Community Efforts Research Articles

Adaptation in adversity: innovative approaches to food security amidst COVID-19 in a remote First Nations community in Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity issues in geographically isolated communities, including Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN). This research examines FAFN’s adaptive strategies to improve food security, highlighting community resilience and leadership. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 20 community members who were involved in the pandemic response, either as members of the pandemic committee or as managers of community programs. Thematic analysis revealed significant adaptation of existing programs and the establishment of new initiatives to address food security during the pandemic. Initiatives, such as the community garden and the Fort Albany Farmers Market were food security programs that existed prior to the pandemic, and despite labor shortages during the pandemic, logistical hurdles were addressed to maintain operations and enhance food distribution efficiency. New emergency food initiatives, backed by government support and community efforts, successfully delivered food to vulnerable households. Traditional subsistence activities, such as hunting and fishing, were essential for providing sustenance and strengthening community resilience. These adaptive strategies highlight the critical role of local leadership, community participation and ingenuity, and the utilization of Indigenous knowledge in overcoming food security challenges during crises. This paper underscores the need to support Indigenous food sovereignty and build resilient local food systems tailored to the unique needs of First Nations communities. The experiences of FAFN during the COVID-19 pandemic provide invaluable insights into the resilience and innovation required to improve food security in remote and vulnerable populations, emphasizing the need for sustained investment and policy support in these communities.

A consensus platform for antibody characterization.

Antibody-based research applications are critical for biological discovery. Yet there are no industry standards for comparing the performance of antibodies in various applications. We describe a knockout cell line-based antibody characterization platform, developed and approved jointly by industry and academic researchers, that enables the systematic comparison of antibody performance in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence. The scalable protocols, which require minimal technological resources, consist of (1) the identification of appropriate cell lines for antibody characterization studies, (2) development/contribution of isogenic knockout controls, and (3) a series of antibody characterization procedures focused on the most common applications of antibodies in research. We provide examples of expected outcomes to guide antibody users in evaluating antibody performance. Central to our approach is advocating for transparent and open data sharing, enabling a community effort to identify specific antibodies for all human proteins. Mid-level graduate students with training in biochemistry and prior experience in cell culture and microscopy can complete the protocols for a specific protein within 1 month while working part-time on this effort. Antibody characterization is needed to meet standards for resource validation and data reproducibility, which are increasingly required by journals and funding agencies.

Time-calibrated phylogeny of neotropical freshwater fishes

Neotropical Freshwater Fish (NFF) fauna exhibits the greatest phenotypic disparity and species richness among all continental aquatic vertebrate faunas, with more than 6,345 species distributed across the mostly tropical regions of Central and South America. The last two decades have seen a proliferation of molecular phylogenies, often at the species level, covering almost all 875 valid NFF genera. This study presents the most comprehensive genome-wide, time-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis of NFF species to date, based on DNA sequences generated over decades through the collaborative efforts of the multinational ichthyological research community. Our purpose is to build and curate an extensive molecular dataset allowing researchers to evaluate macroevolutionary hypotheses in the NFF while facilitating continuous refinement and expansion. Using thousands of DNA sequences from dozens of studies, we compiled a supermatrix of 51 markers for 5,984 taxa, representing 3,167 NFF species. Based on this dataset, we built the most species-rich time-calibrated phylogeny of the NFF taxa to date, summarizing the collective efforts of the ichthyological research community since the midpoint of the last century. We provide a summary review of this remarkable evolutionary history and hope this dataset provides a framework for forthcoming studies of the NFF fauna, documenting compelling, emergent patterns in the world’s most diverse continental vertebrate fauna.

