Long-term Perspective Research Articles

Advanced Autonomous System for Monitoring Soil Parameters

Context: This research investigates the advantages of real-time monitoring of soil quality for various land management practices. It also highlights the significance of spatio-temporal soil modeling and mapping in providing a clear and visual understanding of how aridity changes over time and across different locations. Aims: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the key processes required for the development of a laboratory-based soil quality monitoring system. Methods: The applied methodologies involved the processes of sensor deployment, data acquisition infrastructure establishment, and sensor calibration. These procedures culminated in the development of a soil quality assessment model that was subsequently subjected to two months of laboratory testing using three distinct soil types. The analysis yielded a strong positive linear correlation between the measured and predicted soil quality values. Key Results: As expected, the assimilation of prior soil quality estimates within the modeling framework demonstrated a significant enhancement in the accuracy of real-time soil quality estimations. Conclusions: This research promotes the importance of iterative improvements of the soil quality monitoring system. The need for a long-term perspective and a plan for maintenance and continuous improvement of such systems in the ecosystem is important to improve the ease of making predictions to avoid soil aridization. The results of this research will be useful for researchers and practitioners involved in the design and implementation of soil monitoring systems.

Exploring the Long-Term Impacts of Out-of-School Arts Participation Among Marginalized Youth

The benefit of participating in Out-of-School Time (OST) arts programs has been widely documented in studies that often reflect impact over short timeframes. Youth arts organisations often bear extraordinary claims about the impact of programs, and the value they hold especially in the lives of those who face difficult social circumstances. This paper reports the findings of a systematic review examining the long-term impacts of participating in arts-based OST programs with a particular focus on the experiences of marginalized youth. It provides a nuanced account of the field from the viewpoint of various research disciplines and develops an understanding of how researchers and/or program evaluators approach the challenges of long-term data collection in the face of time and resource constraint. Our review provides an overview of the way arts participation is measured and the types of subjective impacts that emerge as a result. Consequently, we develop a more comprehensive understanding of what constitutes arts education and learning in contemporary life, and a record of the types of impacts that generate change from a long-term perspective.

Consumption Trends, Trading Patterns and Economic Development in Italy Across Centuries: Data Analysis of Roman Amphorae in a Long-Term Perspective

This paper presents novel insights into the long-term chronological patterns related to the distribution and consumption of amphora-borne foodstuffs in Italy. The study specifically focuses on the consumption of wine, olive oil and fish sauces, which exhibit diverse provenances. Notably, it contributes significantly to our understanding of the Roman economy by utilising an open dataset and a replicable research method. The analysis reveals a pronounced growth pattern during the late Republican to early Imperial period. Importantly, quantitative evidence demonstrates that the diverse consumption pattern observed in the capital city of Rome is less exceptional than previously believed. The study draws upon a substantial dataset comprising 28,851 diagnostic amphora fragments excavated and documented from 28 different urban and rural settlements in the North Adriatic and Central Italy, spanning the period from the 4th c. BCE to the 7th c. CE. The analytical approach employs a probabilistic aoristic method, evenly distributing amphora frequencies across relevant date ranges.

Redox Metabolism and Autonomic Regulation During Aging: Can Heart Rate Variability Be Used to Monitor Healthy Longevity?

The functionality of redox metabolism is frequently named as an important contributor to the processes of aging and anti-aging. Excessive activation of free radical reactions accompanied by the inability of the antioxidant defense (AOD) mechanisms to control the flow of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to the persistence of oxidative stress, hypoxia, impaired mitochondrial energy function and reduced ATP potential. From a long-term perspective, such changes contribute to the development of chronic diseases and facilitate aging. In turn, preconditioning of a biosystem with small doses of stressful stimuli might cause mobilization of the mechanisms of AOD and control an excessive flow of ROS, which supports optimal functioning of the redox reactions. Those mechanisms are of crucial importance for anti-aging and are also known as a eustress or hormetic response. To ensure continuous support of mild pro-oxidant activity in a metabolic system, close monitoring and timely corrections preventing the development of excessive ROS production are required. The paper introduces the potential of heart rate variability (HRV) as a biomarker of functional and metabolic reserves and a tool to measure stress resilience during aging. The practical approaches to interpretation of HRV are provided based on total power, changes in total power in response to an orthostatic test and activities of all spectral components. It is suggested that the complex of those parameters can reflect the depth of oxidative stress and may be used to guide lifestyle interventions and promote active longevity.

