Cultural Strategies Research Articles

A combinatorial culture strategy to develop pseudomyxoma peritonei organoid models.

Few preclinical models of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) have been developed, probably due to the tumor's low incidence and its peculiar characteristics of slow growth. Therefore, there is a need to develop more refined PMP models that better reflect its characteristics. The aim of the study is to develop a culture strategy to generate organoid models derived from PMP patient samples. We followed a strategy based on combinatorial culture conditions that include the different factors essential for PMP growth and that mimic the microenvironment present in the patients. We cultured PMP samples in the presence of the various factors produced by the niche environment of PMP. We obtained 12 PMP organoid models, each of which grows under specific culture conditions. PMP-derived organoids show long-term expansion capacity and reproduce the genetic landscape and histological phenotype of the tumor of origin. The organoids we developed faithfully reproduce the key features of PMP disease and will allow us to understand the biology of PMP. With them, we will be able to identify key regulatory networks that support PMP progression, providing a platform for multilevel preclinical testing, identify novel diagnostic biomarkers, and generate novel targets for patient treatments.

Preserving snake fruit (Salacca zalacca) Voss) quality: Effective control of Peniophora salaccae SKRU002 with fungicides and biological agents

Peniophora salaccae (Russulales, Basidiomycota), a newly identified pathogen of Salacca zalacca, is a major cause of snake fruit rot, resulting in significant agricultural losses. This study evaluates the efficacy of chemical fungicides and biological controls against P. salaccae SKRU002, focusing on disease suppression and fruit quality preservation. Commercial fungicides (propiconazole®, prochloraz®, metalaxyl®, azoxystrobin®, thiram®) and Streptomyces philanthi strains RM-1-138 and RL-1-178 were tested. In vitro, prochloraz® (1000 μL mL−1) fully inhibited P. salaccae growth, outperforming other fungicides. Both S. philanthi strains exhibited strong antifungal activity through volatile and non-volatile compounds. Additionally, autoclaved (at 121 °C for 15 min) and diluted (1/1000) bacterial culture filtrates (BCF) from both strains achieved over 55 % inhibition of P. salaccae. In liquid culture, RM-1-138 (86.80 %) and RL-1-178 (80.86 %) demonstrated greater inhibition than metalaxyl® (9.34 %) and azoxystrobin® (56.84 %), though prochloraz® and propiconazole® remained the most effective (100 %). In vivo, untreated fruits inoculated with P. salaccae showed 100 % disease incidence, significant weight loss (13.28 %), color changes (L∗, a∗, and b∗), and reductions in total soluble solids, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity, while titratable acidity remained unchanged. Both biological and chemical treatments effectively controlled the pathogen and preserved fruit quality. These findings highlight the potential of S. philanthi strains and fungicides in managing P. salaccae, offering promising strategies for snake fruit cultivation.

Determining the Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on the Growth of Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) cv. Rajat Rekha

Tuberose, a valuable ornamental crop, requires optimized nutrient management to maximize its potential. With increasing concerns about chemical fertilizer usage, integrated nutrient management (INM) offers a sustainable alternative. This study investigated the effects of INM on Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) cv. Rajat Rekha, exploring combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizers to promote growth and productivity. The results showed that integrated nutrient management significantly enhanced growth parameters. Specifically, the treatment combining 75% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) with 2 kg Farm Yard Manure (FYM)/m2, 300g Vermicompost (VC)/m2, Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), and Azospirillum (T15) yielded superior results. This treatment reduced days to sprouting (12.10 and 14.18), and improved plant height (40.8 and 41.7 cm), leaf length (48.0 and 48.6 cm), leaf width (1.78 and 1.80 cm), and leaf number (60.8 and 61.4). These findings suggest that integrated nutrient management can enhance Tuberose productivity while minimizing chemical fertilizer reliance. The identified optimal treatment combination offers a viable strategy for sustainable Tuberose cultivation, contributing to environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Future research can focus on scaling up these results and exploring potential applications in other ornamental crops.

