Unilateral Efforts Research Articles

Relationship between the College Student and the Campus Club: An Evolutionary Game Theory Analysis.

In this paper, we use an evolutionary game theory approach to build a relationship model of students and clubs for the purpose of improving student enthusiasm for participating in club activities. First, the process of the model building is introduced, which mainly includes the basic assumptions and the equilibrium point stability analysis. Based on this analysis, we find that the motivation adjustment of students and clubs is a dynamic process and that unilateral efforts alone cannot achieve an ideal result. Then, we use real data from Yanshan University to evaluate the model, the results of which indicate that the model can analyze the relationship between students and clubs effectively. Finally, we provide relevant suggestions based on the model established in this study, whereby we contribute a theoretical basis and practical guidance for how students can actively participate in clubs, as well as how clubs can better develop themselves.

Mimicking Antioxidases and Hyaluronan Synthase: A Zwitterionic Nanozyme for Photothermal Therapy of Osteoarthritis.

Restoring joint homeostasis is crucial for relieving osteoarthritis (OA). Current strategies are limited to unilateral efforts in joint lubrication, inhibition of inflammation, free radicals scavenging, and cartilage regeneration. Herein, by modifying molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) with Mg2+ -doped polydopamine and coating with polysulfobetaines, a dual-bionic photothermal nanozyme (MPMP) is constructed to mimic antioxidases/hyaluronan synthase for OA therapy. Photothermally enhanced lubrication lowers the coefficient of friction (0.028) in the early stage of OA treatment. The antioxidases-mimicking properties of MPMP nanozyme contribute to eliminating reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) (over 90% of scavenging ratio for H2 O2 /·OH/O· 2 - /DPPH/ABTS+ ) and supplying O2 . With NIR irradiation, the MPMP nanozyme triggers thermogenesis (upregulating HSP70 expression) and Mg2+ release, which promotes the chondrogenesis in inflammatory conditions by deactivating NF-κB/IL-17 signaling pathways and enhancing MAPK signaling pathway. Benefiting from HSP70 and Mg2+ , MPMP-NIR shows HAS-mimicking activity to increase the intracellular (twofold) and extracellular (3.12-fold) HA production. Therefore, MPMP-NIR demonstrates superior spatiotemporally therapeutic effect on OA in mice model, in terms of osteophytes (83.41% of reduction), OARSI scores (88.57% of reduction), and ACAN expression (2.70-fold of increment). Hence, insights into dual-bionic nanozymes can be a promising strategy for OA therapy or other inflammation-related diseases.

The politics around safe zones: a comparative perspective on return to Northern Syria

Safe zones, initially established as practical tools for refugee protection, have evolved into diplomatic instruments. Through the case of Northern Syria in a historical-comparative perspective, this article explains the link between border politics and host state-induced return to the safe zones; and questions the viability of return within this politicised environment. Considering the earlier experiences of six cases in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Afghanistan, it shows how safe zones and refugee return have become venues for power struggles, not only between the origin and host states but also amongst regional and global powers; established with respect to their economic, political and strategic interests. The Northern Syrian case is distinguished by Turkey’s pressure for returns during the conflict, which makes conditions for return dependent on Turkish military presence. Without international support or a UNSC decision, Turkey’s self-proclaimed safe zone lacks international legitimacy, and refugee returns remain dependent on unilateral efforts by the Turkish government. Lack of security, rule of law, access to basic services, reconstruction, and overall prospects undermine the feasibility of safe, voluntary and sustainable returns. And as all actors involved place their military objectives above civilian governance, conditions for security in the safe zone remain precarious.

Can third-party market cooperation solve the dilemma of emissions reduction? A case study of energy investment project conflict analysis in the context of carbon neutrality

The conflict mechanism of transnational energy investment projects is complex. The current study uses the enhanced graphic model for conflict resolution to build a four-pole game model to discuss the conflict resolution mechanism of energy investment projects. The results depicted that the host country's dilemma of carbon emission reduction and power supply cannot be solved only by unilateral efforts. All parties adopt the game's best strategy (cooperation, cooperation, promotion, support). The project's main investor provides energy that meets the environmental protection requirements. Technology investor provides new technologies for energy conservation and emission reduction. Enterprises of the host country improve various basic measures for carbon emission reduction. Environmental protection organizations and the public support the project and participate in carbon emission supervision. The implementation of energy emission reduction requires the effective participation of social groups, and the participation and supervision of environmental protection organizations and the public are conducive to promoting various stakeholders to achieve a balanced strategy for energy emission reduction. The results provide valuable policy implications for investment decision-makers and an important reference value for third-party market cooperation to solve the dilemma of energy emission reduction.

