Search

Air pollution in megacities worldwide has been a severe public health and environmental problem; it contributes to climate change and threatens life. Among all services, the transport sector accounts for most of these pollutants. However, despite the strategies implemented to reduce these pollutants, mitigate their effects, and promote prosperity and sustainability, emission reduction targets remain unmet, causing the average global temperatures to keep increasing. In this study, the air pollution in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) is estimated through the design of an environmental simulation model using system dynamics, which constitutes a possibility for authorities to foresee the evolution of air quality in MCMA by assessing the emissions from the transport sector from a holistic perspective, based on the region DESTEP analysis factors. Simulation results estimate a more significant reduction than predicted by the local government's current forecast; this emission reduction would be up to 106% lower for PM10, 176% for PM2.5, 34% for NOx, and 17% for VOC. The conclusion demonstrated that one of the main factors with the most significant impact on the control and reduction of emissions is the use and promotion of public transportation, along with the improvement of its road infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relevance. A potential for zoonotic transmission of highly pathogenic coronavirus strains to humans was of little concern to health care providers, which came as a surprise and led to a coronavirus pandemic in 2020 spring. In 2023 fall, there was higher number of humans infected with coronavirus infection. In 2024, influenza outbreaks characterized by wave-like temperature changes are observed, which may indicate the emergence of a new virus strain. Currently, it is of interest to study the effects related to novel coronavirus infection on human immune system. To date, the immune responses for individual parameters from leukocyte blood formula have been studied, but insufficient attention has been paid to the cumulative impact, due to the fact that many parameters behave ambiguously and it has not been possible to determine the cumulative impact on the immunogram. The aim of the study is to investigate models describing the dynamics in immunogram changes during the pandemic in adolescents living in Perm Krai. The objectives were to analyze differential equations describing a change in immunogram parameters; to summarize study results on impaired immunity due to exposure to coronavirus infection. Results. Differential equations were analyzed and the extremum and age patient parameters with the greatest deviation from the reference interval were determined. Conclusion. Despite the fact that individual elements of flow cytophotometric analysis are oscillatory in nature with large impulses, the generalization of flow cytophotometric analysis indices showed an interesting pattern characterized by a smooth change towards increasing deviation in older adolescence for all studied parameters. Flow cytophotometric analysis indices being within the reference range had the same modality towards negative trend with increasing age only differed by the fact that in the disease state the deviation was twice as large. Without disease, the excess of flow cytophotometric analysis indicators had a positive trend with increasing age, and the decrease of flow cytophotometric analysis indicators from the reference interval had a negative trend. In the disease state with decreased immunoglobulins, when flow cytophotometric analysis exceeded the reference interval, there was a convex deviation in the negative direction with increasing age. When decreasing from the reference interval, a convex curve with a positive trend is observed. Upon elevated immunoglobulins exceeding the reference interval flow cytophotometric analysis has a convex positive trend, whereas for at lowering the reference interval flow cytophotometric analysis also has a convex positive trend exceeding 5 times.

How to redefine tourism development from a holistic regional perspective? On Costa Brava (Spain), known as a sun and beach destination, alternative strategies are being explored to strengthen territorial resilience through the promotion of existing products, such as music festivals. A mixed methods research based on the qualitative analysis of interviews with key informants and the quantitative analysis of a battery of indicators will provide the necessary information to analyse the potential of these festivals in a context where the dependence towards tourism and the nature of the tourism model itself are being contested. Lessons learnt from last decade might contribute to a more adequate tourism development in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of crises such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, local food systems have emerged as a potential solution to the challenges of food sovereignty and sustainability. However, the adoption of local food as a widespread practice remains limited. The aim of this research is to identify the drivers that could lead to the widespread adoption of local food systems as an inclusive practice in urban areas. We adopt a systemic approach to analyze the dynamics of supply systems and communities in a city within the Paris region, combining geographic, ethnographic, and documentary data. Our findings reveal a tentative practice and a gap between the supply and the population's usage patterns. Our research highlights how food behaviors are embedded within interacting systems. It calls on public authorities to make local food systems a significant focus for large-scale distribution and urges the economic sphere to rethink its business models and value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel examination of the SAFe® (Scaled Agile Framework®) through the theoretical framework of Stafford Beer's Viable System Model (VSM). By applying the principles of VSM, renowned for its systemic and cybernetic approach to organizational management, we offer a unique perspective on the structural and functional aspects of SAFe® in its various configurations: Essential, Large Solution, Portfolio, and Full. The study employs functional modeling to delineate the congruencies and divergences between VSM and SAFe®, aiming to illuminate how VSM's systemic insights can enhance the implementation and efficacy of SAFe® practices. This interdisciplinary approach not only contributes to a deeper understanding of SAFe's® capabilities and limitations but also demonstrates the practical applicability of VSM in contemporary agile environments. The findings propose actionable insights for organizations seeking to optimize their agile practices through a more structured, systemic lens, thus bridging a crucial gap in agile and systems thinking literature. This paper is poised to benefit practitioners and theorists alike, offering a fresh perspective in the agile systems domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bushmeat chain is a source of income-generating activities for its actors, but it is dangerous for the survival of wildlife because of the non-respect of the hunting calendar. The impact of this activity on biodiversity is one of the main factors contributing to the implementation of legal texts for a sustainable management of this wildlife. Our objective is to analyze the interactions between the various actors and the effectiveness of the legal texts in force to determine the status of sustainable wildlife management in Gabon. Thus, we use Ostrom's socio-ecological approach as a basis by considering the governance system and the actors whose interactions have impacts on the wildlife resource. We therefore conducted a literature search and a qualitative survey using a semi-structured questionnaire with 73 people. After categorizing our stakeholders (wildlife management agents - wildlife harvesters – consumers), two types of relationships emerged. A collaborative relationship between actors of the same group and a dependent-power relationship between two different groups. However, the legal texts that allow for the effectiveness of the latter relationship only legislate on hunting and not on the bushmeat trade. In addition, certain legal texts should be updated and rigorously applied to truly meet the objectives of sustainable wildlife management and to secure the professions of these actors.

