 2D. The extent of deviation from the AG relation crucially depends on the attractive vs repulsive nature of interparticle interactions, choice of representative timescale (diffusion coefficient vs α-relaxation time), and implies that the RFOT scaling exponents also depend on these factors. Thus, our results suggest that some differences in the nature of glassy dynamics between 2D and 3D remain that are not explained by long wavelength fluctuations.

COVID-19 memories young adults may share: exploring event properties and motivations for transmission

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has left an enduring mark on human history. This study investigates the intergenerational transmission of COVID-19 memories through a unique approach involving 49 participants aged 18-30. Specifically, participants were prompted to share a COVID-19 memory they would choose to transmit to their future children. Furthermore, participants provided reasons for selecting that particular memory, utilising a memory functions scale and open-ended responses. Applying Transition Theory, we examined the transitional impact, event importance, previous rehearsal, and valence of reported memories. Results revealed that 88% of memories revolve around distinctive events inducing psychological and material changes. Perceived as significant, negative, and transitional, these memories are predominantly public in nature. Predictors of event importance include previous rehearsal and psychological change. Participants share memories primarily for directive purposes, intending to inform future generations. The results imply that transitions not only organise personal memories but may also direct and shape memories for public events.

"I Finally Feel Like I Have Help. Before, I Was Completely Alone": A Grounded Theory of Community-Based Hospice Transitions.

Little is known about community-based transitions to home hospice care. We used a Straussian grounded theory approach to understand the basic social process of care transitions that patients and their caregivers use when electing hospice care. Participants were recruited from hospice agencies serving 3 counties in New York State. Data were collected through 7 interviews of patients, patient-and-caregiver dyads, and a hospice nurse (n = 10). Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Our results generated an emerging grounded theory of the hospice care transition processes rooted in maintaining personhood and autonomy. There were 5 contemporaneous steps: (1) recognizing futility and pursuing comfort; (2) seeking help and input as health declines; (3) shopping for the right services, overcoming obstacles, and self-referring to hospice care; (4) attending to the business of dying while living; and (5) processing and expressing emotions. Although not central to the care transition process, an additional step was identified that occurred after the transition to hospice care: planning for an uncertain future. The hospice care transition process identified in the study reveals important mechanistic targets for the development of interventions that promote patient-centered hospice care transitions in the home setting.

First transition dynamics of reaction–diffusion equations with higher order nonlinearity

AbstractIn this study, the dynamics of a reaction–diffusion equation on a bounded interval at the first dynamic transition point is investigated. The main difference of this study from the existing ones in the dynamic transition literature is that in this work, no specific form of the nonlinear operator is assumed except that it is an analytic function of and . The linear operator is also assumed to be a general operator with sinusoidal eigenvectors. Moreover, we assume that there is a first transition as a real simple eigenvalue changes sign. With this general framework, we make a rigorous analysis of the dependence of the first transition dynamics on the coefficients of the Taylor expansion of the nonlinear operator. The main tool we use in this study is the center manifold reduction combined with the classification of the dynamic transition theory. This study is a generalization of a recent work where the nonlinear operator contains only low‐order (quadratic and cubic) nonlinearities. The current generalization requires certain technical difficulties such as the validity of the genericity conditions on the Taylor coefficients of the nonlinear operator and a bootstrapping argument using these genericity conditions. The results of this work can be generalized in various directions, which are discussed in the conclusions section.

Household Energy Clean Transition Mechanisms under Market Failures: A Government Financing Perspective

Abstract: Clarifying the principles governing the transition to cleaner household energy is crucial for enhancing households’ access to clean and efficient energy, thereby enhancing households’ welfare and overall societal well-being. However, most existing energy transition theories are grounded in assumptions of perfect market functionality. This paradigm deviates from the reality of market failure and needs to comprehensively elucidate the process of transitioning to cleaner household energy. This study develops a framework for understanding the transition to cleaner household energy within the context of market failure. It investigates the effects and mechanisms of government funding and energy endowment on this transition, considering the accessibility and affordability of clean energy. The analysis is based on 20 years of data on rural energy consumption across 29 provinces in China. The findings reveal that government funding inputs significantly enhance the transition to cleaner household energy, facilitated by the clean energy supply effect, clean technology promotion effect, clean knowledge dissemination effect, and financial constraint alleviation effect. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that in regions abundant in renewable energy, government funding inputs can effectively stimulate the development and utilization of renewable energy sources, thereby enhancing the accessibility of clean energy and driving the transition to cleaner household energy. Finally, it is recommended that the market play a constructive role in the energy transition process in addition to increased government investment in energy infrastructure, extension services, and public education.