Pakistan-China Relations and Central Asian Republics

Pakistan-China relationship has survived the test of time and denotes the phrase of respect,advantages to both sides, and natural alignment. Both nations provided support for each other at regional and international levels, which not only worked to secure their own interests but is also attracting other regional actors to explore advantages for themselves out of the time-tested friendship of Pakistan-China.Central Asian Republics are also attracted to Pakistan-China as to benefit in multidimensional aspects. The Central Asian Republics desire for access to their energy resources to consumers, while Pakistan and China's objectives in Central Asia have been driven by their diplomatic, security obligations, economic advantages,and their aspiration to become an energy transit corridor in the region. Pakistan-China relations and their targets increase the interdependence environment between all these actors, which also provides an impetus where Pakistan-China rising influence in Central Asian Republics is anticipated. The significance of this article is that it analyzes the two prongs of Pakistan-China's growing influence in Central Asian Republics;the first is based on unilateral efforts of the two countries to explore more areas of cooperation with Central Asian Republics and the second is based in Pakistan-China bilateral relations impact on Central Asian Republics.

SRPSKA DIJASPORA IZMEĐU RASEJANJA I JEDINSTVA

Cooperation between the Serbian diaspora and the Republic of Serbia is not expressed in full potential, because it is limited to a one-sided financial and partly cultural concept. In order for the Serbian diaspora to reach its full potential, it is necessary to expand the existing concepts. Contemporary problems in expression national identity require a more serious approach, because if only one member of the community is neglected, especially if he is in the diaspora, in the near future the consequences will be such that in addition to weakening awareness of belonging, the end result will be loss of national identity. This outcome can be prevented if the criteria of the current relationship between the Republic of Serbia and its citizens in the diaspora are redefined. Accent it is necessary to set on: (1) better and more comprehensive elements of statistical indicators of migration of domestic citizens; (2) a different approach to the economic draft budget of the Republic of Serbia, which would go beyond the current framework, short-term assistance from the diaspora in the form of remittances; 3) the issue of security of citizens of the Republic of Serbia is completely left to the states in which they currently exist, which is insufficient; (4) the cultural component is represented, but unfortunately through unilateral efforts mainly by the diaspora, while the home country is largely reserved. The essential problem is in the cooperation of these two sides of one state. If this cooperation remains at the level it is at now, the question is whether the sec-ond generation in the diaspora will have any empathy towards the country of their origin.

Third-party sustainability certifications in food retailing: Certification design from a sustainable supply chain management perspective

The purpose of this study is to examine the proliferation of retail-driven sustainability certification schemes focusing on the role of certification and its design from a corporate perspective. It does so by exploring three different cases of certification design in the food retailing industry: unilateral Tesco Nurture, collaborative GlobalGAP, and multi-stakeholder UTZ certifications. Using case study methods and viewing the certifications through the application of collective action logic and dynamic capability theory, we provide new insights important to researchers, retailers, and supply chains. The results of this study show that retail efforts to develop certifications are driven by better alignment with the business’ goal of improving the sustainability performance of supply chains. Retail-driven certifications can enable stronger brand assurance, stakeholder satisfaction, competitive development of certified supply volumes, and dynamic capabilities that contribute to effective, efficient and faster upgrades to sustainability practices in the supply chain. The contributions of this study also identify numerous factors that influence the development of certifications via collaborative/multi-stakeholder or unilateral efforts. There are three major factors: 1) trade-offs between different aspects of certification design and institutional-stakeholder context, 2) challenges of ‘collective’ bargaining, and 3) generation of dynamic capabilities. From results, we posit the co-existence of multiple certifications, called “standards multiplicity,” as advantageous for facilitating retailers’ engagement with sustainable supply chain management. Finally, conclusions and implications allow us to predict the evolving complexity of retail-driven certifications will enable dynamic capabilities, opportunities for creating competitive advantage, and open a dialogue for other industries to learn from these insights.

Exploring the roles of the AU and ECOWAS in West African conflicts

ABSTRACT The working relationship between the African Union (AU), on the one hand, and the regional economic communities and regional mechanisms, on the other, is one of the key components of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). This article investigates how the AU and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have attempted to define their respective roles for intervention in West African conflicts. There are three instruments of intervention: diplomacy, mediation and peace support operations. Empirical analysis of interventions in conflicts in Guinea, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Guinea-Bissau from 2008 to 2013 shows that, after disagreeing with ECOWAS regarding appropriate approaches, the AU has gradually refrained from taking a mediation role but has continued with its diplomatic efforts. ECOWAS has continued to initiate unilateral efforts at mediation and peace support, while it attempts to coordinate its diplomatic efforts with the AU and other actors. This article outlines the differing roles of these regional entities, and analyses their developing relationship in the context of continuing conflict in West Africa.

