Fundamental Resource Research Articles

Developing city-regional governance capacity: the case of skill formation in the Gothenburg city-region

ABSTRACT In recent decades, city-regions have received growing attention as spaces for governance and policymaking. As an expression of the rescaling of the state, city-regional governance structures are often discussed as bottom-up alternatives to top-down institutional reforms. We have observed that, while studies of governance challenges in city-regions have often focused on broad issues like regional development, branding, or innovation, there is limited research on policy-specific areas more closely linked to the formal mandates of many local governments, particularly in Nordic-type welfare states. We address this limitation of previous research by analysing the conditions for developing policy strategies through city-regional governance, focusing on skills formation, which represents a fundamental resource for regional development. We aim to understand the driving factors for city-regional governance. This involves investigating how incentives, motivations, and the capacity of actors to cooperate evolve over time. Through a case study we investigate how the development of city-region capacity is influenced by different underlying factors. These include the type of actor constellation, institutional conditions, and the civic capital of the region. The study shows how a time perspective can be helpful for identifying feedback effects, which is a fruitful path to further develop an understanding of city-region governance capacity.

Living Will and Advance Care Planning in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Admitted to Specialistic Home Palliative Care.

Objectives: In Italy a recent law was approved for providing patients' wishes regarding end of life issues, commonly referred internationally to as "living wills", (Dichiarazione anticipata di trattamento, DAT). Regardless of this official document, advance care planning (ACP) is often used in a palliative care setting to share the treatments to start, to continue, to withdraw, thus preventing the stress on an acute decision. The aim of this study was to assess DAT and ACP in patients with amyotropic lateral sclerosis admitted to home palliative care. Methods: Patients consecutively admitted to speciliazed home palliative care were prospectively assessed. The presence of DAT or ACP was recorded. Results: Sixty-eight patients were enrolled in the period taken into consideration. No patient had drown up DAT, and only one patient provided his ACP prior to home palliative care admission. Along the course of home palliative care care assistance, 30.9% of patients provided their ACP. Discussion: In Italy DAT resulted scarcely widespread, despite an existing law, as no patient officially provided their indication on end of life issues. In addition, ACP was given only after starting specialized home palliative care in less than 1/3 of patients. Home palliative care seems to be a fundamental resource for improving communication and soliciting expression of patients' wishes regarding end of life issues.

Soil improvement through organic fertilizers

Introduction: soil is a fundamental natural resource for agriculture, as it provides the physical support and nutrients necessary for plant growth.Objective: to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of soil after the application of organic fertilizers.Method: a review of the available literature in databases such as SciELO, Scopus and ClinicalKey was carried out, from which a total of 11 related articles were consulted. Empirical methods such as logical history and analysis and synthesis were used.Results: soil improvement is essential in modern agriculture. A well-structured soil rich in organic matter is less susceptible to erosion by wind and water. The use of organic fertilizers contributes significantly to environmental sustainability. The creation and use of customized organic fertilizers represents an innovative and sustainable solution for soil improvement. The use of organic fertilizers can restore soil nutrients and increase agricultural productivity.Conclusions: the implementation of organic fertilizers is an efficient strategy to optimize agricultural performance, and is also a sustainable and environmentally friendly option that contributes to the continuous improvement of soil health and greater stability in crop production.

신쾌동류 거문고산조 중중모리 리듬분석

This study analyzes the rhythmic structures of the Jungjungmori jangdan in the Shinquae-dong style Geomungo Sanjo. Jungjungmori, a medium-tempo jangdan in Sanjo, balances tension and release through the combination of duple, triple, and mixed beats, showcasing distinctive rhythmic characteristics. The study categorizes various rhythmic patterns and investigates their structural features and roles. Additionally, rhythmic elements such as “Milbutim” are further identified to explore their roles in transitions and rhythmic expression. The analysis reveals that the duple beat provides a simple yet stable rhythmic pattern, reinforcing the structure of the piece and often appearing at the beginning or in stable sections. The triple beat contributes to creating tension and dynamically drives the progression of the music, enhancing its expressive power. The mixed beat harmonizes the duple and triple beats, balancing tension and release while enriching rhythmic diversity. Milbutim plays a key role in transitions and connections, forming unique and multi-layered rhythmic structures. These findings highlight that the Jungjungmori jangdan in the Shinquae-dong style Geomungo Sanjo retains the foundation of traditional jangdan systems while exhibiting creative and organic rhythmic characteristics. This study academically illuminates the rhythmic features of Shinquae-dong Sanjo and provides fundamental resources for the deepening and expansion of traditional music rhythm studies.

