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While throughout modern history it has been shown how thoroughly biological discourses were shaped by conceptions originating in the theory and praxis of breeding, for the medieval period similar studies are mostly absent. This paper offers a symmetrical history of theory and praxis of breeding by asking to what extent they shaped medieval conceptions of human 'race' and 'ancestry' in Europe. For scholarly knowledge of breeding, the analysis relies on Albertus Magnus' extensive Aristotelian work De animalibus. For the practical knowledge of the breeders, scattered indications from the secondary literature are compiled and promising primary sources are outlined for further research. The paper finds that various concepts and practices whose origins are commonly placed in the early modern period were already present in the Middle Ages, including the concept of reproductive heredity and the view that creation diversified over time through reproductive ancestry. Breeding practices, thus, existed before the rise of genetics in modern biology. The medieval conceptions of 'race' and 'ancestry' underwent conceptual transfers from the non-human into the human sphere, collapsing the qualitative distinction of the two spheres into one quantitively graded overarching image of nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graduate education in engineering is an extremely challenging, complex entity that is difficult to change. The purpose of this exploratory research paper was to investigate the applicability of the Collective Impact framework, which has been used within community organizing contexts, to organize the change efforts of a center focused on advancing equitable graduate education within engineering. We sought to understand how the conditions of Collective Impact (i.e., common agenda, backbone organization, mutually reinforcing activities, shared measurement system, and continuous communication) could facilitate the organization of equity-focused change efforts across a college of engineering at a single institution. To achieve this, we took an action research approach. We found the Collective Impact framework to be a useful tool for organizing cross-sectional partnerships to facilitate equity-focused change in graduate education; we also found the five conditions of Collective Impact to be applicable to the higher education context, with some intentional considerations and modifications. Through coordinated efforts, the Collective Impact framework can support the goal of reorienting existing decentralized structures, resource flows, and decision processes to foster bottom-up and top-down change processes to advance equitable support for graduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the current state of the social impact measurement (SIM) field to better understand common practices in measuring the post-intervention social impact of a program or project and to identify strategies to improve measurement in practice. This study employed a systematic literature review. Articles were manually coded deductively and inductively in NVivo to complete a descriptive and thematic analysis of the literature. The thematic analysis provided an in-depth understanding of the SIM field. We found that similarities existed across the definitions of social impact (e.g., environmental impact is part of social impact). Additionally, social return on investment (SROI) is the most common measurement model and theory of change was identified as a core concept across SIM literature. Strategies are presented for practitioners to consider when measuring social impact, including: (i) engage stakeholders throughout the process, (ii) mobilize existing operational data, (iii) increase measurement capacity, and (iv) use both qualitative and quantitative data. This study reveals the nuances of SIM based on academic literature published across the globe over the span of a decade. It places emphasis on the post-intervention stage and identifies strategies to improve the application of measurement models in practice. Lastly, it outlines future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is a water-stressed country with significant water management challenges. In response, progressive and advanced water management policy and legislation have been developed that include the regulation of water uses through a water use license application (WULA) system. In recent years, the effective functioning of the WULA system has come under increased scrutiny. However, a comprehensive systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of the WULA system has not yet been conducted. This paper aims to identify key risks to the effectiveness of the WULA system in South Africa through the application of a theory of change (ToC) methodology. Workshops with more than 60 participants were held with different stakeholder groups. Ultimately, a total of 21 key risks to the effectiveness of the WULA system were identified. The results suggest that various risks have already been realized and that the WULA system is not functioning as intended and is not achieving its outcomes. It is recommended that the identified key risks provide the basis for a comprehensive system evaluation to inform a more effective WULA system design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with problems in the post-implementation phase of management Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Proper management of the system maintenance stage is a basis for efficient system development in terms of business needs. Based on the research and analysis of collected materials, it turns out that making a decision to upgrade the system is equally crucial. We present revealed mechanisms determining the post-implementation approach to upgrade or reimplement the ERP system. The main aim is to determine the methodology and difference understanding to achieve success in the post-implementation stage. The paper shows that the systemic approach to the maintenance stage of the ERP system affects its further decisions: upgrade or reimplement. It has a direct impact on future maintenance costs and the scope of new business demands. This research is an outcome of industry–academia collaboration and based on several developed implementation systems, achieved upgrade and reimplementation projects. Based on case study analysis, we show that reimplementation means an evolution of the current ERP processes rather than another attempt to "reimplement" an unsuccessful system implementation. On the other hand, upgrades are not only a tool or system actualization but the easiest way to bolster company sustainability and to have the information system up to date. The issues discussed in the article will be used to develop changes in the implementation methodology of ERP systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As research defines new treatments and policies to improve the health of patients, an increasing challenge has been to translate these insights into routine clinical practice to benefit patients and society. An important exploration is how theories of human behavior change fit into the science of implementation and quality improvement. In this paper, we begin with a brief review of the intellectual roots of implementation science and quality improvement, followed by a discussion of how theories and principles of behavior change can inform both goals and challenges in using behavior change theories. The insights offered through health behavior change theory have led to changes in how we