Transitions from primary to secondary school in Greater Manchester: A qualitative exploration of the perspectives of Year 6 children who receive pupil premium funding

AbstractPrimary–secondary school transitions are widely recognised as pivotal developmental periods, which can have positive and negative longitudinal implications on the education, wellbeing and mental health of children. Yet few studies have sought the voice of children through interviews, and especially children in receipt of pupil premium funding (PPF) (a government grant given to schools in England to support disadvantaged pupils from low socio‐economic status [SES] backgrounds). This is concerning, given that children who receive PPF are at greater risk of poorer academic, social and emotional outcomes and exclusion during this time. Our study aims to explore the perspectives of such children to better understand their lived experience of primary–secondary school transitions. The sample consisted of nine Year 6 (last year of primary school in England) children who received PPF, recruited from two schools in Greater Manchester. The children participated in semi‐structured Zoom interviews. Transcribed audio‐recordings were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The children discussed a mixture of contrasting feelings towards the emotional, social, academic and practical aspects of primary–secondary school transitions. In addition, children highlighted the supportive value of having older siblings, cousins and friends already at secondary school and discussed the range of support that had been offered by their schools and how this could be improved. The study makes a unique empirical contribution to understanding the lived experiences of children in receipt of PPF leading up to primary–secondary school transitions. In doing so, we make a unique theoretical contribution to multiple and multi‐dimensional transitions theory in exploring the impact of wider social factors, such as SES, on primary–secondary school transitions experiences. This understanding has important implications for educational policy and practice, in addition to further research, especially given the methodological, theoretical and conceptual considerations discussed.

Stripped of their professional status: overseas educated nurses working as unregistered practitioners in their host country

Background: Many of the overseas qualified nurses educated work as health care assistants and support workers for a decreased wage without scope for professional advancement. There is an imperative to ease their entry to the nursing register. Aim: To gather and provide evidence to the regulatory bodies regarding the demographics of this cohort of nurses and the challenges they face in attempting to register as a nurse. Design: This study used a mixed-method explanatory sequential design. The survey was completed by 857 unregistered nurses followed by five in-depth interviews. Results from both phases were triangulated. Results: The results signpost to the characteristics and challenges of these nurses working as unqualified grades of staff for a decreased wage without scope for professional advance. Discussion and conclusion: The downward occupational spiral of internationally educated nurses underscores the paradoxical nature of the pedagogical application of transition theory, as these nurses are compelled to revert to a novice status.

Optical pulse-induced ultrafast antiferrodistortive transition in SrTiO3

The ultrafast dynamics of the antiferrodistortive phase transition in perovskite SrTiO3 is monitored via time-domain Brillouin scattering. Using femtosecond optical pulses, we initiate a thermally driven tetragonal-to-cubic structural transformation and detect the crystal phase through changes in the frequency of Brillouin oscillations (BO) induced by propagating acoustic phonons. Coupling the measured BO frequency with a spatiotemporal heat diffusion model, we demonstrate that, for a sample kept in the tetragonal phase, deposition of sufficient thermal energy induces a rapid transformation of the heat-affected region to the cubic phase. The initial phase change is followed by a slower reverse cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation occurring on a timescale of hundreds of picoseconds. We attribute this ultrafast phase transformation in the perovskite to a structural resemblance between atomic displacements of the R-point soft optic mode of the cubic phase and the tetragonal phase, both characterized by anti-phase rotation of oxygen octahedra. The structural relaxation time exhibits a strong temperature dependence consistent with the prediction of the equation of motion describing collective oxygen octahedra rotation based on the energy landscape of the phenomenological Landau theory of phase transitions. Evidence of such a fast structural transition in perovskites can open up new avenues in information processing and energy storage sectors.

Compassionate Care for Parents Experiencing Miscarriage in the Emergency Department: A Situation-Specific Theory.

In many countries, parents experiencing miscarriage seek treatment in the emergency department (ED). Parents frequently report dissatisfaction with ED care, while nurses report not knowing how to provide optimal care. This article describes the development of a situation-specific theory, Compassionate care for parents experiencing miscarriage in the ED , based on 4 concepts (change trigger, transition properties, conditions of change, and interventions). This theory evolved from a comprehensive review of the literature, 2 empirical studies, Transitions Theory, and collaborative efforts of an experienced team. The detailed theory development process facilitates its integration in practice and supports new theory development.

The lived experience of midwives’ transitioning from a clinical role into teaching in higher education in one jurisdiction of Australia: A pilot study

AimThe aim of this pilot study was to explore clinician’s experience of transitioning from midwifery clinical practice into university in an academic teaching role within one jurisdiction in Australia. BackgroundThere is a dire shortage of midwifery academics globally. In Australia the shortage is symbiotic with the persistent deficit in the midwifery clinical workforce, which is the predominant recruitment pool for universities. The midwifery workforce cannot be replenished without sufficient academics to provide education. DesignPhenomenology was selected as the most appropriate research approach for the study seeking to illuminate the lived experiences of clinicians as they transition into their new role as academics. MethodsSeven participants were recruited purposively from one jurisdiction in Australia between November 2022 and March 2023. Qualitative conversational interviews were performed facilitating each participant to share their narrative. Participants were then able to direct the conversation to share their lived experience of the transition from a midwifery clinician in practice to a midwifery academic in a university. Demographic details were collected for context. ResultsThematic analysis was used following Giorgi’s four stage phenomenological process. Four themes were identified from commonalities between the participants, ‘Being a drifter”, ‘Keeping a foot in both camps to maintain clinical credibility’, ‘In at the deep end: Not prepared for the reality of academia’ and ‘Best of both worlds’. ConclusionsThe lived experiences of the participants in this study, as they transitioned from clinical midwifery practice to academia can be related to the Theory of Transition where participants navigate: Preparation, Encounter, Adjustment and Stabilisation. A new role in higher education requires adjustment to the reality of working in academia. Midwives who had experiences of being a casual staff member felt they had the best of both worlds, as they gained an insight into the role of an academic whilst remaining in clinical practice. However, many reported that mentorship would have been beneficial to facilitate stabilisation.