Conservation-led palaeolimnology: a review of applied palaeolimnology and lessons to improve accessibility and value to conservation practice

AbstractThe integration of palaeolimnology into conservation practice is crucial for effective ecosystem management and restoration. Palaeoecological data provide a unique long-term perspective on key ecological challenges and enable decision makers to better understand pre-disturbance conditions, natural system dynamism and responses to change. Despite this there exist well-recognised accessibility issues and a clear research-implementation gap, in particular, poor communication and lack of understanding of conservation practitioners’ constraints. This study evaluates the accessibility and value of palaeolimnological research to conservation practice by interrogating 60 key applied research papers identified via a rigorous pre-screening process to ensure relevance. The papers were assessed on the use of best practice accessibility criteria, from knowledge-exchange literature, and conservation-practitioner feedback was gathered on the value of conservation recommendations made within the papers. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of accessible research, our review reveals that essential accessibility criteria are inconsistently applied. Although there has been an increase in accessibility practices over time, co-production practices (including co-authorship, co-design of research, and linkage to relevant environmental legislation), showed no significant increase, despite being advocated for by the research community. Practitioner review highlighted the need for research to provide clear, actionable recommendations, and papers that detailed specific management or restoration guidance were particularly well-received, as were those that considered financial implications and summarised their findings more clearly. Equally, many papers were criticised for overly technical language and poor expression, generic suggestions, and a lack of practical consideration in their recommendations. The study highlights the importance of improving accessibility and co-production of knowledge to ensure that research outputs are accessible, relevant, and feasible to guide conservation efforts. To enhance the relevance and impact of applied palaeolimnology, we propose five key recommendations: (1) situate recommendations within existing practice and knowledge; (2) consider the practicalities for practitioners, including material and socio-economic aspects; (3) use clear and simple language; (4) employ easy-to-interpret diagrams and bullet points for recommendations; and (5) improve accessibility of older work. These recommendations are key in helping palaeolimnology progress towards a ‘gold standard’ of applied research, where it can be employed to greater effect to support conservation practice.

A Study on the Differences in Education Between China and the United States and Their Intrinsic Reasons

The significant differences in education between China and the United States ultimately stem from the differences in basic national conditions. If Chinese education wants to change the current situation, it must start from the national conditions. Maintaining fair and just competition is the most critical point, as shaping a fair and just environment, depriving privileges, and preventing corrupt bureaucrats from interfering, while also learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and absorbing advanced concepts from Western education. To make progress in Chinese education, it is necessary to reduce ideological differences, take a long-term perspective, and return to the essence of expanding educational horizons and developing human abilities. Although the current education system in China is not satisfactory, due to the continuous growth of the Chinese economy and the continuous attention of various sectors of society to education, there is still hope for the future development of education in China.

Allergic reactions during coronary angiography or PCI in Poland: Occurrence, trends and predictors. Long-term perspective based on ORPKI registry.

Allergic reactions during coronary angiography or PCI in Poland: Occurrence, trends and predictors. Long-term perspective based on ORPKI registry.

Role of resistin in the porcine uterus: effects on endometrial steroidogenesis.

Context The adipose tissue produces adipokines - hormones essential to many biological functions, including reproduction. Aims We hypothesised that resistin, one of the adipokines, is present in the blood plasma, uterine luminal flushings (ULF) and uterus of pigs during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy, and that resistin influences uterine steroidogenesis. Methods This study aimed to determine the expression of resistin in the porcine endometrium and myometrium during the cycle and pregnancy by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot (WB). The adipokine concentrations in blood plasma and ULF were defined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The impact of resistin on progesterone (P4 ) and oestradiol (E2 ) secretion and steroidogenic enzyme proteins' expression were determined by radioimmunoassay and WB, respectively. The effect of resistin on protein kinase B (Akt) protein phosphorylation was determined by WB. Key results The study's results identified the resistin gene and protein expression in the porcine endometrium and myometrium. Moreover, the expression of adipokine in the uterus, its concentrations in the blood plasma and ULF, and its impact on the endometrial P4 and E2 production, are dependent on the hormonal milieu related to the phase of the cycle and/or period of pregnancy. Furthermore, resistin enhances the phosphorylation of the Akt signaling pathway. Conclusions The current findings suggest that resistin may control the steroidogenesis process in the porcine endometrium and could be an important regulator of pig reproduction. Implications In the long-term perspective, the results obtained in this study may help improve farm animal breeding.

Italy's excellence in research.