plan for implementation and select, develop, design and tailor implementation interventions and strategies. While the degree to which organizational and external contexts influence the behavior of providers in these organizations varies widely, some degree of context external to the individual is important and needs adequate consideration. In short, health behavior change theory is essential but not sufficient to integrate in most implementation efforts, where priority must be given to both individual factors and contexts in which individuals operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an operational approach for detecting floods and establishing flood extent using Sentinel-1 radar imagery with Google Earth Engine. The methodology relies on change detection, comparing pre-event and post-event images. The change-detection method is based on the normalised difference ratio. Additionally, the HAND model is employed to delineate zones for processing only in flood-prone areas. The approach was tested and calibrated at a small scale to optimise parameters. In these calibration tests, an accuracy of 85% is achieved. The approach was then applied to the whole of the island of Madagascar after Cyclone Batsirai in 2022. The proposed method is enabled by the computing power and data availability of Google Earth Engine and Google Colab. The results show satisfactory accuracy in delineating flooded areas. The advantages of this approach are its rapidity, online availability and ability to detect floods over a wide area. The approach relying on Google Tools thus offers an effective solution for generating a large-scale synoptic picture to inform hazard management decision making. However, one of the method's drawbacks is that it depends to a large extent on frequent radar imagery being available at the time of flood events and on free access to the platform. These drawbacks will need to be taken into account in an operational scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, there has been a significant increase in the adoption of game-based interventions for behaviour change associated with many fields such as health, education, and psychology. This is due to the significance of the players' intrinsic motivation that is naturally generated to play games and the substantial impact they can have on players. Many review papers measure the effectiveness of the use of gaming on changing behaviours; however, these studies neglect the game features involved in the game design process, which have an impact of stimulating behaviour change. Therefore, this paper aimed to identify game design mechanics and features that are reported to commonly influence behaviour change during and/or after the interventions. This paper identified key theories of behaviour change that inform the game design process, providing insights that can be adopted by game designers for informing considerations on the use of game features for moderating behaviour in their own games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accessibility of mountain tourist attractions is a prerequisite to enhancing the attractiveness of tourist attractions and driving the well-being of local residential areas, which increases people's prosperity and the sustainable development of tourist attractions, and achieves the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper focuses on the accessibility of typical mountainous areas in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and uses the cost distance and OD distance methods under the guidance of core-edge theory to explore the changes of accessibility of traffic nodes, tourist attractions, and residents with the future enrichment of the traffic road network. The results show that: (1) The change in accessibility will highlight the location advantages of some tourist attractions, which can be prioritized in the context of similar tourist attractions; (2) Regional accessibility improvements require a combination of traffic modes to maximize impact; (3) Residents of different multi-core circles could choose various industrial development patterns based on the accessibility of tourist attractions and residential areas; (4) Group development according to the spatial location and accessibility of tourist attractions can facilitate the virtuous drive among tourist attractions, which achieves the goal of integrated tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparative cross-nation study of the transition to more sustainable stormwater management (SSWM) in the United States and China. Multi-level perspective and multiphase models are used to examine the transition dynamics and reflect on how transition theory explains the change within federal and socialist context. Instead of simply differentiating the two countries' transition patterns by using terms such as bottom-up or top-down, we consider the importance of changes at all three levels of the system. The main difference between the transition process in the United States and China is the extent to which niche level innovations are developed, especially in the type of actors and activities investigated. The analysis suggests that the Chinese transition is less radical, while the U.S. pathway exhibits signs of reconfiguration, dealignment and realignment. Developing learning networks across sectors and actors to spread knowledge and experience appears to be the next major challenge for the Chinese Sponge City initiative. Despite the feasibility of transition theory for transition comparison, the author suggests its usage with caution and critical reflection to avoid the risk of embedding the mindset of 'catch-up' and convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value-added assessments have become a reasonable and accepted assessment method for education and teaching. Mathematics reading ability is an important ability in mathematics learning which provides a prerequisite for solving mathematical problems. With the aim of uncovering the effects of mathematics reading ability on the continuous development of mathematics learning, this study focuses on the value added to students' mathematics reading ability as well as their mathematics performance. From a longitudinal perspective, we collected academic achievement data for 463 s-grade students, including their scores on their mathematics reading ability, which were then used a developed measurement tool. Building on Weiss's "Theory of Change", the students were divided into four categories: high academic achievement and high value-added, low academic achievement and high value-added, low academic achievement and low value-added, and high academic achievement and low value-added. Finally, we discussed the impact of the students' reading abilities in mathematics on their overall achievement. This study reveals a close correlation between mathematics reading skills and value-added performance. Higher scores in mathematics reading indicate higher value-added levels. For students with initially high scores, their mathematics reading skills greatly contributed to their high value-added performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic technology that will determine the expansion of the technical capabilities of fifth generation cellular systems is a massive multiple-input-multiple-output. Therefore, assessing the influence of the antenna beam orientations on the radio channel capacity is very significant. In this case, the effects of mismatching the antenna beam directions are crucial. In this paper, the methodology for evaluating changes in the received