Research on the Problems and Countermeasures of Rural Land Circulation in Yibin

Land is a fundamental resource for human survival, closely related to agricultural development, rural progress, and farmers' income increase. Therefore, studying rural land circulation issues not only helps improve the land circulation market, enhance farmers' enthusiasm for land circulation, but also achieves efficient utilization of rural land resources. Taking Yibin as an example, this paper analyzes the issues in its land circulation process, such as low willingness of farmers to circulate land, lack of guidance on land circulation prices, and irregular circulation procedures. Based on this, corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are proposed from the perspectives of intensifying policy publicity, ensuring farmers' basic living needs, improving the land circulation market, and standardizing land circulation procedures. These measures aim to create a favorable environment for land circulation, steadily advance the sustainable development of land circulation in Yibin, and accelerate the process of rural socio-economic construction.

Quantum resources for assisted optimal state discrimination

We revisit the discussion of the quantum resources required to perform optimal unambiguous discrimination between two nonorthogonal quantum states when the protocol is assisted by an auxiliary system (ancilla). Initially, the formulation of the problem led to the assumption that entanglement between the main system and the ancilla was the key resource for the task. However, it was later shown that entanglement is not necessary at all, while quantum dissonance may or may not be required, depending on the relationship between the overlap and the probabilities of the inputs [Zhang, ]. Here, we show that, regardless of this relationship, coherence and purity are required resources for the task and thus more fundamental than dissonance. Coherence is analyzed based on its generalized resource theory, which allowed us to find the scenario that generates the maximal cryptographic randomness gain in the protocol. Purity, on the other hand, is shown to be greater than coherence when both measures are defined via the same distance, including the extreme cases of orthogonal and parallel states, where the latter is zero. Therefore, we conclude that purity is the most fundamental resource for assisted optimal state discrimination. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

First-line managers’ experiences of and reflections on structural conditions for management practice in hospital settings

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe first-line managers’ (FLMs’) experiences and reflections on structural conditions for management practice within hospital settings using Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative deductive approach with a descriptive design was used. Interviews were conducted with 11 FLMs in charge of medical or surgical hospital units spread across Sweden. Data were analyzed using a directed content analysis, based on Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment, encompassing such as access to necessary and sufficient resources, information, support and opportunities to learn and develop.FindingsFindings of this study from the FLMs’ descriptions and reflections shed light on the impact of power dynamics on the structural conditions for management practice. The availability of nursing staff was a fundamental resource in the FLMs’ work performance, ensuring delivery of care to patients and a sound work environment for staff. Additionally, the other structural elements outlined in Kanter’s theory were evident in the findings, as the FLMs wished for structured information flow, identified potential and challenged opportunities for development and emphasized the importance of receiving support from people with a genuine understanding of their work situation.Originality/valueThe results of this study contribute to the understanding of FLMs’ structural conditions for management practice in hospital settings. The paper’s originality stems from the use of a deductive approach, providing a structured lens with the potential to inform future research and practice in the field of health-care management.

A multi-omics database of buffaloes from Yangtze valley reveals diversity of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is the fundamental livestock resource for local rural populations and holds a promising prospect of their milk and meat. Xuyi mountain (XYM) and Haizi (HZ) buffaloes from Yangtze valley comprises of species diversity of Asian water buffaloes. Current multi-omics enables identification of causal genes and elucidation of genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying complex traits in buffaloes. Here, we conducted the integrated analysis of metabolome and metagenome of rumen fluid, transcriptome and metabolome of blood, and whole genome sequence data from XYM (n = 7) and HZ (n = 10) male buffaloes. Our results revealed the apparent diversity of multi-layer omics profiles between two buffalo species. The built-up multi-omics database supports the discoveries of diversity in Asian water buffalo and potentially serves valuable resources for studying causal regulatory variants and their mechanisms.

Fundamental Human Resource Management Concepts for Islamic Educational Institutions: Fostering Character and Religious Values through Strategic Workforce Development

In Islamic educational institutions, Human Resource Management (HRM) plays a critical role not only in supporting organizational sustainability but also in nurturing a workforce that aligns with Islamic values. HRM in this context goes beyond traditional personnel management, aiming to recruit, develop, and evaluate educators and staff who exemplify Islamic morals and ethics. By strategically planning, managing, and supervising human resources, Islamic institutions can create an environment that fosters moral integrity, religious attitudes, and a commitment to lifelong learning. This article explores foundational HRM concepts, with a focus on their application in Islamic education to enhance character formation, strengthen religious values, and support academic excellence

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Water-Saving Society Construction in Xinxiang, Henan Province, China

