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Help Chain (HC) is a problem-solving practice underpinned by lean manufacturing principles and also adopted for health services, which have different complexity characteristics in relation to manufacturing. This study is based on the premise that Social Network Analysis (SNA) might be an effective analytical approach to account for the complexity of HCs in healthcare. Hence, two research questions are addressed: how to model and interpret HCs in health services as a social network and how SNA can either challenge or add to the lean assumptions of HC design. The use of SNA to model HCs was tested in a maternity hospital, where HCs related to five problems were analyzed, concerning the supply of instruments from the centre of sterilised materials to the surgical and obstetrics units. We analyzed the HCs of single problems and then combined the five problem-solving networks to produce a multilayered network that accounted for their interactions. The patterns of social interactions varied according to the problem and three dimensions of actors' performance (i.e. availability, reliability, and agility). SNA unveiled the complexity of HCs and provided guidance for revising the lean assumptions in their design, matching the realities of health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Las Vegas algorithm is presented for the composition of two polynomials modulo a third one, over an arbitrary field. When the degrees of these polynomials are bounded by n, the algorithm uses O(n1.43) field operations, breaking through the 3/2 barrier in the exponent for the first time. The previous fastest algebraic algorithms, due to Brent and Kung in 1978, require O(n1.63) field operations in general, and n3/2+o(1) field operations in the special case of power series over a field of large enough characteristic. If cubic-time matrix multiplication is used, the new algorithm runs in n5/3+o(1) operations, while previous ones run in O(n2) operations. Our approach relies on the computation of a matrix of algebraic relations that is typically of small size. Randomization is used to reduce arbitrary input to this favorable situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-tier sustainable supply chain relationships (MSSCR) are complex with involvement of multiple organisations, practices, objectives, and interconnectivities. These complexities make it difficult to effectively study MSSCR using traditional empirical statistical correlative research. In MSSCR the relationship between the focal firm and sub-supplier may be affected by the relationship between the focal firm and direct-supplier, and the relationship between the direct-supplier and the sub-supplier. This paper introduces a research methodology, based on K-Means clustering, rough set theory, and cluster membership to investigate complex relationships across multi-tier sustainable supply chain triads. Collaborative advantage variables including knowledge-sharing routines, relation-specific investments, complementary capabilities, effective governance mechanisms, and long-term commitment are conceptually presented to evaluate relationships among MSSCR practices and sustainability performance. Insights for practitioners and researchers are provided. Research insights can be gained by analytically providing alternative explanatory and equifinality relationships amongst variables and multi-pair organisations. The methodology can mitigate the endogeneity problem, such as omitted factors (variables), measurement error, even in small sample data situations. Directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specialize? Diversify? Do patients care? The authors investigate the demand-side effects of a hospital's portfolio strategy, which entails decisions about the depth and breadth of its service offerings. Positing that both depth (focus) and breadth (related focus) signal expertise, the authors use both archival and experimental evidence to examine these effects. The archival study is based on Florida's State Inpatient Databases for 2006–2015 and spans all major departments in health care delivery. The empirical analysis exploits plausible exogenous variation from other health care markets and reveals that patient choice is positively influenced by a hospital's depth (focus) and breadth (related focus) of expertise in a department. Complementing the archival evidence, the authors also conducted online experiments to examine the signaling effects of hospital portfolio strategy on patient choice behavior. The results provide support for the idea that hospital portfolio strategy influences patients' perceptions of hospital expertise in focal and related areas and, subsequently, their choice behavior. The authors also highlight potential synergistic effects between focus and related focus and heterogeneity in the effects across departments, payer types, and hospital profit status. These findings underscore the need for managers to adopt a targeted approach to portfolio decisions in health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent findings have shown that psychedelics reliably enhance brain entropy (understood as neural signal diversity), and this effect has been associated with both acute and long-term psychological outcomes, such as personality changes. These findings are particularly intriguing, given that a decrease of brain entropy is a robust indicator of loss of consciousness (e.g., from wakefulness to sleep). However, little is known about how context impacts the entropy-enhancing effect of psychedelics, which carries important implications for how it can be exploited in, for example, psychedelic psychotherapy. This article investigates how brain entropy is modulated by stimulus manipulation during a psychedelic experience by studying participants under the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or placebo, either with gross state changes (eyes closed vs open) or different stimuli (no stimulus vs music vs video). Results show that while brain entropy increases with LSD under all of the experimental conditions, it exhibits the largest changes when subjects have their eyes closed. Furthermore, brain entropy changes are consistently associated with subjective ratings of the psychedelic experience, but this relationship is disrupted when participants are viewing a video─potentially due to a competition between external stimuli and endogenous LSD-induced imagery. Taken together, our findings provide strong quantitative evidence of the role of context in modulating neural dynamics during a psychedelic experience, underlining the importance of performing psychedelic psychotherapy in a suitable environment.