Data and service management of the EPOS Volcano Observations Thematic Core Service by the European volcanological community

The Volcano Observations Thematic Core Service (VOLC-TCS) is one of ten core services forming the European Research Infrastructure Consortium for the European Plate Observing System (EPOS ERIC). The main objective of the VOLC-TCS is the implementation of a technical, financial, and legal framework compliant with EPOS ERIC to (i) strengthen the European volcanology community represented by Volcano Observatories (VOs) and Volcanological Research Institutions (VRIs), and (ii) provide virtual access to the community’s data, data products software and services (DDSSs) from volcanoes in Europe and European overseas territories. The efforts of the VOLC-TCS community began prior to the appointment of EPOS as an ERIC and have followed a long-term work plan that started in 2002. One of the main challenges for the management of volcanological data has consisted in their great heterogeneity regarding technical characteristics and also legal aspects (e.g. different data policies among the data providers, different purposes for the use of data, ranging from science to monitoring, early-warning and crisis response, and communication and outreach). Another challenge has derived from the consistency of the VOLC-TCS’ products with the overall service provision of EPOS, which merges services from different Earth Science communities (seismology, GNSS, geomagnetic, geochemistry, geology, etc.). Some of the services used in volcanology are in common with the other communities, thus the implementation work was also devoted to harmonising the data and products with standards defined by other TCSs. Yet another important task has been the implementation of the community Gateway to expose and enable access to services not fully compliant with EPOS, or to services implemented by institutions outside the EPOS perimeter, as well as to create a platform that can act as an interface between the VOLC-TCS and data infrastructures operating at a global level (e.g. WOVOdat). Based on the experience gained and the results achieved, we report here on the state of the art of the VOLC-TCS implementation since 2018 and propose future actions to address some of the main technical challenges and measures to ensure mid-to-long term sustainability of the services.

Upaya Komunitas dalam Melestarikan Budaya Silat Pukul Betawi: Studi Kasus Sanggar Ulil Albab, Poris Gaga, Tangerang

Sanggar Ulil Albab is one of the cultural communities that is currently actively carrying out various cultural activities as a form of preservation. This study aims to examine how the community's efforts in preserving the Betawi martial arts culture carried out by Sanggar Ulil Albab, and discuss the obstacles faced by Sanggar Ulil Albab. The approach used in this study is a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study method. The data in this study were obtained through interviews, observations and documentation to the leaders and members of the studio. This study uses the Functionalism theory put forward by Bronislaw Malinowski. The results show that there are still efforts to preserve the Betawi martial arts culture carried out by the studio, starting from opening cultural teachings (training), participating in existing cultural events or festivals, and socialization. These preservation efforts are carried out because they have a relevant function and can meet the needs of the community. So that the studio always tries to preserve this martial arts culture.

The Social and Cultural Impact of Marine Tourism on Coastal Communities: A Qualitative Study at Tanjung Lesung Beach

This research explores the social and cultural impacts of marine tourism on coastal communities in Tanjung Lesung Beach through a qualitative approach. In-depth interviews and observations were conducted to understand changes in social structure, cultural values, and community interactions due to tourism development. The results show that tourism provides positive economic impacts for the community but also triggers changes in local cultural values and social interaction patterns. However, there are community efforts to balance economic benefits and cultural preservation. This research recommends a more sustainable and inclusive approach to tourism to maintain the balance between local culture and tourism.

How can Community Music Help Address Loneliness in Contexts of Social Marginalisation? Insights From Two Music for Social Connection Programs.

This study explores how participatory music programs can help build social connection for people experiencing loneliness in contexts of social marginalisation. Loneliness is a growing, global public health issue with social and structural drivers. There is an urgent need to investigate innovative approaches to programming that go beyond opportunities for social contact to address the multiple domains of loneliness. Designed collaboratively with two social sector organisations in an urban context in Australia, this study presents outcomes from two community programs that involved groups of people experiencing or at risk of loneliness engaging in music together. Using a qualitative methodology that included semi-structured and brief interviews, focus groups and ethnographic observation, researchers identified positive shifts in relation to social loneliness (related to social contact), emotional loneliness (related to social bonds and meaningful connections), and existential loneliness (related to community connection and acceptance) for participants of the music programs. This study contributes to an urgent gap in understanding effective programming to support people experiencing loneliness and bolsters emerging evidence about the role arts can play in strengthening health, community and social sector efforts to address inequity.