Keldysh Field Theory of Dynamical Exciton Condensation Transitions in Nonequilibrium Electron-Hole Bilayers.

Recent experiments have realized steady-state electrical injection of interlayer excitons in electron-hole bilayers subject to a large bias voltage. In the ideal case in which interlayer tunneling is negligibly weak, the system is in quasiequilibrium with a reduced effective band gap. Interlayer tunneling introduces a current and drives the system out of equilibrium. In this work we derive a nonequilibrium field theory description of interlayer excitons in biased electron-hole bilayers. In the large bias limit, we find that p-wave interlayer tunneling reduces the effective band gap and increases the effective temperature for intervalley excitons. We discuss possible experimental implications for InAs/GaSb quantum wells and transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers.

Sustainability transition theories: Perpetuating or breaking with the status quo

Sustainability transition theories: Perpetuating or breaking with the status quo

Analysis of the Role of BPK RI in Promoting Organizational Capacity Development of ASEANSAI in the Period 2018-2023

The development of international audit organizations is crucial for enhancing accountability, transparency, and integration of public sector financial management globally. In Southeast Asia, the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) is significant for fostering regional cooperation in financial auditing. The Supreme Audit Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK RI) plays a pivotal role as the ASEANSAI Secretariat, supporting and developing the organization's performance. As ASEANSAI matures, organizational capacity development becomes a key challenge. This study aims to analyze BPK RI's role in enhancing ASEANSAI's organizational capacity during the 2018-2023 period, utilizing Dillen et al.'s (2019) theory of transition from managerial roles to strategic experts and Walters' (2019) theory of organizational capacity development. Employing a qualitative methodology and conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 individuals from both internal and external ASEANSAI, the study identified several suboptimal aspects in the Secretariat's role and ASEANSAI's capacity development, including human resource management, financial management, and organizational performance stability. The findings suggest that these issues stem from inadequate strategic human resource development, limited financial resources, and external environmental changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and regional socio-humanitarian issues.

Governance solutions for soft plastics in Australia: lessons from the discontinuation of REDcycle

ABSTRACT Soft plastics pose significant environmental and waste management challenges in Australia and globally. As a pioneering programme that aimed to enhance soft plastic collection and recycling in Australia, the REDcycle initiative was discontinued due to the lack of adequate end markets. By integrating actor-network and sustainability transitions theories, this article analyses existing soft plastic governance arrangements and examines lessons from the discontinuation of REDcycle. Suggested solutions for enhancing soft plastic governance include policy and regulatory reforms, local market enhancement and stakeholder collaboration strategies. The article contributes significantly to the ongoing scholarly and policy discourse on the circular plastics economy.

Development of a Situation-Specific Theory for the Transition of Survivors of Stroke With Dysphagia.

The process by which stroke survivors move toward health while facing various difficulties can be construed as a "transition." Importantly, nurses need to understand and support this state of transition effectively. This study developed a situation-specific theory to explain post-stroke transition by integrating the findings of a qualitative study that explored the rehabilitation experiences of stroke survivors with dysphagia with a scoping review of qualitative studies using the theoretical framework of transition theory. This theory will help understand the transitions that stroke survivors with dysphagia undergo during recovery and provide a framework for exploring nursing care to support healthy transitions.

Leadership theories and styles—A systematic literature review and the narrative synthesis

This paper explores diverse conceptualizations of leadership, emphasizing its profound impact on individuals and organizations. Leadership’s influence on followers’ daily lives, necessitating adaptation to modern complexities. Various theories offer distinct perspectives: distributed leadership emphasizes shared expertise. While charismatic leadership focuses on vision alignment. Authentic leadership promotes ethical climates, while Emotional Intelligence theory emphasizes emotional competencies. Ethical leadership underscores moral conduct. Five Domains Leadership highlights talent management and strategy execution, while Leadership Transition Theory discusses dynamic changes. Other theories include direct/indirect leadership, entrepreneurial leadership, and leader-member exchange. Participative leadership explores decision-making styles, and situational leadership aligns styles with follower maturity. Trait and behavioral theories focus on inherent traits and learned behaviours. This review underscores leadership’s complexity, offering insights into its diverse conceptualizations and practical implications across contexts.