Summary: The increasing demand for massaging networks that are stable and quick needs reevaluations of standard optical networking administration strategies. To improve the efficacy of optical networks by integrating machine learning (ML) approach for the best resource scheduling, this research presents an innovative dynamic block widow optimized random forest (DBWO‐RF) strategy. To implement the DBWO‐driven resource allocation method in accordance with the categorization and clustering findings, the RF method is incorporated with the software defined optical to achieve channel quality assessment after successfully clustering employs the RF approach to achieve channel quality assessment after successfully clustering traffic patterns using the fuzzy C‐means (FCM) algorithm. To lessen the likelihood of blocking, the fragmentation‐function‐fit (FFF) algorithm was provided and the findings indicate that this approach possesses a reduced blocking risk. Using multiple approaches to modulation for various channel quality, the suggested resource allocation system leverages the DBWO approach to distribute the necessary resources based on various "traffic flow (TF)" clustering findings. The examination's outcomes demonstrate that, compared to other techniques under various given load levels, the present study has a reduced blocking risk, a sufficient complexity degree and greater effectiveness in the utilization of spectrum resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting intrusions in real-time within cloud networks presents a multifaceted challenge involving intricate processes such as feature representation, intrusion type classification and post-processing procedures. Distributed Intrusion Detection Systems (DIDSs) constitute a complex landscape characterized by diverse contextual nuances, distinct functional advantages and limitations specific to deployment scenarios. Despite these challenges, DIDS offers immense potential for addressing evolving intrusion detection challenges through tailored contextual adaptations and unique functional advantages. Moreover, exploring the limitations associated with different deployment contexts facilitates targeted improvements and refinements, unlocking new avenues for innovation in intrusion detection technologies. Notably, deep learning (DL) integrated with blockchain technology emerges as a superior approach in terms of security, while bioinspired models excel in Quality of Service (QoS). These models demonstrate higher accuracy across various network scenarios, underscoring their efficacy in intrusion detection. Additionally, edge-based models exhibit high accuracy and scalability with reduced delay, complexity and cost in real-time network environments. The fusion of these models holds promise for enhancing classification performance across diverse attack types, offering avenues for future research exploration. This text conducts a comprehensive comparison of performance metrics, including accuracy, response delay, computational complexity, scalability and deployment costs. The proposed Novel DIDS Rank (NDR) streamlines model selection by considering these metrics, enabling users to make well-informed decisions based on multiple performance aspects simultaneously. This unified ranking approach facilitates the identification of DIDS that achieves high accuracy and scalability while minimizing response delay, cost and complexity across varied deployment scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a Composition Piecewise Memory Polynomial (CPMP) digital predistortion model based on a Vector Switched (VS) behavioral model to address the challenges of severe nonlinearity and strong memory effects in wideband power amplifiers (PAs). To tackle this issue, two thresholds are calculated and used to segment the envelope values of the input signal according to the nonlinear distortion characteristics of the PA. In this approach, a Generalized Memory Polynomial (GMP) model is employed for the lower segment, a Memory Polynomial (MP) model is employed for the middle segment, and a higher-order GMP model is employed for the upper segment. By sharing the fundamental MP among the proposed segmented models and leveraging a design methodology that configures different cross terms, memory depths, and polynomial orders for each segment, this model achieves superior linearization performance while simultaneously reducing the computational complexity associated with model extraction. The experimental results demonstrate that the adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of the predistorted PA output signal using the proposed model improves from −36 dBc to −54 dBc, matching the performance of the GMP model. Furthermore, this performance is 0.5 dBc better than the Piecewise Dynamic Deviation Reduction (PDDR) and Decomposed Vector Rotation (DVR) models. Notably, the complexity of the proposed parameter extraction process is 28.8% of the DVR model, 21.79% of the GMP model, and 12.83% of the PDDR model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models used to explain phenomena are necessarily finer grained than the models used to measure them. In language study, the measures used to assess development (e.g., readability indices) rely on models of language that are too coarse grained to be interpreted in a linguistic framework and so do not participate in linguistic accounts of development. This study argues that the constructionist approaches provide a framework for the development of a practical and interpretable measure of developmental complexity because these approaches feature affordances from which a measurement model may be derived: they describe language knowledge as a comprehensive network of enumerable entities that do not require the imputation of external processes, are extensible to early child language, and hold that the drivers of language development are the learning and generalization of constructions. It is argued here that treating schematic constructions as the unit of language knowledge supports a complexity measure that can reflect developmental changes arising from the learning and productive generalization of these units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, various recommendations have been published to enhance the methodological rigor and publication standards in psychological science. However, adhering to these recommendations may have limited impact on the reproducibility of causal effects as long as psychological phenomena continue to be viewed as decomposable into separate and additive statistical structures of causal relationships. In this article, we show that (a) psychological phenomena are patterns emerging from nondecomposable and nonisolable complex processes that obey idiosyncratic nonlinear dynamics, (b) these processual features jeopardize the chances of standard reproducibility of statistical results, and (c) these features call on researchers to reconsider what can and should be reproduced, that is, the psychological processes per se, and the signatures of their complexity and dynamics. Accordingly, we argue for a greater consideration of process causality of psychological phenomena reflected by key properties of complex dynamical systems (CDSs). This implies developing and testing formal models of psychological dynamics, which can be implemented by computer simulation. The scope of the CDS paradigm and its convergences with other paradigms are discussed regarding the reproducibility issue. Ironically, the CDS approach could account for both reproducibility and nonreproducibility of the statistical effects usually sought in mainstream psychological science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The goal of the study is to provide guidelines for a simplified South African Value-Added Tax (VAT) Act. Motivation: The current VAT Act lacks logical structure and is therefore complex to teach, apply in practice and administer. The study on which this article reports investigated the structure of the VAT Act as an element of legal complexity. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was conducted in two phases: a literature review, followed by semi-structured interviews. Main findings: Existing empirical studies confirm that the poor structure, layout and organisation of the VAT Act contribute to its complexity. In addition, research confirms that improvements to structure, layout and organisation enhance the readability of statutes. Interviewees agreed that the current incoherent structure of the VAT Act contributes to its complexity. The findings confirm that the complexity of the VAT Act raises compliance and administrative costs. Practical implications/Managerial impact: The literature review and interview findings contribute to the development of guidelines for a simplified South African VAT Act, which is the contribution of this study. The principles include adhering to a VAT vendor's lifecycle, grouping sections together, introducing headings and subheadings, using clear signposting, employing international benchmarks and seeking a solution that addresses local challenges most effectively. Novelty/Contribution: One recommendation that stands out is to completely rewrite the VAT Act. As a first step in this rewrite project, it is recommended that an index be developed using the guidelines. This is an initial step towards simplification of the South African VAT Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anecdotally, patients don't seem to be more unwell than they were 10 years ago, yet they still seem more 'complex'. Aims: The aim of this study was to use an objective measure to assess the trend in complexity of general medicine patients over a 9‐year period. Methods: Complexity was pragmatically defined as a composite of comorbidity plus dependence/frailty. We selected 100 consecutive patients discharged from General Medicine at Monash Medical Centre (a tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia) in the month of April of each year from 2011 to 2019. For each patient, we retrospectively calculated their burden of comorbidity and their degree of dependency/frailty. Comorbidity was measured using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and dependence/frailty was assessed using the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL) and the Braden Scale (BS). The BS is a pressure injury risk assessment tool. Additional demographic data were collected, including length of stay, admission and discharge residence, 30‐day readmission rate and inpatient mortality. Results: There was no statistically significant change in the CCI or the Katz ADL. The median BS did however significantly decrease from 19 in 2011 to 16 in 2019 (P = 0.006), reflecting an increased risk of pressure injuries. Conclusions: Despite a stable level of comorbidity, our finding of a decreasing BS score may suggest that patients are becoming more dependent. This increase in dependency rather than a change in chronic disease burden may be the cause of apparent increasing patient complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical thinking about the future needs to be at the centre of tourism planning scholarship. By using complexity theory as a framework to understand the shaping power of time, we review understandings about the future in tourism planning literature concerning three interrelated aspects: How the future is known in tourism planning, how the future has been planned in tourism, and what futures have been planned. Changing, diverse and mutually intertwined views of understanding time and approaching the future are identified and gathered into two interwoven bundles. In the first bundle, the future in tourism planning is singular, foreseeable, and technical, with strong linear and cause-effect assumptions. In the second grouping, as cause-effect assumptions are questioned, futures in tourism planning become multiple, nested, simultaneous and emerge from non-linear, relational, value-laden and time-dependent socio-political processes. A characterisation of singular time and multiple temporalities in tourism planning is presented, and their coexistence in the literature is acknowledged for its potential to stimulate ethical future-making through planning and tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We revisit the seminal Brill–Noether algorithm for plane curves with ordinary singularities. Our new approach takes advantage of fast algorithms for polynomials and structured matrices. We design a new probabilistic algorithm of Las Vegas type that computes a Riemann–Roch space in expected sub-quadratic time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimum linear ordering problem (MLOP) generalizes well-known combinatorial optimization problems such as minimum linear arrangement and minimum sum set cover. MLOP seeks to minimize an aggregated cost f (·) due to an ordering σ of the items (say [n]), i.e., min σ ∑ i ∈ [ n ] f (E i , σ) , where E i , σ is the set of items mapped by σ to indices [i]. Despite an extensive literature on MLOP variants and approximations for these, it was unclear whether the graphic matroid MLOP was NP-hard. We settle this question through non-trivial reductions from mininimum latency vertex cover and minimum sum vertex cover problems. We further propose a new combinatorial algorithm for approximating monotone submodular MLOP, using the theory of principal partitions. This is in contrast to the rounding algorithm by Iwata et al. (in: APPROX, 2012), using Lovász extension of submodular functions. We show a (2 - 1 + ℓ f 1 + | E |) -approximation for monotone submodular MLOP where ℓ f = f (E) max x ∈ E f ({ x }) satisfies 1 ≤ ℓ f ≤ | E | . Our theory provides new approximation bounds for special cases of the problem, in particular a (2 - 1 + r (E) 1 + | E |) -approximation for the matroid MLOP, where f = r is the rank function of a matroid. We further show that minimum latency vertex cover is 4 3 -approximable, by which we also lower bound the integrality gap of its natural LP relaxation, which might be of independent interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positive outcomes associated with the Last Planner System (LPS) of production control are usually interpreted as stemming from the application of LPS-as-theorized in the seminal publications about this method. However, the use of LPS in real settings is subjected to contextual influences and involvement of actors with varying perspectives of what counts as an effective implementation. This suggests that LPS-as-theorized may not be the only valid and sufficient representation to explain its success. This paper investigates how the different representations of LPS contribute to its effectiveness and adaptation to local conditions. It is based on a case study on the implementation of LPS in a refurbishment project. Four representations are compared: LPS-as-theorized (literature based), LPS-as-prescribed (handbook based), LPS-as-disclosed (interviews based), and LPS-as-done, i.e., what happened in reality, according to different sources of evidence. Findings set the basis for proposing a model that frames LPS-as-done