Collaborative Border Management

This article challenges the conventional approach to border management, which despite many innovations in recent decades still involves unilateral efforts to protect territorial boundaries. A better alternative for neighbouring country-dyads, wherever the prospect of war has become implausible, is collaborative border management. This approach involves extensive, deep collaboration to facilitate legitimate trade and travel through authorized ports of entry, combat transnational criminal activity, and manage crossborder ecological resources.

Neurophysiological basis of manual force asymmetries in young and senior adults

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated age differences in manual force production to explore their neurophysiological basis. Manual pinching and gripping forces were first measured during unilateral and bilateral efforts in two groups of right-handed adults (young, n = 12, senior, n = 11). Then, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied to each hemisphere to assess central motor inhibition via the contralateral and ipsilateral silent period (cSP, iSP). Laterality quotients (LQs) were computed to determine asymmetries for unimanual strength tests and hemispheric asymmetries in TMS measures. Bilateral indices (BLI) were computed to assess the bilateral force deficit (BFD). During unilateral efforts, both young and senior participants exhibited similar degrees of asymmetry. Similarly, no age difference was detected when comparing LQs derived from TMS measures. During bilateral efforts, although BLI tended to be lower in seniors, no age difference was detected. Asymmetry in strength and BLI showed no association with hemispheric asymmetry in TMS measures, except for the asymmetry in pinch strength, which was associated with asymmetry in the iSP duration. These observations confirm that asymmetries in manual strength and BFD are little affected by age. Also, our results show that hemispheric asymmetries in transcallosal inhibition are associated with pinch strength asymmetry.

Liberty, Conscience & Toleration: The Political Thought of William Penn

Liberty, Conscience & Toleration: The Political Thought of William Penn

LEADERSHIP IN CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION: CONSEQUENCES AND INCENTIVES

AbstractInitiatives in favor of unilateral action on climate change are frequently challenged by concerns over free riding. Nevertheless, we observe an increasing number of unilateral efforts at different administrative levels and in different parts of the world. Previous academic literature described various individual mechanisms where emissions abroad may increase or decrease as a reaction to unilateral emission reductions. In this paper, we collect a comprehensive set of both positive and negative reactions and analyze them in stylized models. This allows us to identify the most important characteristics that determine the potential of a leader to boost mitigation efforts abroad. We find that this potential depends on (i) a strong ability to generate knowledge through leadership, (ii) a high degree of credibility in the international community, and (iii) a similar economic structure to the most important emitters. While most effects are difficult to quantify, this comprehensive assessment suggests that leakage effects resulting from unilateral mitigation may well be outweighed by positive reactions.

Forced Migration Governance: In Search of Sovereignty

The European Union (EU) Member States have experienced the recent refugee protection crisis in the EU as a de-facto loss of control over their borders. They find themselves unable to subject entry into their territory to a sovereign decision. In response, the Member States have sought to regain full sovereignty over matters of forced migration, both unilaterally and cooperatively, seeking to govern a phenomenon—forced migration—that by definition defies governance. Unilateral measures include forced migration caps and a search for ways to circumvent responsibility under the Dublin system. Cooperative efforts by EU Member States include the search for ways to more effectively govern forced migration at the EU level and beyond. Supranational EU efforts include the introduction of an internal relocation scheme and support for Italy and Greece in processing asylum claims in so-called “hotspots.” Beyond the EU, Member States are seeking to externalize protection responsibility to third world countries under international agreements, in particular, by returning asylum seekers to Turkey. This Article outlines the unilateral and cooperative governance efforts undertaken and shows that states' sovereign decisions over migration are significantly limited in the case of forced migrants, both by EU law and by international law.

The Politics of Defining the Legacy of Confucius

<p class="1Body">Confucius is an extremely popular and well-respected figure in China today, but historically that has not always been the case, as his reputation has constantly evolved over time. Often, changes in how Confucius is viewed have been the result of attempts by various governments over the years to appropriate his legacy for their own purposes. This paper will look at what some of those motives were, and the extent to which governments were successful at achieving them by examining four cultural sites, each of which represents an aspect of Confucius’ legacy: the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, and the Imperial University, National Museum and People’s University in Beijing. By analyzing the legacy of Confucius as it is reflected in these four sites, the paper demonstrates that the ability of governments to shape how he is perceived by the public is limited by the public’s existing views, which are not easily swayed by the government’s unilateral efforts.</p>

Militarized Justice in New Democracies: Explaining the Process of Military Court Reform in Latin America

While a large body of literature emphasizes the importance of judicial reform in new democracies, few scholars have examined the reform of military justice systems in these settings—despite the potential for these courts to compete directly with civilian courts and subvert the rule of law. This article focuses on Latin America to empirically examine how the process of reforming military courts has played out in each democracy following authoritarian rule. We outline two distinct pathways: (1) unilateral efforts on the part of civilian reformers, and (2) strategic bargains between civilian reformers and the military. Within the unilateral category, we further distinguish efforts driven by civilian courts, those pursued by politicians, and those undertaken in the context of larger political transformations. Ultimately, we find that, absent a dramatic defeat of an authoritarian regime and its armed forces, reform efforts that do not engage and bargain with the military directly often fail to achieve long-term compliance and improvements in human rights practices. The success of such reform efforts, therefore, may come at a cost in other areas of democracy and civil-military relations. We conclude the article by summarizing our findings and reflecting on the lessons they provide for ongoing military justice reform efforts around the globe.