Water is a crucial and fundamental resource. It is well known that agricultural cultivation, industrial production, and human daily life are not possible without water. Efficiently utilizing water resources is of great significance for achieving global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In order to improve water use efficiency in various industries and promote water-saving development, China has been implementing water-saving society construction since 2002. Henan Province is the main grain-producing area in China, with wheat production accounting for a quarter of the country’s total. As the core area of “Central Plains Agricultural Valley” in Henan Province, Xinxiang City plays an important role in agricultural technology innovation and agricultural production. However, Xinxiang City is facing problems of water scarcity and pollution, which constrain the sustainability of agricultural production. Therefore, building a water-saving society can solve the current water problems faced by Xinxiang City and ensure the sustainable development of the economy and society. This study built an evaluation index system for water-saving society construction in Xinxiang, Henan Province, China. The proposed evaluation index system includes 20 evaluation indices from six aspects—integrated, agricultural water, industrial water, domestic water, water ecology and environment, and water-saving management—and then divides its development level into several stages. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was adopted to calculate the index weight. Then, a comprehensive evaluation model for water-saving society construction in Xinxiang City was established by combining it with grey relative analysis (GRA). The results showed that the overall level of water-saving society construction in Xinxiang City is in the excellent stage, whereas water consumption per CNY 10,000 of GDP, the effective utilization coefficient of irrigation water, the reuse rate of industrial water, and the leakage rate of urban water supply network are all in the good stage. However, the urban recycled water utilization rate is still in the poor stage. These research results can effectively and reasonably reflect the development level of water-saving society construction in Xinxiang City and guide the continued implementation of water-saving society construction. At the same time, the comprehensive evaluation of water-saving society construction helps to formulate and adjust water resource management policies and measures; it also holds significant value for sustainable water management and combating water scarcity.

Blockchain-based Enterprise Community Data Access Control Methods and Applications

Data, as a fundamental resource in the digital economy of enterprise communities, can significantly enhance digital development and enterprise growth if shared securely and orderly. Despite providing detailed control, traditional attribute-based data access control methods face challenges related to privacy protection and data ownership, potentially causing data loss and trust issues. To tackle these challenges, this paper presents a blockchain-based data sharing management system, which merges the decentralized and traceable aspects of blockchain technology with attribute-based access control.

Cultural Ecosystem Services in Land Use/Land Cover Change: A Literature Review and Prospects for Future Research

The land use system, which is endowed with the most crucial and fundamental natural resources for human survival and development, plays a pivotal role within the entire ecosystem. In recent years, cultural ecosystem services (CESs) have also gradually garnered widespread attention. The study of cultural ecosystem services in the land use system plays a significant role in the rational utilization of land resources and the resolution of contradictions between land resources and sustainable development. This review, framed in Land Use/Land Cover Change (LUCC), applies keyword clustering and keyword evolution analysis to comprehensively review and synthesize academic literature on cultural ecosystem services. The analysis is organized into two dimensions: the overall study of cultural ecosystem services in LUCC and the study of specific categories of cultural ecosystem services in LUCC. Relevant papers from CNKI and WOS academic databases are included. The results show that the number of papers retrieved from WOS was significantly higher than the number retrieved from CNKI, while both databases exhibited a clear upward trend in the number of papers. It is worth noting that in the literature retrieval results for different types of land research, the majority of the papers focused on water, accounting for 51% and 44% of the totals in WOS and CNKI, respectively. Among these papers, research centered on recreation and ecotourism was the richest. Through this review, it was further revealed that research on cultural ecosystem services was initiated and has gradually developed into a relatively complete knowledge system. However, research on cultural ecosystem services in LUCC still requires further exploration, particularly in terms of assessment methods. This review thus highlights the need for future research to focus more on cultural ecosystem services in the land use system and to delve deeper into evaluating their values. By employing more scientific and rational approaches, land resources can be effectively managed and utilized to address challenges related to land resources and sustainable development.

Implementation of a paraprofessional role across the public health sector in Manitoba: Impacts on system capacity.

Manitoba experiences sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) incidence rates above the national average and fundamental public health sector responses face human resource constraints. Manitoba implemented a paraprofessional role, the Communicable Disease Technician (CD Tech), to complete low-complexity STBBI investigations and support STBBI testing, care engagement initiatives, provider reporting, harm reduction supply distribution, and community engagement. Secondary roles included tuberculosis directly observed treatment (DOT) and virtual DOT, and flu and COVID immunization support. Twenty CD Tech positions were allocated to regional public health teams along with additional Public Health Nurse (PHN) positions to support the role. Mixed methods were used to evaluate the impact on public health system capacity. Follow-up of chlamydia and gonorrhea case investigations increased from 35% to 98%. Volume of contacts followed by public health increased for chlamydia (114%), gonorrhea (33%), and HIV (68%). Health care provider reporting for cases of STBBI and treatment more than doubled (116%). No significant differences in case investigation data quality were found between CD Techs and PHNs. Qualitative interviews by public health staff (n = 24) found CD Techs highly flexible and competent team members who can fill gaps and expand capacity in direct client service, outreach, administration, data entry, or community/partner engagement. Mentorship, ongoing supervision, role clarity, training, and clear practice standards are required to optimize the role. There is potential to expand this innovation and build surge capacity in other areas of public health practice, and other public health jurisdictions.