as an emergent phenomenon unique to each construction project. This new perspective contributes to the recognition of the role of informal practices, the development of more accurate assessments of LPS implementation, the analysis of trade-offs when using LPS, and the alignment of expectations on the adoption of LPS. Practical Applications: The outcomes of this investigation can help practitioners to identify and appreciate the complementary roles of different representations of the LPS, which are not limited to LPS-as-theorized described in seminal academic papers. The use of LPS in real settings depends on contextual factors and is therefore always unique to some extent. Giving visibility to diverse representations (e.g., LPS-as-prescribed in companies' handbooks, LPS-as-disclosed by managers) supports a more accurate and shared understanding of how LPS is implemented, making it possible to align expectations among project stakeholders. This analysis also sheds light on the need to fill the gaps in the formal planning system, setting the basis for revising procedures and training programs. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the assessment methods of LPS implementation should be based on different sources of data in order to account for the multiple representations. Overall, the results are likely to resonate with practitioners because these will recognize that they are not merely strictly following predefined procedures but rather playing an active role that demands expertise for adjusting theory into practice on an everyday basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the impact of nonconvexity on the complexity of nonsmooth optimization, emphasizing objectives such as piecewise linear functions, which may not be weakly convex. We focus on a dimension-independent analysis, slightly modifying a 2020 black-box algorithm of Zhang-Lin-Jegelka-Sra-Jadbabaie that approximates an ϵ-stationary point of any directionally differentiable Lipschitz objective using O(ϵ−4) calls to a specialized subgradient oracle and a randomized line search. Seeking by contrast a deterministic method, we present a simple black-box version that achieves O(ϵ−5) for any difference-of-convex objective and O(ϵ−4) for the weakly convex case. Our complexity bound depends on a natural nonconvexity modulus that is related, intriguingly, to the negative part of directional second derivatives of the objective, understood in the distributional sense. Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [Grant DMS-2006990]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To address the high level of autistic unemployment it has been recommended that autistic individuals be supported to own and lead social enterprises. This paper aims to discuss what is required to create an enabling environment for autistic social entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: By referring to the autism, entrepreneurship and complexity theory literature, it is argued in this conceptual article that to create the required enabling environment for autistic social entrepreneurship, business advisors need to adopt a business development approach that aligns with autistic ways of thinking. It is also agrued that a place-based autistic social enterprise support ecosystem based on a landscape of practice approach is required to bring together diverse support individuals and organisations who have different approaches to practice. Examples including personal reflections are used to support these claims. Findings: Challenges and barriers to creating the required enabling environment are identified. Two theories of change, one focused on creating integrated service delivery and one focused on enabling the landscape of practice to transition to a more effective state, are proposed for addressing the identified challenges and barriers. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, for the first time this article identifies what is required to address the challenges and barriers in creating an enabling environment for autistic social entrepreneurship. Without addressing these challenges and barriers there is a risk that nascent autistic social entrepreneurs will be set up for failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes to investigate tourism performance by employing fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. International tourist destinations are examined to identify the different paths leading to high levels of tourism arrivals and tourism receipts. The findings demonstrate that tourism performance is complex and requires specific combinations of conditions to succeed. The research identifies two types of destinations that rely on different factors to achieve success: Type 1 focuses on price competitiveness, while Type 2 emphasises the quality of the experience. Furthermore, it shows that a peculiar destination performs well in terms of receipts, relying on both price competitiveness and quality of the experience despite a lack of attractions. Type 1 and Type 2 destinations have good predictive validity in a pandemic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of fsQCA in order to explain the productivity changes in two-stage analysis. In this way, the idea from Corne and Peypoch (2020) in the efficiency analysis framework is extended to the case of productivity indexes and indicators. An empirical illustration to the case of Chinese provinces emphasizes the complex configurations explaining tourism productivity and opens avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers and people are tightly coupled. How people relate to rivers dictates their understanding of rivers and approaches to river management. The numerous ways people interact with rivers create complex patterns of social–ecological relationships and interdependencies. Despite this tight coupling, rivers and humans are often studied and managed as separate entities, to the detriment of river environments. Conceptual pluralism is required to move beyond existing practice to avoid irretrievable loss of ways of framing and working with our river environments. The articles in this special issue approach human–river relationships from three perspectives. First, there is a subset that enters the discussions via the human aspects of relationships with rivers, particularly the human frames, metaphors, definitions, or concepts used to reflect on human activities related to rivers. The second subset approaches relationships via the river dimensions, with particular focus on the impacts of human modifications to river ecosystems. Finally, the third subset more fully emphasizes the relationships between humans and rivers. The wide‐ranging dialogue provided in these articles highlights the need for a wider research agenda for rivers that embraces social–ecological systems and other integrative, inclusive ways of understanding. As a collective, these articles advocate the value of creating new river knowledge embedded within a social–ecological context, action, and advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article imagines the future of HRD using a complexity lens. Complexity calls for rethinking the industrial-era framing of work, learning, and change. We discuss foundational concepts and terminology that