Optimizing feed restriction strategies for profitable Oreochromis niloticus culture in floating cages in riverine ecosystems

High feed cost is a major obstacle for promoting the growth of nutrient-rich fish species like Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in cage aquaculture. To address this issue, cage farming of O. niloticus was studied for a 75-day period in the Gurukchi River of Bangladesh. Three different feeding strategies (FS) were tested in floating cages: FS5- weekly restriction on feed supply for two days, FS6- weekly restriction on feed supply for one day, and FS7- no weekly restriction on feed supply, with three replications for each treatment. Water quality parameters were monitored weekly and found within suitable levels for fish cultivation. The analysis of length–weight relationship and the condition factor of O. niloticus showed positive allometric growth regardless of the diverse feeding tactics employed that consistently exhibit stability across all treatments. Both FS6 and FS7 had significantly higher (p < 0.05) final individual length, final individual weight, net yield, total yield, and specific growth rate than FS5. FS6 yielded significantly higher fish production with significantly lower feed conversion ratio than FS7. Economic analysis revealed the highest benefit–cost ratio and net revenue in FS6, recommending its use to minimize the need for supplemental feed and reduce production costs in tilapia cage culture.

Sharing the Care: One Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation’s Approach to Out-of-Home Care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children

ABSTRACT This article critically examines safety and innovation in out-of-home care, with a particular focus on addressing the entrenched overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the child welfare system. Grounded in the practical insights of safe house workers and managers, the purpose of this article is to share an innovative practice case study—the Tangentyere Safe House in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. As a case study within an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation, Tangentyere Safe House emerges as a site for understanding the confluence of cultural safety, familial connections, and strategies to mitigate overrepresentation. Key themes explored include promoting cultural safety and supporting connections with the family of origin. Through a methodological lens that privileges practice-based knowledge, this article captured the on-the-ground experiences of those actively engaged in child safety. The findings underscore the innovative practices employed by Tangentyere Safe House in navigating out-of-home care within an Indigenous context to argue for a holistic and culturally informed approach to child protection interventions, drawing attention to the practical strategies employed by safe house workers. The article showcases the central role of Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations in providing care alongside families in out-of-home care. IMPLICATIONS The innovative approach of the Tangentyere Safe House highlights the importance and unique role of Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations in out-of-home care. The role of Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations should be formally recognised in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle hierarchy. Frontline safe house workers’ knowledge and expertise regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care can inform all stakeholder involvement including police interventions.

Bibliometric Analysis of Human Aggression Research: Trends, Collaborative Networks and Emerging Themes in the Last Decade

The analysis of research trends, the pattern of collaboration, and growth in citations with respect to works in psychology and related fields published over a decade are laid out. The steady increase in citations from 2014 through 2023 shows increasing recognition and impact on the works cited. However, the publication trends over the years are wavering, with significant drops occurring after 2014 and during the pandemic in 2020, followed by a significant increase in 2022 and an anticipated rise in 2023. There is a lot of strength in collaboration related to the involvement of central authors and countries, with the United States being identified as the major hub. There is an interdisciplinary focus on the psychological, biological, and social dimensions of the study on human aggression. Despite such a breadth of research, some potential gaps remain in uncovering cultural, economic, and intervention strategies. This overview emphasizes the strength and interdisciplinary characteristics of this field and insists on its continued relevance while pointing out possibilities for future research.

Cultivation Strategies of English Thinking Ability in the Environment of Internet of Things

The study aims to broaden the horizons of English learners and solve the problem of insufficient cultivation of English thinking. With the widespread use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and from the perspective of deep learning, the Local Similar Convolutional Neural Network (LSNN) recommendation model is designed by adding adjustment layers to the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The LSNN model alleviates the sparsity of data. Through comparative experiments on related data, the data sparsity is 0.7-0.9. The LSNN prediction is higher than that of Euclidean Distance and Pearson correlation coefficient, which proves that LSNN can alleviate data sparsity. The LSNN model has the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.83, which is smaller than the previous CNN’s MAE. The LSNN model recommends the expansion books they need most for English learners, and then improves the vision of English learners, thereby strengthening the cultivation of English learners’ thinking ability.

Impact of Zinc oxide nanoparticles on biosynthesis of Thymoquinone in cell cultures of Nigella sativa