Copyright of VertigO is the property of La Revue Electronique en Sciences de l'Environnement VertigO and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A few historical governments have existed for a long time, but the government is relatively old and lasts up to a few centuries, especially in its modern form. A modern government is an organization that controls legal law and applies it legitimately. The government is the only organization with the authority and right to use legitimate violence. Throughout history and during the past eras, many governments have been formed in all parts of the world, and each of them has reached the point of collapse after some time. Although the existence of the state is more durable and survival compared to the government, and in other words, it is "more or less than ever," the specific policies of the formation of the states are taken into consideration. However, the point is under what conditions they fall apart; it has received less attention from researchers. This article aims to answer the question, under what conditions can a government be destroyed or collapsed?To find the causes and factors of the collapse and fall of governments, the current research, using the theories of systemic analysis, besides explaining the various forms of government collapse, examines all the internal and external factors and factors of the collapse of a government. To understand this issue, it has been taken from systemic analysis; systemic analysis refers to a point of view that can be used to investigate and analyze a phenomenon. Systemic analysis leads to a better understanding of phenomena and avoids reductionism. In recent decades, system analysis has been proposed as an efficient tool for new sciences and specialized supplementary studies in various social fields in scientific and academic circles. This causes a general and multifaceted understanding of why and the phenomena and events governing behavioral affairs.In systemic analysis, the political system, as an intellectual system, has several subsystems. A crisis in any of these subsystems, including the economic or political subsystem, can lead to the fragility and collapse of the government. In this view, the government is a set of interconnected and systematic elements and propositions. Disruption in any of these elements can lead to the collapse or destruction of the state.In addition to the internal connection between its components, the government as a system also has a connection with external changes at different and numerous levels. The state has the property of food with its external elements. As a result of these connections between the government and the environment and the actions and reactions between them, differences or imbalances occur in the government system.In a general classification, the collapse and disintegration of governments can be classified in the form of two main categories—external factors and factors and internal factors. External factors deal with the relations between the government and other countries in the international community. The second category also refers to the relationship between the government and its internal society. It is essential to mention that these two groups of factors influence each other, and a change in the intensity and weakness of one causes a change in the intensity and weakness of the other. This means that the collapse of the government extends from the internal situation to the foreign relations of the troubled government. Also, the weakening of foreign authority substantially impacts its internal stability.Research studies indicate that at the external level of the government system, essential factors such as war and foreign invasion, climate change, the pressures of powers and economic sanctions, and issues of a succession of governments can become the fragility of the government and against it. It will eventually collapse. In the internal dimension, crises in three subsystems, political, economic, and social, can turn into the collapse of the government. In other words, factors such as political crises and the distortion of governance, economic crises such as inflation and damage, and social issues such as the crisis of failure to start and the crisis of participation are the main factors affecting the collapse and disintegration of a government. The weakening, incapacity, decline, and decay of governments either due to external factors, in the economic forms of political policies and foreign invasion and war, and in some cases, due to climate change and the succession of governments to another place. It occurs or results from internal changes in the political, economic, and social structure, civil wars, accumulation of crises, and loss of internal legitimacy.