inform our work and consider links with HRD. We adopt the idea of 'ready-ing', introduced by Nora Bateson, who challenges strongly held theories of top-down, step-by-step change that do not work well in complex adaptive systems. She instead suggests we should ready people and organisations for change they might not imagine and cannot predict. We then draw from earlier thinking on sculpting the learning organisation that seems relevant to complexity. To illustrate what ready-ing might look like in practice, we elaborate four examples, or sightings, of how organisations ready for change. We discuss the resulting implications for HRD practice in leadership development and organisational change. We also examine ways that university preparation has pivoted towards a future of ready-ing HRD scholars and researchers for 'what if' thinking and complex adaptive change. We conclude with reflections on developing new mindsets and skill sets for HRD's ready-ing for complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual systems are composed of several visual devices whose interactions are not always deliberately designed but rather emerge from the self-organization of employees. Thus, these emergent interactions can be glossed over and the effectiveness of improving individual visual devices might be low. This paper addresses this gap by introducing a four-step framework for the analysis of visual systems, involving: the functional modelling of the target social-technical system; assessment of the existing visual devices; identification of emergent visual systems; and practical recommendations. The interactions between the visual devices are assumed to be mediated by the functions that use them. The framework was applied in an intensive care unit, based on interviews, questionnaires, document analysis, and observations. Twenty groups of visual devices and six visual systems were identified. Three propositions offer additional guidance for the framework application and for understanding the nature of visual systems, allowing for the analysis of emergent visual systems that otherwise can remain hidden in plain sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the interplay between capability and complexity within the context of military forces. The findings here describe how these two concepts intersect and highlight the capability definitions, themes, challenges, opportunities, and applications. By running a thorough review of 314 articles, 10 key research themes have been identified, including: 1) Capability Development and Assessment, 2) Regional Defence Studies, 3) Technological Advancements in Military, 4) Strategic Analysis, 5) Operational Tactics, 6) Defence Industry Dynamics, 7) Organisational and Management Aspects, 8) Cybersecurity and Network Capabilities, 9) Military Training and Exercises, and 10) Policy and Political Implications. Among these themes, the literature highlights the importance of a subtle understanding of capability and complexity for well-informed decision-making in military and defence domains. Moreover, this study identifies gaps in existing research and emphasises the need for a coherent theoretical framework to guide decision-makers for military capability acquisitions. The findings have implications for enhancing national security, defence capability planning and resource allocation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the conceptual and methodological challenges surrounding complexity and difficulty in second language acquisition research. It highlights the distinction between complexity as structural properties of linguistic items and difficulty as cognitive costs associated with acquiring and using these items. The authors propose core measures for researchers to promote replicability and knowledge accumulation. The commentary also touches upon debates on complexity measurement, syntactic units of analysis, and the consideration of word meanings in analyzing complexity and difficulty. The article emphasizes the need for complementary measures at different levels of granularity and sensitivity to language-specific features. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the distinction between complexity and difficulty in second language acquisition, proposing to add new constructs to the existing complexity-accuracy-fluency (CAF) triad. The authors suggest incorporating difficulty and appropriateness into the framework, leading to the acronym CAFDA. Additionally, the article introduces the idea of extending the CAF paradigm to CAFIC, with "I" representing idiomaticity and "C" representing coherence, to encompass new measures related to conventionalized language use. The authors emphasize the need for clarity in defining key notions and the importance of developing precise delineations for the new constructs. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Optionality, Complexity, Difficulty: The Next Step" discusses the importance of considering variation and optionality in language learning, particularly in relation to complexity and difficulty. The authors highlight the distinction between complexity and difficulty, emphasizing the need to explore the relationship between these concepts in the context of optionality in learner language. They suggest that further research on the triad of optionality, complexity, and difficulty could enhance our understanding of second language acquisition. The article also references previous studies on grammatical alternations and language proficiency to support their arguments. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Is This (Becoming) a Theory of Second Language Acquisition?: A Commentary on 'Complexity and Difficulty in Second Language Acquisition: A Theoretical and Methodological Overview'" by Jonas Granfeldt from Lund University discusses the concepts of complexity and difficulty in second language acquisition research. The author argues that while focusing on difficulty may enhance the research agenda in second language acquisition, the concept itself may not be helpful. The article explores how complexity and difficulty relate to development and proficiency in language acquisition, highlighting the need for clear definitions and further research in this area. [Extracted from the article]