signal power level due to beam misalignment for the transmitting and receiving antenna systems is presented. The quantitative assessment of this issue is presented based on simulation studies carried out for an exemplary propagation scenario. For non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions, it is shown that the optimal selection of the transmitting and receiving beam directions may ensure an increase in the level of the received signal by several decibels in relation to the coaxial position of the beams. The developed methodology makes it possible to analyze changes in the radio channel capacity versus the signal-to-noise ratio and distance between the transmitter and receiver at optimal and coaxial orientations of antenna beams for various propagation scenarios, considering NLOS conditions. In the paper, the influence of the directional antenna use and their direction choices on the channel capacity versus SNR and the distance between the transmitter and receiver is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The "WHO susceptibility bioassay" is a method from the World Health Organization used to monitor the resistance to insecticides in mosquito populations. This method was first developed in the 1960s and has undergone multiple changes since then. While these changes may appear minor, the numerous iterations of the test procedures leave some parameters open to interpretation, and changes to methodology may affect results. To address this, we reviewed the published test procedures for this method and the published literature which cited this method to see where the method could be optimized and exactly how people were reporting their use of this method. This revealed that the method is not being carried out consistently, and that the most up to date iterations of the test procedures are not always referenced. To address this, recommendations on the referencing and reporting of this method were developed. Alongside this literature review, we detail experimental work that explored whether altering parameters with room for interpretation in the test procedures could impact bioassay results. From the results, suggestions have been made to tighten certain parameters to avoid inaccurate measures of insecticide resistance. Closer adherence to the method and tightened parameters should lead to the generation of more robust data from the bioassay. Accurately monitoring insecticide resistance in target mosquito populations is important for combating malaria and other vector-borne diseases, and robust methods are key. The "WHO susceptibility bioassay" has been available from the World Health Organization for 60+ years: mosquitoes of known physiological status are exposed to a discriminating concentration of insecticide. Several changes to the test procedures have been made historically, which may seem minor but could impact bioassay results. The published test procedures and literature for this method were reviewed for methodological details. Areas where there was room for interpretation in the test procedures or where the test procedures were not being followed were assessed experimentally for their impact on bioassay results: covering or uncovering of the tube end during exposure; the number of mosquitoes per test unit; and mosquito age. Many publications do not cite the most recent test procedures; methodological details are reported which contradict the test procedures referenced, or methodological details are not fully reported. As a result, the precise methodology is unclear. Experimental testing showed that using fewer than the recommended 15–30 mosquitoes per test unit significantly reduced mortality, covering the exposure tube had no significant effect, and using mosquitoes older than 2–5 days old increased mortality, particularly in the resistant strain. Recommendations are made for improved reporting of experimental parameters [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transition to clean fuels and technology for cooking is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of sustainable development. However, sufficient, appropriate, affordable finance to support the transition is lacking. Grounded in primary data collection via expert interviews, this study's research objective was to critically assess development finance institutions' (DFIs) delivery of climate and development finance to address cooking poverty. Interview findings underscore DFIs' important role in the transition, including to create the ecosystem conditions conducive to sustained investment. However, as a group they are not demonstrating the risk appetite and financial solutions that clean cooking markets need. Nor are they operating with the agility and flexibility required for rapid scale-up. Consequently, DFIs are not optimally fulfilling their mandates to create additionality and mobilise private capital in these markets. Interviewees call for DFIs to reconsider their approach, and we rely on these findings to posit a theory of change for clean cooking finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of dying from tobacco-related cancers due to their elevated tobacco use rates but are not offered evidence-based tobacco dependence interventions by homeless-serving agencies within the United States. Through pre- and post-implementation provider interviews, this qualitative study explored the factors enabling and inhibiting organizational readiness to implement a comprehensive tobacco-cessation intervention within three homeless-serving agencies. Although the organizational readiness was initially high, at the post-implementation, changing contextual factors, primarily resource privations, undermined the provider change efficacy and limited the program implementation. These findings support the value and acceptability of implementing tobacco-cessation interventions within homeless-serving agencies, and they identify the factors needed to build organizational capacity for successful implementation. Despite the high tobacco use rates (~80%) and tobacco-related cancers being the second leading cause of death among people experiencing homelessness within the United States, these individuals rarely receive tobacco use treatment from homeless-serving agencies (HSAs). This qualitative study explored the enablers and inhibitors of implementing an evidence-based tobacco-free workplace (TFW) program offering TFW policy adoption, specialized provider training to treat tobacco use, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) within HSAs. Pre- and post-implementation interviews with providers and managers (n = 13) pursued adapting interventions to specific HSAs and assessed the program success, respectively. The organizational readiness for change theory framed the data content analysis, yielding three categories: change commitment, change efficacy and contextual factors. Pre- to post-implementation, increasing challenges impacted the organizational capacity and providers' attitudes, wherein previously enabling factors were reframed as inhibiting, resulting in limited implementation despite resource provision. These findings indicate that low-resourced HSAs require additional support and guidance to overcome infrastructure challenges and build the capacity needed to implement a TFW program. This study's findings can guide future TFW program interventions, enable identification of agencies that are well-positioned to adopt such programs, and facilitate capacity-building efforts to ensure their successful participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector nowadays has