In this case study, we present our findings regarding a massive open online Scratch programming course. The course, which followed a project-based learning approach, was delivered from July 4 to 30, 2022 to 186 students in Brazil. The students were challenged to develop individual coding projects. Our research goal was to investigate teaching and learning course dynamics. We followed a convergent parallel mixed-method approach. We collected quantitative and qualitative data by means of questionnaires. We were able to identify five intertwined feedback loops that drove the educational process. Our main findings are as follows: 1) The development of coding skills was driven by the effort of watching video-lectures, remixing of peers' codes, and by sharing knowledge between the students. 2) The project-based learning approach created opportunities for the students to collaborate and exchange ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occupational activities carried out in hospital environments pose occupational risks to professionals. In psychiatric hospitals, due to the characteristics of the patients treated, professionals are also subjected to other risks, such as physical aggression. This research aimed to identify the systemic context, highlighting the cause-and-effect relationships that culminate in occupational accidents that occurred with the nursing staff in a psychiatric hospital in Brazil. The current study is an applied research and was divided into three stages. First, the collection of data related to the case study was made and accidents were analyzed and occupational hazards were identified. In the second stage, from the collected information, occupational safety indicators were defined. Lastly, in the third stage, the qualitative aspect of System Dynamics was applied to perform the systemic analysis and to identify how the different variables were related. The results showed that physical aggression was the main cause of accidents. Regarding safety indicators, while both the level of use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by professionals and the high level of PPE protection were positive aspects, the level of training of professionals to use PPE was a negative aspect. The Causal Link Diagram (CLD) showed that the perception of risk influenced the level of use of PPE and those organizational measures influenced the accident rate. In conclusion, the systemic analysis of the system dynamics can optimize the diagnostic process of occupational accidents in psychiatric hospitals, and especially help to identify the cause and effect among the variables involved. • The main generator of accidents was the physical aggression of patients towards professionals. • A network of complex relationships that influence the occurrence of the accident was identified and is often difficult to understand due to the various interrelationships of the elements of the system. • The systemic analysis allowed a more precise understanding of all the factors involved in work accidents and how safety indicators can contribute with some positive aspects, as well as the need for organizational control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contaduría y Administración is the property of Facultad de Contaduria y Administracion-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Development & Human Resources Management is the property of Journal of Development & Human Resources Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Investigación Administrativa is the property of ESCA Santo Tomas - IPN and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents action research to analyze an approach for assessment of the alleged agile transformation. This approach was implemented at AK Bars Digital Technologies, an IT spin-off of one of the largest banks in Russia using the Scaled Agile Framework. The approach is based on the Goal-Question-Metric approach, non-invasive measurement collection, and systemic analysis. It uses data from several different sources, including interviews, code repositories, user ratings in the play stores, and templates for agile assessment. The effectiveness of the approach is subjectively validated by the adoption of the proposed recommendations by the banks’ senior management. Details are provided on the approach, the required effort from the side of both those assessing and of the people being assessed and the results. The final part of the paper is devoted to the discussion of its generalizability and the plan for future experimentation and refinement.

The offshore oil and gas upstream supply chain operations are part of a complex system with many stakeholders and intricate relationships. Traditionally, these operations are managed manually, which leads to inefficiencies. Despite the innovative and engineering‐orientated approaches adopted in other technical operations of the industry, the supply chain activities remain unchanged, relying heavily on legacy systems. However, cutting‐edge technology opportunities are available for adoption in supply chain management systems in the oil and gas industry. Such a transformative upgrade relies on first understanding the operational inefficiencies and preparing an accurate picture for how these operations should be performed. This study adopts a systemic approach to examine the oil and gas offshore supply chain operations of a case company to identify areas for improvement. The objective is to address the following research questions: (1) what is the current "AS‐IS" supply chain operations support; and (2) what is the desired "TO‐BE" state for these operations. This research adopts a soft systems lenses applied in an action research project to capture and analyze existing operations. The research revealed that information exchange is a major barrier, and that technology and organizational gaps are the primary hindrance for a digital transformation. The conclusion is that there is a need for a higher level of data exchange and increased data quality in any proposed transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of CULCyT: Cultura Científica y Tecnológica is the property of Cultura Cientifica y Tecnologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents the findings related to an exploratory study of the systemic impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on the studies of graduate students of Brazil. It was sent a survey to 38 students who attended a University of São Paulo graduate course during the first semester of 2021. An exploratory sequential mixed method approach was followed. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected using questionnaires. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics. The qualitative data was examined following a language processing method. The insights gained from both kinds of data were connected using a causal loop diagram. It was found that home confinement was the factor that created the main barriers to learning. In addition, digital fatigue, inadequate teaching strategies and the limitation of video conferencing tools also impacted negatively on learning. On the other hand, the pandemic also brought learning opportunities: the students took advantage of courses, webinars and conferences offered during the pandemic. In addition, the students developed new IT and communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present our findings regarding of providing online educational activities, delivered by six adults, during 13 weeks (first semester 2020) to 15 children aging from 5 to 7 (the Beaver scouts), on a non-formal education context. The activities combined guided play and problem-based learning activities. Our research objective was to analyzed the method followed, uncovering the dynamics the drove the activities and the consequences. We followed an action research approach in order to understand the feedback loops present in the delivery of online educational activities. The data was collected from the minutes of the meetings, the activities' plans and the notes taken from observations of the online activities and notes taken during the debriefing activities. We analyzed the data by means of a systemic analysis. Our findings are: 1) The diversification of activities (physical, artistic, and social) provided by the leaders and the parent's support and participation fostered the children engagement and motivation to learn. 