Drawing on insights from the United Kingdom [UK], this commentary highlights the complexity of the Olympic sport policy process and proposes a novel conceptual approach that situates people at the forefront of the analysis. Informed by process sociology, the approach demonstrates the importance of understanding complexity as the consequence of interdependent relationships that bind people together. Extracts from interviews undertaken with nine senior National Governing Body employees, who are responsible for implementing Olympic sport policy, are drawn on to inform and illuminate the proposed approach. Their extracts showcase that conversations and dialogue, often undertaken in the context of meetings, are central to the policy process. Managing emotions, navigating opacity, deep personal involvement and associated personal wellbeing impacts are all features of the Olympic sport policy process not readily accounted for in the extant literature or practice. The process, increasingly games like, never wholly represents the actions of any one group or individual as they navigate choices constrained by the interlacing of many relationships over time. We therefore conclude that it may be conceptually better to now describe the organisation of Olympic sport in the UK as a figuration of people rather than as a “system”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization Astana Declaration of 2018 sees primary healthcare as key to universal health coverage and gives further support to the goal of building sustainable models of community palliative care. Yet evaluating the benefits of such models continues to pose methodological and conceptual challenges. Objective: To explore evaluation issues associated with a community-based palliative care approach in Kerala, India. Design: An illuminative case study using a rapid evaluation methodology. Methodology: Qualitative interviews, documentary analysis and observations of home care and community organising. Results: We appraise a community palliative care programme in Kerala, India, using three linked 'canvases' of enquiry: (1) 'complex' multi-factorial community-based interventions and implications for evaluation; (2) 'axiological' orientations that foreground values in any evaluation process and (3) the status of evaluative evidence in postcolonial contexts. Three values underpinning the care process were significant: heterogeneity, voice and decentralisation. We identify 'objects of interest' related to first-, second- and third-order outcomes: (1) individuals and organisations; (2) unintended targets outside the core domain and (3) indirect, distal effects within and outside the domain. Conclusion: We show how evaluation of palliative care in complex community circumstances can be successfully accomplished when attending to the significance of community care values. Plain language summary: Where are the values in evaluating palliative care? Learning from community-based palliative care provision The evaluation of any intervention or service will inevitably involve a series of decisions on what we measure, what criteria we use to judge whether the intervention has been successful (or not), what type of data we actually collect and what methods we use to do this. When evaluating a range of palliative care interventions, we suggest that these decisions have often been taken in a concealed way and tend to favour relatively narrow quantitative measures linked to end outcomes. Our paper reports on the evaluation of a community-based palliative care intervention on Kerala, India. In it, we suggest that such complex work requires a broader approach to evaluation that: makes the values being used to assess success explicit; draws on a range of data types; is interested in delivery processes; and places the voices of participants at the heart of the assessment. The paper concludes with some broader observations on how these principles might be applied more widely within palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior work suggests when instrumental goals are salient, linguistic complexity associates with positive behavioral outcomes compared to linguistic simplicity. The current work tested this idea using descriptions from over 1,000 online realty advertisements to associate with housing prices. The evidence suggested linguistic complexity (e.g., fewer common words, more analytic writing, and less readable writing) indeed associated with higher housing prices. These data explicated the contingent-on-effort hypothesis : linguistic complexity is favored when people value effort in a particular setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory-based evaluation has undergone changes over time, adapting to challenges and aligning with trends that emphasise increased participation and complexity. However, integrating both high participation and complexity in programme theory does not consistently lead to productive outcomes in intricate systems. This article introduces contingency-oriented questions to assess the appropriate balance of complexity and participation in theory-based evaluation. Using a case study focused on the Accelerating Achievement for Adolescents Hub, a Global Challenges Research Fund initiative, we demonstrate the practical application of these questions. Our analysis highlights why efforts to elaborate a more complex programme theory were unsuccessful and explains the rationale behind concluding the project with a theory characterised by more moderate complexity and participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the complexity of co-generative learning processes between a university and regional actors, drawing on the author's experience facilitating an action research course. The course engages students in collaborating with regional practitioners on real-life territorial development challenges. Through glimpses into the co-generation process from student exam papers, the article highlights the challenges students face in navigating ambiguity and complexity when exposed to real-life territorial issues. Concepts such as regional complexity, Bildung, interiority, and democratic dialogue are used to analyze how structured reflection and facilitation through participation with regional actors can enhance students' critical capacities for reflection and action. The main theoretical contribution is extending the concept of co-generative learning of Morten Levin and action research for territorial development by integrating students as reflective, facilitative actors in educational and regional development processes. Action research for territorial development provides a framework for accompanying the social transformations needed to address complex challenges. The article shows that by engaging in real-life issues through participatory, reflective processes, students develop crucial skills for facilitating collective territorial development efforts. Despite limitations related to geographic context and the course structure, the insights gained offer valuable implications for applying Levin's legacy in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the intersection of cognitive sciences and social network theory and its counterpart, the complexity sciences, aiming to shed light on the compatibility and potential integration of these frameworks into institutional theory. Institutional scholars have for long selectively adopted notions linked with the cognitive sciences and complexity sciences, such as the notion of path dependence, without exploring the broader implications of systematically integrating such perspectives into institutionalism. This paper aims to advance such a comprehensive theoretical integration, by investigating the effective combination of these approaches and their significant implications. It shows how the complexity sciences contribute to dissolving the barriers between the cognitive and social realms and illustrates how this impacts notions of human agency and reflexivity. Theoretical integration also involves acknowledging considerable diversity in individual human agency, which in turn prompts a reconsideration of how notions of institutional stability, change, diffusion and adaptation are understood. Furthermore, the paper addresses the epistemological challenge presented by the complexity