come to the stage where it needs a "digital" renovation. This is to be accomplished by an introduction of change into the methodology of construction and using new tools and technologies, such as BIM technology. This paper gives an insight into the status of BIM adoption in North Macedonia. It presents the threefold actions toward introduction of BIM in the national construction industry. These actions refer to scanning the current situation regarding digitalization of the sector, then taking promotional actions to express the benefits of BIM, and finally identifying and proposing the most suitable measures, summarized in the proposal of the National Roadmap for BIM adoption. The methods used consist of a brief literature review of the global status of BIM development. Then, the results of a survey conducted on more than 300 respondents representing a sample of building professionals in the country are discussed, and the barriers for successful BIM adoption are accordingly identified. The next step is to showcase the potential benefits of BIM for assessment of energy performance of buildings. As a final point, the conclusions drafted toward identification of the most important challenges are addressed in the proposed National Roadmap for BIM adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of readiness to change, organizational readiness has received little attention with the extensive assessment of individual readiness to change. (1) Background: Therefore, this conceptual paper aims to address the need for change at the organizational level through the lenses of Lewin theory, organizational change theory, and social exchange theory. It will identify issues and implications in readiness to change at the organizational level; (2) Methods: The primary method used in the study was mainly a literature review to add neglected factors driving change such as contextual factors and technology. (3) Results: The paper shows how various players and other determinants of successful change implementation can derail the organization's readiness to embrace change. (4) Conclusions: The paper adds to the available knowledge on how technology is likely to affect organizational willingness to change. The study suggests various solutions that seek to address the issues on organizational readiness to change. Hence, this study may provide organizational managers with takeaway implications on change management for policymakers and practitioners to improve an organization's preparedness towards change implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of global deaths. The risk of their development and progression is increased by modifiable behavioral risk factors. Yet, despite the known benefits of primary and secondary prevention, people often do not follow recommendations for a healthier lifestyle. To this end, mobile health (mHealth) applications offer features for behavioral interventions. Yet, reported user engagement is often low. The objective of the work presented in this article is thus to evaluate the suitability of Design Thinking (DT) as a means to inform the development of an mHealth application that helps increase long-term engagement, and consequently supports individuals in sustainably changing their lifestyle. Applying the DT approach, key user needs and challenges were investigated and used to design a first low-fidelity mHealth application prototype. Think-Aloud analysis, task completion, and post-test interviews were then used to evaluate the prototype and generate early-stage insights. Subsequently, a structured, retrospective analysis of this process, evaluating the insight-generation potential of each step in the DT process cycle, was used to reflect on its suitability to inform mHealth application development. The respective results highlight (1) the distinct value of the DT method, particularly in the early stages of a development project; (2) the strong need for interdisciplinary collaboration in such projects, so as to capture realistic end-user requirements and improve the overall effectiveness of the application design; and (3) the significance of integrating behavioral change theories into the design of mHealth applications, in order to promote long-term engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has challenged biodiversity conservation practitioners and planners. In this paper, we provide scalable guidance on integrating climate change into conservation planning and adaptive management that results in the most appropriate conservation strategies. This integrated "Climate-Smart Conservation Practice" focuses on analyzing the potential impact of climate change on species, ecosystems, and ecosystem services, combined with "conventional" (non-climate) threats, and incorporating this knowledge into projects. The guidance is based on the already widely-used "Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation", an application of systems thinking and adaptive management, which has been successfully applied to thousands of conservation projects. Our framework emphasizes a methodical analysis of climate change impacts for projects to support more productive goals and strategy development. We provide two case studies showing the applicability and flexibility of this framework. An initial key element is developing "situation models" that document both current and future threats affecting biodiversity while showing the interactions between climate and conventional threats. Guidance is also provided on how to design integrated, climate-smart goals and strategies, and detailed theories of change for selected strategies. The information and suggestions presented are intended to break down the steps to make the process more approachable, provide guidance to teams using climate change information within a systematic conservation planning process, and demonstrate how climate scientists can provide appropriate information to conservation planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization in developing countries has led to an increasing demand for urban construction land. As a result, many farmers' lands have been expropriated by local governments, exacerbating the imbalance between land supply and demand. This issue is particularly pronounced in Chinese Mainland, where land expropriation institutions have operated at a suboptimal level for an extended period. While existing research has explored the current practices and potential avenues for the optimization of the horizontal aspects of land expropriation institutions in Chinese Mainland, there remains a dearth of academic inquiry from a historical developmental and comparative analytical perspective. To address this gap, this article uses the analytical framework of historical institutionalism and combines it with the comparison case method and in-depth interviews to analyze the fundamental path, logic, and dynamic mechanism behind land expropriation institutional change in Cross-Strait and provide insights for similar developing countries. Research shows that Cross-Strait land expropriation institutions have gone through five different stages of development, and finally evolved in the direction of narrowing the scope of expropriation and increasing the compensation for expropriation. Cross-Strait land expropriation institutions show a triple logic in terms of change types, change paths, and change processes: in terms of change types, there are compulsory changes and mutual games between induced factors and actors pushing for compulsory changes; in terms of change paths, there are patterns of