2) The continuous improvement of the teach and learning techniques and the right use of IT tools, facilitated the communication and the delivery of meaningful online activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern agri-food systems are complex and involve understanding nutritional, productive, institutional, and socioeconomic factors. This study aimed to measure the participation of short food supply chains in the formation of income generated from different production systems on the northern border of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We used production systems as a methodological reference to analyze the internal and external relations at the production unit level, and based on the developed activities, we economically estimated the respective sales channels. Thirty-one farmers were interviewed between October and November 2019. The farmers considered in the sample developed more than one productive activity and accessed more than one marketing channel. According to the production carried out, we identified three production systems: vegetables, agro-industrial, and mixed. Each system has different specificities and contribution percentages to the total agriculture income. In the market, farmers mobilize conventional and alternative markets. The first was mainly used to commercialize of products such as commodities. Alternative channels were used to sell alternatively and/or traditionally produced food. Alternative systems and/or short channels allowed the elimination and appropriation of a higher percentage of generated wealth, contributing to the viability of smallholder farmers. A striking feature of the production systems analyzed was the diversification in production and sales. Although the product plays the greatest role in the income generated, other activities are important and contribute to the production unit's productivity and economic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main problem of the current research is whether it is possible to present an indigenous periodization of the history of Iran in addition to the European-oriented periodization. In order to answer this question, the author tries to present his proposed model rejecting European-oriented periodization. The methodological approach in this research is "systemic analysis" and the unity of the criterion determined for periodization is "the nature of the political system". With these considerations, the author divides the history of Iran into five different periods:King of Kings period (from the rise of the Median dynasty to the decline of the Sassanid)Caliphate-Royal period (from The arrival of Islam in Iran until the fall of the Abbasid caliphate)Khanid period (from the Mongol invasion of Iran to the establishment of the Safavid state)The absolute monarchy period (from the rise of the Safavid dynasty to the establishment of the constitutional system) andThe period of constitutional monarchy (from the establishment of the constitutional system to the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty).

Cities are increasingly important actors in the field of migration and integration policy, both in terms of the design and implementation of policy and via cities participation in larger international networks. In this text I will explore how one such network, the Council of Europe's Intercultural Cities programme(ICC), has evolved over its ten year history, not only in terms of membership and geographical coverage, but also in terms of its attempts to respond to changes in global political sensibilities. The analysis presented her attempts to understand how the participation of cities in international networks can have an impact on local dynamics of governance and on public policy. The analysis of city-based inclusion networks makes it possible to see not only the shifting dynamics of power between cities and states, but also the impact of international networks on cities' abilities to mobilise locally or subnationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Therapies based on the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) are transforming the treatment landscape of esophageal cancer. Nevertheless, the available data on adverse events (AEs) mainly stemmed from several prospective clinical trials and retrospective studies, in which, AE data are often handled and reported with less rigor than the primary beneficial outcomes of the study. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to investigate the toxicity spectrum of these novel regimens. Method: We searched for all prospective clinical trials investigating the role of ICIs combined with TRT published between January 2010 and August 2022. Study articles and conference proceedings involving esophageal cancers and reporting the overall incidence or details of treatment-related AEs (trAEs) were synthesized to determine the toxicity profile of combination treatment. We compared trAEs between cancer type, programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, and between sequential and concurrent administration of ICIs and TRT to identify potentially high-risk patients. Results: We obtained toxicity data from 14 clinical trials involving 863 patients. The pooled overall incidence was 88.97% for any-grade trAEs and 18.48% for high-grade trAEs. The three most frequent non-hematologic any-grade trAEs were reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (RCCEP, 63.80%), esophagitis (51.54%), and fatigue (33.63%). Meanwhile, RCCEP (15.69%) was the most common non-hematologic high-grade trAE, followed by nausea (4.91%) and anorexia (3.81%). The occurrence rates of any-grade and high-grade pneumonitis were 10.82% and 0.66%, respectively. In subgroup analysis, the toxicity profiles of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors were mostly similar, except for any-grade pneumonitis (15.20% vs 4.88%, p=0.03) and high-grade leukopenia (6.25% vs 59.09%, p=0.00). In addition, concurrent treatment seemed to have a higher incidence of any-grade trAEs (95.20% vs 70.85%, p=0.03) compared with sequential treatment. ESCC seems to have higher incidence of any-grade hypothyroidism (22.55% vs 8.96%, p=0.049) compared to EAC. Conclusion: Our study is the first systematic review to provide a toxicity profile of trAEs in esophageal cancer patients who received ICIs combined with TRT. Most AEs of this combination treatment are tolerable, although the incidence of any-grade trAEs was higher in the concurrent group. The difference in anygrade pneumonitis between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor groups needs further validation in a large clinical trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of our work was to provide a data-driven perspective to APS, a complex autoimmune disorder, supplementing traditional clinical observations., Methods: Medical records of 7559 patients were analyzed, autoimmune origin was proved in 3180 cases of which 380 (12%) had APS. Associations of component disorders were investigated by computational methods to reveal typical patterns of disease development., Results: Twenty-eight distinct autoimmune disorders were diagnosed forming 113 combinations. The 10 most frequent combinations were responsible for 51,3% of cases. HT and GD were differentiated as main cornerstones of APS, sharing several comorbidities. HT was the most common manifestation (67.4%), followed by GD (26.8%) and T1D (20.8%). APS started significantly earlier in men than in women. Thyroid autoimmunity was frequently linked to gastrointestinal and systemic manifestations and these patterns of associations substantially differed from that of T1D, AD or CeD when present as first manifestations, suggesting the possibility of a common biological cause., Conclusion: APS is more frequent than reported. Classifying APS requires a shift of perspective towards disease associations rather than disorder prevalence., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.)