Re-imagining education in Haiti through a lens of de-coloniality

Purpose Scholars such as Hebblethwaite (2012) argue that societal elements like the pressure for students to learn French in Haiti are deeply rooted in colonial traditions which were originally intended to hinder long-term development and continue to do so within the country. The purpose of this paper is to widen the scope of Hebblethwaite’s discussion on language and question other social norms within educational institutions, which are having a negative impact on educational attainment. This purpose is accomplished by way of an empirical study of primary school education reform efforts in Haiti through a lens of de-coloniality as defined by Walter Mignolo (2005). Design/methodology/approach Given that this is an empirical study on education reform in Haiti, I have conducted this study solely through the analysis of literature and evidence from past work on education reform in Haiti and other countries with similar challenges. The body of the research is separated into two parts, and the first is a critical historical analysis of the context. The second is a comparative analysis of two different case studies on education reform projects that have occurred in Haiti. This will also be followed by a conclusive analysis of similar efforts in communities around the world. Findings This study demonstrates that primary school students, teachers and their communities in Haiti respond better to education development projects that place mother-tongue learning, grassroots community participation and culturally relevant pedagogy at the forefront of daily operational planning. These factors would play a key role in setting the foundation for students to be both productive Haitian citizens first and global citizens second. The literature reviewed also demonstrates that historically, education has focused far too heavily on models that work for or originate from the global north and not enough on building an education system tailored to Haiti. Research limitations/implications Since barriers such as societal norms need to be addressed through organic grassroots movements, which take time to be effective, reform from this perspective is better suited for the longer term than the shorter term. In the conclusion, this is considered to be a limitation when it comes to identifying short-term solutions to education, especially given that grassroots projects such as Buiga-Sunrise take time to establish winning practices that support self-sufficiency. Originality/value Literacy rates in Haiti for the year 2012 were around 48% for adults and 72% for youth (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2012). Not to mention that only 50% of children attend primary schools and 20% attend secondary schools (UNICEF Haiti, 2011, as cited in Jean-Marie and Sider, 2014). Such low educational attainment shows a need for greater access to education, and as much as the privatisation of schools is a significant barrier, as argued by Sider and Jean Marie, there are other impactful factors that remain to be addressed.

Factors Influencing Reading Interest of Rural Children in China

Reading interest serves as an inherent driving force for children’s reading. Current research shows that family cultural capital, school reading environment, and community reading culture all influence children’s reading interests. According to the “family-school-community” collaborative education model, families, schools and communities share the responsibility and obligation to cultivate children’s reading interest and reading ability. However, the extent of influence these factors exert on children’s reading interests may differ. Linear regression was used to model and analyze the data through the questionnaire survey of 653 rural children in Henan province. The results show that family, school and community reading environments are all positively correlated with rural children’s reading interest. Overall, the family reading environment has the greatest impact on rural children’s reading interest, followed by the school reading environment, with the community reading environment has having the least impact. The study also provides a new perspective on fostering rural children’s reading interest through the collaborative efforts of families, schools, and communities.

Benchmarking quantum computer simulation software packages: State vector simulators

Rapid advances in quantum computing technology lead to an increasing need for software simulators that enable both algorithm design and the validation of results obtained from quantum hardware. This includes calculations that aim at probing regimes of quantum advantage, where a quantum computer outperforms a classical computer in the same task. High performance computing (HPC) platforms play a crucial role as today’s quantum devices already reach beyond the limits of what powerful workstations can model, but a systematic evaluation of the individual performance of the many offered simulation packages is lacking so far. In this Technical Review, we benchmark several software packages capable of simulating quantum dynamics with a special focus on HPC capabilities. We develop a containerized toolchain for benchmarking a large set of simulation packages on a local HPC cluster using different parallelisation capabilities, and compare the performance and system size-scaling for three paradigmatic quantum computing tasks. Our results can help finding the right package for a given simulation task and lay the foundation for a systematic community effort to benchmark and validate upcoming versions of existing and also newly developed simulation packages.