The rising market interest for Nigella sativa (Black seeds) necessitates the development of cultivation strategies to enhance metabolites production. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have drawn global attention as efficient and bio safe elicitors for in vitro cultures, to enhance secondary metabolites production in medicinal plants. In this study, ZnO-NPs were utilized for establishment of callus and cell cultures in black seeds for the first time. Hypocotyl explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media with varying levels of ZnO-NPs, resulted in callus induction and biomass formation. Optimal response in callus growth parameters were observed when explants were grown on MS media supplemented with 60mg/L ZnO-NPs, resulting in 71.2% callus induction frequency, 28.2g/L fresh biomass, 9.7g/L dry biomass, and 63% water content. A substantial increase in callus growth was observed when ZnO-NPs were combined with 6-Benzylaminopurine (BA) at ratio of 45:1.5mg/L, resulting in 91.2% callus induction frequency and 42.2g/L fresh biomass. In cell suspension cultures, ZnO-NPs alone at 45mg/L produced optimum callus biomass (60.9g/L). However, in combination with BA, callus biomass did not increase significantly in cell cultures. Maximum accumulation of total phenolic content (TPC: 26.8mg GAE/g DW; Gallic acid equivalent dry weight) and total flavonoid content (TFC: 19.5mg QE/g DW; Quercetin equivalent dry weight) was observed in cell cultures treated with higher concentration (70mg/L) of ZnO-NPs in the 5th week of the growth curve. Moreover, ZnO-NPs incremented substantially the Phenylalanine lyase (PAL), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Peroxidase (POD) enzyme activities in cell cultures. Nonetheless, Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis indicated peak production of tymoquinone (168.5mg/g FW) in cell cultures treated with 45mg/L ZnO-NPs alone. This study offers a promising approach for commercial production of Nigella sativa biomass and bioactive metabolites.

Bacterial hosts and horizontal transfer characteristics of clinically important tet(X)-variant genes in municipal wastewater treatment plants using epicPCR-directed cultivation strategy

Mobile tet(X)-variant genes confer resistance to a wide range of tetracyclines, including the antibiotic of last-resort, tigecycline, raising significant concerns regarding their potential spread cross-environmental dissemination. However, the bacterial hosts and environmental spread of these genes remain poorly understood. Herein, a retrospective study unveiled the prevalence of tet(X)-variant genes (ranging from tet(X3) to tet(X6)) in activated sludge samples from five municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from 2013 to 2021. Among these variants, tet(X4) exhibited the highest detection frequency (100%) and abundance [(2.48 ± 3.07) × 107 copies/g dry weight] with an increasing trend. An epicPCR-directed cultivation strategy was proposed to facilitate the targeted isolation of tet(X4)-carrying bacterial hosts in activated sludge. This strategy involves the identification of bacterial host profiles using epicPCR and subsequent selective isolating target bacteria. Enterobacteriaceae emerged as the primary bacterial host for tet(X4), alongside previously unreported genera like Providencia, Advenella, and Moheibacter. Subsequent selective isolation of the most abundant Enterobacteriaceae based on the epicPCR-informed host spectrum yielded 39 tet(X4)-carrying Escherichia coli strains from the WWTP. Whole genome sequencing of tet(X4)-positive strains revealed that plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer is the primary mechanism driving tet(X4) dissemination. Plasmids including IncFIA(HI1)/IncHI1A/IncHI1B(R27) and IncX1, commonly reported in various clinical and animal settings, were identified as the predominant carriers of tet(X4). E. coli strains harbouring tet(X4) in the WWTP showed substantial genetic similarity to strains from hospital and animal sources, underscoring concerns about the potential risk of across diverse sectors. This study provided the first glimpse of the presence of mobile tet(X)-variants in WWTPs, and highlighted the promise of the epicPCR-directed cultivation strategy for exploring bacterial hosts of clinically important ARGs in different habitats from a One Health perspective.

Cultivation Strategies to Modify Biomass Partitioning and Improve Yield in Controlled-environment Production of High-cannabidiol Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.)

Two common challenges reported by cannabis growers are low yields and small profit margins. Although recent research of cannabis yield has focused on lighting and nutrition, little research has examined how changes in other cultivation practices may be beneficial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the following two techniques to potentially improve yield: fertilizer restriction (FR) to reduce plant size and, thus, increase plant density and shoot number manipulation (SNM) to reduce shoot length and improve biomass partitioning. The FR technique involves leaching the substrate and providing only tap water for 0, 1, or 2 weeks at the start of flower initiation, whereas SNM involves pinching shoot tips 2, 3, or 4 times to produce 4, 8, or 16 shoots/plant, respectively. This study used a full factorial treatment design for a total of nine treatments (three FR × three SNM). Plants were flowered under 12-hour photoperiods for 8 weeks and then destructively harvested for data collection. The results demonstrated that both techniques improve plant productivity in different ways. The FR technique reduced all mass measurements (g/plant) and decreased plant area (m2/plant); therefore, the yield metrics (kg·m−2) increased with the increasing FR treatments. The SNM technique did not affect plant area, but more pinching events resulted in a decrease in reproductive shoot length (cm/shoot) and an increase in inflorescence to trim the dry mass ratio (inflorescence:trim). Shorter shoot lengths are desirable for eliminating trellis support netting, which helps growers reduce material costs and improve labor efficiency during harvest. Increasing the inflorescence:trim may also reduce labor costs related to trimming, which comprise the largest cost of production by many growers. Although both techniques offer advantages, there are trade-offs that must be considered in the context of overall profitability.