The Fontanar neighborhood is an exponent of the Cuban urban-architectural development of the 50s, which has been little studied up to now. This work had the objective of making an urban and architectural characterization of the neighborhood, through the integration of natural and built components, in its historical and social evolution. It starts from a systemic and integrated approach in the management of the natural and built environment, supported by the theories of Systems and Complexity, with emphasis on the integrated management of physical- environmental variables. Results: An analysis methodology is provided, and a documentary base of the neighborhood, useful for its future development, and for the knowledge of the urbanization processes of Havana. Conclusion: the Fontanar neighborhood stands out for its urban and architectural functionality, and its gradual socio-spatial integration, expressed in constructive and stylistic transformations that have not affected its original expression, giving it value as an urban sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years, Algeria has embarked on a vast program to build small dams. The small size of dams, the scattered nature of the irrigation schemes, and the randomness of rainfall are among the parameters that motivated managers to implement this resource mobilization strategy. However, the results obtained were not in good agreement with the expected objectives of this program. Indeed, the assessment performed on approximately twenty small dams located in western Algeria showed many shortcomings that were mainly linked to technical design criteria. In addition, these shortcomings were the result of the lack of overall vision and the lack of interaction between the different branches of study of these structures. The systems approach, which is based on the principles of organization, interdependence, prioritization, coordination and integration, in combination with the requirements engineering, can be of great help in ensuring the reliability and good performance for this type of structure. The present paper attempts to address this issue by proposing the implementation of these two principles, namely, the systemic approach and the requirements engineering, for the design of small dams. An analysis is then carried out to address the conceptual aspects of small dams in three distinct zones: the watershed, the dam site, and the downstream zone. The objectives and missions of the system combined with the requirements of the different operators, the functional review of subsystem design, and the elements and components, including the interactive aspect, made it possible, through a multicriteria performance analysis, to produce the correlation matrices of the weighted requirements. The functional decomposition of the system into subsystems and interactive elements has led to the reorientation of the study of its performance with a reliability research approach. The analysis of the system requirements was broken down into sub-systems and components and helped to assess the weights of the various hierarchical needs, at different levels of decomposition. Significant differences were recorded on the weights of the various requirements of the system reflecting its performance and this in the two cases of situation: independent requirements and interactive requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista da Micro e Pequena Empresa is the property of Faculdade Campo Limpo Paulista and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Conceptual design approaches the definition of an innovative concept design applied to a product intended for children'-=s recreational area, corresponding to a personal profile located around the age of childhood, namely aged 2 to 5. The case study presented highlights the development of an innovative concept for children's recreational areas, to be precise the design, and the conceptual design applied to a roto-pendular carousel for children's recreational areas. The working method aims at identifying the chronological stages of development and the conceptual design, starting from the idea, prospectographic research, analysis of constructive solutions, and finally the materialization of the assisted design in detail, applied to the new concept. Based on the prospectographic study, several constructive variants are highlighted, at the draft level, and after the analysis, the optimized variant of the carousel concept is established that should match the functions and characteristics pursued and imposed on the new concept. Following the justification of the choice of the optimal variant of the concept, the model is designed in an assisted environment in order to follow aspects related to technology associated with each component of the whole assembly, as well as aspects related to ergonomics, safety in exploration and proportion associated to the typology and to the age criteria of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2005 and 2015 the Dutch prison population decreased by 44 percent. Such a rapid yet sustained reduction in the number of prisoners has no parallel in the Western world in this period. What are the factors that underlie this unique development? This article charts the decline of prisoner numbers in the Netherlands and considers areas that may account for it. It takes a systemic approach which considers publicly available data that has involved the whole of the criminal justice system. It finds that a serious decline in crimes reported to the police is part of the explanation. Although the overall percentage of cases solved by the police has not changed and the prosecution office has not become more reluctant to forward cases to court, fewer cases that warrant imprisonment have come before the court over this period. In addition, the average sentence length imposed by judges has gone down. The proportion of acquittals has gone up. This shows that any explanation should involve developments in policing as well as in the courtroom. However, questions regarding police capacity to deal with serious and organized crime call into question any conclusion that the Dutch carceral collapse is simply due to a decrease in crime. The reality underlying this remarkable reduction in the number of people in prison at any one time in the Netherlands requires a more multifaceted answer than this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear analysis of agri-food activities and tertiary