Unveiling the Composition of La Pajarita PVAc-Based Paints in Joan Miró's Studio and in Three Artworks from the 1970s.

In this study, we present the first characterisation of the polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) paints of commercial Spanish brand La Pajarita preserved in the studios of Joan Miró (1893-1983) in Mallorca, Spain. Investigation of several black and white paint samples using complementary analytical techniques (XRD, SEM-EDX, FTIR, and Py-GC-MS) allowed for the identification of pigments and binding media in studio materials, as well as in three artworks dating from the 1970s. Through comparative analysis, it was possible to find significant similarities between the composition of La Pajarita paints conserved in cans in the artist's studio with black and white painted layers from three artworks by Miró. Miró's use of La Pajarita paints is extensively documented in studio notes, photographs, and videos, and these paints are known to have been used by other significant Spanish artists. However, their composition has remained largely undiscovered until now. This research contributes to the knowledge of PVAc paints, providing evidence of their use by Joan Miró. The analytical results serve as a valuable reference for comparing and identifying these synthetic paints in other artworks, as well as aiding in attribution or dating studies. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the significance of materials found in artists' studios as a fundamental resource for identifying the materials present in artworks.

Ion-exchange induced multiple effects to promote uranium uptake from nonmarine water by micromotors

As the fundamental resource in nuclear energy, uranium is a sword of two sides, due to its radioactive character that could cause severe impact to the environment and living creatures once released by accident. However, limited by the passive ion transport, the currently available uranium adsorbents still suffer from low adsorption kinetics and capacity. Here, we report a self-driven modular micro-reactor composed of magnetizable ion-exchange resin and adsorbents that can be used to dynamically remove uranium from nonmarine waters. Because of the long-range pH gradient and phoretic flow established by the recyclable ion-exchange resin, the micro-reactor shows a fast uranium adsorption rate and reaches a uranium extraction capacity of 629.3 mg g−1 within 10 min in 30 ppm uranium solution, as well as good recyclability in repeated use. Numerical simulation result confirms that the phoretic flow and electric field accelerate uranium transport to the adsorbent. Our work provides a new solution for the removal of radioactive uranium with high efficiency.

Soil biodiversity and microbial antagonism for suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes

Abstract Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) cause significant economic losses in agriculture and the use of nematicides is the most common management practice applied today. However, due to the impact of such chemicals, more sustainable methods are needed. Current trends consider the exploitation of indigenous soil microbial communities. In this review we discuss some concepts required for the conservation and management of soil microorganisms, considered as a fundamental natural resource. Co-evolution and co-speciation are basic evolutionary processes of soil taxa involved in soil ecosystem services such as nematode regulation. The microorganisms showing a host-parasite co-evolution hold potential for the insurgence or re-construction of a natural equilibrium in soil, aiming at nematode regulation. The impact on soil microbial diversity of farming intensification and PPN management through nematicides is also discussed. Some examples of soil microbial resources and their impact including antagonists like nematophagous fungi (NF), aquatic parasites and bacteria are also briefly reviewed.

A chromosome-level genome assembly of a model conifer plant, the Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica D. Don.

The Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) is one of the most important Japanese forest trees, occupying approximately 44% of artificial forests and planted in East Asia, the Azores Archipelago, and certain islands in the Indian Ocean. Although the huge genome of the species (ca. 9 Gbp) with abundant repeat elements may have represented an obstacle for genetic analysis, this species is easily propagated by cutting, flowered by gibberellic acid, transformed by Agrobacterium, and edited by CRISPR/Cas9. These characteristics of C. japonica recommend it as a model conifer species for which reference genome sequences are necessary. Herein, we report the first chromosome-level assembly of C. japonica (2n = 22) using third-generation selfed progeny (estimated homozygosity rate = 0.96). Young leaf tissue was used to extract high molecular weight DNA (> 50kb) for HiFi PacBio long-read sequencing and to construct an Hi-C/Omni-C library for Illumina short-read sequencing. The 29× and 26× genome coverage of HiFi and Illumina reads, respectively, for de novo assembly yielded 2,651 contigs (9.1 Gbp, N50 contig size 12.0 Mbp). Hi-C analysis mapped 97% of the nucleotides on 11 chromosomes. The assembly was verified through comparison with a consensus linkage map comprising 7,781 markers. BUSCO analysis identified ∼ 91% conserved genes. Annotations of genes and comparisons of repeat elements with other Cupressaceae and Pinaceae species provide a fundamental resource for conifer research.