Effects of salinity and temperature on growth performance, biochemical composition, and biosilification process of Cyclotella cryptica

Microalgae are valuable resources for producing high-value compounds, but large-scale cultivation in open raceway ponds (ORPs) faces challenges due to salinity and temperature fluctuations, which affect biomass yield and quality. Developing strains with high productivity and stable quality across varying salinity and temperature levels offers a promising approach to overcoming these challenges. Cyclotella cryptica, a marine diatom species, is known for its robustness under diverse salinity conditions, but its biochemical composition and frustule morphology in respond to salinity remains largely unknown. Moreover, the responses of C. cryptica to temperature fluctuations are largely unexplored, posing a barrier to its industrial application in ORPs. In this study, C. cryptica was cultivated under six salinity levels (19–34 ‰ at 3 ‰ intervals) and five temperature regimes (17–33 °C at 4 °C intervals) to investigate the effects of these environmental factors on growth performance, macronutrient composition, fatty acid (FA) profile, and carotenoid content. Additionally, we examined the biosilica content, frustule morphology, and the transcriptional levels of five frustule biogenesis related genes (CcSin1, CcSin2, and CcSAP1–3) to assess the impact of salinity and temperature on the biosilification process. Our findings revealed that salinity exerts minimal effects on growth, macronutrient composition, FA profile, and carotenoid content, whereas it induces significant variations in frustule morphology and biosilica deposition. In contrast, temperature markedly influences all evaluated parameters. These insights into the adaptive mechanisms of C. cryptica to salinity and temperature variations are crucial for optimizing the scale-up cultivation strategy of this species in ORPs.

Organizational Culture Change and Adaptation in the Face of Digital Transformation: A Study of Jambi’s Banking Sector

The advent of digital transformation has necessitated significant changes in organizational culture and adaptation strategies, especially within the banking sector. This study aims to examine the impact of digital transformation on organizational culture change and adaptation within the banking sector in Jambi, Indonesia. A mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders within the banking sector in Jambi, including bank managers, employees, and customers. Additionally, a survey was administered to a larger sample of bank employees to gather quantitative data on their perceptions of organizational culture change and adaptation in the face of digital transformation. The findings of this study indicate that digital transformation has had a profound impact on organizational culture change and adaptation within the banking sector in Jambi. The study revealed that banks that were successful in adapting to digital transformation were those that had a strong culture of innovation, collaboration, and customer-centricity. These banks were also more likely to have invested in employee training and development programs to equip their workforce with the necessary skills to navigate the digital landscape. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with organizational culture change and adaptation in the face of digital transformation within the banking sector. Additionally, investing in employee training and development is crucial for ensuring that the workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital era.

Manifestation of national identity in the socio-political values of student youth

The problem of national identity is one of the most controversial, not losing scientific and socio-political relevance for many centuries. National identity is based on a system of value guidelines that unites individuals into a single historical, cultural and social community. The formation of national self-awareness occurs in the process of internalization by an individual of the value system of his country. At the same time, the self-perception of belonging to a certain nation is not predetermined by formal citizenship and is not given once and for all; throughout the life of an individual there is the possibility of choice and change of national identity. This choice is inevitable when the country’s value guidelines change. The modern period in Russian history, and indeed the whole world, is a kind of bifurcation point; the values of the globalizing world, the so-called Western values, come into conflict with traditional Russian values. For the preservation of Russian national identity, the choice of young people is of particular importance. The future of the country depends on what value guidelines form the basis of the national self-determination of today's Russian youth. The article presents the results of a study of the relationship between socio-political values and the choice of national identity of Russian students. It is not by chance that students are identified as the object of observation. As the avant-garde, the most educated part of young people with high ambitions and a desire for social independence, students are the most receptive to change. For the analysis, empirical data from a study by the Center for Political Science of the Institute of Socio-Political Research of FCTAS RAS “Students of Russia: civic culture and life strategies” were used. Using the method of factor analysis, based on the results of an empirical study, three basic types of identity were identified: “Russian, person of his city”, “person of the world, the Internet”, “Asian”. It has been proven that the prevailing type of student identity is closely related to his socio-political attitudes and guidelines. The types that differ most in their views are “Russian, person of the city” and “person of the world, the Internet.” The first type is characterized by pronounced positive assessments of Russia's situation on the world stage, optimistic forecasts for the development of both the economy and the development of the country as a whole in 10-15 years. Representatives of this type see the main national idea in the unity of the peoples of Russia in order to revive the country as a great power. Representatives of the “person of the world, Internet” type are characterized by less positive assessments of the present and future of Russia. The main national idea for them is to create a legal and modern democratic state, the path of development is a free market economy. Among the values, such concepts as human rights, freedom and democracy are more significantly represented. But the most important difference between the second type is the pronounced migration sentiment.