sciences, before it highlights the general relevance of institutional theory in analyzing complex social phenomena. Finally, the paper explores implications for research methodology, proposing that a fusion of institutional theory and the complexity sciences provides a metatheoretical framework for assessing the contextual suitability of different theoretical and methodological approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jump dynamics in financial markets exhibit significant complexity, often resulting in increased probabilities of subsequent jumps, akin to earthquake aftershocks. This study aims to understand these complexities within a multifractal framework. To do this, we employed the high-frequency intraday data from six major cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dashcoin, EOS, and Ripple) and six major forex markets (Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, Swiss franc, and Japanese yen) between 4 August 2019 and 4 October 2023, at 5 min intervals. We began by extracting daily jumps from realized volatility using a MinRV-based approach and then applying Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) to those jumps to explore their multifractal characteristics. The results of the MFDFA—especially the fluctuation function, the varying Hurst exponent, and the Renyi exponent—confirm that all of these jump series exhibit significant multifractal properties. However, the range of the Hurst exponent values indicates that Dashcoin has the highest and Litecoin has the lowest multifractal strength. Moreover, all of the jump series show significant persistent behavior and a positive autocorrelation, indicating a higher probability of a positive/negative jump being followed by another positive/negative jump. Additionally, the findings of rolling-window MFDFA with a window length of 250 days reveal persistent behavior most of the time. These findings are useful for market participants, investors, and policymakers in developing portfolio diversification strategies and making important investment decisions, and they could enhance market efficiency and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents three novel encryption and decryption schemes based on graph theory that aim to improve security and error resistance in communication networks. The novelty of this work lies in the application of complete bipartite graphs in two of the schemes and the Cartesian product of graphs in the third, representing a unique approach to cryptographic algorithm development. Unlike traditional cryptographic methods, these graph-based schemes use structural properties of graphs to achieve robust encryption, providing greater resistance to attacks and corruption. Each scheme is illustrated with detailed examples that show how the algorithms can be successfully implemented. The algorithms are written in standard mathematical notation, making them adaptable for machine implementation and scalable for real-world use. The schemes are also rigorously analyzed and compared in terms of their temporal and spatial complexities, using Big O notation. This comprehensive evaluation focuses on their effectiveness, providing valuable insights into their potential for secure communication in modern networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Cladoxylopsids, one of the first lineages with complex organization to rise from the plexus of structurally simple plants that comprised the earliest euphyllophyte floras, are moniliformopsid euphyllophytes. They formed Earth's earliest forests by the Middle Devonian and are thought to have given rise to the equisetopsids and probably some fern lineages. The Lower Devonian (Emsian) Battery Point Formation (Quebec, Canada) contains previously unrecognized cladoxylopsids preserved anatomically. One of these provides new data on structural evolution among euphyllophytes and is described here. Methods: The anatomy and morphology of permineralized axes of the new plant were studied with light and electron microscopy on sections produced using the cellulose acetate peel technique. Morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analysis were used for taxonomic placement of the plant. Results: The plant represents a new species, Paracladoxylon kespekianum Chu et Tomescu, gen. et sp. nov., that has tracheids with modern‐looking bordered pits and the complex cauline vascular architecture characteristic of the genus Cladoxylon. Its dissected ultimate appendages have complex regular taxis and a pattern of vascularization that suggests bilateral symmetry. Conclusions: Paracladoxylon kespekianum is one of the largest Early Devonian euphyllophytes, among the oldest representatives of the cladoxylopsid group, and older than any species of the closely related Cladoxylon by at least 35 million years. It is also one of the oldest anatomically preserved representatives of the cladoxylopsid group. Its anatomical organization pushes the rise of complex vascular architecture among moniliformopsid euphyllophytes deeper in time than previously recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports fractal patterns identified in the complex musical composition DIAPHONIES by Michael Paouris via power-law fractal analysis with sliding-windows of size 1024. From 7,647,232 analysed musical segments of DIAPHONIES, 3,222,832 (42.4%) are fractional Brownian motion (fBm) fractal segments and 4,424,400 (57.6%) are fractional Gaussian noise (fGn) stochastic ones. From the fBm fractal segments 295,294 (9.1%) exhibit strong persistency-P with power-law segments in the range of 2.3 ≤ b ≤ 3 . These are the very strong fractal areas in DIAPHONIES. Numerous segments with strong antipersistency 1.7 ≤ b < 2 are reported together with segments with AP changes ( 1.7 ≤ b < 2.3 ). In DIAPHONIES continuous fractal fBm areas are dipped in non-fractal fGn areas of deterministic music. The results are within the fBm fractal areas reported in existing papers. Very importantly, the simple composition called Nocturnal-Angel by Michael Paouris, exhibited limited fBm areas of average b ¯ = 1.98 ( σ = 0.3 ), namely of pure statistical, deterministic music, while simultaneously, the fractal analysis profile was completely different from the profiles of DIAPHONIES, hence reinforcing, the fractal findings of DIAPHONIES in relation to trivial music harmony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread interest in nondestructive biomarkers of aging has led to a multitude of biological ages that each proffers a "true" health-adjusted individual age. Although each measure provides salient information on the aging process, they are each univariate, in contrast to the "hallmark" and "pillar" theories of aging, which are explicitly multidimensional, multicausal, and multiscale. Fortunately, multiple biological ages can be systematically combined into a multidimensional network representation. The interaction network between these biological ages permits analysis of the multidimensional effects of aging, as well as quantification of causal influences during both natural aging and, potentially, after anti-aging intervention. The behavior of the system as a whole can then be explored using dynamical network stability analysis, which identifies new, efficient biomarkers that