Enhancing Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Agricultural Waste Management: Evidences to Strengthen India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change

Agricultural waste management is a significant challenge in the context of climate change and environmental sustainability. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has fostered effective resource management culturally over the years among farmers. However, there is a lack of research on how traditional ecological knowledge based practices can contribute towards climate action policies with respect to resource management. In this context, the current qualitative study was undertaken to assess the potential of indigenous/ traditional agricultural waste management practices in promoting resource sustainability and climate resilience, thereby analysing their ability to enhance the efficacy of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in India. The research was carried out in three states of India, namely Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. A total of eleven farmers were selected through purposive random sampling and interviewed in-depth using semi-structured questionnaires, out of which the responses of nine farmers were included in the final data, after screening. Proper qualitative analysis of the data using thematic analysis method revealed that the farmers commonly preferred and adopted in-situ, location-specific traditional practices for agricultural waste management, thus ensuring better resource optimisation and sustainability. Traditional practices like the use of paddy straw as manure, vermicompost, traditional cisterns, Jeevamirtham, and Panchagavya have strengthened the commitment of TEK-based practices towards sustainability. The findings emphasized the integration of modern and traditional practices of agricultural waste management, combined with community-based initiatives, to better achieve the objectives of NAPCC. The insights suggested that promotion of traditional practices of agricultural waste management requires better incentives for farmers, more community based interventions by the government, and participatory decision-making with multiple stakeholders. Climate action can be enhanced by creation of traditional knowledge networks, online database, formulation of innovative hybrid models for agricultural waste management and promotion of community efforts to collectively enhance climate change adaptation in agriculture under the ageis of NAPCC. Traditional Ecological Knowledge should be rightfully incorporated into NAPCC to promote sustainability, strengthen climate resilience, thereby fostering a stronger policy framework.

ScorpDb: A Novel Open-Access Database for Integrative Scorpion Toxinology.

Scorpion stings are a significant public health concern globally, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Scorpion venoms contain a diverse array of bioactive peptides, and different scorpion species around the world typically exhibit varying venom profiles, resulting in a wide range of envenomation symptoms. Despite their harmful effects, scorpion venom peptides hold immense potential for drug development due to their unique characteristics. Therefore, the establishment of a comprehensive database that catalogs scorpions along with their known venom peptides and proteins is imperative in furthering research efforts in this research area. We hereby present ScorpDb, a novel database that offers convenient access to data related to different scorpion species, the peptides and proteins found in their venoms, and the symptoms they can cause. To this end, the ScorpDb database has been primarily advanced to accommodate data on the Iranian scorpion fauna. From there, we propose future community efforts to include a larger diversity of scorpions and scorpion venom components. ScorpDb holds the promise to become a valuable resource for different professionals from a variety of research fields, like toxinologists, arachnologists, and pharmacologists. The database is available at https://www.scorpdb.com/.

The human plasma lipidome response to exertional heat tolerance testing

BackgroundThe year of 2023 displayed the highest average global temperatures since it has been recorded—the duration and severity of extreme heat are projected to increase. Rising global temperatures represent a major public health threat, especially to occupations exposed to hot environments, such as construction and agricultural workers, and first responders. Despite efforts of the scientific community, there is still a need to characterize the pathophysiological processes leading to heat related illness and develop biomarkers that can predict its onset.MethodsLiquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)-based lipidomics analysis was performed on plasma from male and female subjects who underwent exertional heat tolerance testing (HTT), consisting of a 2-h treadmill walk at 5 km/h with 2.0% incline at a controlled temperature of 40ºC. From HTT, heat tolerance was calculated using the physiological strain index (PSI).ResultsNearly half of all 995 detected lipids from 27 classes were responsive to HTT. Lipid classes related to substrate utilization were predominantly affected by HTT, with a downregulation of triacylglycerols and upregulation of free fatty acids and acyl-carnitines (CARs). Even chain CAR 4:0, 14:0 and 16:1, suggested by-products of incomplete beta oxidation, and diacylglycerols displayed the highest correlation to PSI. PSI did not correlate with plasma lactate levels, suggesting that correlations between even chain CARs and PSI are related to metabolic efficiency versus physical exertion.ConclusionsOverall, HTT displays a strong impact on the human plasma lipidome and lipid metabolic inefficiencies may underlie reduced heat tolerance.