Marketing Strategies of Cultural Tourism Industry under Media Convergence Background

The advent of the era of media convergence has broken down the barriers between traditional and emerging media, bringing profound changes to the marketing models of the cultural tourism industry. This paper explores the impact of media convergence on the development of the cultural tourism industry by analyzing its concepts and characteristics. It further delves into the application of diversified media channel integration, digital, and interactive marketing strategies. By building an integrated media matrix and fostering cross-industry collaborations, cultural tourism can maximize brand communication effectiveness, enhancing consumer engagement and loyalty. This study also examines typical domestic and international cases to summarize the successful experiences and practical paths of cultural tourism marketing strategies in the context of media convergence. The research suggests that the cultural tourism industry should continue to focus on media convergence trends, innovating marketing strategies to enhance market competitiveness and achieve a win-win situation for both cultural and economic benefits.

Effect of Pre-Harvest Intermittent UV-B Exposure on Growth and Secondary Metabolites in Achyranthes japonica Nakai Microgreens in a Vertical Farm

Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) is a medicinal plant known to be beneficial for the joints. Since it takes at least two years from sowing to harvesting in an open field, new AJN cultivation strategies are needed to shorten the production period and improve quality. In this study, high-quality AJN is produced as microgreens in a vertical farm using a commercial ginseng soil mix (Myeongpum-Insamsangto, Shinsung Mineral Co., Ltd., Goesan, Republic of Korea) and controlled environmental conditions. The cultivation conditions included a temperature of 23 ± 2 °C, relative humidity of 50 ± 10%, and a photosynthetic photon flux density of 170 ± 15 µmol·m−2·s−1. Pre-harvest intermittent UV-B exposure, with an intensity of 1.0 ± 0.3 W/m−2, was applied for one day before harvest to evaluate its effects, using controlled environmental conditions in the vertical farm. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiation increases secondary metabolite levels in plants; however, the effect of UV-B on 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), an indicator of AJN, is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether UV-B treatment of AJN microgreens affected growth and secondary metabolites. The treatment group was set to 12 h of continuous UV-B treatment during the day, two 6 h UV-B treatments, and four 3 h UV-B treatments to confirm the effectiveness of regular and intermittent treatment and recovery. Short-term UV-B treatment before harvesting increased phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, and 20E levels without affecting AJN biomass. The intermittent 6 h UV-B irradiation with a 6 h recovery time stimulated 20E content by approximately 1.4 times compared to the control. These study findings indicate that short-term UV-B treatment before harvesting, an appropriate recovery time, and intermittent UV-B exposure are more effective at increasing 20E content than continuous treatment. This approach provides a promising strategy for improving the nutritional and health benefits of AJN microgreens in vertical farming systems.

Cultural Memory in the Context of the Art Episteme of Ukrainian Cordocentrism

The article attempts to comprehend the influence of cultural memory on the episteme of cordocentrism in the nation-building process in nowadays Ukraine, as well as to analyze the spontaneous activation and prove the effectiveness of the re-actualization of the gestalt of indigenous national consciousness, which manifests Ukrainian cordocentrism through the aesthetics of aísthēsis, and which, in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian hybrid war, becomes a reliable protection of cultural memory while preserving the sovereign existential unity of the nation. The activation of the updated art episteme in the domestic space coincides with the international search for alternatives to art forms that are derived from consumer capitalism, one of those alternatives being the paradigm conventionally named &amp;quot;New sincerity&amp;quot;. This latter, stimulates cultural oscillation between the concepts of outdated, as of today, patterns of postmodernism and modernism. It is hypothesized that such transformations might allow the commodified society of consumerism to get rid of the limitations of the collective memory imposed onto it and cultivated by the market ideology of &amp;quot;paradigm wars&amp;quot; and the de-skilling of the art business in particular. These transformations might also allow the society to overcome the overwhelming civilizational crisis that has been much discussed in the recent decades in publications dedicated to art history and contemporaneity, as well as those dedicated to cultural and civilizational changes and strategies.