quantify long-term resilience scores on the timescale between measurements (years). We demonstrate this approach using a set of 8 biological ages from the longitudinal Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA). After extracting an interaction network between these biological ages, we observed that physiological age, a proxy for cardiometabolic health, serves as a central node in the network, implicating it as a key vulnerability for slow, age-related decline. We furthermore show that while the system as a whole is stable, there is a weakly stable direction along which recovery is slow—on the timescale of a human lifespan. This slow direction provides an aging biomarker, which correlates strongly with chronological age and predicts longitudinal decline in health—suggesting that it estimates an important driver of age-related changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical analysis of the literature and perspective research ideas for modeling the epidemics caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It goes beyond deterministic population dynamics to consider several key complexity features of the system under consideration. In particular, the multiscale features of the dynamics from contagion to the subsequent dynamics of competition between the immune system and the proliferating virus. Other topics addressed in this work include the propagation of epidemics in a territory, taking into account local transportation networks, the heterogeneity of the population and the study of social and economic problems in populations involved in the spread of epidemics. The overall content aims to show how new mathematical tools can be developed to address the above topics and how mathematical models and simulations can contribute to the decision making of crisis managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Aims: Despite being mentioned in well‐known models of psychotherapeutic change, the concept of extra‐therapeutic factors seems to have left the scene across time, eaten away by the progressive refinement of the construct of common factors. Aim of the present study is to better understanding the historical evolution of the concept of extra‐therapeutic factors and its importance for psychotherapy today. Methods: This is a position paper based on a literature review on extra‐therapeutic factors and psychotherapy outcome and process. Discussion: There is growing evidence of the decisive role of clients' and therapists' characteristics, as well as of the importance of therapeutic alliances and relationships in promoting change. Within this context, the concept of extra‐therapeutic factors still deserves proper attention, rather than being relegated to a residual and vanishing category. Conclusion: A renewed interest on extra‐therapeutic factors could reinvigorate the debate over the relationship between psychotherapy and life contexts and conditions. In terms of complexity and systems thinking nothing, a priori, really falls outside the realm of psychotherapy and, in turn, psychotherapy is not a practice that could be abstracted from the context in which it is practiced or from clients' and therapists' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to define a subset of complex rTKA in terms of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative outcomes and complications. The secondary outcome of the authors is to propose a simple and easy-to-use guide for clinical network in rTKA management. Methods: Complex rTKAs were defined according to the presence of at least two of the following features: periprosthetic joint infection, re- revision, femoral and/or tibial massive bone defects, soft tissue impairment, stiffness, fracture requiring fixed component revision. Results: Twenty-six patients underwent a standard rTKA (group A) while 24 had a complex rTKA (group B). The mean follow-up was 50.2 ± 16.4 months in group A and 49.5 ± 16.8 in group B (p = 0.44). The operative time was longer in group B (200.4 ± 131.4 min vs 110.2 ± 59.8 min). A greater intraoperative total blood loss (3014.2 ± 740.0 vs 2328.5 ± 620.6 ml, p < 0.001), intra and postoperative blood infusion (3.6 ± 1.2 vs 2.1 ± 1.2 units, p < 0.001) was reported in group B. Significant difference was obtained for global complication rate (11.5% group A vs 37.5% group B, p = 0.04), reoperation (7.7% group A vs 33.3% group B, p = p = 0.03) and re-revision (3.8% group A vs 25% group B, p = p = 0.04). Conclusion: This study describes a specific entity of rTKA that require higher surgical effort and increased surgical challenge (measured as increased surgical time, need of transfusions and complications). The proposed classification could provide an easy-to-use tool for quick grading of complexity in rTKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Undergraduate medical education (UGME) has to prepare students to do safety-critical work (notably, to prescribe) immediately after qualifying. Despite hospitals depending on them, medical graduates consistently report feeling unprepared to prescribe and they sometimes harm patients. Research clarifying how to prepare students better could improve healthcare safety. Our aim was to explore how students experienced preparing for one of their commonest prescribing tasks: intravenous fluid therapy (IVFT). Methods: Complexity assumptions guided the research, which used a qualitative methodology oriented towards hermeneutic phenomenology. The study design was an uncontrolled and unplanned complex intervention: judicial review of the iatrogenic death of five children due to hyponatraemia in our region had resulted in the recommendation that students' education in 'the implementation of important clinical guidelines' relevant to fluid and electrolyte balance should be intensified. An opportunity sample of 40 final-year medical students drew and gave audio-recorded commentaries on rich pictures. We completed two template analyses: one of participants' transcribed commentaries on the pictures and one using a novel heuristic to analyse the pictures themselves. We then reconciled the two analyses into a single template. Results: There were four themes: affects, teaching and learning, contradictions, and the curriculum as a journey. To explore interconnections between themes, we chose the picture best exemplifying each of the four themes and interpreted the curriculum journey depicted in each of them. These interpretations were grounded in each participant's picture, verbal account of the picture, and the aggregate findings of the template analysis. Participants' experiences were influenced by the situated complexity of IVFT. Layered on top of that, contradictions, overlaps, and gaps within the curriculum introduced extraneous complexity. Confusion and apprehension resulted. Conclusions: After spending five years preparing to prescribe IVFT, participants felt unprepared to do so. We conclude that intensive teaching had not achieved its avowed goal of improving students' preparedness for safe practice. Merton's seminal work on the 'unanticipated consequences of purposive social action' suggests that intensive teaching may even have contributed to their unpreparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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