Using Gap Visualization to Navigate Multivariate Metabarcode Data, Select Primer Pairs, and Enhance Reference Data Quality

ABSTRACTThe success of amplicon sequencing studies of environmental DNA (eDNA) depends on the choice of primer pairs used to select taxa‐specific regions of DNA for amplification then sequencing to characterize sample composition. This paper presents practical methods to visualize the extent to which different primer pairs can differentiate taxonomic groups, enabling researchers to assess which primers might be best suited for a study or environment of interest. These methods can also be used to review taxonomic annotations in genomic reference sequence databases. We apply the concept of DNA barcoding gaps to metabarcoding of multiple species in environmental DNA to leverage reference data on the amplicon sequences of previously characterized specimens. Since reference data sets are large and complex, we provide a simple and intuitive method to navigate subsets of reference sequence data containing conflicting or ambiguous relationships between genomic information and taxonomic classification. We demonstrate how to use gap visualization and taxonomic segmentation in comparing how well different primer pairs discriminate species of interest, and in detecting anomalies in reference sequence annotation. We show how these visualization methods can enable amplicon survey study design and make fundamental molecular resources more accessible to a wider research audience beyond bioinformaticians and data scientists.

Fruits of discord: Aid, Somali bananas and Italy’s imperial trade (1920-70)

Banana production constituted one of the largest colonial and postcolonial investments in Somalia. Cultivation expanded throughout the twentieth century, affecting Somalia’s economy whose special trade relations with Italy lasted until the 1990s. This expansion was notoriously marred by controversies: embezzlement scandals in Italy; contested practices of labour recruitment and regimes; and conflict over the control of resources. This article looks at how the banana industry was made into a form of aid for both Italy and Somalia. After 1945, Italy held a dual position as a country both in need of assistance and as a donor country. Colonial farmers and officials, some Italian and Somali politicians used this position to lobby for increasing investment in banana production. On the one hand, the industry was seen as a fundamental resource for Somalia and Italy’s financial support a matter of ‘humanitarian aid’ towards the former colony. On the other, this support was seen as an act of ‘solidarity’ towards Italian farmers and a way to improve nutritional standards in the metropole. This duality enhances our understanding of the interplay between empire, development and aid, as well as of notions of donors and recipient countries in the late colonial and early postcolonial era.

Decoding the Functional Interactome of Non-Model Organisms with PHILHARMONIC.

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks are a fundamental resource for modeling cellular and molecular function, and a large and sophisticated toolbox has been developed to leverage their structure and topological organization to predict the functional roles of under-studied genes, proteins, and pathways. However, the overwhelming majority of experimentally-determined interactions from which such networks are constructed come from a small number of well-studied model organisms. Indeed, most species lack even a single experimentally-determined interaction in these databases, much less a network to enable the analysis of cellular function, and methods for computational PPI prediction are too noisy to apply directly. We introduce PHILHARMONIC, a novel computational approach that couples deep learning de novo network inference with robust unsupervised spectral clustering algorithms to uncover functional relationships and high-level organization in non-model organisms. Our clustering approach allows us to de-noise the predicted network, producing highly informative functional modules. We also develop a novel algorithm called ReCIPE, which aims to reconnect disconnected clusters, increasing functional enrichment and biological interpretability. We perform remote homology-based functional annotation by leveraging hmmscan and GODomainMiner to assign initial functions to proteins at large evolutionary distances. Our clusters enable us to newly assign functions to uncharacterized proteins through "function by association." We demonstrate the ability of PHILHARMONIC to recover clusters with significant functional coherence in the reef-building coral P. damicornis, its algal symbiont C. goreaui, and the well-annotated fruit fly D. melanogaster. We perform a deeper analysis of the P. damicornis network, where we show that PHILHARMONIC clusters correlate strongly with gene co-expression and investigate several clusters that participate in temperature regulation in the coral, including the first putative functional annotation of several previously uncharacterized proteins. Easy to run end-to-end and requiring only a sequenced proteome, PHILHARMONIC is an engine for biological hypothesis generation and discovery in non-model organisms. PHILHARMONIC is available at https://github.com/samsledje/philharmonic.