We analyze excellence in research carried out in Italy using the Highly Ranked Scholars (HRS) ranking of the top 0.05% of all >30 million scholars. Published by research database ScholarGPS, the ranking is based on classification of over 140 million scholarly publications (weighting each publication and citation by the number of authors, and excluding self-citations). We investigate the outcomes of both prior five-year (2018-2022) and lifetime rankings. Results are informative in many aspects, including in comparison to other nations. The critical analysis of the results may inform policy efforts aimed at opening up a positive long-term economic development perspective for Italy. The analysis may also inform research policy efforts in other countries aimed at connecting research with economic and societal development.

Development of a conceptual framework for entrepreneurial culture

PurposeInnovation is key. It improves a nations’ standing in international competition and in-creases the productivity of the workforce – a significant aspect in aging societies with a declining entrepreneurial activity. But how can innovation be fostered? This paper argues that entrepreneurial culture is an underestimated solution to this difficult challenge. It therefore differs from common models in which other measures such as financial capital or networks play a predominant role and thus mask the influence of entrepreneurial culture on innovation in entrepreneurial ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative literature analysis, the paper links various interdisciplinary touch points to the entrepreneurial ecosystem – including the individual-focused cognitive aspects of entrepreneurs, the social and spatial communities and the ecosystem as a service model.FindingsThe framework is conceptualized as a multi-layer model, enabling a discussion of policy measures in socioeconomic spaces with a short- and long-term perspective. It dispenses artificial assumptions and considers the complexity of human behavior as a strong and reciprocal driver of entrepreneurial culture.Practical implicationsWith this framework, the paper tends to qualify policy makers and researchers in a de-tailed manner, when it comes to the formulation and application of culture-focused innovation policies.Originality/valueThe paper enriches the existing research with a new perspective on the relation between entrepreneurial culture and entrepreneurial ecosystems, which especially emphasizes the entrepreneurs experienced reality and its multi-level embeddedness.

“When a Boy Becomes a Man.” Masculinity in Czechoslovak/Czech Cinema on the Compulsory Military Service

The study focuses on the representation of masculinity in Czechoslovak/Czech cinemas focused on compulsory military service. The analysis of relevant film production covers the issue from a long-term perspective, from the 1950s until the full professionalization of the Czech army in 2005. The research concentrates on identifying the preferred image of masculinity in the analysed works and possible subversive models for this preferred image. At the same time, the long time frame of the analysis makes it possible to explore possible continuities and discontinuities of images of masculinity between the communist regime (Czechoslovak People’s Army) and the democratic era after 1989 (Army of the Czech Republic). Here, the analytical outputs prove the persisting traditional gender hierarchy and the issues of militarization as a way how to support it.

Social housing management: a long-term planning perspective on the example of a Polish municipality

Motives: Long-term planning and its implementation constitute the basis for effective social (municipal) housing management. Hence there is a need to monitor how these plans are drawn up and the degree to which they are implemented in municipalities so that they contribute optimally to meeting local housing needs using the existing municipal housing stock (MHS). Aim: The research focused on assessing the implementation degree of the long-term municipal housing stock management program (MHSMP) of the city of Olsztyn in 2017–2021. The trends in social housing management in Europe, in particular regarding the introduction of strategic business planning in the social housing sector, were taken into account. Results: In the MHS under study, there was a much faster decrease in the number of municipal dwellings than assumed in the plan and high deficits in social dwellings and temporary rooms. Sales of municipal dwellings were lower than planned, although revenues from this exceeded the plan. The operating costs of municipal facilities were determined by an over-planned increase in administrative costs while those for common properties turned out to be lower than planned. The renovation plan for municipal facilities was determined by the limited financial capacities of the municipality and covered a small percentage of the actual renovation needs. It was found that the MHSMP under study did not represent a coherent concept for the MHS management in the long run, was overly formalized, and did not take into account the actual housing needs of the local society. Moreover, it lacked the characteristics of strategic business plans, such as being market-oriented, systematic, comprehensive, and proactive.

Reinventing Leadership for Sustainable Development in Africa: Student Perceptions of Leadership in Selected African Countries

Abstract In Africa,1 new forms of leadership have emerged at various social levels to drive a development agenda based on peer learning and knowledge sharing. Despite this, Africa remains confronted with many challenges on its path to sustained growth and development. This research sought to characterise leadership for sustainable development using students’ lenses. It is a multiple-case study informed by a purposive sample of 30 mba students from five business schools. The findings reveal, among other things, that rather than leadership that is embodied in a sole heroic individual, Africa needs diffuse, pluralistic, collective and facilitative leadership that promotes sustainable development. Leaders should demonstrate attributes of cooperation, understanding, pluralistic knowing and seeking union, as this aligns more closely with the work required to develop more sophisticated, encompassing and collaborative efforts. Leaders should have intimate knowledge of sustainable development, creating and sustaining relations, and accommodating the heterogeneity and diversity of localities and regions. The paper argues that the foundational building block for leaders is the ability to make decisions from a long-term perspective that leads Africa towards economic prosperity, social cohesion and environmental sustainability.