stakeholders exposes fragmented solutions to public decision makers and contributes to the persistence of food insecurity among eaters. This article offers a systemic analysis of the activities within a food system and the interdependencies between tertiary stakeholders, including consumers. This article summarizes some of the results of a descriptive qualitative study of a northern region of Quebec; it presents the various economic activities carried out and the consumers targeted. The systemic analysis makes it possible to identify the agri-food activities and the tertiary stakeholders that promote access to the foods desired by local eaters to counter food insecurity. • The persistence of food insecurity brings to review governance arrangements. • A systemic analysis of agri-food activities and stakeholders is suggested. • Stakeholder relationships reveal those that contribute to improving food insecurity. • Because of their importance, tertiary stakeholders should have a special status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important things that the Darwinian revolution affected is the previous teleological thinking. In particular, the attribution of functions to various entities of the natural world with explanatory pretensions. In this change, his theory of natural selection played an important role. We all agree on that, but the diversity and heterogeneity of the answers that try to explain what Darwin did exactly with functional biology are overwhelming. In this paper I will try to show how Darwin modified previous functional biology. Pre-Darwinian naturalists did not hesitate to attribute functions in which, for example, the traits of one species were in the service of other species. I will try to show that this has consequences on the discussion regarding the nature of functional language, since the main approaches, the systemic and the etiological, do not adequately account for these changes and therefore do not account for the way functional biology regulates the kind of legitimate functions. I will outline a possible new solution to this problem: appropriate functional attributions in Darwinian functional biology could be regulated by a theory or a set of laws that provide the criteria for determining its fundamental concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global goal to end hunger requires the interpretation of problems and change across multiple domains to create the scope for collaboration, learning, and impactful research. We facilitated a workshop aimed at understanding how stakeholders problematize sustainable diet transition (SDT) among a previously marginalized social group. Using the systems thinking approach, three sub-systems, namely access to dietary diversity, sustainable beneficiation of natural capital, and 'food choice for well-being', highlighted the main forces governing the current context, and future interventions of the project. Moreover, when viewed as co-evolving processes within the multi-level perspective, our identified microlevel leverage points—multi-faceted literacy, youth empowerment, deliberative policymaking, and promotion of sustainable diet aspirations—can be linked and developed through existing national macro-level strategies. Thus, co-designing to problematize transformational SDT, centered on an interdisciplinary outlook and informational governance, could streamline research implementation outcomes to re-structure socio-technical sectors and reconnect people to nature-based solutions. Such legitimate aspirations could be relevant in countries bearing complex socio-political legacies and bridge the local–global goals coherently. This work provides a collaborative framework required to develop impact-driven activities needed to inform evidence-based policies on sustainable diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact that mining activities and capitalization of nonferrous metal ores have on the environmental conditions cannot be addressed sequentially, but only as a whole, thusleading to a system-type approach of the phenomenon. From this perspective, the entire objective reality of a hydrographic basin, taken as a whole, is considered to be a vast system that behaves like an entity and whose dynamics is controlled by the laws that govern the functionality and stability of systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. In the current situation, the society is subject to extremely dynamic changes and strategic developments are becoming obsolete more rapidly. It is cognitive modeling of complex semi-structured systems that is one of the modern methods that presents technological solutions in response to the challenge of obsolescence of strategies. The practice of strategizing Russia’s regions makes it possible to single out the regional dimension as a self-sufficient subject of cognitive modeling. The objective of the article is to summarize many years of experience of applying the method of cognitive modeling of regional socio-economic processes and the application of the obtained models in educational, scientific and administrative activities of the region on the basis of the study conducted. Materials and Methods. The database of Analytic software application was used as the information resource. Cognitive modeling was the main method employed and was considered in more detail; statistical methods, comparative analysis, and an expert survey were also used. Results. Specific examples of research conducted in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, the Samara Region, and the Republic of Mordovia have shown the advantages of using cognitive modeling technology in the educational, scientific, and administrative activities in a region. The factor-digital cognitive model of a region becomes the basis for organizing trainings on the strategy of sustainable development at the regional and interregional levels. Analytic software application supports the research process and is integrated into the electronic information and educational environment of regional universities. Discussion and Conclusion. The cognitive modeling method makes it possible to solve the problems of static and dynamic analysis of a region as a complex system in various subject areas. The factor-digital models of regions obtained using Analytic software application are of a universal nature and are relatively easily modified under the framework conditions of any other region of Russia on remote access platforms.