displacement, drift, conversion, and layering; and in terms of gradual change processes, path dependence characteristics become apparent within Cross-Strait land expropriation institutions. The synergistic interaction among the institutional milieu, ideas, and actors constitutes the dynamic mechanisms for the change of land expropriation institutions in Cross-Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering Inner Mongolia as the study area, the ecological theory of climate change, and human activities affecting a wide range of biodiversity patterns, MODIS multi-timeseries remote sensing image data were used and the interannual variation index was obtained by the method of fitting the curve to obtain the annual phenological and seasonal indicators. At the same time, the Landsat 8 standard deviation image was calculated to obtain the spatial variation index and generate spatial–temporal remote sensing indices to quantify the threat of climate change to biodiversity. In addition, the impact of human activities on biodiversity was quantified by generating a map of the human footprint in Inner Mongolia. The spatial–temporal remote sensing index and the human footprint index were integrated to identify areas protected from climate change and human activities, respectively. Eventually, the hotspot areas of biodiversity conservation in Inner Mongolia were obtained and priority protected area planning was based on the hotspot identification results. In this study, remote sensing technology was used to identify biodiversity conservation hotspots, which can overcome the limitations of insufficient species data from the past, improve the reliability of large-scale biodiversity conservation analyses, and be used for targeted management actions that have practical significance for biodiversity conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global challenges of biodiversity loss and persistent poverty and inequality, which interact and shape each other at the local scale, require new strategies to improve human well-being and conserve biodiversity. In South Africa, inclusive and transformative conservation approaches are gaining support, which is of particular importance given the challenging history of conservation during the colonial and apartheid eras. The Dinokeng Game Reserve was created to conserve biodiversity and combat poverty in adjacent communities. However, human–elephant conflict and community development challenges have led to unproductive conservation trade-offs. We developed a Theory of Change for Living in Harmony that can help policymakers, conservation organisations and local communities to find better solutions. To develop the Theory of Change, we assessed the visions and perspectives towards (elephant) conservation and socio-economic development among both people living inside (owners/direct beneficiaries) and outside (community/indirect beneficiaries) the reserve. The study revealed common ground among stakeholder groups in ranking elephant benefits, as well as a collective acknowledgement of the importance of moral values in conservation decision making. However, the benefits of living within or adjacent to an elephant reserve differed considerably across stakeholder groups. Accordingly, different but not mutually exclusive solutions were suggested, including investments in multi-level good governance, education and capacity building, active community engagement and development, reserve expansion, and promoting the reserve's integrated conservation model. This Theory of Change aims to support common ground between stakeholders, with critical feedback loops that reduce barriers and enable conditions for coexistence. It promotes conservation strategies that are socially relevant and widely supported, can create mutually beneficial outcomes for elephants, biodiversity, and multiple stakeholders, and can be applied to other species or ecosystems in general, with specific elements being tailored to those circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the field of chronic disease prevention, research efforts have moved to better understand, describe, and address the complex drivers of various health conditions. Change-making is prominent in this paper, and systems thinking and systems change are prioritised as core elements of prevention research. We report how the process of developing a theory of systems change can assist prevention research to progress from understanding systems, towards impactful action within those systems. Based on Foster-Fishman and Watson's ABLe change framework, a Prevention Systems Change Framework (PSCF) was adapted and applied to an Australian case study of the drivers of healthy and equitable eating as a structured reflective practice. The PSCF comprises four components: building a systemic lens on prevention, holding a continual implementation focus, integrating the systemic lens and implementation focus, and developing a theory of change. Application of the framework as part of a systemic evaluation process enabled a detailed and critical assessment of the healthy and equitable eating project goals and culminated in the development of a theory of prevention systems change specific to that project, to guide future research and action. Arguably, if prevention research is to support improved health outcomes, it must be more explicitly linked to creating systems change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the many movements with a strong female presence promoting peace in the Middle East, the movement Women Wage Peace (WWP) currently represents the largest and most impactful organization in the country. Founded in the aftermath of the 50-day Gaza War/Operation Protective Edge of 2014, Women Wage Peace has grown to 45,000 Israeli members, the most significant grassroots peace movement in Israel today. WWP's theory of change refracts the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and its resolution, through a gendered lens. The movement is non-partisan and does not support any specific solution to the conflict. Instead, it empowers women from diverse communities to build trust across divides, leading to a unified demand for diplomatic negotiation, with full representation of women, to end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. WWP enables very diverse women to unite with the aim of taking their own and their children's futures into their own hands: women from the left, center, and right, young and old, from the center and periphery of the country, religious and secular, Jewish, Arab, Druze, and Bedouin. The movement continues to refine its non-hierarchical structure, distributing its work among thousands of volunteers who serve on regional and/or mission-specific teams, including Government Engagement, Foreign Affairs, Digital Communication, Special Projects, and Strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation of light absorption, mainly the shift and shape of the absorption edge, are two promising approaches aimed at understanding the fundamental processes of optical transitions in crystalline and amorphous materials. This allows us to better understand the structure of energy bands. Significant advances have been made in understanding the fundamental chemical and physical properties of polymers to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. However, the relationship between these two properties has not been determined. Characterization of the optical properties of polymers, such as infrared dichroism, light absorption, Raman polarization, and emission spectra, is an important method for studying