Greening economic sectors through trade liberalization and efficient governance

Greening economic sectors has become a prominent focus in sustainability research over recent decades. This paper investigates how trade liberalization and effective governance influence the greening of the industrial and agricultural sectors within G7 countries from 1996 to 2022, utilizing data from the World Bank’s WGI database and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. Findings reveal that trade liberalization has a negative impact on both green industry and agriculture in both short- and long-term perspectives, with substantial declines noted. In contrast, good governance supports green industry development but has minimal impact on green agriculture, likely due to varying regulatory effects. Additionally, population growth and poverty hinder greening in both sectors, while higher income levels promote sustainable practices. Causality analysis indicates bidirectional relationships between governance, trade liberalization, and green industry. Policy recommendations include strengthening governance structures, adopting green trade policies, investing in eco-friendly technologies, addressing social inequalities, encouraging international partnerships, and establishing rigorous monitoring systems to advance sustainable development goals.

Family history at the crossroads: reflections on past, present, and future challenges

This paper contains the reflections of the author on the state of family history within the constellation of History and the Social Sciences. The first part of the paper presents a brief outline of how the discipline was founded and the elements in play that contributed to its enormous initial success, especially visible during the last three decades of the twentieth century. In recent years, however, there is some indication that research output on family history has been in decline and, more important, appears to have lost a significant part of the luster it once had. In the second part of this paper the author looks at the importance of promoting a past–present dialogue on the family and the way both historians and social scientists understand it. Ways of strengthening interactions between family history and family studies are discussed, as is the crucial importance for the discipline of the data revolution currently underway that for the first time offers massive information about families around the world over the past six decades. The author argues that both historians and social scientists have much to say about family life during this relatively recent past, albeit from very different perspectives. Studying family change constitutes a key challenge for the field. We discuss different ways of approaching this issue in the recent past, as well as the advisability of looking at the concept of family systems more closely. In societies or regions where earlier more historical data exist (normally in the more developed world), it may also be possible to link existing historical results to those from the census microdata era in order to provide a new, long-term perspective on family life spanning two centuries or even more. For social scientists and family historians alike, understanding the key dimensions of change and their implications for society constitute a crucial challenge for the discipline.

Followers’ Regulatory Mode and Leadership Style Preferences: Does the Task Time Perspective Moderate Their Relation?

Leadership style preferences are in part shaped by differences in people’s self-regulation. However, research shows inconsistent findings regarding the relation between followers’ regulatory mode (locomotion – a need for maintaining movement and change; and assessment – a need for evaluating and critically comparing) and their preferences for directive versus participative leadership styles. The present research aimed to test whether a short-term versus long-term task time perspective moderates this relation, and as such whether time perspective might reconcile previous findings. In three preregistered studies, we measured participants’ regulatory mode and manipulated task time perspective by asking participants to recall short- versus long-term tasks they had completed in the past (Study 1, N = 304; Study 2, N = 373) or to imagine working in a company and having to complete short- versus long-term tasks (Study 3, N = 355). Participants then indicated their leadership style preferences for the respective task. Contrary to predictions, the results of all studies and an internal meta-analysis indicated that task time perspective does not moderate the relation between followers’ regulatory mode and their leadership styles preferences. However, independent of the task time perspective, followers’ locomotion mode was consistently and positively associated with a preference for participative leadership. The present findings point to the importance of taking into account followers’ regulatory mode when considering their leadership preferences. Indeed, considering locomotors’ participative leadership style preference is crucial to ensure leadership style fit and foster motivation at work.

The Earth is Heating Up: Causes, Effects, and Solutions of Global Warming

Global warming is currently emerging as a significant cause for concern worldwide. With the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases, significant changes in the Earth's climate balance are occurring, leading to various environmental and economic issues. Effects such as the intensification of heat trapped during the passage of solar radiation through the atmosphere, rising sea levels, and increased frequency of extreme weather events are among the direct consequences of global warming. In this article, we will delve into the causes, effects, and possible solutions of global warming. Initially, we will briefly explore the fundamental concepts of global warming and the role of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Subsequently, we will examine how human activities and industrialization affect the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Additionally, we will focus on the effects of global warming, evaluating its potential consequences on natural systems and human life. Finally, we will provide some recommendations for environmental policies and measures that could be taken to combat global warming. This article aims to serve as a starting point for understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of global warming. In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the topic to gain a better understanding of the complexity and severity of global warming. In conclusion, global warming is a complex problem with a multifaceted solution. Even though the challenges are great, if we act determinedly and collectively, we can achieve solutions. An approach that makes sustainability transparent and takes a long-term perspective can lead to a healthier planet and a safe life for future generations.