The use of electromechanical devices in many areas has led to the need to solve problems related to their proper functioning and the possibility that some external factors may affect their operation. The purpose of the developed research was to design and materialize a solution to test the operation of the computer hard disk as an electromechanical device. The systemic analysis method was used to highlight the factors capable of influencing the operation of a computer's hard disk. The components of a hard disk performance testing equipment were identified to evaluate the operation of the hard disk at the variation of some input factors. An enclosure solution was subsequently established and implemented using the idea diagram method to evaluate the functioning of the hard disk when changing the values of some input factors capable of affecting the intensity of the process of losing the functional qualities of the hard disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciência da Informação is the property of Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciencia da Informacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Systemic analysis for the first time provides a generalized problem-solving methodology based on the system concept. By its nature, the problem-solving function is close to the highest levels of functional representation of human activity. Therefore, this function and its serving methodology are most integrative and include all the private functions required for its implementation. Systemic analysis, such as problem-solving methodology, claims to play the role of unifying all the necessary methods, knowledge and action to solve problems. This is what determines his attitude to such areas as operations research, theory of statistical decisions, decision theory, organization theory, and others. For the implementation of management functions, the methods of the search and discovery theory, statistical methods, factor analysis, experimental theories, methods of study of the operations, methods of forecasting and others can be used. The assessment of the ratio of system analysis and its related disciplines is based on the contribution of the individual discipline in the methodology for solving the problem. The main content of the system analysis is not in the formal mathematical apparatus describing the systems and the problem solving and it is not in the special mathematical methods but in the conceptual apparatus, its ideas, approach and formulations. Systemic analysis defines the base nomenclature of the functions that need to be implemented to solve the problem, that is to say, it defines the structure of the process performed by the organization as opposed to the traditional approach to the organization that determines its administrative structure. A / Types of problems A problem is called the situation, which is characterized by the difference between the required (desired) output and the existing outcome. Exit is necessary if it is absent threatens the existence and development of the system. Existing output is provided by the existing system. The desired output is achieved by the desired system. The problem may be to prevent a reduction in output or increase. The condition of the problem is set by the existing system (the "known"). The requirement - this is the desired system. The solution to the problem is what fills the difference between the existing and the desired system. The system that fills this difference is the object of construction and is called a solution to the problem. Problems can be manifested by symptoms. The systematic manifestation of symptoms is a tendency. Detecting the problem is a result of identifying the symptoms. Identification is possible provided that the desired behavior of the system is known. Once the problem has been identified, it is necessary to predict its development and to assess the timeliness of the decision, that is to say, what will be the state of the system for an unresolved problem.

Conceptual design approaches the definition of an innovative concept design applied to a product intended for children’-=s recreational area, corresponding to a personal profile located around the age of childhood, namely aged 2 to 5. The case study presented highlights the development of an innovative concept for children’s recreational areas, to be precise the design, and the conceptual design applied to a roto-pendular carousel for children’s recreational areas. The working method aims at identifying the chronological stages of development and the conceptual design, starting from the idea, prospectographic research, analysis of constructive solutions, and finally the materialization of the assisted design in detail, applied to the new concept. Based on the prospectographic study, several constructive variants are highlighted, at the draft level, and after the analysis, the optimized variant of the carousel concept is established that should match the functions and characteristics pursued and imposed on the new concept. Following the justification of the choice of the optimal variant of the concept, the model is designed in an assisted environment in order to follow aspects related to technology associated with each component of the whole assembly, as well as aspects related to ergonomics, safety in exploration and proportion associated to the typology and to the age criteria of children.