electronic properties. To consider conductivity and thermal savings in the range (300–500 K), we also investigate the effect of temperature on conductivity. Activation energies found in different cases were used. Ionic conductivity has been found to be temperature-dependent for all SPE formulations. It has been found that the ionic conductivity of the membrane presents two regimes, the first being at relatively low temperatures. The ionic conductivity exhibits a relatively independent behavior of temperature. It was found that the dielectric constant of the SPE polymer electrolytic system increased with increasing temperature. This behavior is typical of pole insulators because the alignment of the dipoles becomes easier with increasing temperature and thus the dielectric constant increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the observed morphological evolution of a multilevel beach cusp system in Long Strand, Co. Cork, Ireland. The surveys were carried out with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system between March and September 2019. From this site, three levels of beach cusps on the beachface (i.e., lower beach level, mid beach level and upper beach level), and critical cusp parameters are reported, including cusp spacing, cusp elevation, cusp depth, and cusp amplitude. Thus far, such an extensive dataset has not previously been reported in the literature from a single site. The evolution of the different cusp parameters is then linked with the hydrodynamics in the study area, and new prediction theories are proposed for the different cusp parameters. The Lower beach level cusps (1 < z < 2.5 m Irish Transverse Mercator (ITM)) changed with every tide and appeared when surf-similarity parameter-ξ0 < 1.55. These cusps had a mean cusp spacing of λmean = 11.09 m, which are closely linked with the predictions of the self-organisation theory (p < 0.05). In contrast, the Mid beach level cusps (2.5 < z < 3.5 m ITM) are less dynamic compared to the Lower beach level cusps and can persist between spring tidal cycles. They had a mean cusp spacing of λmean = 18.17 m. The Upper beach level cusps (approximately z = 6 m ITM) are above astronomical tide levels and have a mean cusp spacing of λmean = 40.26 m. They did not change significantly over the survey period due to a lack of major storm events. These findings give a better understanding of the evolution of different cusp parameters for a multilevel beach cusp system and can be used to formulate a global theory regarding their change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider state changes in quantum theory due to "conditional action" and relate these to the discussion of entropy decrease due to interventions of "intelligent beings" and the principles of Szilard and Landauer/Bennett. The mathematical theory of conditional actions is a special case of the theory of "instruments", which describes changes of state due to general measurements and will therefore be briefly outlined in the present paper. As a detailed example, we consider the imperfect erasure of a qubit that can also be viewed as a conditional action and will be realized by the coupling of a spin to another small spin system in its ground state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous talus cones that have formed by long-term geological processes and sudden hydrological events in the Small Cold Valley (High Tatras National Park in Slovakia). Frequent hiking trails lead here; therefore, their safeness needs to be monitored due to recent rock avalanches and landslides. A complex methodology for monitoring changes in talus cones was developed to determine the extent, pace, nature, and origin of the morphological changes in the land in this complex high-mountain terrain. Non-contact UAS photogrammetry with SfM-MVS processing was applied as a quick, reliable, and environment-friendly data acquisition method. For proper georeferencing, a network of GCPs and stabilized surveying points were established by terrestrial geodetic surveying. Together with an evaluation of the methodology, the results comparing the actual state of a talus cone in 2018 and 2022 (after the significant hydrological event) are presented. Comparing and analyzing spatial models represented by point clouds, with an accuracy of centimeter level, was obtained. The detected morphological changes reached values in meters. A differential model expresses the distribution of the morphological changes. In conclusion, geodetic and geological knowledge is synthesized to evaluate the phenomena occurring in this territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and personal experience affirm that watching a movie can change the way someone lives their life. Documentary storytelling is a multidimensional change agent, a digital media artifact that is rooted in real communities, real lives, and real stories. Because documentary is rooted in the human social world, watching it is a cognitively, psychologically, emotionally, socially, and politically complicated act. Thus, it is a potent medium for stimulating discourse, reflection, and behavioral change. This article explores the power of visual storytelling and positive media representation as a Parasocial-Relational form of interreligious dialogue and delves into practical application as it contemplates best practices for how filmmakers might harness that power, reviewing literature on the possible social, cognitive, and neurobiological impact of documentary. This interdisciplinary cognitive-sociological theory of change posits documentary film as a lever for increased interreligious competence because of its unique ability to disarm with visual storytelling and engaging characters, leading to a potentially reflexive experience of humanization and perceptual shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term nature-based solutions (NBS) has gained traction in recent years and has been applied in many settings. There are few comprehensive assessment frameworks available that can guide NBS planning and implementation while at the same time capturing the short- and long-term impacts and benefits of the NBS. Here a recently presented framework, which builds on the theory of change and was developed to assess NBS at different phases of the project cycle, was applied to seven diverse case studies. The case studies addressed water quality and quantity issues in peri-urban areas across the global north and south. Framework indicators covering the sustainability dimensions (environmental, social and economic) were assessed at three stages of the framework: context, process and results. The work sought to investigate the following research objectives: (1) Can this framework be robust and yet flexible enough to be applied across a diverse selection of NBS projects that are at different phases of the project cycle and address different kinds of water challenges within varied ecological, social and economic contexts? (2) Is it possible to draw generalisations from a comparative analysis of the application of the framework to the case studies? Results showed that the framework was able to be applied to the case studies; however, their diversity showed that NBS projects designed in one context, for a specific purpose in a specific location, can not necessarily be transferred easily to another location. There were several process-based indicators that were universally significant for the case studies, including expertise, skills and knowledge of the involved actors, roles and responsibilities of involved actors and political