The family talk intervention prevent the feeling of loneliness - a long term follow up after a parents life-threatening illness

BackgroundThe psychosocial needs of families in which a parent is affected by life-threatening illness and has dependent children are extensive. However, few family-based interventions have been scientifically evaluated and even fewer have been evaluated long term. Therefore, the specific objectives of this study were to describe the parents’ perceptions of the timing and length of FTI in relation to the illness trajectory, to explore what activities learnt by the FTI still were practiced in the long-term and what content of FTI was perceived as most valuable to cope in the long-term.MethodsThis qualitative study involved a follow-up with nine parents (ill parents, n = 3, coparents, n = 6) 4 to 5 years after participating in FTI, where one parent was cared for in specialised palliative homecare. FTI is a psychosocial family-based intervention that consists of 6–11 manual-based meetings with the families led by an educated interventionist. FTI focuses on facilitating family communication about illness-related subjects, supporting parenting, and making the children’s needs visible. The data collection consisted of interviews and was analysed according to the phenomenographic method, focused on variations in perceptions.ResultsThe parents perceived FTI as a way to alleviate feelings of loneliness, and some families were still using the obtained communication tools at the time of the interview. They also perceived that FTI contributed to the children being more open about their own feelings and thoughts. However, the parents wanted extended support after FTI ended based on their individual needs, for example, during and after bereavement, deteriorated health or occasional challenges faced by children in crisis. The parents perceived the peer support gained in conjunction with FTI as important social and emotional support both during and after the intervention. The interventionists were perceived as professional persons who promoted open and honest communication during FTI.ConclusionFTI is found to promote family communication both in a short- and long-term perspectives according to parents. They also found FTI useful in reducing their feelings of loneliness. Support over a longer period of time is desired and extra FTI meetings may strengthen the family as a whole in parallel with additional support for parents and children during the illness trajectory and in bereavement. They received support in dealing with strong and difficult emotions and learned conversational techniques that they still used at the time of the interview, indicating that the lessons learnt was integrated and valuable many years after the last FTI meeting.

How did South Korean multiplexes survive the pandemic?: A dynamic capabilities perspective

Purpose The film industry is going through a period of upheaval and crisis. This study aims to examine the movie theater industry’s survival strategies by analyzing South Korean multiplex management strategies during the pandemic from a dynamic capabilities perspective. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a case study to analyze the management strategies of South Korean multiplexes using Teece's (2007) proposed components of sensing, seizing and transforming. Data was collected from business reports, websites, publications, news releases and interviews beginning in January 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread in South Korea, until June 2023. Findings South Korean multiplex theaters’ sensing capabilities have enabled companies to understand the changing demands of consumers and respond quickly. The seizing capability also enabled the development of distinctive business models, and the transforming capability contributed to equipping growth engines from a long-term perspective. Originality/value This study confirmed that the dynamic capabilities perspective and the three components conceptualized by Teece (2007) can explain the strategic choices of firms during acute crises such as pandemics. Additionally, these findings have practical implications for global film industry stakeholders.

Формирование технологического суверенитета в реализации стратегий освоения углеводородных месторождений российской Арктики

The study examines the substantive components of the formation of technological sovereignty by key industries in Russia in the current geopolitical and economic conditions. The directions of state man-agement on creation of institutional basis for implementation of innovative technological projects, production of domestic high-tech products within the framework of the concept of guaranteed independence of the Russian economy in critical infrastructure areas are defined. Promising directions for the implementation of projects aimed at large-scale development of carbon deposits in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in the medium- and long-term perspective from the perspective of achieving technological sovereignty are identified. The interconnection of strategic plans of government and business structures, training centers and manufacturing enterprises, scientific and industrial institutions for building procedures for further strengthening the technological development of the country is presented. Examples of testing individual domestic components to achieve technological sovereignty in the fuel and energy complex of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, in the construction of ice-class ships, industrial engineering, etc. are outlined. The implementation of natural gas liquefaction projects in the Russian Arctic is becoming a strategically important and relevant topic for the development of carbon deposits. The created and implemented domestic technologies for liquefying natural gas “Arctic Cascade”, “Modified Arctic Cascade”, as well as the new technology “Arctic Mix”, which will be implemented in the future at the new Murmansk LNG terminal, are a good foundation for the innovative and technological development of Russia.