Light-chilling stress causes hyper-accumulation of iron in shoot, exacerbating leaf oxidative damage in cucumber.

Iron availability within the root system of plants fluctuates depending on various soil factors, which directly impacts plant growth. Simultaneously, various environmental stressors, such as high/low temperatures and high light intensity, affect plant photosynthesis in the leaves. However, the combined effects of iron nutrient conditions and abiotic stresses have not yet been clarified. In this study, we analyzed how iron nutrition conditions impact the chilling-induced damage on cucumber leaves (Cucumis sativus L.). When cucumbers were grown under different iron conditions and then exposed to chilling stress, plants grown under a high-iron condition exhibited more severe chilling-induced damage than the control plants. Conversely, plants grown under a low iron condition showed an alleviation of the chilling-induced damages. These differences were observed in a light-dependent manner, indicating that iron intensified the toxicity of reactive oxygen species generated by photosynthetic electron transport. In fact, plants grown under the low iron condition showed less accumulation of malondialdehyde derived from lipid peroxidation after chilling stress. Notably, the plants grown under the high-iron condition displayed a significant accumulation of iron and an increase in lipid peroxidation in the shoot, specifically after light-chilling stress, but not after dark-chilling stress. This indicated that increased root-to-shoot iron translocation, driven by light and low temperature, exacerbated leaf oxidative damage during chilling stress. These findings also highlight the importance of managing iron nutrition in the face of chilling stress and will facilitate crop breeding and cultivation strategies.

Painting an inclusive enclosure: Post-racial public art as compensatory cultural strategy in Pittsburgh

Painting an inclusive enclosure: Post-racial public art as compensatory cultural strategy in Pittsburgh

Unveiling The Lived Experiences of School Heads in Managing Intergenerational Diversity among Proficient Teachers

This transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of school heads in managing intergenerational diversity among proficient teachers in public elementary schools in Noveleta, Cavite. Through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and document analysis, the study revealed how generational differences impacted school management practices. Seven key themes emerged: Intergenerational Dynamics and Work Culture, Leadership and Adaptive Management Strategies, Technological Evolution and Pedagogical Adaptation, Communication, Collaboration, and Team Cohesion, Coping with Change and Navigating Resistance, Personal Well-being and Professional Growth, and Cultural and Societal Influences. The findings highlighted that school heads faced distinct challenges when managing generational gaps in work ethics, discipline, and professional values. Older generations of teachers, such as Baby Boomers and Generation X, exhibited stronger work ethics and commitment, often working through breaks to ensure student learning. In contrast, younger generations, particularly Generation Y and Z, were perceived to prioritize work-life balance and demonstrated less initiative. These differences posed significant challenges in fostering collaboration and innovation within schools. School heads employed adaptive strategies, such as empathetic leadership, fostering open communication, and promoting flexible solutions to bridge these generational divides. Moreover, the study emphasized the need for school management to address stereotypes and biases associated with different generations, creating inclusive environments that promoted cohesion and mutual respect. The implications extended to educational policies and professional development programs aimed at fostering intergenerational understanding and improving staff relations.

Sustainability of pacific white shrimp culture strategies during a regional outbreak of white spot syndrome virus

The present study evaluated economic, environmental and social sustainability of three production strategies of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during a regional outbreak of white spot syndrome virus. The strategies mainly differed by stocking densities (92, 14, 8 larvae.m-2; D92, D14, and D8, respectively), fertilizer inputs, and other general management. Each dimension of sustainability was evaluated using sets of indicators. The D14 and D8 strategies showed greater economic feasibility than D92 because of the reduced operational costs and investments to buy post-larvae and feed. All strategies showed moderate environmental sustainability but had weakened economic and social sustainability due to the virus. The D14 and D8 strategies received the highest overall sustainability index. The D92 was the most environmentally favorable management strategy and had a social tendency. In general, shrimp mariculture performed with a high initial stocking density cannot guarantee the return of invested capital. The lower density strategies were economically feasible due to the high prices paid per kilogram of shrimp as a function of the higher individual average weight. However, economic feasibility of these two strategies coincided with low creation of employment opportunities and income, decreased social sustainability, and increased environmental impact.