support. The result-based indicators were case study-specific when environmental indicators were case study-specific, and important social indicators were environmental identity and recreational values. Overall, the use of the framework benefits the recognition of the implementation's advances, such as the change in context, the processes in place and the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strengthening of recycled aggregates is a critical issue, as the low strength of recycled aggregates is the main reason that limits their widespread use. The slurry coating method can strengthen the recycled aggregates by repairing the aggregate surface, but it is hard to improve the internal strength due to the existence of pores and cracks. In this study, a new methodology considering dry mixing with fines to fill and bond the internal pores and cracks before slurry coating is proposed. Twelve strengthened samples considering different combinations of dry-mixing fines and coating solutions were prepared, and the basic physical and mechanical properties were compared, including the water-absorption rate, crushing value, and apparent density with unstrengthened aggregates. The results indicate that the proposed methodology can change the water-absorption rate significantly and improve the crushing resistance and apparent density of the recycled aggregates. A high correlation between the apparent density and the crushing value was also observed. Furthermore, the strengthening mechanism of dry mixing was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The micromorphology of the strengthened aggregates indicates that internal pores and cracks can be filled by dry mixing fines and then bonded together after hydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land administration is the managing of spatial and legal data pertaining to land. Land administration organizations provide services for land ownership and are essential to a well-functioning land administration system to secure land and property rights for all and support real estate markets. This article reviews the case of the Hellenic Land Administration Reform and the associated changes in the land administration organizations during the economic crisis period (2009–2018). We qualitatively analyze these changes and their actual effects through a set of legislative initiatives according to the orders of change of the enactive theory of reforms and the concept of isomorphism. The study is informed by interviews with key informants involved in the land administration policy domain, and by secondary data, such as legislative documents and reports. Findings show that the legislative initiatives aimed to bring efficiency, transparency, and rationalization to the land administration policy domain by centralizing the collection of land transaction fees and nationalizing the land administration organizations., The enacted legislative initiatives encompassed organizational (second-order) changes within a short period, instead of incremental technical or managerial measures (first-order) to improve ineffective practices and services for citizens. They ended with a drastic organizational transformation, resulting in "premature load bearing" in the involved organizations, which complexified the implementation of an ambitious land administration reform and impacted the smooth operation of the real estate market. The article increases the current insight on the merger of land administration organizations and its implications. It contributes to the land administration scholarly literature on the establishment of new organizations to create a modern cadastral system from a public policy perspective through the orders of change of the enactive theory of reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of how to implement spatial planning more effective is a fundamental but very difficult one and one that has been of great interest to both the academic and practical community. However, a comprehensive review of the conceptual models and methodological systems for evaluating spatial planning implementation, and the existing practical research results of various types of spatial planning implementation evaluation, are yet to be presented. The study systematically reviews the main research findings in the field of spatial planning implementation from four aspects: conceptual analysis, measurement methods, evaluation frameworks and evaluation methods. This study found three distinct evolutionary features of research in this field: (1) The evaluation concept changes from complete rationality to limited rationality; (2) research methodology changes from a simple closed system to a complex open system; (3) the research perspective shifts from the map to the main body of planning implementation behavior. It is suggested that an important part of future research lies in establishing a system for evaluating the effectiveness based on a single subject who is an actor in the planning implementation process. On this basis, the micro-influencing mechanisms of planning implementation effects will then be explored. Deepening the research to the individual level will help improve planning implementation's effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tzu Chi University Environmental Education Program, based on a theory of change, consisted of four weeks of lessons involving environmental and sustainability topics, followed by hands-on sorting of recyclables and four weeks of weekly documenting of environmentally friendly behavior. The Program was analyzed using written thoughts from the Experimental Group, as well as 78 and 116 valid survey responses of the Control and Experimental Groups, respectively. The survey consisted of questions regarding demographics and five constructs: environmental awareness, attitudes, norms, efficacy and behavior. No significant average differences were found between the pre-tests of the Control and Experimental Groups, or between the pre- and post-test of the Control Group. The post-test of the Experimental Group displayed a significantly higher average value when compared to both the pre-test of the Experimental Group and the post-test of the Control Group, as the means of the self-reported environmental awareness, attitudes, norms, efficacy and behavior significantly improved statistically after participating in the Program. Analysis revealed that lessons from the Program increased undergraduates' environmental awareness and attitudes; "hands-on recyclables sorting" and "weekly documentation of environmentally friendly behavior" strengthened undergraduates' environmental norms and efficacy, while their combination resulted in a significant improvement toward environmentally friendly behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet behaviour is influenced by the interplay of the physical and social environment as well as macro-level and individual factors. In this study, we focus on diet behaviour at an individual level and describe the design of a behaviour change artefact to support diet behaviour change in persons with type 2 diabetes. This artefact was designed using a human-centred design methodology and the Behaviour Change Wheel framework. The designed artefact sought to support diet behaviour change through the addition of healthy foods and the reduction or removal of unhealthy foods over a 12-week period. These targeted behaviours were supported by the enabling behaviours of water consumption and mindfulness practice. The artefact created was a behaviour change planner in calendar format, that incorporated behaviour change techniques and which focused on changing diet behaviour gradually over the 12-week period. The behaviour change planner forms part of a behaviour change intervention which also includes a preparatory workbook exercise and one-to-one action planning sessions and can be customised for each participant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the variation of the loading blades is fundamental due to its importance in the behavior of the wind turbine system. Blade performance can be affected by different loads that alter energy conversion efficiency and cause potential safety hazards. An example of this is icing on the blades. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to propose a proportional digital controller capable of detecting load variations in wind turbine blades together with a fault detection method. An experimental platform is then built to experimentally validate the main contribution of the article. This platform employs an automotive throttle device as a blade system emulator of a wind turbine pitch system. In addition, a statistical fault detection algorithm is established based on the point change methodology. Experimental data support our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frost tolerance is the ability of plants to withstand freezing temperatures without unrecoverable damage. Measuring frost tolerance involves various steps, each of which will vary depending on the objectives of the study. This systematic map takes an overall view of the literature that uses frost tolerance measuring techniques in gymnosperms, focusing mainly on conifers. Many different techniques have been used for testing, and there has been little change in methodology since 2000. The gold standard remains the field observation study, which, due to its cost, is frequently substituted by other techniques. Closed enclosure freezing tests (all non-field freezing tests) are done using various types of equipment for inducing artificial freezing. An examination of the literature indicates that several factors have to be controlled in order to measure frost tolerance in a manner similar to observation in a field study. Equipment that allows controlling the freezing rate, frost exposure time and thawing rate would obtain results closer to field studies. Other important factors in study design are the number of test temperatures used, the range of temperatures selected and the decrements between the temperatures, which should be selected based on expected frost tolerance of the tissue and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of precipitation changes caused by global climate change is a practical and scientific problem of high complexity. To advance, we look at the record of all available rain gauges in Colombia and at the CHIRPS database to estimate trends in essential variables describing precipitation, including HY-INT, an index of the hydrologic cycle's intensity. Most of the gauges and cells do not show significant trends. Moreover, the signs of the statistically significant trends are opposite between the two datasets. Satisfactory explanation for the discrepancy remains open. Among the CHIRPS database's statistically significant trends, the western regions (Pacific and Andes) tend to a more intense hydrologic cycle, increasing both intensity and mean dry spell length, whereas for the northern and eastern regions (Caribbean, Orinoco, and Amazon), the tendencies are opposite. This dipole in trends suggests different mechanisms: ENSO affects western Colombia more directly, whereas rainfall in the eastern regions depends more on the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Amazon basin dynamics. Nevertheless, there is countrywide accord among gauges and cells with significant increasing trends for annual precipitation. Overall, these observations constitute essential evidence of the need for developing a more satisfactory theory of climate change effects on tropical precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active labour market policy is connected with the necessity to account for the funds allocated for it. The conducted analysis forms a part of research on the evaluation of the effects of changes introduced by legal regulations. The aim of this research is to assess the impact of changes to the methodology of calculating on values of the cost and employment effectiveness of basic forms of economic activation in Poland. They were introduced in 2015 in connection with ongoing discussion regarding the effectiveness of the evaluation methods used. The Ministry of Economic Development, Labour and Technology is currently responsible for activating the unemployed in Poland, and funds come from the Labour Fund. The analysis used is the regression discontinuity design. This analysis showed that significant changes occurred only in the slope of the regression line for cost effectiveness after 2015 for both procedures of its calculation. This shows that the new, introduced methods of calculating effectiveness were cosmetic in nature and did not significantly affect their values. A good recommendation for improving the method of evaluating forms of economic activation of the unemployed could be to extend the time of required employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study created digital terrain models (DTMs) from historical aerial images using Structure from Motion (SfM) for a variety of image dates, resolutions, and photo scales. Accuracy assessments were performed on the SfM DTMs, and they were compared to the United States Geological Survey's three-dimensional digital elevation program (3DEP) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) DTMs to evaluate geomorphic change thresholds based on vertical accuracy assessments and elevation change methodologies. The results of this study document a relationship between historical aerial photo scales and predicted vertical accuracy of the resultant DTMs. The results may be used to assess geomorphic change thresholds over multi-decadal timescales depending on spatial scale, resolution, and accuracy requirements. This study shows that if elevation changes of approximately ±1 m are to be mapped, historical aerial photography collected at 1:20,000 scale or larger would be required for comparison to contemporary LiDAR derived DTMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To answer Wheeler's question "Why the quantum?" via quantum information theory according to Bub, one must explain both why the world is quantum rather than classical and why the world is quantum rather than superquantum, i.e., "Why the Tsirelson bound?" We show that the quantum correlations and quantum states corresponding to the Bell basis states, which uniquely produce the Tsirelson bound for the Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt (CHSH) quantity, can be derived from conservation per no preferred reference frame (NPRF). A reference frame in this context is defined by a measurement configuration, just as with the light postulate of special relativity. We therefore argue that the Tsirelson bound is ultimately based on NPRF just as the postulates of special relativity. This constraint-based/principle answer to Bub's question addresses Fuchs' desideratum that we "take the structure of quantum theory and change it from this very overt mathematical speak... into something like [special relativity]." Thus, the answer to Bub's question per Fuchs' desideratum is, "the Tsirelson bound obtains due to conservation per NPRF". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]