BackgroundThe combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) has shown significant clinical activity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the currently available data on adverse events (AEs) were derived from a small subset of patients included in prospective clinical trials or retrospective studies. Thus, we conducted this systematic review to determine the AEs associated with this combination treatment.MethodsAn electronic literature search was performed in databases and conference proceedings of prospective clinical trials assessing the combination of ICIs and TRT for patients with NSCLC. The systematic analysis was conducted to determine the profile and incidence of AEs of combination treatment. We further performed the comparison of AEs between programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, and sequential and concurrent administration of ICIs and TRT to help identify high risk patients. The systematic analyses were conducted with the Review Manager (version 5.3; The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, United Kingdom) and Stata version 12.0 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) software.ResultsEleven clinical trials involving 1,113 patients with NSCLC were eligible for analysis. The incidence of all-grade AEs was 95.5%; that of high-grade AEs (grade ≥3) was 30.2%. The most frequent all-grade AE was fatigue (49.7%), while pneumonitis was the most common high-grade AE (3.8%) and grade 5 AE (0.6%). Notably, the toxicity profiles of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors were similar. Concurrent treatment was associated with a higher incidence of higher-grade AEs (41.6% vs 24.8%, P=0.17) and pneumonitis (7.1% vs 3.9%, P=0.14) compared to sequential treatment, but no significant difference was observed.ConclusionMost AEs of this combination treatment are tolerable; as the most common high-grade AE, pneumonitis deserves the utmost attention of physicians. The toxicity profiles of patients receiving PD-1 or PD-L1 were similar, and no significant difference was observed between concurrent and sequential treatment.

Background: The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) has shown significant clinical activity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the currently available data on adverse events (AEs) were derived from a small subset of patients included in prospective clinical trials or retrospective studies. Thus, we conducted this systematic review to determine the AEs associated with this combination treatment. Methods: An electronic literature search was performed in databases and conference proceedings of prospective clinical trials assessing the combination of ICIs and TRT for patients with NSCLC. The systematic analysis was conducted to determine the profile and incidence of AEs of combination treatment. We further performed the comparison of AEs between programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, and sequential and concurrent administration of ICIs and TRT to help identify high risk patients. The systematic analyses were conducted with the Review Manager (version 5.3; The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, United Kingdom) and Stata version 12.0 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) software. Results: Eleven clinical trials involving 1,113 patients with NSCLC were eligible for analysis. The incidence of all-grade AEs was 95.5%; that of high-grade AEs (grade ≥3) was 30.2%. The most frequent all-grade AE was fatigue (49.7%), while pneumonitis was the most common high-grade AE (3.8%) and grade 5 AE (0.6%). Notably, the toxicity profiles of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors were similar. Concurrent treatment was associated with a higher incidence of higher-grade AEs (41.6% vs 24.8%, P=0.17) and pneumonitis (7.1% vs 3.9%, P=0.14) compared to sequential treatment, but no significant difference was observed. Conclusion: Most AEs of this combination treatment are tolerable; as the most common high-grade AE, pneumonitis deserves the utmost attention of physicians. The toxicity profiles of patients receiving PD-1 or PD-L1 were similar, and no significant difference was observed between concurrent and sequential treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is a systemic economic analysis of the investment climate in the process of ensuring sustainable development of Ukraine. European integration strategy of Ukraine necessitates the formation of an investment climate in order to adapt to European requirements, create a development strategy to integrate with developed countries, harmonize economic trade and environmental processes. Methodology. In the course of this analysis, the investment climate was considered as a complex open system with the application in the study of the methodology of systemic analysis, which allowed to emphasize certain aspects of the specific nature of its operation. Results. It is established that in modern conditions of acceleration of transformation processes the mechanisms of expansion of investment opportunities and overcoming of investment restrictions at all levels of hierarchy of taxonomic systems are characterized by any importance and intensity. At the global level, this affects the international movement of capital and the formation of world investment wealth through the internationalization of the economies of different countries. At the national level, this applies to regulatory and legal support, formation of institutional support for investment processes, diversification of ownership, sources and types of investment resources. At the local and territorial levels, it is especially important to ensure investment in human capital and the social sphere. The factors of negative influence on the development of Ukrainian industry are determined: reduction of world prices for ferrous metals; national gaps in the development of railway transport causing problems with logistics; the need to repair production facilities in the fields of metallurgy, electricity, gas and steam, carbonite and refining; low level of yield in agriculture (for the food industry); sanctions of the Russian Federation; inflation; reduction in use of electricity and gas due to global warming; market advantage of imports of competitive products. The priority tasks for the development of Ukrainian industry are also outlined: renewal of industrial production facilities; development of infrastructure and logistics; balancing of external and internal market conditions; providing the food industry by increasing the volume of agricultural production; ensuring the purchasing power of domestic consumers and expanding demand. It is established that the level of capital investments in the first half of 2020 lags significantly behind the previous year. In addition, with the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the situation with the inflow of foreign direct investment in Ukraine has also deteriorated significantly. According to preliminary results, the balance of FDI amounted to -112.6%. This was not the case even in the unfavorable economic development of 2014, which was characterized as a crisis period associated with the military conflict in the east and the annexation of Crimea. Practical implications. The analysis of the peculiarities of the investment climate and its goals allows to determine the role of investment in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, to identify key priorities in solving environmental problems, to form the potential for sustainable development. For Ukraine, these are components of the formation of the investment climate in a pandemic. Value/originality. The use of systems analysis allows to identify the main problems of formation of the investment climate in modern conditions.