Strategy for the development of Dermaji Village Tourism

This research aims to identify the tourism potential and formulate competitive rural tourism development strategies in Dermaji Village, Lumbir District, Banyumas Regency, Central Java. The study employs a qualitative descriptive approach using an exploratory case study. Primary data were obtained through in-depth field observations and interviews with key informants, while secondary data were sourced from literature reviews and documentation. The research utilized the analysis of 11 tourism components, modified from various experts, CHSE analysis, government work programs, market preferences, and SWOT analysis, including SWOT Matrix. The findings reveal significant potential and 15 main strategies for developing Dermaji Village into a competitive rural tourism destination. The village has already undertaken initiatives such as collaborating with Perum Perhutani and local community efforts to create unique rural tourism destinations. Active and adaptive strategies are required to develop Dermaji Village into a competitive rural tourism destination with unique offerings in Banyumas Regency, considering both micro and macro perspectives.

Drought Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts and Adaptation Strategies

The escalation in both frequency and severity of drought events has significantly amplified the vulnerability of numerous countries, particularly in developing ones, imposing substantial economic, environmental, and social pressures. This article presents a systematic review of drought occurrences in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), examining historical trends, current impacts, and projected future implications. Through this comprehensive assessment, a clear trend of intensifying drought phenomena emerges across SSA, leading to crop failures, drying of water sources, loss of pasture, food shortages, and an increase in food prices. This review also highlights the concerning potential for worsening conditions in certain regions, resulting in consequences such as migration, food insecurity, malnutrition, family disintegration, crop losses, and increased disease prevalence, notably HIV/AIDS. This study further reveals that current adaptation measures by governments and NGOs should be improved to effectively adapt to the diverse impacts of drought, and it contributes to a deeper understanding of drought dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa and assesses its critical impacts on food security and social well-being. It also evaluates adaptation measures across different countries, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and enabling quick identification of areas for improvement. Additionally, it informs resilience-building efforts in vulnerable communities.

The Role of Community Traditional Institutions in Dispute Resolution in Multicultural Communities

Indonesian society is pluralistic, consisting of various ethnic groups, religions, and customs. This diversity can trigger various disputes in multicultural societies. This research aims to analyze the role of societal institutions in dispute-resolution efforts in multicultural communities. This study uses a qualitative research method with a literature study approach, focusing on societal institutions as the primary subjects, specifically their role and effectiveness in managing disputes. Data from various sources were analyzed in three stages: data reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The research results show that society institutions play a significant role in resolving disputes through mechanisms such as deliberation for consensus, customs, and customary sanctions. Strengthening the role of these institutions is essential for maintaining social harmony by increasing community understanding of customary law and building synergy between customary institutions and state law.

SWOT Strategy in Strengthening the Role of Village Community Empowerment Institutions: An Islamic Law Perspective

This research addresses important issues identified during capacity-building study meetings, including community confusion regarding the function of community empowerment institutions, low levels of participation, and fragmented stakeholder perceptions, all of which impact the effectiveness of village development. This research uses qualitative methods; data collection involves interviews and literature reviews. SWOT analysis assesses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of community empowerment institutions. Analysis shows that community empowerment institutions have difficulty facilitating community input and holding development planning meetings effectively, thereby hampering participatory governance. Despite these challenges, the Institute has demonstrated strength in mediating community-government dialogue and motivating communal efforts, although improvements in program evaluation and structural cohesion are needed. The study found that the institute is in line with Islamic principles such as ukhuwwah (brotherhood) and ta'awun (cooperation) by empowering communities through inclusive development planning and mutual cooperation. This research concludes that the implementation of Law Number 6 of 2014 by the Community Empowerment Institute has had a positive impact despite the challenges. This research recommends increasing community awareness, strengthening institutional capacity, and fostering greater synergy between institutions and village governments to achieve sustainable and inclusive development.