South Asia's water conundrum: hydroclimatic and geopolitical asymmetry, and brewing conflicts in the Eastern Himalayas

Few regions in the world are nearing a large-scale water crisis as rapidly as South Asia, especially the basins in the Eastern Himalayas. Despite being known to be a water-rich part of the world, lack of integrated planning, and unfavourable natural and political settings have pushed this populous region towards basin-wide water scarcity, flood hazards, water quality and ecosystem degradation, and public health problems. Rapid growth of population and an unforgiving future climate complicate the situation and put millions more at risk. Meanwhile, the riparian nations continue unilateral efforts to develop their water resources without addressing the ecological integrity of the complex transboundary river system. This article provides an overview of the asymmetry in hydroclimatic conditions and unhelpful political realities that have pushed the region towards a looming large-scale water conflict.

Fishing games under climate variability: transboundary management of Pacific sardine in the California Current System

Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) is a transboundary fish stock exploited by Mexican, US and Canadian fisheries that exhibits extreme fluctuations in its abundance and geographic distribution corresponding to water temperature regime shifts within the California Current Ecosystem. In this study, we develop a three-agent game theoretic-bioeconomic model of the Pacific sardine stock’s abundance and biomass distribution that accounts for decadal-scale climate change. Simulations were conducted to evaluate economic and conservation outcomes of full and partial cooperative and non-cooperative transboundary management of Pacific sardine fishing under different climate change scenarios. The results suggest the following: (1) full cooperative management by the three countries is necessary to achieve sustainable fisheries; and (2) unilateral efforts to maximize conservation and management benefits would not be successful with climate change.

The bilateral movement condition facilitates maximal but not submaximal paretic-limb grip force in people with post-stroke hemiparesis

ObjectivesAlthough healthy individuals have less force production capacity during bilateral muscle contractions compared to unilateral efforts, emerging evidence suggests that certain aspects of paretic upper limb task performance after stroke may be enhanced by moving bilaterally instead of unilaterally. We investigated whether the bilateral movement condition affects grip force differently on the paretic side of people with post-stroke hemiparesis, compared to their non-paretic side and both sides of healthy young adults. MethodsWithin a single session, we compared: (1) maximal grip force during unilateral vs. bilateral contractions on each side, and (2) force contributed by each side during a 30% submaximal bilateral contraction. ResultsHealthy controls produced less grip force in the bilateral condition, regardless of side (−2.4% difference), and similar findings were observed on the non-paretic side of people with hemiparesis (−4.5% difference). On the paretic side, however, maximal grip force was increased by the bilateral condition in most participants (+11.3% difference, on average). During submaximal bilateral contractions in each group, the two sides each contributed the same percentage of unilateral maximal force. ConclusionsThe bilateral condition facilitates paretic limb grip force at maximal, but not submaximal levels. SignificanceIn some people with post-stroke hemiparesis, the paretic limb may benefit from bilateral training with high force requirements.

Getting the carbon price right through climate border measures: a Chinese perspective

Border carbon adjustment (BCA) has had a high profile in climate and trade talks, due to differences between the EU and China. Much of the debate has revolved around the possibility of EU taxation on Chinese exported products in order to both avoid carbon leakage and support the EU's unilateral efforts to curb CO2 emissions. This article examines the motives behind the rejection of BCA by Chinese officials. In addition to the conventional argument that BCA is inefficient and unfair, new explanations are provided for China's stance. First, China claims that its exports of energy-intensive products are already taxed, with the CO2e price for Chinese export taxation averaging European Union Emissions Trading Scheme CO2 price levels. Second, the EU trade dispute concerning Chinese export restrictions – occurring just a few years after disputes concerning the subsidization of similar products – provides evidence that the EU's stance on trade issues is incoherent, casting doubt on its willingness to genuinely get the carbon price right for products entering its market. Finally, BCA options contemplated by Annex I countries unilaterally convey the signal that China is perpetually falling short of international standards and of sharply increasing responsibilities.

Unilateral regulation and greenhouse gas emissions: The case of the Airline Industry

This paper provides an analytical framework for investigating the effects of unilateral measures to control greenhouse gas emitted by the aviation industry. It is found that, unilateral efforts might lead to an increase in global greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, emissions taxes implemented as part of such measures could lead to larger negative impacts on home than on foreign airlines, possibly resulting in competitive issues.