EPCO-33. OMICON: A CLOUD PLATFORM FOR FAIR RESEARCH ON GENE COEXPRESSION NETWORKS IN NORMAL HUMAN BRAIN AND BRAIN TUMORS

Abstract Genome-wide coexpression analysis of bulk human brain samples is a powerful approach for identifying highly reproducible transcriptional signatures of cell types and cell states, since it can survey huge numbers of individuals, cells, and transcripts. However, it is difficult to optimize gene coexpression network construction, compare gene coexpression modules from independent datasets, or even locate gene expression datasets with similar attributes. To address these challenges, we have developed the OMICON platform (theomicon.ucsf.edu) to promote FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) research practices involving human brain gene coexpression networks. OMICON contains structured gene expression data for >17K bulk human brain samples (~10K normal and ~7K malignant glioma), which were collected from diverse public repositories and consortia (e.g., GEO, TCGA, CGGA, CPTAC, REMBRANDT, IvyGAP, GTEx, NABEC, the Allen Institute). To promote interoperability, we have standardized metadata for hundreds of dataset and sample attributes, including single-nucleotide and copy-number mutations. For each dataset, we have used the FindModules R function to construct dozens of gene coexpression networks by iterating over module detection parameters. These efforts have identified ~100K gene coexpression modules, which have been extensively characterized via enrichment analysis with thousands of curated gene sets. All datasets, metadata, gene coexpression networks, enrichment results, and analysis steps can be browsed with an interactive workflow visualization tool, which promotes accessibility, reusability, and reproducibility by maintaining complete data provenance with unique identifiers. To promote findability, we have built an advanced search engine to identify datasets, samples, modules, and more, by filtering standardized metadata (e.g., find gene coexpression modules in human glioblastoma datasets that are significantly enriched with markers of T-cells). A detailed description of OMICON’s functionality is described on our Help page: theomicon.ucsf.edu/home/help. Through this functionality, OMICON seeks to build community and focus therapeutic efforts around reproducible analyses of transcriptional variation in normal human brain and brain tumors.

Comparison of Multi-Agent Platform Usability for Industrial-Grade Applications

Modern systems often employ decentralised and distributed approaches. This can be attributed, among others, to the increasing complexity of system processes, which go beyond the capabilities of singular components. Additionally, with the growth in demand for system automation and high-level coordination, solutions belonging to the decentralised Artificial Intelligence and collaborative decision-making are often applied. It can be observed that these concerns fall within the domain of multi-agent systems. However, even though MAS concepts emerged more than 40 years ago, despite their obvious advantages and continuous efforts of the scientific community, agents remain rarely used in industrial-grade applications. In this context, the goal of this contribution is to analyse the reasons for the lack of adoption of agent solutions in the real world. During the analysis, all pertinent aspects of the modern software development life cycle are examined and compared to what is currently available in the agent system domain. Specifically, the study focuses on identifying gaps that are often overlooked when it comes to scientific applications of MAS, but are critical in terms of potential for large-scale system development in practice.

Hydrology on Solid Grounds? Integration Is Key to Closing Knowledge Gaps Concerning Landscape Subsurface Water Storage Dynamics

ABSTRACTIndividual approaches to observe water dynamics across our landscape, from the land surface to groundwater, are many though they individually only provide glimpses into the real world due to their specific space–time scales. Comprehensive integration across all available observations is still largely lacking, limiting both our ability to reduce scientific knowledge gaps, and to guide land and water management using the best available scientific evidence. We argue that a stronger focus on integration of observational products, while utilising machine learning and accounting for current perceptual understanding is urgently needed to overcome this limitation. Since Europe is warming faster than any other continent, central Europe is undergoing a dramatic hydroclimatic transition about which such integrated observations would provide timely and valuable insights. Here, we present potential and gaps of current and planned observational methods. We argue that hyperresolution (sub km) integrated estimates of landscape water dynamics are feasible, which could significantly improve our ability to simulate vadose zone and groundwater dynamics, ultimately closing gaps in our current perception of hydrological processes in a temperate region under strong influence from climate change. We close by arguing that an interdisciplinary effort of various scientific communities is needed to enable this advancement.